This Alaskan Guide has a true tall tale to tell you.Phil Shoemaker, an experienced Alaskan hunting and fishing guide, was guiding a couple of clients on a salmon fishing trip in the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Alaska.
Posted on 06/20/2018 5:07:12 AM PDT by w1n1
This Alaskan Guide has a true tall tale to tell you.
Phil Shoemaker, an experienced Alaskan hunting and fishing guide, was guiding a couple of clients on a salmon fishing trip in the Becharof National Wildlife Refuge in southwestern Alaska.
While there they encountered at close range with an angry bear.
Thank goodness nobody got hurt just the bear.
Whats amazing and you don't hear too often is that Phil stopped this raging bear with a 9mm pistol at close range.
Phil and his clients were lucky enough to walk away without a scratch.
Seasoned outdoorsman who pack hand cannons will chastised Phil to kingdom come. Phil was packing a S&W 3954 in 9mm, whats odd is he also owns S&W 629 chambered in 44 Magnum but chose to carry the 9mm on this day. I think the moral of the story isn't all about carrying a hand howitzer but you can carry a 9mm but supplement that with good quality ammunition, good shot placement and luck if you’re ever in an encounter with a bear.
Anyone that knows cartridges will understand that 9mm Luger does not have penetration compared to a more powerful cartridges such as .454 Casull or .500 S&W. In this instances, Phil the guide was packing a 9mm with 147 grain hard cast bullets made by Buffalo Bore. This was design for deep penetration. Read the rest of the 9mm handgun puts down bear story here.
Alaska Ping.
How many more rounds and did he empty the magazine to stop the bear?
My guess: Yep!
I carry a S&W 629 chambered in 44 Magnum with Buffalo Bore bullets.
Yeah, years ago there was a girl who killed a grizzly with a .22. So what? Were i in an area with grizzlies i would still carry a .44 mag at least.
Smith 3954 is a single stack, so 8+1.
I think he was very lucky as well. Bears are FAST and you might only get one shot off before he is on you!
I’ve heard of Alaskan Natives who hunt browns with a 223 but I would want something a bit more stout to actually move in for the kill.
AM Shooting Journal is either written by a first-grader, or translated from Swahili to Chinese to English. The incredibly poor writing/editing/punctuation greatly diminishes the impact of its stories.
I had heard, not supported, that a good number of natives in Alaska carry 243s. I love my 243 browning but I am not so sure I would take it with me into bear country.
They were lucky. That’s an irresponsible and poor guide who takes his clients into dangerous areas ill prepared.
While there they encountered at close range with an angry bear.
I can hear my college English professor: "ARRRGGHHH!"
this “reporter/journalist” did not bother to read the product description... The description says:
“...This load is designed to penetrate deep (4 to 6 feet) in a straight line, through flesh and bones and that flat nose does considerably more terminal damage, as it crushes its way through tissues, than a round nose bullet does as it slips and slides it way through tissues and that crushing action, keeps the bullet nose forward and ensures very deep straight-line penetration. Round nose bullets tend to get sideways as they slip and slide through tissues and this often causes them to veer off path. This bullet is designed to crush through a large bear skull, coming and going.”
https://www.midwayusa.com/product/101803111/buffalo-bore-ammunition-outdoorsman-9mm-luger-p-147-grain-hard-cast-lead-flat-nose-box-of-20
Yes, that is true. I never click on it, myself.
I live in black bear country. I bought 180gr hard cast Buffalo Bore rounds for the .357 in the event one gets in the house. A black got mostly into our kitchen in 2007. My wife bonked it on the nose and it retreated.
The recoil and noise on those Buffalo bore rounds is a noticeable bump over a standard .357 round.
A few years ago a guy killed a charging Grizzly with a 5.45x39 AK. 7 rounds IIRC.
I have no doubt a 9mm would work also, but that must taken 15 rounds or so. Wow!
I sure would have. Then Supermanned him with the empty gun!
I’m no expert on guns or bears, but I’d want something more than a 9mm handgun to take on a bear in Alaska - I’d have thought that all a 9mm would do is make the bear angry.
Shot placement; he was lucky.
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