Posted on 09/10/2022 5:46:15 AM PDT by marktwain
Detailed, official information has surfaced about the defensive use of a pistol failure involving a .22 pistol and a polar bear in the Svalbard archipelago of Norway.
One of the three documented cases where a pistol was fired to defend from a bear and failed was the sad tale of crew passengers from the tour/expedition ship Origo in the summer of 1995. The event, as related in a travel guide, was documented on AmmoLand. There were several other sources that corroborated the event; the details were from the travel guide.
As part of ongoing research to discover documented cases where pistols were fired in defense against bears, AmmoLand filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for polar bear incidents for this correspondent.
The released data contained a redacted, English translation of the narrative of the official Svalbard report on the Origo incident.
The official version is far more detailed and considerably more believable than the skeleton version in the travel guide book. They overlap closely; the details in the official version explain a great deal which seemed almost farcical in the travel guide version.
Travel Guide version Kiepertoyo Hinlopen Strait, August 1995
Another five people of the crew set out separately with only a .22 pistol and a flare gun. After an hour’s march, the second party were met by a bear, 75m away and openly aggressive. The bear was distracted neither by warning shot nor flare and attacked one of the party. As he did so, he was shot, from a range of only 15m and turned against the man who had fired at him. This man tossed the gun to the first, who shot again. The process was repeated, with first one man being attacked and then the other.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
A .22 pistol can be used to kill a polar bear. It helps if you have some skill with the pistol, and know where to shoot the bear.
Gee, there goes my plan to only carry my .22 pistol when I go elephant hunting this year.
Or if you are close enough to stick the muzzle in his ear before you pull the trigger...
Four shots were fired from 3-4 feet.
See? Not close enough!
Would have been better to shoot the bear with a flare.
Hey- that rhymes!!!
The problem is the same if you use a .22 on a person. They don’t die quickly enough and they aren’t disabled. You can be pounded to death by your enraged target before it dies.
...could be a bear with a flair with a flare.
There are over 120 documented cases where firing the pistol succeeded in driving off or killing the bear.
But I’ve seen a video where that exact same thing happens to an intended victim using a .45. He put three shots in his attackers but took more damage for at least a minute before the assailant finally started to weaken.
In polar bear country, somebody needs at least a 44 magnum or a 10 mm - and preferably a decent rifle.
You would think a polar bear would know better than use a 22
A flare gun was used.
It did not work.
What good is a .22 against a polar bear?
A small Cree woman, 63 years old, when she killed a world record grizzly bear at very close range, with a .22 single shot rifle.
The problem with using a .22 is it requires precise placement of the shot or shots.
If i ever go polar bear hunting I’m going to use a .22 short pistol. Don’t need no stinkin’ 454 casull!
How did he even get in the trigger guard
A bear’s skull is thicker — except for meathead liberals. A 22 will easily penetrate the forehead of a human — if shot directly into it, not glancing.
A 22 at anyone’s(thing’s) heart is a crap shoot — no pun intended. Hit a rib, yah better get off several more rounds.
You can not shoot a bear with a flare
Why would you even dare
I don’t know or even care
I’m not even sure about using a flare
That would only work on a rabbit or hare
Any thoughts you want to share
Hey, that was fun
What a tale I have spun
See, you’re not the only one
Even the much vaunted .45 auto has glanced off of human skulls.
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