Bears Kill Nine times as many people when Bear Spray is Sprayed v When a Handgun is fired

Bears Kill Nine times as many people when Bear Spray is Sprayed v When a Handgun is fired ^ | January 4, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

[G Larry]

I carry an S&W 686+, .357 7rd w 200 gr. hardcast ammo.

If I were shopping now, I'd get the Sig P320 10mm w Romeo 2 optic.

[marktwain]

Both seem like good choices to me.

[moovova]

"His face was all red and he was crying, his girlfriend asked me what I sprayed with and I sprayed her in the face too,"

Ok...that's funny.

[wardaddy]

We have a serious brown bear hunter here who posts in this

Not sure he’s on this yet but I think he prefers long arms

Spray is a canard to firearms for bear like cereal dog food is to human food for canines

[marktwain]

If you are hunting bears, long guns are better.

If you are faced with the requirement to defend against bears, problems of access, portability, and storage make handguns the preferred method.

Defending is a different set of problems than hunting.

People get tired of carrying a long gun around the time, and keeping it in a constant state of readiness, when nothing happens for days, months, years.

Those are problems modern handguns and holsters have been perfected to solve, over a century and a half.

[kawhill]

At my age, I wonder if I would nerves enough to draw, aim and accurately fire my Smith & Wesson .500 mag at a 500lb animal who was charging at me determined to kill me or at least cause me great bodily harm. Like I said, something I think about, but don’t really concern myself with ‘cause there ain’t too many bears out here in central Kansas.

[marktwain]

Get a good holster. Draw and dryfire 20 times in the morning, 20 times in the evening for two months. This is about 5 minutes of practice a day for two months.

It will imprint the draw and fire movements into what is called "muscle memory".

When you need it, it will happen automatically.

Use a few live fire drills to learn how to overcome recoil.

If you are going to use the .500 Smith, I recommend 350 grain bullets at about 1100 fps. They are plenty of power.

However, a .44 magnum is plenty and has a great track record.

[Myrddin]

When I hike in the mountains south of Pocatello, I carry an S&W 629 4" (44mag, 6-shot) with PMC 240 gr JHP as a minimum. I have other options. 3 pistols in 10mm that carry 180 gr rounds. I need a chest rig for the S&W 460 Magnum 5" revolver. It is just too heavy in a standard holster.

The most common problem hiking in south Pokey is mountain lions. There are black bears as well. The closest approach of a grizzly to my locale is Soda Springs. I haven't seen a wolf in south Pokey yet. They have been working southward from the Yellowstone National Park area.

[Myrddin]

Both my 460 and 500 S&W Mag are the long versions for hunting. Too big for a chest rig. A small sling over the shoulder is most appropriate. I love the X frames, but they are really more like a long gun than a handgun with 10" barrels. The 460 revolver with 5" barrel is fine with a chest rig. It is happy with 45 Colt, 454 Casull, 460 S&W Mag ammo.

[G Larry]

Great option if you're comfortable getting follow up shots on target w a 44 mag.

I am not so gifted.

[linMcHlp]

bkmk

[Myrddin]

Great option if you're comfortable getting follow up shots on target w a 44 mag.

I'm fine with 44mag in the 629. I've fired it in center fire target competition with 10 point targets at 25 yards with full power 240 gr JHP. I have a smaller Model 69 (5-shot 44mag, L-frame). The barrel is 4.25" on the Model 69, but it has less mass than the N frame. I need to get the Model 69 on the range to evaluate the felt recoil vs the N frame 629.

A charging bear is much different than a paper target at 25 yards. The adrenaline that comes with a bear screws with your accuracy.

[cowboyusa]

Pooh Bear believes in the 2nd Ammendment. He carries a gun for protection.

[jmacusa]

I worked with a guy from Wyoming some time ago. He told “You can’t believe how fast those suckers can run. They’ll be up on you in seconds and it takes a LOT of ammo to put them down’’.