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Bear Attack in Alaska Stopped with .40 S&W Pistol
AmmoLand ^ | November 10, 2022 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 11/14/2022 5:18:09 AM PST by marktwain

The bear who attacked the Bates family was a sow about 20 years old, estimated at 350 lbs. It was starving, with nothing in the stomach but parasites.

The attack occurred as the Bates family, Weatherly Bates, her husband, their 12-year-old son, Rockwell, their 10-year-old daughter Vera, and two family dogs, on leashes, were hiking on the Glacier Moraine Trail in Kachemak Bay State park.

Weatherly Bates had a .40 caliber S&W in her backpack. The bear came at them at about 3 p.m., even though they yelled at it and bunched together.

Weatherly Bates explains what happened:

“It did attack. It was a predatory bear That year we had a lot of problems. The bears were starving. There was, like, no berries. We were hiking and we noticed there was a bear spray cap on the ground. A couple of minutes later a bear came up behind us.  I tried to yell and scare it away, but it kept coming. I did have a gun in my backpack, so I started backing up to my husband.”

Weatherly’s husband accessed the pistol from her backpack. Weatherly continues:

“I could tell this bear wasn’t stopping. Our dog got in between the bear and our son. She didn’t even bark at it. It tackled her and started biting her head. We let our other dog go, he was on a leash. He started biting the bear. We think that is what saved our female German Shepard.

My husband had to grab the bear and get it so he could dispatch it without shooting our dog. He shot it point blank in the spine. It took two shots before it let go. Then he shot it about five more times.”

Weatherly said about two weeks previously, a biologist had been waking in the park with her dogs.

(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events; US: Alaska
KEYWORDS: 40; ak; banglist; bearattack; chatnotnews
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To: marktwain

I recall reading a “Field and Stream” article, probably in the early 60s, where a grizzly attacked some guy. He emptied his 45 point blank into the bear, and it still managed to tear him up. I guess it all comes down to shot placement.


21 posted on 11/14/2022 6:40:38 AM PST by FMBass (USN vet DE-1074 Retired Chem E)
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To: All
There have been 123 cases of pistol defense against bears so far.

There are about a dozen or so more cases in the hopper, which have not been added to the list, yet.

At 123, the success rate was 98%. Caliber did not seem all that important, but the most common caliber was the .44 magnum, with 37 cases.

Here is the last update at AmmoLand.

22 posted on 11/14/2022 6:47:00 AM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

350 lbs of nasty Bear.
Situational Awareness is Critical
Thanks Dean.


23 posted on 11/14/2022 6:47:56 AM PST by Big Red Badger (We Are JONAH)
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To: FMBass
I recall reading a “Field and Stream” article, probably in the early 60s, where a grizzly attacked some guy. He emptied his 45 point blank into the bear, and it still managed to tear him up.

I would like to find that article, to add to the database.

I and colleagues have been searching with a fair amount of diligence.

If you find it, please let me know.

24 posted on 11/14/2022 6:49:09 AM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Good thing this was only a black bear. A grizzly would have been much harder to take out with a .40 S&W. That’s why the go-to pistol for bear defense in Alaska is the Glock 20. With 16 rounds of Buffalo Bore 220 gr you have a much better chance at taking down a grizzly. And don’t carry it in your backpack. Carry it in a holster you can access immediately.


25 posted on 11/14/2022 6:51:23 AM PST by AlaskaErik (In time of peace, prepare for war.)
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To: marktwain

Your Updates are chilling and informative ..


26 posted on 11/14/2022 8:17:33 AM PST by Big Red Badger (We Are JONAH)
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To: AlaskaErik

“Alaska is the Glock 20. With 16 rounds of Buffalo Bore 220 gr you have a much better chance at taking down a grizzly.”

^^^^This^^^^

I can’t believe that the people in the article hike the area on a regular basis and only have a .40 pistol and .22LR.

Glock 20 10mm with the hardcast rounds you suggest will achieve the penetration needed even when dealing with brown bears. Holster is a must.


27 posted on 11/14/2022 8:24:03 AM PST by SouthParkRepublican
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To: DarthVader

You can if they attack. An Oregon man was tracking a wounded black bear when it grabbed his thigh. He pressed his .40 on its skull and killed it.


28 posted on 11/14/2022 10:05:41 AM PST by gundog ( It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: SouthParkRepublican
I can’t believe that the people in the article hike the area on a regular basis and only have a .40 pistol and .22LR.

They have changed their habits and now carry pistols in chest holsters and a 12 gauge shotgun.

29 posted on 11/14/2022 10:08:18 AM PST by marktwain
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To: gundog

Try that with a grizzly and see what happens.


30 posted on 11/14/2022 10:15:13 AM PST by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of the day be decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: gundog

Depends on how big it is. The bigger the harder to kill. There was a bear that was killed by rangers who had attacked wounded and killed several people. It was killed with a .458 WinMag. When they did an autopsy on it they found numerous 40 S&W, .357 Mag and .45 ACP which did nothing to it.


31 posted on 11/14/2022 10:18:31 AM PST by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of the day be decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: DarthVader

In its head?


32 posted on 11/14/2022 10:40:56 AM PST by gundog ( It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: gundog

Grizzly skull is nearly 4-5 inches thick.


33 posted on 11/14/2022 11:04:40 AM PST by DarthVader (Not by speeches & majority decisions will the great issues of the day be decided but by Blood & Iron)
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To: Vermont Lt

“ In New England the only animal that wants to kill me is a Democrat Governor.”

Well, in addition to that murderous scumbag, here in Eastern Connecticut black bears, wolf/coyote hybrids and a cougar I personally witnessed are on the prowl. I carry a Ruger 9mm in the warm months and a .40 S&W Glock 23 in the colder months. I think either will do the job if I do my part.


34 posted on 11/14/2022 11:11:40 AM PST by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
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To: DarthVader

Not even close.


35 posted on 11/14/2022 11:28:55 AM PST by gundog ( It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
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To: muir_redwoods

We have those in Western MA. If you are bigger than a cat or yappy dog…they run away from you before you can see them.

The bears around here stay away from people. Not picnic baskets…but people.

Again, little yappy dogs should carry. Ha ha.


36 posted on 11/14/2022 11:40:59 AM PST by Vermont Lt
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To: Vermont Lt

I’ve had the coyotes size me up while I was hiking. I’m 6’2” and about 200 lbs. I and my similarly sized buddy were hiking and two of those eastern coyote hybrids literally crossed out path. They stopped, sized us up and then slowly moved off. Had they outnumbered us it might have been different.

You’re right the bears are not a problem unless you find yourself between them and their Cubs or their lunch.


37 posted on 11/14/2022 12:37:32 PM PST by muir_redwoods (Freedom isn't free, liberty isn't liberal and you'll never find anything Right on the Left)
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To: marktwain

It looks like a black bear. Anyone know if that’s the case?


38 posted on 11/14/2022 12:42:10 PM PST by Flaming Conservative ((Pray withSout ceasing)y)
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To: DarthVader
There was a bear that was killed by rangers who had attacked wounded and killed several people. It was killed with a .458 WinMag. When they did an autopsy on it they found numerous 40 S&W, .357 Mag and .45 ACP which did nothing to it.

I would like to see some verification of that.

There have been some myths floating about the Internet which tended to build over time, which sound similar.

There was a world record Grizzly, killed in Canada in 1953, by an Indian woman with a .22 single shot using .22 long ammunition.

39 posted on 11/14/2022 1:04:13 PM PST by marktwain
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To: Flaming Conservative
It looks like a black bear. Anyone know if that’s the case?

Yes, it was a black bear.

40 posted on 11/14/2022 1:05:39 PM PST by marktwain
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