Anyone ever stop a charging bear with a handgun?

For quite some time one of the major focuses in the gun magazines has been calibers for bear attacks.
10mm appears to be the current darling. (Not putting the caliber down. I own a 10mm)
But if I seriously thought I needed the protection I would pick a heavy loaded .44 mag or bigger.
Or better yet, if I thought a bear attack was possible, I would stay home. Lol

The problem with big bore "bear guns" is most people cannot shoot them well, even in non-life threatening situations. The odds of being able to do it under duress are pretty slim. I shoot a lot of 10mm and am pretty confident in my abilities with it. My wife, however, finds it too much to handle but she is fearsome with 9mm so thats what she carries.

Once upon a time in Montana I talked to a bowhunter who had been attacked by a grizzly. It wasn't due to a 'surprise meeting' or a sow with cubs but more of a stalk and charge predatory attack. The hunter had retreated for some distance and had plenty of time to draw his 44 magnum. He freely admitted he'd missed the entire bear with the first 2 shots at about 20-25 yards(all these distances were confirmed by the fish and game agents who investigated BTW) but the bear paid no attention to the unintentional warning shots. During the final approach which the hunter described as a 'lumbering run' vs the blazing speed many refer to, the hunter got off 3 more shots with one peripheral hit high on one hip, a solid shoulder hit, and the final hit in the forehead. Bear nose to boot toes was less than 5'. This was an old bear which may have been a factor in the speed of the charge plus a steep uphill angle.
Moral of the story: sometimes you're the windshield and sometimes you're the bug. Have a powerful firearm and be able to use it effectively. Body hits aren't going to get the job done in a pinch.
Just my opinion. I worked as a maintenance man in a 'resort' that had frequent wildlife issues and felt I was capable of handling whatever issues with the 44 SBH 4 5/8" that I carried but it wasn't grizzly country.

I remember reading an Elmer Keith (I think) article where he described a Grizzly attack where he fired his .30-06 rifle until he had no more bullets. According to his story, the bear finally fell damn-near at his feet. WE are not the biggest, toughest animals on the planet.

J.

I understand the 10mm being popular. Its powerful and holds more rounds than a wheel gun. Like all other shooting to stop a live target, shot placement is key followed by bullet construction and power. The last 2 could go either 2 or 3 in order. Anyone read Bear Paw Jacks submitted article. The guide used a 9mm and stopped an attack. After all, stopping an attack upon us is #1 be it a grizzly or a meth head. Depending on the attack from man or beast it might be best to kill and kill quickly. Just don't use the word kill in self defense against a human. We are allowed to stop an attacker. Some die, some don't. Remember those words shot placement. Now go practice.

The comment by @Wvfarrier regarding his wife brings up an interesting subject, namely bear and other wild animal defense for women. I'd wager the vast majority of women out there can't handle a "Bear load" 44 mag or 45 colt round with 1000+ foot pounds of energy, let alone the huge DA platforms those caliber come in. (Single action could be an option for someone very experienced with that platform as that platform tends to accommodate smaller hands better.)
As for 10 mm, anything with a polymer frame is going to be pretty whippy in the hand for a woman. I've known women who couldn't stand even 40 S&W in Glocks.

Did I ever stop a charging bear with a handgun? No. I just took away her credit card.

(Ba Da Bing!)

Happened to meet an old family friend living in Unaka, North Carolina perhaps 45 years ago. Hw was living back in the woods, WAY off the beaten path.
He went to walk through his apple orchard and check on his hives, and pulled out his .22 rifle in case he saw a rabbit. A medium-sized black bear started following him; not charging, but not leaving either. He climbed an apple tree, (which wasn't very high) to put space between him and the bear.
The bear came to the tree and began acting as if he was going to climb, standing on the back legs and raking the tree with his front paws.
The old fellow waited until the bear turned his head and placed a shot right through the ear hole, and the bear dropped and rolled downhill. He put 15 more shots into the head and body (all that he had left) but the bear never moved after the first shot. He had the hide pegged out on the side of his barn to dry when we visited, otherwise we may have never known about that story.
So Yes, any caliber can kill, BUT.... we aren't going to see an ear shot with a charging animal. I have read some writers who were stalked (as opposed to a brutal initial charge) who were thus prepared a bit and found some type of shelter to slow down the brunt of the charge and force the animal to at least approach them cleanly and openly. They were able to get in 2-3 decent shots based on having time to calm down before shooting. I can't imagine the stress of a sudden charge in the open with no retreat or shelter. I would guess that hits would be a low percentage unless it was a very experienced person; even then, the sudden action has to throw off anyone at least a little bit.
Interesting side note: A friend was deer hunting from the base of a tree, just propped up against the trunk for comfort so he could watch two trails.
He heard a noise, looked left and saw a bear that appeared to be stalking him. His thought later was that the bear saw his movement but didn't equate him to a human. He only had a rifle, but didn't want to shoot the bear or scare off any nearby dear. He moved around, waved his arms and finally stood up to scare off the bear, but realized that the bear had managed to get too close for comfort by stalking. He made sure that he had his Ruger revolver in a chest holster whenever he went out again. The next year, he was sitting in the same area and hears the same noise to his right this time, so he simply grabs the revolver and cocks it as he draws, then turns & points in one motion. He told me later, " Did you ever point a Magnum in the face of a game Warden? Well , I sure have!" He said they both must have been scared by the outcome, but he felt that the Warden got the worse end of the deal.

PinnedAndRecessed said:

Did I ever stop a charging bear with a handgun? No. I just took away her credit card.

(Ba Da Bing!)

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I wondered who was going to say that

I haven't had to, although there have been incidents where I thought this might be the time, and I was prepared. I had my 44 out and in my hand.

Regardless I know a few people who have had to use a handgun. 2 used 454's and two used 44's. I've carried 454's for short periods of time, but both people who had to use 454's to protect themselves, before it was over a bullet pulled out and tied up the gun. I assume they were reloads but don't know for absolute certain.
I've never heard of that happen with a 44 or a 45 Colt. Talking to Tim Sundles, years ago, he convinced me that a good 45 Colt load was more adequate. I think he got that from John Linebaugh. Regardless I agree.

Johnnu2 said:

I remember reading an Elmer Keith (I think) article where he described a Grizzly attack where he fired his .30-06 rifle until he had no more bullets. According to his story, the bear finally fell damn-near at his feet. WE are not the biggest, toughest animals on the planet.

J.

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... Careful there...


I'ma get in trouble for this, huh?

OMCHamlin said:

... Careful there...
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I'ma get in trouble for this, huh?

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Omg. I think I dated her in the 70's
Wait, that can't be right. The girl I dated was BIG!

I have killed a few bears in self defense, but I live in the woods most of the spring and in the fall as a big game guide. never had to do it with a hand gun in self defense. but killed a 10 foot 4in with a L.A.R. Grizzly in 45 win mag at 45 yards. here's a photo. Mr. Deerstalker

Nice!!!

Well, I've only occasionally visited grizzly country & never had to defend myself from one.

But I also live in WNC where black bears can reach very large sizes. Common to see them in the 300-400 lb range,, and 500-700 lbs is a possibility.
I've had exactly (1) case where I had a black bear (in the 300-400 lb range) do a bluff charge. I was actually capable of getting my .45 Colt in my hands, and hammer back quickly,, AND be aligned with her body where the edge of her head stopped & front shoulder started. Knowing that if I HAD to shoot,, I would be delivering a good charge stopping 280 grn cast lead solid in a place to deeply penetrate & allow me a better angled shot into the vitals.
Luckily,, I didn't have to shoot.

I spent sometime outdoors in Alaska where the big beasts roam. I carried a Redhawk .44 Mag in either a Simply Rugged pancake or an Uncle Mikes shoulder holster. The only Grizzly or Polar bears I saw were in the Anchorage zoo. The Redhawk worked like a talisman, and kept bad bears away!!! Lol
gramps

And once again a local news show has a segment showing a mother and two cubs with mom takings a swim in a backyard pool.

All the talking heads could do is talk above how cute the cubs are. No wonder people think of them as cuddly.

41Dude said:

For quite some time one of the major focuses in the gun magazines has been calibers for bear attacks.
10mm appears to be the current darling. (Not putting the caliber down. I own a 10mm)
But if I seriously thought I needed the protection I would pick a heavy loaded .44 mag or bigger.
Or better yet, if I thought a bear attack was possible, I would stay home. Lol

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