Couple barely survive bear attack.

[IKE]

Longish video, the action begins right at the 16 min. mark.......very lucky couple.

 

[contender]

Yep,, they were lucky.

I didn't watch each & every minute,, but I got most of the stuff.

Apparently,, they had a gun issue,, caused by a blown out primer getting lodged in the action which didn't allow the bolt to close. And while they admitted they had a "hot" load, they felt it was within specs,, EXCEPT the SAAMI pressure specs.
So the rifle became useless after 3 shots.
And only having (1) rifle, and (1) handgun,, could have become a BIG problem if they hadn't found the handgun after fell out of the holster.

My take-away.
Safer ammo,, (I almost never push the limits of any caliber. if I need more power, I move up in caliber.)
A back-up rifle, in the hands of a back-up hunter.
Proper bullet selection AND proper bullet placement. A 400+ yard shot isn't as easy as it may be on a range when you are cold, in snow, and excited. I would have tried to stalk closer for the first shot,, and tried to make sure it was well placed.
Both people should be armed.
Handguns MUST be in a top quality holster that will work under extreme conditions.
Handguns must be capable of working and be loaded with top quality ammo as well.

That bear was hit (3) times with the rifle, AND it also took 4 rounds from the handgun to kill it.

Yep,, they were lucky.

 

[RC44Mag]

That was one bad Azz bear, damn!

 

[Bear Paw Jack]

First off. I didn't watch the whole thing, but I think enough.

Some personal opinions.

I always use factory ammo when hunting. That would have saved one problem, and they are assuming the prime was the problem. Multiple used brass, primer pockets expand and it could have been the problem. We'll never know. Ammo is the cheapest part of a hunt.

I don't care how much you shoot or how far you practice, 475 yards on a bear or any other live game is a long way. Bluntly, it's too far.

You lose the element of surprise if you start yelling at the bear. They are going to get the equivalent of an adrenaline shot and now they know where the pain came from.

I would have preferred my partner had an adequate rifle they could shoot well, over a 4" barrel revolver. They should have been able to shoot a rifle with a scope more accurately. If his wife wasn't a good shot, she could have at least passed the rifle to the shooter.

I've killed a brown bear, but was shooting less than 100 yards, and the bear didn't know I was there.

They were extremely lucky. Poorly planned hunt.

 

[KRuger]

I watched and appreciated the whole thing. I'm no bear expert. Never killed a bear. Chased a few black bears on a saddle horse years ago. That's about it.
I was impressed and inspired by the courage of both the bear and the couple. The bear's was obvious. While many will call the couple foolish rather than courageous; their real courage was in making the video and knowingly pointing our all their errors. This was very "ballsy" in today's world of internet experts.
While I admired the bear and hated to see him go down, (he died well); I'm glad they prevailed and survived. I'm sure Someone bigger and more personal than luck was watching out for them.
In referring to "internet bear (and gun) experts", I am NOT including Bear Paw Jack, Contender, and Bear Bio (looking forward to his comments on this video). I have consistently come to the conclusion that you men do know your game and your guns.
KRuger

 

[the_leper_colony]

A lot of solid info in the articles linked below, that might be of interest:

Handgun or Pistol Against Bear Attacks 104 cases, 97% Effective

In the latest update on how effective pistols and handguns are when used to defend against bears, 104 documented cases show a success rate of 97%.

www.ammoland.com

Update of Pistol Defenses Against Bears 123 Cases, 98% Effective

In the 2022 update, 20 more incidents have been documented where pistols or handguns have been fired in defense against bears, with a 98% success rate for 123 total incidents.

www.ammoland.com

 

[shoot to thrill]

how is this called a bear attack when it was shot 4 times and wanted to kill the shooter? to me an attack is walking on a trail and a bear rushes out and attacks you which hardly happens (unless you have a dog with you)

 

[Jeepnik]

Well, they are barely one rung above Timothy on the ladder of people who should intentionally interact with large bears.

 

[contender]

I call it more of an attempted attack than an attack. And that bear took (7) shots to kill it. (3) with the rifle, then (4) with the handgun.
As for videoing it all, if I had to guess,, the hubby wanted it all on video,, and that was one of his wife's "jobs" that he requested.
She was unarmed,, except for her camera.
And when Miss Penny saw parts of it her comment was; "Looks like his wife was a pack mule, cook & all to cater to his needs. She should have been armed."

They both made several mistakes. They are very lucky.

 

[smith1961]

Just goes to show whatever you feel safe with in a bear hunt, you probably should increase it by 50% to 100& (Ammo and guns)
I applaud the couple being transparent and admitting questionable decisions. Helps us all by validating what we already practice, or educates those of us less experienced.

 

[shoot to thrill]

I call it more of an attempted attack than an attack. And that bear took (7) shots to kill it. (3) with the rifle, then (4) with the handgun.
As for videoing it all, if I had to guess,, the hubby wanted it all on video,, and that was one of his wife's "jobs" that he requested.
She was unarmed,, except for her camera.
And when Miss Penny saw parts of it her comment was; "Looks like his wife was a pack mule, cook & all to cater to his needs. She should have been armed."

They both made several mistakes. They are very lucky.

if they didnt shoot the bear 4 times there would be no "attack" the people attacked the bear. that guy had a powerful rifle and should take shots that are closer and take some target practice

 

[vlavalle]

Longish video, the action begins right at the 16 min. mark.......very lucky couple.

What a scary episode! I am so glad you had a REVOLVER, a powerful one at that, which saved the day. I liked your 'conclusions'. By the way, revolvers are not pistols. I pistol is a handgun where the bullet is launched from the barrel, which excludes all revolvers.

 

[the_leper_colony]

... By the way, revolvers are not pistols. I pistol is a handgun where the bullet is launched from the barrel, which excludes all revolvers.

It hasn't always been that way; IIRC, some of the early Colt revolvers were referred to as "horse pistols", like the single-shot firearms that preceded them. And FWIW, the term pistolero was also applied to those skilled in the use of revolvers.

As always, IMHO, YMMV, etc., etc.

 

[Dimitr]

Some people will never learn

 

[vlavalle]

It hasn't always been that way; IIRC, some of the early Colt revolvers were referred to as "horse pistols", like the single-shot firearms that preceded them. And FWIW, the term pistolero was also applied to those skilled in the use of revolvers.

As always, IMHO, YMMV, etc., etc.

Yes, a lot of times, especially in the movies, people referred to revolvers as pistols. But the term started out in the days of muzzle loading rifles and handguns as well. Back then, every gun was muzzle loaded, which meant that the bullet was jamed down the barrel after the powder. So, the term 'pistol' has been loosely used every since, but it really means that the bullet is fired from the barrel, as all todays semi-auto handguns do, but not revolvers.

 

[crstrode]

That was one bad Azz bear, damn!

Actually it was a normal bear. The "hunters" were unable to recognize their own limitations.

Severe limitations.

 

[crstrode]

What a scary episode! I am so glad you had a REVOLVER, a powerful one at that, which saved the day. I liked your 'conclusions'. By the way, revolvers are not pistols. I pistol is a handgun where the bullet is launched from the barrel, which excludes all revolvers.

Look it up in your Funk and Wagnalls.

All revolvers are pistols but not all pistols are revolvers.

In case you may be a milennial, Funk and Wagnalls made Dictionaries - you know, sorta like a paper Wikipedia, but accurate.

 

[Jeepnik]

What a scary episode! I am so glad you had a REVOLVER, a powerful one at that, which saved the day. I liked your 'conclusions'. By the way, revolvers are not pistols. I pistol is a handgun where the bullet is launched from the barrel, which excludes all revolvers.

Well we could get into the whole thing about pistol versus revolver nomenclature but suffice to say revolvers have been called pistols since their origination.

 

[noahmercy]

Yes, a lot of times, especially in the movies, people referred to revolvers as pistols. But the term started out in the days of muzzle loading rifles and handguns as well. Back then, every gun was muzzle loaded, which meant that the bullet was jamed down the barrel after the powder. So, the term 'pistol' has been loosely used every since, but it really means that the bullet is fired from the barrel, as all todays semi-auto handguns do, but not revolvers.

You consider the manufacturer of the first revolving pistols "used the term loosely"?

Or the first self-contained cartridges...

Or...

 

[contender]

Boy, this thread went sideways!