Handguns in Defense Against Bears by Caliber - 9mm, 11 incidents

[the_leper_colony]

"Many readers are interested in how various handgun calibers have performed in defense against bears. This is a complicated subject. Sometimes, any caliber will do. Sometimes a level of power may be required. Sometimes, a level of accuracy or speed may be required. Many permutations exist.

"The most important aspect, if a confrontation occurs, is to have a firearm available, easily and quickly accessible. The specific caliber is less important..."

Handguns in Defense Against Bears by Caliber | 9mm, 11 incidents

This is a compendium off all documented cases which have been found, with diligent searching over the past several years, where a 9mm handgun has been fired in defense against bears.

www.ammoland.com

"...We found 11 cases where 9 mm pistols were used to defend against bears (6 black bear, 5 brown). All were successful..."

 

[yugorifle]

Shot placement matters more than caliber.

 

[Mobuck]

Having a gun(any gun) is paramount to using a gun for defense. A 9mm immediately accessible is 100% more effective than the 497 super whammy left behind due to weight/recoil/noise.
A 9mm certainly would NOT be my first choice as bear defense but I'd use it if that's what I had immediately available.
I heard a first hand account of a 9mm used in defense during a black bear attack. When the bear approached, the bowhunter climbed a tree but the bear followed. When the bear was almost within reach of the bowhunter's feet, he fired 2-3 shots into the bear's head killing it instantly. In this case, the bear was seriously disadvantaged by the circumstances.
Another first person account of a grizzly attack told of using 5 shots(4 hits) from a 44 magnum to stop the bear. In this case, the bear seemed totally undeterred by a miss, a peripheral hit, 2 solid body/shoulder hits, and only stopped when hit in the head.
The pattern I'm seeing is a handgun isn't very effective unless the bullets penetrate the brain(especially on a griz).

 

[NC FNS]

The wording makes it sound like a 100% success rate. I wonder how many unsuccessful cases there are.

 

[davevabch]

I know zero about Brown Bear, Griz. I have come across many black bears over the years where I hunt, especially in the Dismal Swamp. I carry a 9mm, but not for the bears, but for the Human Predators that I might come across. However, I love to hear caliber wars on Big Bears and the video below makes more sense than any I have read over the years.
My personal belief is that I will never carry any weapon that I cannot shoot a minimum of 250 rounds per session and a minimum of three training sessions per week. I have done this with a 9mm frequently over the years. Although I have cut way back since Bidenomics.