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FL, USA
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Posted: 5/8/2024 5:11:22 AM EDT
I have some 40 cal handguns and I just heard there are black bears around where I live. I know 44mag, 45-70, etc are the ones to have. I am just hoping that a 40 cal pistol with say Underwood 200gr hardcast would dispatch a black bear.
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MI, USA
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Posted: 5/8/2024 5:51:16 AM EDT
[#1]
When I lived where black bears and mountain lions were somewhat common, my usual woods gun was a .40 S&W loaded with 180 grain hollow points. I was more concerned with kitty than I was with Yogi. I did carry a spare mag full of 180 grain fmj in case additional penetration was needed. Looking back, there was probably no chance of me actually switching magazines in a wildlife encounter. Never ran across either in the woods so I can't speak from experience about effectiveness.
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NY, USA
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Posted: 5/8/2024 6:33:06 AM EDT
[#2]
I carry every day in civilization. I've also spent 4 days straight hiking and sleeping in the woods, alone, in bear country. I would not feel the need for a gun with a black bear. First off if you read the statistics, bear spray is much more effective than a gun, it also doesn't kill the animal, which in some states if you don't have a hunting license can spell trouble. Honestly I've come across black bears in the woods alone, and if you just shout at them and don't back up they run away.
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Posted: 5/8/2024 7:33:04 AM EDT
[#3]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By ironshaolin: I carry every day in civilization. I've also spent 4 days straight hiking and sleeping in the woods, alone, in bear country. I would not feel the need for a gun with a black bear. First off if you read the statistics, bear spray is much more effective than a gun, it also doesn't kill the animal, which in some states if you don't have a hunting license can spell trouble. Honestly I've come across black bears in the woods alone, and if you just shout at them and don't back up they run away. My experience too. Black bears are pretty skittish. .40 should be fine. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 8:06:54 AM EDT
[#4]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By NotIssued: My experience too. Black bears are pretty skittish. .40 should be fine. Likewise, normally. But a Mama Black Bear with cubs can be pretty aggressively protective if you stumble across them. My experience in a remote wooded property. Fortunately I saw them without getting too close. I backed away pretty cautiously, and Mama growled but didn't come after me. If you see them first and can avoid them with a good bit of distance, even Mama black bear won't attack. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 8:14:34 AM EDT
[Last Edit: Colt653]
[#5]
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Posted: 5/8/2024 9:07:05 AM EDT
[#6]
Stout .40 S&W topped with truncated cone bullet should certainly do the job.
I would avoid Glock due to partially supported .40 S&W chambers. Solution is either a different brand pistol or an aftermarket barrel with a fully supported chamber. Bigger_Hammer 
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Posted: 5/8/2024 9:20:26 AM EDT
[#7]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Bigger_Hammer: Stout .40 S&W topped with truncated cone bullet should certainly do the job. I would avoid Glock due to partially supported .40 S&W chambers. Solution is either a different brand pistol or an aftermarket barrel with a fully supported chamber. Bigger_Hammer That’s a good point but it should be okay with factory ammo with virgin brass. Would definitely not use the Glock platform for working up loads in 40 S&W without a different barrel. |
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USA
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Posted: 5/8/2024 9:51:24 AM EDT
[Last Edit: JoeDevola]
[#8]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By Bigger_Hammer: I would avoid Glock due to partially supported .40 S&W chambers. Solution is either a different brand pistol or an aftermarket barrel with a fully supported chamber. Bigger_Hammer  LOL. Don't ever change, internet rumor mill. There is nothing to substantiate that claim, but there ARE thousands of shooters who've put thousands of rounds of hot .40 loads through Glocks with no problems whatsoever. Choose what you shoot best, OP. Hot .40 load w/ heavy bullet would serve well in the intended role. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 9:55:23 AM EDT
[#9]
No issues at all with .40 S&W and black bear defense.
But in Florida, I'd just use spray.... |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 10:19:21 AM EDT
[#10]
Buddy was charged by a bull moose in rut years ago. He was backed up to a river bank on a peninsula, nowhere to go. It gave him the false charge, then the REAL charge. He put 5 or 6 rounds into its chest with 165gr Hornady critical defense at 500+ ft/lbs of KE. Moose veered away at the last second and tipped over dead.
So if it can cut through a bull moose sternum and kill it at point blank, I’d say it’s plenty for black bear. |
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Posted: 5/8/2024 11:09:42 AM EDT
[#11]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By JoeDevola: LOL. Don't ever change, internet rumor mill. There is nothing to substantiate that claim, but there ARE thousands of shooters who've put thousands of rounds of hot .40 loads through Glocks with no problems whatsoever. Choose what you shoot best, OP. Hot .40 load w/ heavy bullet would serve well in the intended role. Not trying to go off on a tangent but I’ve seen several 40 cal Glocks suffer case failures. These were over 20 years ago and normally just blew out the magazine and stunned the shooter with no more injury than stinging hands. But it was always with reloaded ammo as well. A box stock Glock should be able to handle factory ammunition just fine. I’m seeing the M17 do the same thing the same way with factory ammunition, so there’s that. |
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Posted: 5/9/2024 8:57:01 PM EDT
[#12]
Knew a dude that used .40 hard casts hunting blackies up here. He was a bit of a braggart though so he may have been FOS.
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AZ, USA
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Posted: 5/9/2024 9:56:11 PM EDT
[#13]
You don't need a 44 mag or a 45-70 for black bears no matter how large.
They will certainly work well, but not a requirement. The large group of black bear hunters I used to work with (they hunted multiple states) used a lot of 357 mag, a lot of 30-30 (they were upper midwest dudes), and a bit of everything above, and below those chamberings with great success. But 44 mag and 45-70 can be quite decisive with proper bullet selection. I'd be content with a 40 if it was what I had. I |
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Posted: 5/10/2024 1:55:22 PM EDT
[#14]
I carry 9 for black bear, brown bear and cougars.
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Posted: 5/15/2024 2:55:32 PM EDT
[#15]
Every time I've encountered a black bear in the woods the only thing I see is a big fuzzy ass disappearing in the distance. Blackies are nothing like Grizzlies and they don't seem to want anything to do with people.
Having said that, I think a .40 with hard cast would work fine although the odds are better on needing to defend myself against a tweaked out methbilly than a charging black bear. |
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Posted: 5/15/2024 7:21:09 PM EDT
[#16]
I think black bears are pretty skittish and a .40 should be fine.
2 deer seasons ago I tried chasing a 300lbs bear down with a .50 loaded with patched roundballs. |
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Posted: 5/15/2024 7:48:53 PM EDT
[#17]
Black bear are not particularly tough creatures. A good full power 40 loading is more tha sufficient
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Posted: 5/16/2024 10:40:53 PM EDT
[#18]
Glock changed their chambers over 20 years ago. Around 2000 iirc. So they are as fully supported as other brands.
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MI, USA
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Posted: 5/16/2024 10:46:39 PM EDT
[#19]
Good buddy of mine was black bear hunting up north out of a tree stand. He had vanilla scent on his boots to mask his scent, and a bear took a liking to it and started climbing his tree. He mag dumped it with a .40 just before it got to him…it was effective
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TX, USA
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Posted: 5/16/2024 10:50:23 PM EDT
[#20]
Quote HistoryOriginally Posted By 03RN: I think black bears are pretty skittish and a .40 should be fine. 2 deer seasons ago I tried chasing a 300lbs bear down with a .50 loaded with patched roundballs. You think a group of bears are sitting around talking about what size fangs to use if a hill billy chases you down with a musket?  P |
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Posted: Today 2:31:57 PM EDT
[#21]
While it's true that black bears are generally skittish aside from a mother with cubs, there have been a few instances of hungry black bears targeting individual hikers as a potential food source. When you encounter a black bear that doesn't seem to behave normally and seems intent on approaching, you may be facing one of those hungry bears.
I expect a few 40s&w rounds should work on a black bear. But it's not something I want to have to do. |
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