What pistol caliber for black bear - Page 1

[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What pistol caliber for black bear (Page 1 of 4)

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:00:23 PM EDT

Let’s say you are hiking in an area that has black bear, mountain lions and other shady animals and possibly shady people. What pistol caliber do you go with. 9mm HST?

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:01:14 PM EDT

[#1]

You're short 1mm

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:01:49 PM EDT

[#2]

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You're short 1mm

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Noted. I do like a good 10mm

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:01:54 PM EDT

[#3]

.22

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:03:34 PM EDT

[#4]

Same as always.
G19 & 135G Critical D.
Get some Underwood/LeHigh Extreme Defenders/Penetrators - if you want a Bear specific load.

https://www.ammoland.com/2018/02/defense-against-bears-with-pistols-97-success-rate-37-incidents-by-caliber/#axzz5DvxztB4y

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:03:47 PM EDT

[#5]

460 rowland

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:04:32 PM EDT

[#6]

10mm or 44 mag would be my first choices, but .357 hard cast would likely work fine too.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:04:40 PM EDT

[#7]

I go hunting and hiking for black bear in mountain lion territory (got em on my cameras) and I carry a glock 19. They are all more afraid of you than you are of them. Going to get some buffalo bore for it this year though.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:04:50 PM EDT

[#8]

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460 rowland

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The obvious choice

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:05:54 PM EDT

[#9]

.357/ .44 Magnum in a Marlin 1894

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:06:29 PM EDT

[#10]

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460 rowland

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Going to build one on a g21.... For bears

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:06:37 PM EDT

[#11]

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I go hunting and hiking for black bear in mountain lion territory (got em on my cameras) and I carry a glock 19. They are all more afraid of you than you are of them. Going to get some buffalo bore for it this year though.

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Mountain lions are here mail and kill people pretty often compared to other places, but I hear you. I do need an excuse for at least one pistol that isn’t 9mm. Yes mail

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:07:33 PM EDT

[#12]

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Mountain lions are here mail and kill people pretty often compared to other places, but I hear you. I do need an excuse for at least one pistol that isn’t 9mm. Yes mail

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In that case, glock 20. It's on my list.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:07:41 PM EDT

[#13]

The bigger the better.
Beyond that, don’t know. 44M and 454 Casull are common favorites for this purpose from what I understand. Never had a need for bear defense.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:08:02 PM EDT

[#14]

10mm or don't step into the woods.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:08:29 PM EDT

[#15]

500 S&W Magnum

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:09:16 PM EDT

[#16]

I carry a 6" .44 mag with hardcasts for casual outdoor work, but I also will carry my .44 carbine if I'm afraid I might actually have to shoot something.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:09:43 PM EDT

[#17]

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Mountain lions are here mail and kill people pretty often compared to other places, but I hear you. I do need an excuse for at least one pistol that isn’t 9mm. Yes mail

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Im sure that panics the people at the post office. Who would they be mailing things to?

I believe the word you’re looking for is “maul”.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:10:46 PM EDT

[#18]

I hike and camp with a G19, 124gr +P HST. Never shot a bear with it so I can’t say it’s a good choice.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:11:34 PM EDT

[#19]

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Quoted:
Im sure that panics the people at the post office. Who would they be mailing things to?

I believe the word you’re looking for is “maul”.

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Quoted:

Quoted:

Mountain lions are here mail and kill people pretty often compared to other places, but I hear you. I do need an excuse for at least one pistol that isn’t 9mm. Yes mail

Im sure that panics the people at the post office. Who would they be mailing things to?

I believe the word you’re looking for is “maul”.

Or maim.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:12:15 PM EDT

[#20]

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Never had a need for bear defense.

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And hopefully I never will.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:12:25 PM EDT

[#21]

If it were me I’d want at least a 10mm or .357.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:13:40 PM EDT

[#22]

Attached File

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:13:50 PM EDT

[#23]

I carry 9mm, hope I never need it though, I prefer to shoot them with a rifle.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:21:35 PM EDT

[#24]

.41 Magnum

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:22:23 PM EDT

[#25]

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500 S&W Magnum

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This^ Go big or stay home.

Minimum 357magnum with 150ish grain projectile.
In the described, I'd stay with a wheel gun, but can't say 10MM would be too light with good ammo.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:25:14 PM EDT

[#26]

As the ammo land study above seems to indicate, literally any pistol caliber will probably work, as bears don't like getting shot

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:25:30 PM EDT

[#27]

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Im sure that panics the people at the post office. Who would they be mailing things to?

I believe the word you’re looking for is “maul”.

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You really are special

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:28:03 PM EDT

[#28]

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As the ammo land study above seems to indicate, literally any pistol caliber will probably work, as bears don't like getting shot

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That’s actually a good point since OP specifically mentioned black bear. They tend to be more timid. For some a paintball gun is enough to scare one off (a semi-remote work site I was on once had to do this to keep them out of the trash)

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:28:07 PM EDT

[#29]

If what ever I am hunting has teeth or claws and weighs more than me I do my sidearm is my 454.
I have taken deer and boar with a 10mm and 454. The 454 is far more devastating when the metal meets the meat.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:31:21 PM EDT

[#30]

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If what ever I am hunting has teeth or claws and weighs more than me I do my sidearm is my 454.
I have taken deer and boar with a 10mm and 454. The 454 is far more devastating when the metal meets the meat.

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I have taken javalenas with 1911 a few times. I haven’t shot a deer with a pistol

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:35:15 PM EDT

[#31]

How would 7.62×25 be for a blacky ?

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:36:31 PM EDT

[#32]

Every black bear I have ever encountered in the wild has either ignored me or turned tail and ran. And I don't think any of them were any bigger than 200 pounds, at most.

A .357 Mag. would take care of them easily.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:36:48 PM EDT

[#33]

.308

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:42:10 PM EDT

[#34]

OP, I carry a Glock 20 loaded with underwood 200 grain hard cast.. thats in grizzly country...9mm, .40 or 45 will work, but I would load it with a high quality, high power, hard cast and shoot at least a few hundred rounds thru it to make sure it is 100% reliable....While I do have some underwood 140 grain extreme penetrators to try on a bear carcass, I haven't been able to yet so I won't trust them yet unless as a last resort...

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:42:50 PM EDT

[#35]

I knew before I opened this thread the first post would be “9mm” and I wasn’t disappointed.

Arfcom’s answer for everything is always “9mm.”

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:50:47 PM EDT

[#36]

.41 Mag, .44 Mag, .454 Casual, 12ga slugs.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:51:32 PM EDT

[#37]

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.41 Mag, .44 Mag, .454 Casual, 12ga slugs.

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Serbu aow with slugs? Sounds fun...

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:53:28 PM EDT

[#38]

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Serbu aow with slugs? Sounds fun...

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Quoted:
.41 Mag, .44 Mag, .454 Casual, 12ga slugs.

Serbu aow with slugs? Sounds fun...

Where do I sign up?

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:55:59 PM EDT

[#39]

I carry a .44mag Blackhawk or 1894 in the woods of Idaho and Montana.

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:57:39 PM EDT

[#40]

45 super all the things!

Posted: 5/10/2018 11:58:42 PM EDT

[#41]

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Quoted:
10mm or 44 mag would be my first choices, but .357 hard cast would likely work fine too.

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He said black bear 10MM or .357 is more than adequate.

Posted: 5/11/2018 12:02:04 AM EDT

[#42]

I wouldn't be overly worried with 9mm. HST would be fine as the main threat would be humans. I'd maybe use 147gr Gold Dot or 147gr XTP just to have a little more penetration on mountain lions.

If you did have to defend yourself I think a 10mm would be better against mountain lions, bears or humans. I'd probably carry 200gr XTP or Federal 180gr Trophy Bonded.

Posted: 5/11/2018 12:03:22 AM EDT

[#43]

In the Southeast, Black bear is very low on the threat spectrum, because not only are they very cautious, they are also very small.

Any common handgun cartidge is more than sufficient for our black bears down here.

Personally I like my 4 inch 686 with 158 SJHP reloaded (moderate) for the woods. I’ll also take factory ammo loaded the same (usually Remington “classic”)

Your more likely to run into methbillies, moonshiners, or growers down here, dunno about Arizona but it’s probably the same plus illegals I guess, good excuse to buy a Glock 20 or 686 or GP100 or whatever.

If the bears are big (meaning Grizzly, Kodiak, etc.), the conversation starts and ends with .44 Magnum for me.