Bear Defense Round....

For years I carried a bucket of KFC with me into the back country. When I encounter a bear I toss the bucket. No bear can resist those 11 herbs and spices. They prefer Original to Extra Crispy.

OK, joke over. As you were.

"I may be heading to some wild back country to do some serious fishing. The area is heavy in black bear. I'll be bringing my boy and think it might be a good idea to bring a revolver. I have a .357. Question is this: should I load with cast or HP (or something else....SP?)?" [Archangel14]

Black bears do stalk and attack humans...

""Gerald Marois heard the bear before he saw it. I turned around and he was about 50 feet away — one of the biggest bears I had ever seen in my life... and he just charged me. He came full blast, man ...— probably 600 pounds.”
When the bear charged, Marois... ran toward a nearby oak tree — and climbed three-quarters of the way up. The bear followed him up... “Then he started eating my flesh...He ate my whole calf.”" [Excerpted from: Brendan Kennedy, Staff Reporter, Toronto Star, May 25 2010.]

The bear was frightened off by an unknown noise and Mr. Marios, an experienced local woodsman, survived. The attack occurred near Waubaushene, Ontario, Canada.

As for me, I enjoy handguns, so no bear spray thank you very much (once inadvertently sprayed myself in the face), and when I am on the trail with my boy, a 4" barreled 44 Mag is my choice, loaded with hardcast, of course.

Hey Blacksmoke, you're right, no wonder those bears are always following me around.

Go to Islamorada in the Florida Keys instead. Great fishing and no bears.

Blacksmoke said:

For years I carried a bucket of KFC with me into the back country. When I encounter a bear I toss the bucket. No bear can resist those 11 herbs and spices. They prefer Original to Extra Crispy.

OK, joke over. As you were.

Click to expand...

11 herbs and spices plus the missing ingredient "pepper spray", and you have a blue ribbon recipe. The bear would be hard pressed to resist.

All joking aside, I find the big BANG theory to be the most effective way to scare off the wild beasts. If it is not safe to fire over their head you can fire at the ground somewhere in between. Most of the time they will leave the road or trail at the sound of gun fire.

People that say, "bring your pepper spray and leave your gun" have tunnel vision. They think on a linear pattern that you have to shoot the bear if you have a gun. Absolutely not! The best option is to use your gun so you don't have to shoot the animal, and it is VERY effective!

Go to Islamorada in the Florida Keys instead. Great fishing and no bears. [jimbo555]

Just don't get off the boat....

"Black bear attacks are on the rise in Florida, warn wildlife officials.

This week, a bear bit a woman's head and dragged her from her garage before she escaped—the second mauling since December. " [Jennifer S. Holland, for National Geographic, April 15, 2014]

Here in the mountains we only have Black Bears and I carry a 44mag. I do not like bear spray because we have way too much wind. I have only had to scare a black with a shot into the ground. When out west or in AK I carry a 454 and it will kill a Brown with one shot. It is important to practice because when the time comes and the adrenaline flows it is easy to miss.

If you wish to rationalize the purchase of a new handgun you have my full support. For whatever it may be worth I have carried many different handguns in bear country-from .22 rimfires through .44 magnum and .45 Colt.....but most of the time these days I pack a .357. Never have needed any of them for a bear but they were all comforting.

A four inch K frame sized DA gun is just so handy, relatively light, and in .357 very versatile. I've carried a .357 more often than not while hunting west Texas and New Mexico and hiking both. When I'm hunting, I stoke it with .38 wadcutters, adjust sight elevation (have it marked on my .357 adjustable sight guns) and I've taken rabbits for camp meat. When hiking I don't have a rifle, it gets loaded with magnums. A medium frame DA revolver is a very versatile outdoor tool. That's why I've been stuck on 'em for 40 years.

Even though I have more'n one choice now, that new adjustable sight 4" SP101 is sure lookin' good for a hiking companion.

The law should allow, perhaps even mandate, the carry of a fully automatic M16 or M4 in bear country. Regulatory agencies that fail to comply should be in automatic default for damages. Reluctant officials should be forced to walk point through thick bear country, armed with a pocket knife, hoping for the best, but mindful of the worst that could befall them.

Hey, there's some really scary looking pocket knives on the market these days.

I prefer to be more heavily armed than any opponent I may meet. A bear is twice my size, and is armed with a bunch of knives, and has trained himself to live off of those knives. I would carry my 44 mag. I would recommend no less. 45LC and 44 Mag are very comparable.

Blacksmoke said:

For years I carried a bucket of KFC with me into the back country. When I encounter a bear I toss the bucket. No bear can resist those 11 herbs and spices. They prefer Original to Extra Crispy.

OK, joke over. As you were.

Click to expand...

I just take along a friend that cannot run as fast as me.

Deaf

I have a couple of boxes of Speer 250 grain JHP that I load for the Ruger/TC only loads, I use Winchester 296 max published loads these are each weighed then loaded.
Oh 45 Colt in a Ruger Blackhawk 5.5 barrel.

Yep, everyone says a 250 lb or more black bear is bullet proof. You need at least a .600 Nitro Express in a rifle (they chamber it in revolvers, too) if you're not going to carry a 12 gauge. There ain't nuthin' too big for a 12, ya know.

I've yet to see a black bear in the wild much over 200 lbs, personally, but maybe they don't get that big in New Mexico. AND, I don't think a 500 lb bear is bullet proof. Add to that the extremely low probability of any bear attack in the first place, and I figure my .357 loaded with 165 grain Keith style SWCs is plenty for defense. I'd want my .45 Colt Blackhawk or .30-30 contender to handgun HUNT 'em, but for defense while hiking I want something that's a little lighter on the belt. that I won't be tempted to put in the pack.

The KFC joke was pretty funny. I believe that's the first time I have ever seen that one in a bear thread. An open can of sardines would probably draw them like flies.

An open can of sardines would probably draw them like flies.

Click to expand...

If not, you'll have to fight off the raccoons.

Didn't read every post but keeping with the above, always go with a friend, carry a Browning 25 ACP and if a bear shows up kneecap your friend to slow him down.

"I prefer to be more heavily armed than any opponent I may meet." [WestKentucky]

The best advice.

Recall a hunter who was ambushed by a bear, he never heard or saw the bear till it was on him. The hunter somehow managed to draw his .357 Smith and shot the black bear 6 times, all contact shots. The bear continued to maul him, and the hunter was going down... the fight finally ended when the hunter's son put the muzzle of his 30-30 Marlin in the bear's ear, and pulled the trigger.

The bear was 6 foot and weighed 200 lbs. Its not the size of the bear, its the fight in the bear.

I've got a .357 Smith, excellent all-round gun, but the 44 Magnum is better.

We got the "slow running friend" joke...

We got the "shoot the friend in the leg" joke...

I'm just waiting for the "gun with no front sight so it doesn't hurt when the bear shoves it up your butt" joke.

BUT... I like the KFC line, never heard that one before. Yes, I'm going to steal that for later!!!

If reincarnation is real, I hope and pray I don't come back as a bear. Considering all the worrying about them, the possibility (probability?) of having to shoot one, all the people who feel the need to be gunning for one and all the discussion about which cartridge will kill one the fastest it's a miracle they're not extinct.

TimSr said:

I'd agree. far more effective.

Click to expand...

and don't forget your bell

You deffinately WANT FMJ and NO HPs. You want MAXIMUM pentration and I dont think a 357 HP will do it. My 358 Win would DROP a bear that big and do so with Authority!

ku4hx said:

If reincarnation is real, I hope and pray I don't come back as a bear. Considering all the worrying about them, the possibility (probability?) of having to shoot one, all the people who feel the need to be gunning for one and all the discussion about which cartridge will kill one the fastest it's a miracle they're not extinct.

Click to expand...

So are the discussions about what cartridges and guns to use for self defense from criminals and crazy people going to lead to extinction of criminals too? I don't think so.

No one is advocating "gunning for them". People are advocating being prepared for the possibility of a negative encounter with one, and how best to deal with it if a gun is in fact needed to resolve the situation.

I think it's a safe assumption that most people who hike, fish, or engage in other recreational/work outdoor activities enjoy wild animals, and unless hunting, have no desire to hurt or kill one.

You definitely WANT FMJ and NO HPs

Click to expand...

Corbon makes a solid copper DPX 45 Colt +p round that I think would be very effective against a black bear. True, it is a hollow point, but the solid copper bullet is meant to retain weight, and hits like a 41 magnum. Your best bet are hard cast bullets though as they will definitely punch through bone. FMJ deform and deflect quite a bit.

Back when I lived in fairbanks I knew an older gentleman who was an NRA firearms instructor up there. He said in all his years in Alaska he had only used his firearm in self defense twice, both times it was a grizzly, and he killed both with one shot from his colt trooper loaded winchester white box jhp.

A lot of people say 44 is bare minimum but I say why do the same job with more recoil, god forbid you need a follow up shot.

Bazooka or flamethrower, whichever you can pick up at the local surplus store.

Seriously, though...

Black bears are not aggressive and shouldn't cause you so much concern. I've encountered them numerous times and they routinely back off or run away.