Good Bowhunting Sidearm... 40, 10, 45?

[Hornseeker]

Hey HuntNW... whats your experience with bears? Griz or Blacks? Who and why was someone shooting 17 shots at a bear with a 9?

Just curious.

Ive been close to a lot of animals shot with a lot of different guns... and I will NOT rely on a chest shot from ANY gun to save me from a close range griz encounter...

I have virtually no experience with the calibers I listed nor the 9mm... I appreciate everyones feedback. I do know I'd feel confident with a 44 mag ... taking a bear between the eyes at close range. One thing I have committed myself to is giving the bear every chance to break off the charge... the vast majority of charges are "false" or "Bluff" and the bear will stop at CLOSE range and then have a stare down. They will avoid making contact in most cases. I plan to give them that chance, knowing that the closer they get the better chance I'll have to put that bullet right where it counts. hehehe... I hope. I actually just hope they break it off and veer away or stop. Yuck... dont even like talking about it... hehehe I also realize there could be a time when there is no time... it could be "hey, whats that and boom, he's IN your face. Yuck.

Practice and rehearse if you hunt in big bear country... I visualize these encounters and practice drawing a shooting quite a bit... I probs ought to do the same thing with my spray, but never really have practiced drawing it...

Thanks again All!

[mrolen]

Glock 10mm. Model 20 gets you 16 rounds or a 29 fills up with 11.
compact, hard hitting, lots of firepower in an easy to carry package.
Easier to deploy inside a tent than bear spray.

 

[Hornseeker]

Easier to deploy inside a tent than bear spray.

Easier?? How about "more effective"... hehehe

[xXLojackXx]

Glock 20. I'll take 16 rounds of 10mm over 6 of .44 any day. I'll get 3-4 rounds of 10mm off and on target before getting 2 of .44 mag down range.

[Hornseeker]

That much more control huh? Glock or something else?

[JLS]

I faced off with two long toed bears one night with a .44 magnum.  I was really glad when my buddy brought me the 30-06.

[CAMPMEAT]

I called this one to within 10 feet from me................he almost met Mr. Glock 23.

[Fl0und3rz]

U pretty much get 2 shots and those 2 better kill. A bear at 10 yards will  be on you faster u will ever imagine.

That's why I only carry a derringer in 45 LC.  The backup plan is to scream like a little girl.

[pashok23]

I carry 629 S&W 6.5 inch 44mag with 305 grain in MT while bear hunting.its a little heavy but it doesn't bothering me that much.

[Bofire]

  I saw a wounded bear killed with one round of 9mm at about 5 feet, I saw a wounded bear killed with 2 rounds of 357/158 grainHP at about 3 feet (hit in the face using a flashlite after dark) and I saw a wounded bear in the day time shot with a 44 mag at about 10 feet twice, 240 grain soft point Winchester loads, penetrateda bout 2 inches, did not kill the bear. 30/06 did.
The bear killed with the 9mm was wounded with a 338 mag. none of these were over 250 pounds.
This stuff is why bears can be such a rush to hunt. I have seen bears hit a bunch of times with big guns before they died, and seen little gun one shot kills.

I repeat buy the gun you shoot best / fast.
Carl

[Hornseeker]

I don't know chit about the 9... I have shot a 40 and 45acp... And know just from shooting them tht I could kill black bears all day long with either... But I'm talkin griz. Big gigantic difference...

Just got off phone with buddy that has been getting 1340 with a 200 grain bullet out of his G20. That sounds pretty good. I've seen many a black bears lights go out with a 41 bullet... And the ballistics I just quoted aren't far off...

But... Dang... Are they good enough for a griz. I was so confident with my 320 grain hard casts... Just not feelin it with these little ones!!!

Hehe

[Bofire]

  I have never seen a Griz shot at all!! So I know nothing!
Carl

[Bean Counter]

It's all about Kinetic Energy, not FPS. You want a round that will hit whatever you're shooting at, like a sledge hammer.

Kinetic Energy is mass x velocity. (KE= .5 x MV2)

All the weight in the world is meaningless without the horsepower to push it.

Your formula is incorrect.

Kinetic energy = one half mass x velocity^2... KE = 1/2MV^2

The way you can interpret it is as follows: a doubling of mass leads to a doubling of kinetic energy. Whereas a doubling of velocity leads to a quadrupling of kinetic energy. This is why a 9mm hits as hard as a 45ACP. Its much lighter round, but the velocity makes up for it.

There are significant traffic safety interpretations to it as well. It is worse to be hit by a prius driving 60 miles per hour than a GMC Suburban driving 30 miles per hour.

[Bean Counter]

I have a taurus titanium tracker in 45 lc with a 6.5 inch barrel. Very light and packs a punch!

You definitely have me beat in the Biggest Testicles Contest... trusting your life to a Taurus and all. 

[yorketransport]

I have a taurus titanium tracker in 45 lc with a 6.5 inch barrel. Very light and packs a punch!

You definitely have me beat in the Biggest Testicles Contest... trusting your life to a Taurus and all. 

I had a Ti Tracking in 41 mag for nearly 2000 rounds without any issue at all. No light loads either; 250gr hard cast and a case full of H110. I finally sold it because somebody offered me the right price.

If I were you I'd look for a used 329PD. They're about as good as you get in weight/power ratio. A used one should be in the $700 range.

Andrwe