dumb 9mm question

[Night goat]

hey guys

so my buddy just got into hunting and he already wants to do an archery bear hunt this August. Not my first choice of a hunt but if it's to get my buddy into the sport I'm just happy he wants to do it.

now before I ask this question, my first choice in  sidearm would be a shaved hammer stainless 357 or 44 but I don't have one.

only handgun I own is a 9mm taurus. with proper ammo like buffalo bore hard cast +P

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=388

would a 9mm be an acceptable side arm?

I am talking strictly for black bear in the casades, forget Alaska forget canada, I've spent enough time up there to know what works and what doesn't, but the critters here are smaller and not as agro.

I am skeptical but curious none the less

[h20hunter]

You will get 1000 opinions but basically,  imo, sure. Rung what yah brung.  Better than nothing.  99.9% he will never need it for lil blackies.

[Jason]

I would say no to the 9mm being an acceptable firearm for Black Bear.

I remember Tonymoe bringing his .380 to montana one year, we laughed as he said he only needed one round to off himself hopefully before the Grizz got him.

[Night goat]

I would say no to the 9mm being an acceptable firearm for Black Bear.

I remember Tonymoe bringing his .380 to montana one year, we laughed as he said he only needed one round to off himself hopefully before the Grizz got him.

well we all know the best bear gun is a 22 short. just gotta get your buddy in the leg and you're safe

[bhawley76]

10x better than nothing!

[magnanimous_j]

I think someone on here recently posted a study that showed that using a firearm of ANY caliber was effective about 97% of the time in stopping a bear attack (brown bears included).

I'm a big advocate for the 9mm. I think as black bear defense, it rates somewhere between "a lot better than nothing" to "adequate, but not ideal"

[Jason]

You will get 1000 opinions but basically,  imo, sure. Rung what yah brung.  Better than nothing.  99.9% he will never need it for lil blackies.

I do agree that it is better than having nothing.

[JJB11B]

I think someone on here recently posted a study that showed that using a firearm of ANY caliber was effective about 97% of the time in stopping a bear attack (brown bears included).

I'm a big advocate for the 9mm. I think as black bear defense, it rates somewhere between "a lot better than nothing" to "adequate, but not ideal"

I concur

[carpsniperg2]

I agree with the thoughts. Right ammo and you should be ok with it if you need to use it. I prefer a little more horse power but have spent plenty of time in bear country with a 9mm. A pistol has saved my bacon 2 times. Both times without it. I’m pretty certain once I would have not made it and the other I’d been cut up pretty bad. Run what ya brung.

[Jpmiller]

My 9mm holds 15 in a standard mag. Not being any kind of veteran or policeman trained to and experienced in shooting where something is shooting or attacking back I like the comfort of knowing I have a few more chances. I've never felt under gunned and when I was in Wyoming with an outfitter  whose guide had just been killed by a grizz he seemed to think my G19 was a fine companion.

[jrebel]

First off.....  how many people on here have ever been confronted by a Washington black bear?  A very small percentage I bet.  Second when around a black bear what has been your observations?  Mine, well they want nothing to do with me.   With the above said......I would be willing to bet anything that goes bang will scare a bear away.  9mm will be just fine if my experiences and theory are correct.  If I was targeting a black bear with a pistol caliber.....I would pick something bigger. 

You have a better chance of drawing a sidearm on a meth head in the woods in my opinion and a 9mm is plenty adequate for that. 

[h20hunter]

If you count the encounters that I've had where I saw a black bear and it saw me and tried to get away as fast or as quickly as possible.....then it's every time! A few times the bear got shot.

Agreed about trailhead tweekers.

[Night goat]

First off.....  how many people on here have ever been confronted by a Washington black bear?  A very small percentage I bet.  Second when around a black bear what has been your observations?  Mine, well they want nothing to do with me.   With the above said......I would be willing to bet anything that goes bang will scare a bear away.  9mm will be just fine if my experiences and theory are correct.  If I was targeting a black bear with a pistol caliber.....I would pick something bigger. 

You have a better chance of drawing a sidearm on a meth head in the woods in my opinion and a 9mm is plenty adequate for that.

yeah I'm not concerned about bumping into a bear, our bears here are total weenies, I'm more concerned about my buddy hopped up on adrenaline and wounding a bear and having to then deal with that

the typical Alaska bear encounter is simply not going to happen to a pair of dudes in the Cascades where you'd have to drop a raging griz at point blank

[Stein]

My 9mm holds 15 in a standard mag. Not being any kind of veteran or policeman trained to and experienced in shooting where something is shooting or attacking back I like the comfort of knowing I have a few more chances. I've never felt under gunned and when I was in Wyoming with an outfitter  whose guide had just been killed by a grizz he seemed to think my G19 was a fine companion.

Trained police don't have a stellar record and that's against a guy who isn't running like a speeding train with a circulatory system that allows them to live several minutes after a heart shot.  It's one of the reasons I carry spray for bears.

KEY FINDINGS
Donner and Popovich consider these results to be of significance:

Incident-level accuracy: Among all 149 shootings studied, officers struck the suspect “with at least one round 54 percent of the time.” There was some fluctuation from year to year, but the overall prevailing trend was about a 50/50 split between hits and misses – “not very accurate,” the researchers note.

Bullet-level accuracy: Here, officers fired 354 rounds at suspects. Half the officers “were entirely inaccurate,” including one who fired 23 misses! Overall, about one-third (35 percent) of all officers’ rounds hit the targeted suspect. Most of those who had “perfect marksmanship” fired only one round.

[Cougartail]

hey guys

so my buddy just got into hunting and he already wants to do an archery bear hunt this August. Not my first choice of a hunt but if it's to get my buddy into the sport I'm just happy he wants to do it.

now before I ask this question, my first choice in  sidearm would be a shaved hammer stainless 357 or 44 but I don't have one.

only handgun I own is a 9mm taurus. with proper ammo like buffalo bore hard cast +P

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=388

would a 9mm be an acceptable side arm?

I am talking strictly for black bear in the casades, forget Alaska forget canada, I've spent enough time up there to know what works and what doesn't, but the critters here are smaller and not as agro.

I am skeptical but curious none the less

Underwood Hardcast 147grain. That will fix most bear problems. I never worried about bears until one charged me. When food is scarce or an animal is injured normal behavior goes out the window. Also had 4 dirtbags try and kill me once too up in the mountains..things happen but rarely..