Thread: Black bear sidearm

What is a good pistol/revoler caliber to care as black bear or cougar protection when out hunting?

S&W 460 MAG perfomance shop with fluted barrel and comp

Geez, I'm happy with a 357.

Wat rounds r u carrying with ur 357?

I had a .500, but never carried it. I usually have my .41 Mag with stout handloads and Hornady 210gr XTPs. I'm very confident with this gun/load.
Unless I'm actually hunting, then I carry a rifle and my .45 ACP. If there's "trouble" the rifle is much more powerful than any handgun.

Glock 20. Plenty of power, more than enough firepower, light weight for ease of carry and it can take a beating all with a reasonable price tag.

What sidearm do you carry when hunting?

Can you say .45acp. 12 rounds double stack Para Odanace P-12. Oh, and yes I still have plenty of Black Talon.

All the black bear defense you will ever need. Actually more than you will ever need.

The above with the word BOO too

I have black bears in my yard all summer for decades now, never a problem.





Just one example about 40 yards off the porch

Glock 29 10mm w/ 4.48" extended non-ported barrel, full of 200gr wfngc handloads.

Originally Posted by OR_VARMINT_HUNTER

Wat rounds r u carrying with ur 357?

I'd avoid HP ammo. Check Buffalo Bore 19A/20-180gr.

Originally Posted by titsonritz

Glock 20. Plenty of power, more than enough firepower, light weight for ease of carry and it can take a beating all with a reasonable price tag.

What sidearm do you carry when hunting?

Accurate to MOB* at 150 yards too. A few of us were shooting my G20 out to 150 yards Saturday and getting about 70% hits on random pop cans and shooting pit stuff.
With cheap loads

*Minute Of Bad guy or bear

Originally Posted by Quackerbacker

All the black bear defense you will ever need. Actually more than you will ever need.

You should have told the guy in Wenatchee and the lady in Gig Harbor that got mauled by black bears,that all they needed was a stick.
Yeah

Originally Posted by mjbskwim

You should have told the guy in Wenatchee and the lady in Gig Harbor that got mauled by black bears,that all they needed was a stick.
Yeah

All i know is that statistically you are astronomically more apt to get mauled by a domesticated dog than a black bear. I know people who have worked for the forest service and had many hundreds of encounters with black bears in their careers and all agree that they have yet to come across a black bear that won't run when chased.

By and large they are curious but very shy creatures. Mistakes happen. People do dumb things around bears, they run from them, they try to touch them, their neighbors feed them. Then of course there is that one in approximately 600,000 (usfs biologist #'s not mine) black bears that actually stalks and attacks a human.

Knowing all that, i still carry when out fishing & back-packing. I think we're hard-wired to worry about being eaten It's a security blanket and could very well come in handy when a two legged predator tries to pull something.

OK so what are the odds of getting eaten by a two legged creature?

Both cases seems the people were trying to get between the bear and food.
Now the dog owners didn't see Fido as food but the bear did.
Just something to think about

Originally Posted by mjbskwim

OK so what are the odds of getting eaten by a two legged creature?

Both cases seems the people were trying to get between the bear and food.
Now the dog owners didn't see Fido as food but the bear did.
Just something to think about

Did the dog attacked the bear? Since injury to a predator usually means death, they instinctively avoid anything that fights back too well. I've certainly heard of black bears fighting hunting dogs once cornered, but usually they run and climb a tree when faced with a dog or dogs on the loose.

Black bears are like my 110 pound yellow lab, big babies but don’t underestimate their capability.

Originally Posted by Quackerbacker

Did the dog attacked the bear? Since injury to a predator usually means death, they instinctively avoid anything that fights back too well. I've certainly heard of black bears fighting hunting dogs once cornered, but usually they run and climb a tree when faced with a dog or dogs on the loose.

The one in Leavenworth was a broke down old guy(bear) rummaging the garbage can,as I remember.And the dog went after it? then the owner after the dog or such.He was the Lawyer from Seattle

The other wasn't clear but had to do with a dog and the owner again.

So in the woods? The stick.Going to get the garbage can? The G20

Oh come on titsonritz,labs fight like girls
hehehe

why would you want to shoot a bear? they are cute and cuddly woodland creatures.

if you are really scared of being eaten, always go into the woods with a companion who can't run as fast as you.

but, seriously, you smell bad, taste bad, and make entirely too much noise. but if you really want an excuse to kill a bear, put a dab of peanut butter behind each ear and hang a salami from your neck.

that ought to do the trick.

Originally Posted by mjbskwim

Oh come on titsonritz,labs fight like girls
hehehe

I’ve known a few of those I wouldn’t want to underestimate too.