walking in black bear country

[Wombat of Doom]

I don't consider the 22 to be underpowered. It works for me just fine

Squibs. I have had enough .22 ammo fail on me I don't trust it. Not that hypothetical .22lr is underpowered, but that functionally I have had enough ammo with QC issues to not trust that my individual shot will be as advertised. Just bad luck considering it should have been good ammo. (Not cheap bargain basement stuff.) That said, my GECO .22 stuff I would trust.

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

If walking in bear country I would most likely be hunting so there would be two 338 wm's for the bear to contend with .

 

[solv3nt]

If walking in bear country I would most likely be hunting so there would be two 338 wm's for the bear to contend with .

I suppose you do have two hands after all.

 

[DunRanull]

If walking in bear country I would most likely be hunting so there would be two 338 wm's for the bear to contend with .

Heck, "bear country" in my area of Colorado includes my yard, our street and general neighborhood. I live on the south side of the Arkansas river next to the mountains... those critters like our trash and anything else they can get their paws on, especially in dry summers when there hasnt been enuff winter snow pack or spring rains.. Ive hunted a few and also chased off many with non-lethal rubber buck and ball 12 ga rounds... They are powerful animals and I wouldnt want one giving ME the hairy eye-ball...

 

[PORSCHE928S4]

Heck, "bear country" in my area of Colorado includes my yard, our street and general neighborhood. I live on the south side of the Arkansas river next to the mountains... those critters like our trash and anything else they can get their paws on, especially in dry summers when there hasnt been enuff winter snow pack or spring rains.. Ive hunted a few and also chased off many with non-lethal rubber buck and ball 12 ga rounds... They are powerful animals and I wouldnt want one giving ME the hairy eye-ball...

They would walk right up to the porch in Estes park during the day

 

[Stomper]

 

[RHearn]

Thinking about something like the Panzer AR-12:
Since I no longer hunt, I downsized to a Springfield XD9 and a pellet rifle for the pesky racoons.
I do hike my area daily and a jogger only 1/2 mile from here was attacked by a mama black bear day before yesterday. We probably saw that same bear and cub in our yard last Saturday.
Although I'm walking on paved roads, there are plenty of woods and often dense growth near the road, so I ordered a bell for my backpack. Wife says get bear spray -- might do that but I also started looking at semi-auto 12 gauge shotguns ( gas operated, not pump).
Hard to think of something more likely to stop a charging bear, or convince it to turn around anyway. Will it freak out neighbors who see me walking with it? Possibly. I wear the 9mm on my hip ready to go, but obviously not as visible as a shotgun.

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I live deep in the Siuslaw, and encounter them pretty often. I thankfully have never had to shoot one, but had to scare of with warning shots twice in 3 yrs ( not a bad number considering my exposure to them).
I use 9mm, Hornady Critical Duty in 135gr.
Designed for barrier penetration, it'll do the job for a 300 lb Black Bear well enough.

 

[Tlock]

I live deep in the Siuslaw, and encounter them pretty often. I thankfully have never had to shoot one, but had to scare of with warning shots twice in 3 yrs ( not a bad number considering my exposure to them).
I use 9mm, Hornady Critical Duty in 135gr.
Designed for barrier penetration, it'll do the job for a 300 lb Black Bear well enough.

Thankfully? Better be a dam good shot!

 

[when_DM_smiles]

Yes, but what about this bear?

 

[Xaevian]

Yes, but what about this bear?

Ahh, Pablo Escobear. A real party animal.

 

[RHearn]

Thankfully? Better be a dam good shot!

Yeah, that's the worry... I still feel more confident in close quarters with the 9 w/Critical Duty, instead of my 5.56 with FMJs.

I am a prime example of why this magazine ban is complete BS... I have absolute articulable reason to carry MULTIPLE 40+ round magazines with me when I or my daughter and I go walking, or without the with the dogs. Because 10 rounds isn't enough with a "DeMoNiC" AR15 or a 9mm handgun. Maybe if a had a good heavy 300 Blackout AR - but I don't.. You'd be real lucky to drop it before it got to you if it decided to commit.

My right to life trumps any morons lack of understanding of firearms, ballistics, biomechanics, or Constitutional Law.

That said, I am finally buying a universal jig and a couple LR308 lowers to build for this purpose.

Kind of like when I bought my first AR15 instead of my old trusted Mini14 in 2018... Beto O'Rourke sold it to me. Best AR salesman EVER! This time? Oregon liberals have convinced me to finally get my collector's FFL, and possibly more, and starting to build. I do machining for robotics at times anyway... CC mills is as CC mills does.

 

[156256Hunter]

Yes, but what about this bear?

I'd be a little more scared of "meth bear". Not very scared of "heroin bear". But definitely scared of "heroine bear"

 

[The Heretic]

Re: walking in the woods and mag capacity - it is the scenario of feral dogs where I would be worried about having enough rounds in a mag. Ten rounds for ten dogs - you better be Jerry Miculek - otherwise you are going to need several 20 round mags as backup.

A single predator - less so.

If SHTF such that it was WROL, in most cases, a dog without a human, would be a candidate to be shot on sight, regardless of demeanor and distance. A pack of dogs? Shoot on sight period.

I love dogs, but if they go feral, they can be extremely dangerous, especially in a pack. They have little to no fear of humans and will often kill any prey just for the enjoyment. If you are walking with a dog, they often will attack the dog - I've seen domestic pet dogs attack other dogs being walked on a leash by their owners.

Feral pigs/hogs would be given the same treatment. More so. With much less compunction.

 

[CLT65]

9mm is fine for bear. Bears have lungs, don't they?

 

[OldBroad44]

9mm is fine for bear. Bears have lungs, don't they?

Lung shots, even with rifle rounds such as 30-06 or .308, do not even reliably cause instant incapacitating in light built animals such as deer. Many a deer has been shot through the lungs or heart and has run a hundred yards or more. A bear can kill you while dying from a lung shot. You need a head or spine shot for an instant incapacitating on a bear. And with a bear load, which as far as I know, manufacturers don't even make for 9mm. It would be irresponsible. They make bear loads in .357 mag and up for revolver loads and 10 mm and up for semiautomatic loads. And even with good bear loads in .44 mag, only a brain or spine shot gives you instant incapacitation.

 

[CLT65]

Lung shots, even with rifle rounds such as 30-06 or .308, do not even reliably cause instant incapacitating in light built animals such as deer. Many a deer has been shot through the lungs or heart and has run a hundred yards or more. A bear can kill you while dying from a lung shot. You need a head or spine shot for an instant incapacitating on a bear. And with a bear load, which as far as I know, manufacturers don't even make for 9mm. It would be irresponsible. They make bear loads in .357 mag and up for revolver loads and 10 mm and up for semiautomatic loads. And even with good bear loads in .44 mag, only a brain or spine shot gives you instant incapacitation.

I was joking. You know how a certain politician says a 9mm will "blow the lungs completely out of the body"?

 

[OldBroad44]

I was joking. You know how a certain politician says a 9mm will "blow the lungs completely out of the body"?

O.

 

[Yarome]

6 pages dating back to August and you guys are still talking about picking on poor little black bears that are more afraid and don't want anything to do with humans than you do them?

Seriously??

 

[DunRanull]

6 pages dating back to August and you guys are still talking about picking on poor little black bears that are more afraid and don't want anything to do with humans than you do them?

Seriously??

Obviously you are ignorant of what black bears can and DO. Not cuddly lil teddy bears.

 

[Yarome]

Obviously you are ignorant of what black bears can and DO. Not cuddly lil teddy bears.

Or I'm actually educated enough (vs. overactive paranoia) and have spent a vast amount of time in the wilds with more black bear encounters that I can remember... and know for a fact... unless directly threatened with no route of escape they pose almost zero threat to humans.

What do the stats show? They average 1 attack per year throughout the entire U.S.... and men ages 18-24 are 167 times more likely to kill someone than a black bear. That's sayin something... doesn't it(?)

Your also 5 times more likely to die from a snake bite and 7,000-8,000 times more likely to be bitten by a snake than be attacked by a black bear.

Heck... you're 100-200 times more likely to be struck by lightning and 17-20 times more likely you'll die from it than a black bear.

Or for that matter... 30-50 times more likely to be killed by a dog.

Just sayin... much ado over nothin, IMO... and learn to take a little tongue-in-cheek.