9MM Pistol for bear protection?

[rgallant]

. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals just ruled that open carry is legal EVERYWHERE in the US, so you will not go to jail for open-carrying a firearm in public in the US. And you have to be alive to go to jail, so there's that. In other areas like Canada, you do need a license to carry, but it's not unobtainable.
.

In Canada carry of a pistol is pretty much impossible. But a short barreled shotgun 14 inch barrel no problem, although it varies widely by province as some disallow firearms except when hunting. Alberta and BC no issue though. National and Provincial parks no firearms at all.

 

[Umbrarian]

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals just ruled that open carry is legal EVERYWHERE in the US, so you will not go to jail for open-carrying a firearm in public in the US.

ROFL.

 

[GB_Willys_2014]

ROFL.

This requires some citation for reference:

https://thefederalist.com/2018/07/2...-says-open-carrying-gun-constitutional-right/

But yeah, the 9th Circuit judgement will likely not carry much weight if one chooses to open carry in say Chicago.

Even worse, this 9th Circuit decision reads to me to be an attack on Constitutional Carry laws such as in AZ.

***

Don't have much experience with bears, let alone Grizzlies. But, I have heard the old adage that anything less than a .44 mag in Alaska is only good for shooting yourself in the head before the Grizzly eats you.

Seems like wise advise to me.

 

[CCH]

Back to the original post, it might be worth looking into the guy using a 9mm. He has an awful lot of brown bear experience. The ammo was not Winchester White Box. This strikes me less as a recommendation and more as an extreme example of what is possible.

 

[WSS]

As someone that has trained to shoot under the most stressful situations for the last 22 years...best of luck with your shot group...lol.

^^^THIS^^^

Shooting paper at an indoor range will not match real world situations. Probably the best practice/training can be had on a dueling tree. It causes you to focus on 6" while other 6" paddles are moving back and forth.

 

[lowrider1]

Glock 10 mike mike. 180 gr hard cast flat nose at 1200 will penetrate just fine and the extra rounds make a big impression on bears if you get the chance to use them.

 

[Nukeproof]

so, i have a Q. no chest pumping or bravado on my end. when i truck camp i dont worry too much about it since i can retreat to the truck for at least some time to gather my composure and aim if the gun is needed,,, but when i moto camp i am in the open. i carry bear spray as a first line and for no other reason than because i have it carry a 9mm pistol. ive only "needed" a gun once, for a rabid bobcat and the choice was 12ga 00 buck because i was in the truck,,, but it got me to thinking, what if i was on the bike. i would only have the 9mm and though i guess it would have been fine, what if it was a mtn lion or bear?

so i am looking at replacing the 9mm with something bigger, my goal is to keep it small and light,,, .357 mag hammerless revolver, .45 acp shield for example,,, but, 45-70? something small and light? i can only think of a derringer style pistol for that with two shots available.

my problems would be black bear, mtn lions and bobcats,,, mybe a pissed off pig. what do you guys think? what other options are out there i might not be thinking about? again the goal is small and light. or should i just not worry about it if i dont want to go "big" and trust in the spray?

 

[jadmt]

so, i have a Q. no chest pumping or bravado on my end. when i truck camp i dont worry too much about it since i can retreat to the truck for at least some time to gather my composure and aim if the gun is needed,,, but when i moto camp i am in the open. i carry bear spray as a first line and for no other reason than because i have it carry a 9mm pistol. ive only "needed" a gun once, for a rabid bobcat and the choice was 12ga 00 buck because i was in the truck,,, but it got me to thinking, what if i was on the bike. i would only have the 9mm and though i guess it would have been fine, what if it was a mtn lion or bear?

so i am looking at replacing the 9mm with something bigger, my goal is to keep it small and light,,, .357 hammerless revolver, .45 shield for example,,, but, 45-70? something small and light? i can only think of a derringer style pistol for that with two shots available.

what do you guys think? what other options are out there i might not be thinking about? again the goal is small and light. or should i just not worry about it and trust in the spray?

unfortunately you may not have time to retreat to the truck. Pure fear does strange things to your body. bear spray and a Glock 10mm is a good choice. A short 12ga is would be a good choice as well.

small, easy to shoot and holds a lot of fire power in a small package.

 

[Kmrtnsn]

10,000: 1 kill shot with a charging bear with a 9mm. Feel lucky? Bear spray is your best option

The effects of bear spray are far from instantaneous and there are many factors to consider, wind direction and strength, distance, etc. A non-lethal response is never the correct response to life-threatening situation.

 

[mep1811]

The best gun for defense is the one you have with you. If you have to use a 9MM then use the best ammo for the application. Buffalo Bore makes a
Buffalo Bore 9MM +P OUTDOORSMAN
147gr. Hard Cast FN @ 1100 fps

You need a bullet that will not breakup like most self defense hollow point would do on a bear.

 

[Laps]

9 mm against a bear? you best have your bear spray ready when that just pisses him off.

 

[Dalko43]

I carry firearms for a living and train at work to deal with the most leathal animal, humans. No one I work with on my department carry’s a 9mm, nore is it allowed. I’ve seen plenty of dead people with small caliber rounds, but I would never carry a 9mm into the woods for defense against a bear, when camping I take my 10mm glock and a Remington 870. In my night stand, I keep my duty weapon, 1911 .45 acp.

9mm is pretty standard for LE and military....I don't see why it would be an issue for anti-personnel (non-predator) defense.

so, i have a Q. no chest pumping or bravado on my end. when i truck camp i dont worry too much about it since i can retreat to the truck for at least some time to gather my composure and aim if the gun is needed,,, but when i moto camp i am in the open. i carry bear spray as a first line and for no other reason than because i have it carry a 9mm pistol. ive only "needed" a gun once, for a rabid bobcat and the choice was 12ga 00 buck because i was in the truck,,, but it got me to thinking, what if i was on the bike. i would only have the 9mm and though i guess it would have been fine, what if it was a mtn lion or bear?

so i am looking at replacing the 9mm with something bigger, my goal is to keep it small and light,,, .357 mag hammerless revolver, .45 acp shield for example,,, but, 45-70? something small and light? i can only think of a derringer style pistol for that with two shots available.

my problems would be black bear, mtn lions and bobcats,,, mybe a pissed off pig. what do you guys think? what other options are out there i might not be thinking about? again the goal is small and light. or should i just not worry about it if i dont want to go "big" and trust in the spray?

Based on what you're describing, I don't see a problem with using 9mm. It will work on those animals, in a pinch, and if you're truck camping, I don't really see an increased risk that would necessitate a move to a "bigger" pistol cartridge.

If you really want a more powerful cartridge, I'd look at .40s&w, 10mm, .357 mag at the maximum end of the spectrum. Word of advice for any of those calibers: Too much weight can be a hindrance for long foot movements (though it sounds like you'll be moving by vehicle), however, too little weight can also be a hindrance for the heavier recoil associated with those calibers.

I do some wounded game tracking in terrain where carrying a shotgun or rifle isn't always practical; a moderately-sized .357 magnum is what I've settled on for my sidearm (~34-35oz), though the biggest "predators" I'm dealing with are black bear and the occasional angry moose. If I were hiking in brown bear country day in and day out, I'd either go with some hardcast .357 loads or move up to a .44m magnum. Biggest consideration is you need to choose a firearm that you're comfortable and safe with and you need to choose a caliber that you can effectively handle....a lot of big magnum advocates on the internet who have never had to fire their hand cannons in a real life and stressful situation.

 

[Mickey Bitsko]

I've always had the bigger is better philosophy..
What can it hurt= nothing
First I had 38sp then 357, I had an opportunity to buy a s&w629 6" and never looked back.
I don't hike or hunt in grizzly country but everywhere I go I'm not too concerned about predators.
The down side, it's not a gun you would want to spend the afternoon plinking.
And it's fairly heavy.

 

[lowrider1]

I have a Mossberg Shockwave in 20 ga with #2 buck in the truck now fitted with a Sig Brace...just in case there's a bear that forgot to take the long Winter's nap. Not as easy to carry as a pistol but should encourage the bear to leave and not chew on me.

 

[crazysccrmd]

I have a Mossberg Shockwave in 20 ga with #2 buck in the truck now fitted with a Sig Brace...just in case there's a bear that forgot to take the long Winter's nap. Not as easy to carry as a pistol but should encourage the bear to leave and not chew on me.

If you have any bears of decent size ditch the buckshot and load Brenneke slugs.