[GlockRenegade]

My buddy and me chatted about this at work today. We were talking about his trip later this year to Colorado to hunt. Went a little off topic but I told him I would be extremely confident facing a charging black bear with just my 9mm. Now of course Im talking 16 JHPs, but he got a could kick out of it and called me crazy. Thoughts? Past experiences? Lay it on me

 

[LikeABoss]

You would be comfortable until the bear laughs at the rounds and eats you!

I wouldn't trust my life against a 300 pound man with a 9mm let alone a 300 pound animal with a big heavy jacket on.

I would use my .357 or .44 Magnum.

 

[mountainman13]

I would be shi%%ing in my pants and wouldn't want jhp's in my gun. Even with a 10mm I wouldn't want to be in that situation.

 

[Marlinman]

A 9mm against a bear is asking to die. 357 is the bare minimum against a black bear and a 44 mag is bare min for grizzlies. I carry a 454 Cassul and its for a damn good reason.

 

[bearrwe]

My buddy and me chatted about this at work today. We were talking about his trip later this year to Colorado to hunt. Went a little off topic but I told him I would be extremely confident facing a charging black bear with just my 9mm. Now of course Im talking 16 JHPs, but he got a could kick out of it and called me crazy. Thoughts? Past experiences? Lay it on me

I wouldn't want to take on a charging linebacker with a 9mm given a choice. I'm not starting the old 9 isn't good enough bs but if I knew I was might need to stop a charging animal and I had an option it wouldn't be my first choice. If I'm in the woods and might run across a bear I'm going to carry the proper equipment to stop a bear! It only makes sense, why risk getting hurt or wounding a dangerous animal and creating a hazard for others?

 

[GlockRenegade]

Ok... So my ex wife is right... Im flippin crazy lol damit.

And yes id be poopy pants

 

[JonM]

bears and most wild animals have pretty decent body armor. 9mm is designed to be used in warfare against people. the bullet even in fmj format doesnt have the strength to get to the inner workings on even a small bear.

now since fmj doesnt have the power to get to the heart and lungs or penetrate the skull a hollow point will just lodge under the skin doing what its designed to do. under penetrate and expand.

yes your friend is right. your crazy and will end up deader than dead with the slide locked back and the bear looking like he got 16 new scars when he heals.

when loading for defense against animal attack NEVER use hollowpoints they do just the opposite of what you want to happen. proper bullets are softpoints or hardcast lead solids.

44magnum is the smallest round i would consider viable for defense on animals

 

[Dillinger]

I used to live in Valdez, Alaska and my old man went on more than one bear hunt up there. I never went because I was too young and hungry grizzly bears have a way of being ferocious in the middle of winter when they can't find food.

Anyone who thinks a 9mm with 50 rounds in a Custom Made Tripps Super-Duper Cobra mag is a good defense is, conservatively, out of their respective minds. No disrespect intended - I am talking in general terms here.

Let's just analyze section density here for a second.

Bears are covered in fur, I think we can all agree this is a fact. Fur is much thicker than your average human hair. I mean, you've felt a bear pelt, right? It's much thicker and comfy and better than my head of thinning hair.

Bears don't have central heating. That means their hair covers a tough hide that is protection against other attacks and the elements.

Beneath that hair and hide you have a layer of fat, that depending on the bear and how well it's been eating, could be 4 or 6 inches thick.

Now the design behind a hollow point is what? In it's most basic, Wiley E. Coyote School of Engineering? Launch small projectile into surface, projectile expands to twice it's size to create a wider wound channel and cause excessive bleeding. Basically that is the job of the hollow point round.

Do you know what a 9mm hollow point is going to do when it's traveling 1100, 1200 fps and it spins into heavy fur, then a tough hide and MAYBE gets to 4 inches of bear fat??

Yeah. It's going to expand, transfer energy in a stone thrown in a pool pattern, and NOT get into the vitals of an angry, protective and possibly hungry bear.

I am going to say that even with some really, really great marksmanship (which would be considered awesome in the face of a charging bear) you are going to be lottery level lucky to put a round in the right spot to kill this type of animal with a 9mm bullet.

But if you are going to go, can we meet up at my insurance agents office before your flight? I'd like to take out a really big policy on you. You know. For luck.

JD

 

[GlockRenegade]

Hahaha. Very good points/facts. Lol back to formula for me

 

[PanBaccha]

My buddy and me chatted about this at work today. We were talking about his trip later this year to Colorado to hunt. Went a little off topic but I told him I would be extremely confident facing a charging black bear with just my 9mm. Now of course Im talking 16 JHPs, but he got a could kick out of it and called me crazy. Thoughts? Past experiences? Lay it on me

9mm against a charging Black bear? Feeling suicidal?

 

[Axxe55]

i think Dillinger hit it spot on! if i were to have to be in an area where there was the possibilty of bears, the minimum would be a 44 Mag. remember in the woods with the bears, you are no longer at the top of the food chain, they are!

 

[vincent]

I used to live in Valdez, Alaska and my old man went on more than one bear hunt up there. I never went because I was too young and hungry grizzly bears have a way of being ferocious in the middle of winter when they can't find food.

Anyone who thinks a 9mm with 50 rounds in a Custom Made Tripps Super-Duper Cobra mag is a good defense is, conservatively, out of their respective minds. No disrespect intended - I am talking in general terms here.

Let's just analyze section density here for a second.

Bears are covered in fur, I think we can all agree this is a fact. Fur is much thicker than your average human hair. I mean, you've felt a bear pelt, right? It's much thicker and comfy and better than my head of thinning hair.

Bears don't have central heating. That means their hair covers a tough hide that is protection against other attacks and the elements.

Beneath that hair and hide you have a layer of fat, that depending on the bear and how well it's been eating, could be 4 or 6 inches thick.

Now the design behind a hollow point is what? In it's most basic, Wiley E. Coyote School of Engineering? Launch small projectile into surface, projectile expands to twice it's size to create a wider wound channel and cause excessive bleeding. Basically that is the job of the hollow point round.

Do you know what a 9mm hollow point is going to do when it's traveling 1100, 1200 fps and it spins into heavy fur, then a tough hide and MAYBE gets to 4 inches of bear fat??

Yeah. It's going to expand, transfer energy in a stone thrown in a pool pattern, and NOT get into the vitals of an angry, protective and possibly hungry bear.

I am going to say that even with some really, really great marksmanship (which would be considered awesome in the face of a charging bear) you are going to be lottery level lucky to put a round in the right spot to kill this type of animal with a 9mm bullet.

But if you are going to go, can we meet up at my insurance agents office before your flight? I'd like to take out a really big policy on you. You know. For luck.

JD

I don't know anything about bears but I know a great post when I see one...

[Kneels before Zod]

 

[mcb]

There are black bears in the woods where I have my hunting cabin. I never go into the woods with less than a 44mag.

I've encountered them on a few occasions. They like to get into my burn pile. Fortunately I've never had to fire on one.

 

[Gonzilla]

Op - 9mm vs Bear - yes, IMHO you are crazy.

 

[75370]

The Bottom one in this pic, FA 454 Casull, 4 3/4" bbl. carries well in the small of back.

Or the bottom one in this pic, the S&W 500, it carries well in a shoulder rig.

 

[Marlinman]

The Bottom one in this pic, FA 454 Casull, 4 3/4" bbl. carries well in the small of back.

Or the bottom one in this pic, the S&W 500, it carries well in a shoulder rig.

Nice FA I have the 8" barreled ss one w elk horn grips-454 Cassul

 

[danf_fl]

Take your buddy with you when you decide to take on a bear with a 9mm.

You can always shoot your friend in the knee cap.

 

[HockaLouis]

Yes, you are crazy but are lucky.

JonM is about right on. Your choice of arm and ammo are really poor. Personally for Black Bear and other critters in your area I have a short compensated .357 Mag with hot Buffalo Bore rounds with hard semi-flatnose wadcutters or somewhat similar Federal Vital Shock CastCore rounds. For Alaska I have the same in low recoil .44 Mag. You need to punch holes, penetrate, cut and break and burst stuff to stop that bruin.

As for the luck part? Just show the bear it's a Glock and he'll be so impressed and intimidated that...

 

[JTJ]

Can you hit a charging bear in the nose or eyes? Those are the only direct unarmored paths to the brain and the only chance you would have. You would not even be able to shoot 16 times. You are better off with bear spray. The overwhelming consensus of the posts is you are crazy.

 

[lucznik]

The overwhelming consensus of the posts is you are crazy.

The funny thing about consensus is that even when everyone agrees, they still can be wrong.

Truth of the matter is he will be far better off with a 9mm he shoots well than a bigger gun with which he's not familiar and can't hold a reasonable hope of hitting anything.

Actually, if you're really concerned about stopping bears, get a quality bear spray.