.45 acp vs a bear

[BuckTurgidson]

I am sure theres cases of people killing bears with a 22lr, but the fact of the matter is in a intense situation where a bear is charging you and in your face, not many shooters will have the ability to stay calm and take good aim and place a bullet with pinpoint accuracy where it needs to be to stop a charging bear in its tracks.

The OP said he wanted the 45 for bear protection, if I had the choice I would bring bear spray over the 45 solely for the purpose of fending off a bear. Now, that said I would bring the 45acp for the 2 legged meth head critters....

Amen, brother.

Somebody tell me if I'm off base, but isn't the placement of a shot into a relaxed, stationary or slow moving bear with it's side presented toward the shooter vastly different than a charging scenario? The (admittedly unlikely) charging 250 pound blackie is irritated or angry and can easily cover 75 feet in about 2.5 seconds (20 mph) or less. That means scant seconds, if that, to unholster, acquire the target and place a stopping shot with an underpowered round into a heavily armored, rapidly bobbing target presenting a minimum cross section. So a super pistolero with nerves of steel directs a .45 ACP pill directly in the bruin's eye. Game over, right? Nope. The bear brain rests above and between the eyes. There's a mauling coming up. I'm not arguing that a bear charge can't or hasn't been stopped by .45 ACP. I am arguing that the odds of stopping the bear are so low that they make .45 ACP a poor choice, especially when cheaper, more effective means (UDAP pepper spray) are available.

[1911Operator]

maybe we can hold a bear hostage until CA drops the roster.

[mif_slim]

its funny how everyone here's suggestions are all "i read"

Just think of a 360gr arrow with less then 60lbs kenetic energy doing a pass thru on a bear while crushing both ribs and breaking them...if that goes thru why wont a 45 penetrate into the internals?! Sure it wont be a one shot drop, but it will hit internals, its a matter of where you shot it.

I know beause I shot a bear last year at 32 yards (one at 8 yards) and it did a complete pass thru with a bow.

[faterikcartman]

I took a 584# black bear with this ammo last year fired from a Sig P220R at 65 feet:

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=69

As others have posted, if that's all you have, it may work. If it were me, I would buy the bear spray, it will work much better.

That is a huge freaking black bear. If this was a true SD situation, I doubt I''m alone in wanting more info.

If you were hunting a 584 pound bear with a .45 acp I, personally, would deny you future hunting licenses for life.

[-hanko]

im going camping in mammoth lakes area and bringing my full size 1911 just in case of bears. what bullets should i bring? 230 grain fmj or 230 grain hollow points? Will the fmj have deeper penetration but not enough damage? will the hollow points have greater damage but not enough penetration? i realize other guns would be more effective against bears, but i only want to bring my 1911. thanks

You're overstating the chance of a BLACK bear attack, and you might also be thinking of brown/grizzly bears, which are NOT in California.

Call the Mammoth Lakes ranger station and ask about recent BLACK bear sightings.

Keep a clean camp, lock up you food in the car at night, or store in bear-resistant containers you can hang off the ground AWAY from your tent.
Don't store food in the tent, and dispose of your garbage before you go to sleep.

Make noise or sing songs while you hike, take a dog on a lead while you hike.

Don't get between a bear and food, or between mama bear and her cubs.

If you're traveling with a lady or ladies, try to plan your campout when they're not having their monthly thing

Bears will generally do their best to avoid people, unless they're conditioned to feed off the local garbage dump.

You will not need huge pistols, 12ga sg's or heavy artillery for CA BLACK bears.

I'd agree with cpt_majestic's and XYZ's comments, bring bear spray if you're paranoid; if you think BROWN bears live in CA, time to do a little research

Nothing like a good bear thread on Calguns.net to get the adrenaline flowing

Have a good trip.

-hanko

[ilikeguns]

its funny how everyone here's suggestions are all "i read"

Just think of a 360gr arrow with less then 60lbs kenetic energy doing a pass thru on a bear while crushing both ribs and breaking them...if that goes thru why wont a 45 penetrate into the internals?! Sure it wont be a one shot drop, but it will hit internals, its a matter of where you shot it.

I know beause I shot a bear last year at 32 yards (one at 8 yards) and it did a complete pass thru with a bow.

Not sure if this works with bullets. An arrow will do a pass through on deer, but Im pretty sure a hollow point 45 wont. Penetration of arrows and bullets is very different right? I could be wrong, but thats my line of thinking. On a person for instance... a bullet may not pass through, while an arrow will go through clean.

[451040]

[BuckTurgidson]

its funny how everyone here's suggestions are all "i read"

Just think of a 360gr arrow with less then 60lbs kenetic energy doing a pass thru on a bear while crushing both ribs and breaking them...if that goes thru why wont a 45 penetrate into the internals?! Sure it wont be a one shot drop, but it will hit internals, its a matter of where you shot it.

I know beause I shot a bear last year at 32 yards (one at 8 yards) and it did a complete pass thru with a bow.

Wow. Thanks for that bit of education. My hat's off to anyone with the cojones to go after bear with a bow and arrow.

Okay, for the sake of discussion I'll agree a .45 ACP will penetrate to the internal organs of a charging bear. So, help me out here: Joe Sixpack, who has lost sphincter control as he unholsters his pistol, still has to place multiple shots into a rapidly moving target within a second or two. What are your thoughts about the odds of that happening? And second, even with pierced internals, will a charging bear immediately and reliably drop in it's tracks? I'm no pro with balls of steel, I just know what I read. And I've read that an adrenalin fueled bear, even with punctured organs, isn't likely to drop dead within a couple of seconds. On the other hand, I've read that condiment spray turns away charges at a very high rate. Any information you have is much appreciated.

[11Z50]

Cali Black Bears are not really that big or dangerous. Most I've seen are less than 150 lbs fully grown. They will generally run like hell if you make some noise, but one never knows....an old, sick bear could be problematic. Mountain Lions are an issue more than Bears, IMHO. Humans are far more dangerous in the back country, especially in the summer when lots of peeps are about.

I'd not worry about a bear attack, but I certainly do pack when in the hinterlands, no matter what. I wouldn't feel undergunned with a .45 ACP, or for that matter a 9mm. You are not hunting bear, you are packing for general defense against whatever, man or beast. Take whatever gun is comfortable and easy to carry. If it's not with you, it will do you no good. I usually bring my .45 or 9mm with me when in the backcountry. When streamfishing, I pack a .38 with snakeshot and JHP's.

[11Z50]

There's an old story about bear attacks. If a bear attacks, just throw a handfull of shizz in the bear's face. Where do you get the shizz? Don't worry....it will be there.

Seriously, the .45 ACP is plenty in the unlikely event of a Cali black bear attack. My neighbor is a taxidermist and the biggest Cali black that's been thru his care was just over 50 kg. Nobody I have heard from in my 52 years of age has ever been attacked by a Cali bear.

[Günter]

I recall a story by one of my friends who is a LEO, one of his colleagues went to a camping trip with his family and a grizzly bear entered the campsite and threatened the safety of his family. He carried a 9mm Beretta 92 and aimed above the bear for a warning shot. But the round hits the ear and angers the beast. He then unloads the entire magazine on the charging beast while fleeing with his family. He returns to the campsite couple of hours later with some help. They find a trail of blood leading out of the camp which eventually leads to a carcass of the bear. The bear apparently bled to death.

[1lostinspace]

45 ACP for a bear.

Unless you shot it on the head in just the right spot your most likely put your self in danger

[rumblebee]

Make sure to dip your.45ammo in Tabasco sauce before you head out...I hear that bears like their .45 lead spicy!!

[JTROKS]

Just do it the way this angler did.

[eastershawn]

thank you to everybody that actually answered my question. i appreciate the input. for all the rest of you that know everything about everything, i guess youre right, a bear could never attack, i have the wrong gun and im not skilled enough anyway. im sure to die so why even try?