9mm vs. Black Bear...what would you choose?

[-hanko]

This.

Nothing like a good bear thread on calguns to raise the testosterone level.



-hanko

[Striker]

Whats with this topic? I've had black bears around forever, in camp, feet away from me, I've NEVER had a problem with one. You yell at them if they start to get in your tent and they go away.

This topic seems to come up every few weeks or so; and no matter how many times someone says common sense, noise and bear spray are your best weapons, and more than a few have said this in the numerous "bear" threads, some refuse to believe it.

And before someone mentions it, I know the original topic is what 9mm load for Black Bears. The answer is none of them. Common sense, noise and bear spray is the answer, whether or not some want to believe it.

9mm is to defend yourself against human predators and I would be more worried about having to deal with that than I would a wild animal.

[ThiZZ]

pepper spray would probably work more effectively

[Longbow]

Whats with this topic? I've had black bears around forever, in camp, feet away from me, I've NEVER had a problem with one. You yell at them if they start to get in your tent and they go away.

This is consistent with most of Timothy Treadwell's experiences.

Bears (and mountain lions!) are fierce predators, and if you are in the 'hood when they are hungry, or pissed, you are in for a very bad day. Worse, you never get to know which day that is going to be. According to Dr. Stephen Herrero in Bear Attacks, Their Causes and Avoidance""Before an attack, a person seldom sees any signs of aggression."

Worse, unlike the great browns, (hint: genus is: Ursus arctos horribilis) which will cuff you if they are annoyed, if a black bear (locally, Ursus americanus californiensis) does decide to attack you, it is usually because they are hungry. Playing dead with a black bear will get you dead, and actually make the job easier for the predator, as it feeds on you.

Oh, and you will never see the mountain lion that's stalking you, until it attacks you.

Real world: statistically, you are much more likely to run into 2-legged predators.

But you are better off buying lottery tickets so you can retire a rich, island-owning billionaire, than hoping to get a bear-stopping magazine of 9mm off, much less ever changing out a mag.

It's glorious out there, just plan accordingly.
Cheers,

Longbow

[Vampyredark]

A pot and a pan, for noise-making, would actually be better.

If were going for loud noises then just shoot next to the bear to scare him away instead of just pissing it off with a bullet.

If a bear was attacking you, you might be able to get some good shots in with FMJ bullets. I bet you lay it down in 3 or 4 shots, maybe less. Aim for the head if you can.

But honestly, since I live where I live.... A black bear will leave you alone if you leave it alone.. there is no need to make a confrontation. Avoid the bear if you can. You are in his territory and just let it be.

Dont shoot the bear, their cool!

My father in laws dad killed a bear with a 22 bullet. I would not rule out a 9mm.

[Jeepers]

WOW, WHAT MODEL TASER?

MAKES THE YELLOW GUN LOOK LIKE A BB GUN VS. THE KICK/VOLTS IN THIS PUPPY!
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When bears are on my porch, at our family cabin in Tahoe, I just open the door and say "boo". They always run. I guess I've just gotten lucky enough to always meet up with ones who have surfed CGN enough to be scared to meet booshanky in person.

AND 2ND THE STATEMENT ABOVE: IN MAMMOTH LAKES, WHERE SOME OF THE BEARS COME TO GET FOOD, I USED TO THROW ORANGES, APPLES, ANY ROUND ITEM AT THEM, AND IT'S LIKE A BIG FAT DOG GOING AFTER THE FOOD. SOOO FUNNY AND THEY WOULD ACTUALLY RECOGNIZE YOUR OR YOUR SMELL OR CAR WHEN YOU RETURNED EVERY MONTH... GOOD CLEAN FUN, UNTIL THE NEIGHBORS GET "pissed" FOR "feeding the bears"...... ha!!!! sold my 4 condos in 2005-2006 (negative grumpy neighbors with bad attitudes) and now the BEARS and ME are laughing at these grumpy neighbors paying HIGH MORTGAGES & CRYING FROM NEGATIVE EQUITY (LIKE 45%)...

really , you think it wise to feed bear? thats what gets them(and ppl) killed ....

walks away shaking my head

[slick_711]

That tazer isn't effective....the bull got up right after the tazer stopped....all your doing is buying time to think about your last moments.

Looks like it buys plenty of time for a wounded cowboy to get out of the pen... What exactly do you want it to do, put the pull to sleep? Sing him a lullaby. You need to stop him in his tracks immediately, get a tazer.

[elSquid]

Bears (and mountain lions!) are fierce predators, and if you are in the 'hood when they are hungry, or pissed, you are in for a very bad day. Worse, you never get to know which day that is going to be. According to Dr. Stephen Herrero in Bear Attacks, Their Causes and Avoidance""Before an attack, a person seldom sees any signs of aggression."

Worse, unlike the great browns, (hint: genus is: Ursus arctos horribilis) which will cuff you if they are annoyed, if a black bear (locally, Ursus americanus californiensis) does decide to attack you, it is usually because they are hungry. Playing dead with a black bear will get you dead, and actually make the job easier for the predator, as it feeds on you.

Yup... ( NSFW - some profanity )



From BC Parks... ( http://www.env.gov.bc.ca/bcparks/exp...s/bearsaf.html )

What to do if a Bear Attacks

Your response depends on the species and whether the bear is being defensive or offensive. Bears sometimes bluff their way out of a confrontation by charging then turning away at the last moment. Generally, the response is to do nothing to threaten or further arouse the bear. While fighting back usually increases the intensity of an attack, it may cause the bear to leave.

Every encounter is unique and the following are offered as guidelines only to deal with an unpredictable animal and potentially complex situations.

Grizzly Attacks From Surprise (defensive)

Do nothing to threaten or further arouse the bear.
Play dead. Assume the 'cannonball position' with hands clasped behind neck and face buried in knees.
Do not move until the bear leaves the area. Such attacks seldom last beyond a few minutes.

Black Bear Attacks From Surprise (defensive)

Playing dead is not appropriate. Try to retreat from the attack.

Grizzly or Black Bear Attacks Offensively (including stalking you or when you are sleeping)

Do not play dead. Try to escape to a secure place (car or building) or climb a tree unless it is a black bear. If you have no other option, try to intimidate the bear with deterrents or weapons such as tree branches or rocks.

Grizzly or Black Bear Attacking For Your Food

Abandon the food. Leave the area.
Do not deal with a problem bear unless it is an emergency.

Ah well.

-- Michael

[erichuff7]

There has only been 12 black bear attacks in california in the last 32 years according to the DFG website. Only half of these were serious, with no fatalities. Sounds like pretty good odds

[ejor]

124g +p+ jhp

[XYZ]

Just bring along a friend that you can outrun .

[bruss01]

9mm vs. Black Bear...what would you choose?

In that contest, I'm putting my money on the BEAR!

[Spirit 1]

Longbow post 94 & el Squid post #98 give some accurate info, based on experience.

A friend of mine hunted black bear in northern California for over 20 years. All he ever used was a .357 magnum on any bear. He said he could probably have taken most of them quick & easy with a .38 cal. He took well over a dozen so I'd guess he knows what he's talking about. Nor Cal blacks are pretty scrawny, like the Arizona bears. From his personal experience testimony as an experienced bear hunter that says that 9mm may be just fine, especially with a higher capacity than 5 shots out of a revolver.

In a warm winter like this they slow down some but don't hibernate & may be especially hungry. Much of their normal game may have moved to other areas for winter feed. They can smell whatever food you're carrying from a very long distance & be attracted.

[2nd Shot]

Since this is CA and you can't just run out and grab another gun, you gotta run when you brung. If a 9mm is all I had, I wouldn't hesitate a second to bring it because it wasn't a .454 Casull or .458 win mag. Beats nothing, though a can of bear spray should be something you consider as well. You should be fine, since black bears aren't all that big, aggressive, and hellbent on ripping you up. If you had to shoot at one, a couple shots to the face would almost certainly not kill them, but it would probably hurt enough to change their attitude. I'd pick ball for max penetration, JHP would probably stop before any chance of hitting something important.

That said, I wouldn't ever wander in BIG bear country with only a 9mm unless I had no other choice whatsoever. You might get lucky and put one through an eyeball or something, but a bigger gun would be a better idea.

[Spirit 1]

One thing that's deceiving, causing a false complacency, is that all bear attacks aren't reported. Only those that are spectacular or cause injury or where somebody dropped a dime on the local news organization get published.

Very similar to crime statistics where officials, enforcement & politicos want to put a big smiley happy face on our WONDERFUL little city that is SOOOOOoooo SAFE for you! Hurry, move in today and boost our revenues ! Same-same recreation areas.