g_conway
US Veteran
The best part is...
Someone found a way to mix caliber debate and BEARS.
Good one.
Someone found a way to mix caliber debate and BEARS.
Good one.
40 S&W for bear
- Thread starter imjin138
- Start date
hannstv
Member
Sir, I believe there would be a great deal hide damage to repair, just not on the bear.
There is absolutely no question that the 40 SW is sufficient.
Simply shoot your companion in the knee and run like hell.
If you are hiking by yourself in bear country well that's just your fault.
Simply shoot your companion in the knee and run like hell.
If you are hiking by yourself in bear country well that's just your fault.
GatorFarmer
Member
A truly large and mean looking polar/grizzly hybrid was killed in Alaska a few years ago. It was killed with a full auto early M16 variant.
Anyway, Doubletap makes a wood's load for many calibers, and I think the .40 SW is among their offerings.
The 10mm Glocks see a lot of use as an outdoors gun that doubles as protection for animals and people.
Anyway, Doubletap makes a wood's load for many calibers, and I think the .40 SW is among their offerings.
The 10mm Glocks see a lot of use as an outdoors gun that doubles as protection for animals and people.
Ain't that the truth. In reality it will be a cold day in,Sir, I believe there would be a great deal hide damage to repair, just not on the bear.
well you know, before i go after a grizz with ANY handgun.
hahaha
chuck
RIDE-RED 350r
Member
Kind of like bow hunting for bear... Those guys have much bigger cojones than I came equipped with! 
And I have no problem admitting that!
And I have no problem admitting that! 
A handgun of any caliber is sufficent for bears if it gives you time to call in an air strike!
40 S&W M&P with 175g holo
I need to know if the 40cal will put down the bear if he is few feet from the tent. let's say I was sleeping and suddenly I hear noise and as I look out the bear is few feet away let's say around 5 to 15ft.
and if he is less than 5 feet away let's say he is scratching the tent and let's say I have to time to pull the trigger 2 or 3 times him being right in front.
I ma not going hunting but I have food and I am going for a long hike.
oh by the way, does the laser help ur aim in anyway or it is just for the look? I mean does it help to be quicker at aiming or ill probably be too distracted by the bear to even see the red dot?
I shoot with many guys but I don't hunt so I don't know if this will stop a bear.
I personally will not put my life over a pepper spray because as I spray him I might as well spray myself if it is windy. so it is really not helpful. I want to have a gun that I know will do the job.
currently I am using a 40cal s&w m&p. 165g target full metal jack. but I am sure I will probably get hollow points. or if u have a better advice please let me know.
my next weapon is going to be the 500 S&W the big boy's toy! looool
I need to know if the 40cal will put down the bear if he is few feet from the tent. let's say I was sleeping and suddenly I hear noise and as I look out the bear is few feet away let's say around 5 to 15ft.
and if he is less than 5 feet away let's say he is scratching the tent and let's say I have to time to pull the trigger 2 or 3 times him being right in front.
I ma not going hunting but I have food and I am going for a long hike.
oh by the way, does the laser help ur aim in anyway or it is just for the look? I mean does it help to be quicker at aiming or ill probably be too distracted by the bear to even see the red dot?
I shoot with many guys but I don't hunt so I don't know if this will stop a bear.
I personally will not put my life over a pepper spray because as I spray him I might as well spray myself if it is windy. so it is really not helpful. I want to have a gun that I know will do the job.
currently I am using a 40cal s&w m&p. 165g target full metal jack. but I am sure I will probably get hollow points. or if u have a better advice please let me know.
my next weapon is going to be the 500 S&W the big boy's toy! looool
jaykellogg
Absent Comrade
Zombie thread.
IMHO, the .40 is light for something as dangerous as a bear. It would be better than nothing. I believe if I were confronted by a bear I would consider shooting into the ground at least once. The most dangerous bear has her cubs with her, normally they are not that aggressive.
Regarding a laser, again IMO they are good for a quick aim under less than ideal conditions. At the range you will always shoot better with the sights. You can aim it like you aim a flashlight. You could look around the left side of a tree and hold your shooting hand around the right side. I do not have any laser equipped guns and when I see them at the range the laser is jumping all over the place.
IMHO, the .40 is light for something as dangerous as a bear. It would be better than nothing. I believe if I were confronted by a bear I would consider shooting into the ground at least once. The most dangerous bear has her cubs with her, normally they are not that aggressive.
Regarding a laser, again IMO they are good for a quick aim under less than ideal conditions. At the range you will always shoot better with the sights. You can aim it like you aim a flashlight. You could look around the left side of a tree and hold your shooting hand around the right side. I do not have any laser equipped guns and when I see them at the range the laser is jumping all over the place.
Comrad
Member
and bear scat has little bells in it and smells like pepper spray. pa da bump bump.
When I run into a bear on the trail, I apologize in as many different languages that I can. Hopefully, he'll understand one of them.
Given the right circumstances, I'd bet you could kill anything with anything.....
Don't think a .40 would be my first choice there, and I've owned and shot a bunch of them. I would recommend, if you make the decision to carry it, you file the front sight off.....makes it a bit more comfortable when the bear decides to "re-holster" it for ya......
Don't think a .40 would be my first choice there, and I've owned and shot a bunch of them. I would recommend, if you make the decision to carry it, you file the front sight off.....makes it a bit more comfortable when the bear decides to "re-holster" it for ya......
jlrhiner
US Veteran
Take a girlfriend. I hear their tasty. Hope the bear hears this too.
I'm a big fan of 40SW, & have four pistols in that caliber. That being said, in my "vast" arsenal, if I were confronted by a large carnivore, I think I would have the most faith in my 686-2. A 40 might just tick the bear off. Or my 4516-1 or 4513TSW, hopefully loaded with some BA self defense loads. I know nothing about hunting, so please correct me if needed!
My feeling are- forget the pistol. I have a Browning BAR in 338 win mag that will be my go to gun for bear. The pistol is to put yourself out of misery while the bear is coming for you. But if you must carry a pistol, my advise is very simple. Do not be a tightwad. How much is your life worth? Buy the biggest gun you can afford and shoot accurately. Pretty simple really. BTW- this was my first bear thread comment! Yay!!
If the bear is 5-15 feet away, hungry plus you just woke up--forget the .40 caliber and utter a fast, short prayer--your tomorrow's bear poop !
Having lived in bear country for 30 years, I've heard all sorts of stories, have had bear confrontations, and have had them walking down my road. They've come into my deer camp. I've bumped into them while packing in the hills with the pack string. I've surprised them while walking back to my tent. Most of the time, they try to avoid us as much as we try to avoid them.
Sure, I've heard of bears killed with a .22 magnum. A guy was treed by a grizzly, and the bear stood up on its hind legs and started shaking the tree. He had hold of the guy's foot. The fellow reached down with a .22 magnum handgun and popped the bear in the eye. Yeah, it killed the bear, but I sure as heck wouldn't want to be in a situation like that where I had to depend on a .22.
I've also heard of a guy who killed a black bear with an axe. Again...I don't want to have to depend on that form of defense against our furried friend, ursa.
When I'm guiding my pack string where black bears are prominent, the smallest caliber I pack is a .45 Colt loaded with 260-grain jacketed hollow points traveling at 1400 fps. Remember, I'm talking black bears here...not grizzlies.
When push comes to shove, I prefer to pack a lever action rifle, again in .45 Colt carrying the same load. But, sometimes that isn't possible, so I have to rely on a handgun.
I guess everybody has his own opinion on the subject. If not, we wouldn't be revisiting the topic a couple times every year. That being said, you pack what you're comfortable with...but I think I'd rather pack a little more on the heavy side than on the lighter side when it comes to calibers.
Sure, I've heard of bears killed with a .22 magnum. A guy was treed by a grizzly, and the bear stood up on its hind legs and started shaking the tree. He had hold of the guy's foot. The fellow reached down with a .22 magnum handgun and popped the bear in the eye. Yeah, it killed the bear, but I sure as heck wouldn't want to be in a situation like that where I had to depend on a .22.
I've also heard of a guy who killed a black bear with an axe. Again...I don't want to have to depend on that form of defense against our furried friend, ursa.
When I'm guiding my pack string where black bears are prominent, the smallest caliber I pack is a .45 Colt loaded with 260-grain jacketed hollow points traveling at 1400 fps. Remember, I'm talking black bears here...not grizzlies.
When push comes to shove, I prefer to pack a lever action rifle, again in .45 Colt carrying the same load. But, sometimes that isn't possible, so I have to rely on a handgun.
I guess everybody has his own opinion on the subject. If not, we wouldn't be revisiting the topic a couple times every year. That being said, you pack what you're comfortable with...but I think I'd rather pack a little more on the heavy side than on the lighter side when it comes to calibers.
Last edited:
Similar threads
- Locked
