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9mm VS a Bear

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Ask away. Look out for Marvin he has a blaster.
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Gonzo said:
Hang on, I'll have to consult with Duck Dodgers.......
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I'd think any flavor of 9mm ++p+P++ would be a joke against a pissed bear.

I'm shopping for a smith 460v in 5" with hornady 200gr SST myself... just in case.
 
I'd think any flavor of 9mm ++p+P++ would be a joke against a pissed bear.

I'm shopping for a smith 460v in 5" with hornady 200gr SST myself... just in case.
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I have a S&W Model 500 w/ a 4" barrel. A little heavy on the hip, but it makes you feel a little more comfortable knowing you have 5 1oz slugs on your hip.
 
ShadeWPI said:
I have a S&W Model 500 w/ a 4" barrel. A little heavy on the hip, but it makes you feel a little more comfortable knowing you have 5 1oz slugs on your hip.
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Off topic, but how do you like it? PM me if you like.

I'm looking for any feedback from 460v 5" / 500 4" owners. I'm leaning towards the 460 because of the 3 different caliber options. I can always load up/down depending on needs.
 
This is a fairly old thread, and I haven't read the whole thing, but I figured I'd give my $0.02.

If a bear is charging, hitting its head will essentially be luck unless you are very very good. Getting 15 rounds into the bear should be relatively simple, but whether or not it will stop it is another question. FMJ ammo is probably the best (I would think, right?) since you need as much penetration as possible.

Granted it's a matter of extremes, but if a human is coming towards you and you put 15 BBs into him, it won't necessarily stop him. But 15 BBs into a cat (not that I'm suggesting that) would stop it.
 
do not shoot any bear with a 9mm,unless its chewing on you at the time. they dont know that they're supposed to be dead. as stated earlyer,,, .41 mag is the minimum caliber for defence against any bear.
 
Off thread topic, how do you carry when hiking, even the day or fannypack I carry has hip transfer pads that seem like they would get in the way of a holster either IWB or OWB?
 
Polibious said:
Off thread topic, how do you carry when hiking, even the day or fannypack I carry has hip transfer pads that seem like they would get in the way of a holster either IWB or OWB?
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I would think IWB with either a 460 or 500 would be uncomfortable to say the least.
 
I live and hike in NH, so I don't have to worry about concealled carry. I have a leather hip holster for my S&W Model 500, it is fairly comfortable and sits below the belt of my hip pack. A wide bracing belt for a full pack might interfer with it.

I don't know of any Inside the Waist Band holsters for a Model 500, the cylinder is more then 2" wide, bu there are alternate models.

Here's a shoulder holster for the 4" S&W X-Frame that keeps it a little higher to get it out of the way of a pack.
http://www.midwayusa.com/viewproduct/?productnumber=787982

Uncle Mike's also offers a nylon flap holster for the 4" barreled X-Frame.

Regarding how I like the Model 500:

It's a wonderful piece of engineering and workmanship. 52oz empty, stainless steel w/ soft rubber grips and an effective muzzle break with inserts for Jacketed and non-jacketed bullets. Even with very stiff ammunition, I find the recoil much more tame than a .44 Magnum. Even my sister has shot it, and she's a 5' 6" 140lbs non-shooter.

It can get a little heavy on the hip if you're out walking all day, but compared to a low 40oz 1911, it's really not that bad (The 8 3/8" barrel weighs another 24oz). I don't know of any speed loaders for the X-Frame, so if you're going to pick one up, make sure you also pick up a slider that can handle your ammuntion.

I also really like the .460 S&W Magnum. As you point out, the ability to shoot .45 Colt, .454 Cat and .460 S&W is awesome. I just fell into a great deal on the .500 and couldn't pass it up.

If you're wondering what a .500 S&W hits like, a 450gn (slightly over 1oz) .500 S&W Magnum slug has about 15% more muzzle energy than a 12ga 2 3/4" 1oz slug and about 1/2 the frontal area.
 
thebusinessend said:
So I was out drinking last night with a few friends. The topic of our next camping trip came up and we began discussing bear attacks. But only bears indigenous to the northeast so mainly black bears.
I said that you could kill a bear with a 9mm pistol. My argument was if you could put 3-5 rounds in a 5 inch grouping from 25 yards you could hit the bear either in his eye/face, throat or heart and the bear would either leave or be dead.

The scenario then changed to a charging bear. Everyone said even if you had a 15 round mag and put all 15 into the bear it wouldn't stop it. I couldn't swallow that.
I would assume a 357. would be able to penetrate the bears skull and get his attention. Aside from the S&W Mag 500. which would be ideal. I would only have a 9mm on my person. Because when i go camping next time that's what I will be carrying.
so do you think any certain type of ammo would help, maybe +p+ teflon coated rounds? or would you be better off with bear mace.
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There have been many cases where 9mm and .40 S&W have failed to stop pit bulls, even with multiple hits. A large male pit weighs no more than 60-70 lbs., much smaller than even a female bear. If I am taking on a bear, I would much prefer my 12-gauge 870 loaded with slugs or buckshot. If you fail to put the bear out of commission instantly, your face will be ripped clean off with one swipe of those razor-sharp claws.
 
I played freshman hockey with a kid from Alaska. He told me his mom grounded him once for going fishing with a pistol instead of a rifle. Bears like to fish also....

But there is a huge difference between eastern black bars and the bigger species - what are they, 2x or 3x in weight? "Gunner, bear, direct front, caliber 50, from my position, on the way....."

####
The devout cowboy lost his favorite Bible while he was mending fences out on the range. Three weeks later, a bear walked up to him carrying the Bible in its mouth. The cowboy couldn't believe his eyes. He took the precious book out of the bear's mouth, raised his eyes heavenward and exclaimed, "It's a miracle!"

"Not really," said the bear. "Your name is written inside the cover."
 
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When I was in Alaska last year and came within 15' or so of a Grizzly coming out of the willows I felt totally inadequate with my Garret .44 Mag Defenders 310gr Hammerhead 1020fps. But also, if I needed to and had the time, I think 5 of them would have stopped him after I used the first round in my buddies knee.
 
In the book INTO THE WILD, a guy killed a Moose with an old .22 rifle....

Just Sayin

Oh yeah, and that was a true story....
 
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