An encounter with an aggressive bear is probably theoretical for most people, but for those that go into the woods to camp, hike, or hunt, the probability is high enough to warrant the discussion of what firearms are suitable for defense against a bear, including something like a grizzly. And I see enough articles and videos about this topic that it is obviously something that interests a lot of people.
But while there are plenty of writers out there that use the issue of bear defense to try and sell you a new gun, Dick Fairburn, in this article, takes the position that you probably already have a handgun suitable for bear defense and don't need to buy the latest and greatest 10mm. His focus is on the .45 ACP. Specifically, he notes that the difference in performance between +P .45 ACP loads and 10mm is not that great; and, when using hard cast loads that offer deep penetration, the .45 ACP +P will serve just as well as 10mm against even the larger bears.
If you are in the lower 48, you are most likely to encounter black bears; and I would suggest that even 9mm +P with hard cast bullets would suffice against black bear. Both Underwood and Buffalo Bore sell 147 grain hard cast 9mm +P loads.
VIDEO: "45ACP for Bear Defense?"
Lock & Load with Dick Fairburn (20 min.)
I got rid of my .45 years ago and will never look back. Why? Because once I tested mine on a phone book. The opened up jacket completely separated from the core and was laying on the ground looking like a daisy. The bullet nose...which barely expanded...barely penetrated into the phone book. About a 1/4 inch...just enough to stick in the phone book. The wide meplat of a .45 acp bullet, combined with it's low velocity is too much of a hindrance to effective penetration to trust one's life to. Yeah it may stop a human attacker at close range, but for larger, tougher animals or if barrier penetration is needed for defensive purpose, it just doesn't make the cut. I know there a lots of .45 acp fanboys out there...both young and old...but TBH I wish this particular cartridge would just go away.
ReplyDeleteThe video goes into some of the problems with regular FMJ for bear defense--the thin jacket and soft lead core means that it may deform and not penetrate deeply--which is why he is insistent on the hard cast bullets. And the +P loads for the added energy needed for deep penetration.
DeleteFWIW-when I lived on Kodiak Island a fee years back, I asked two of the bear biologists(1 had been there over 20 year,) what they carried. The older one carried a 12 Guage with slugs, the other a .375 H&H.
ReplyDeleteThe guy with the shotgun probably was not carrying the standard Foster "rifled" slugs used for hunting deer, either, but deep penetrating Brenneke slugs. They have a special load just for bear.
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