"Stopping" bears with handgun or rifle cartridges

“Stopping” bears with handgun or rifle cartridges

I get asked about this OFTEN. Having killed dozens of bears and guided hunters for dozens more, I have firsthand knowledge. Additionally, I have been hanging around bear guides all my adult life, and between us, we’ve seen over a thousand bears killed. We have come to some consensus on the best tools and methods of killing bears with guns.

GRIZZLY BEARS

➤  First, not all bears are the same. Grizzly bears have a much different mindset than the black bear species. To stop a grizzly attack, you will PROBABLY have to kill it, but sometimes all you have to do is to hurt it badly, and the bear will become dissuaded. So, when planning to stop grizzly attacks, it is best to use a cartridge that will kill it—the quicker, the better. Interior grizzlies normally get no bigger than 500 lbs, but in Montana, I’ve seen interior bears around 900 lbs., but this is very rare.  Coastal grizzlies, sometimes known as Alaskan Brown Bears, often exceed 1000 lbs.

>  If you are relying on shoulder or heart/lung shots to kill such a bear, it takes a lot of cartridges. One that will make a big hole that goes very deeply through bone and into internal organs. If you hit him fatally in the chest area, you will then have roughly 15 to 30 seconds to stay alive before the bear learns he is dead. 

>  If you are relying on brain shots, it is not all that hard to kill adult grizzly bears. Almost any center fire cartridge of 357 bore or larger with a very hard, non-expanding, flat-nosed bullet will pierce a bear's skull with direct /frontal (between the eyes) hits. From the side angle, shoot them right at the bottom of the ear canal. These two shots are instant death if you are using the correct ammo.

The old MYTH that bullets will slide off a bear’s skull is pure hogwash when using modern ammo featuring bullets that will not mushroom when fired from a powerful handgun. When using high-powered rifles, it is OK if the bullet mushrooms as the high velocity of the rifle bullet, will puncture the bear's skull regardless because of its high velocity. One hundred fifty years ago, when the early settlers were heading west, the muzzleloaders they used fired pure lead (very soft) round balls that would or could flatten out against bone and possibly slide off, leaving only a surface wound when hitting a bear's head. Unless you are using pure lead bullets that are rounded, this situation is no longer a concern.

BLACK BEARS

➤  Black bears are very different mentally than grizzly bears. Black bears come in red, brown, blonde, and black color phases, but they are all black bear species and should be considered “black bears” regardless of color phase. While black bears have much the same physical qualities (normally smaller) of grizzly bears, they GENERALLY have a much different mindset.

➤  To stop black bears, all you have to do is hurt them; you do not need to kill them. Almost any center-fire handgun cartridge will dissuade a black bear if you hit them well with it. The more powerful the cartridge, the more damage you’ll potentially do to the bear, but nearly any black bear will turn tail if he is hit with a cartridge such as good stiff 9mm loads. I know this argues against prevailing wisdom, but the prevailing wisdom is based mostly on speculation, not real-world experience, and is not really wisdom.

We make “Bear Loads” in Smaller Chamberings such as the following:

> (Item 24F) -- 9MM +P+ PENETRATOR
> (Item 24L) -- 9MM +P OUTDOORSMAN
> (Item 20H) -- 38 SPL +P OUTDOORSMAN
> (Item 19A) -- HEAVY 357 MAG OUTDOORSMAN
> (Item 23F) -- 40 S&W OUTDOORSMAN Std Pressure Low Flash
> (Item 21C) -- HEAVY 10MM OUTDOORSMAN

We do this because a lot of people own those guns and don’t want to buy a 454 Casull or 44 mag. I would have no problem defending myself against a black bear attack (and have done so) with the proper 9MM ammo. I prefer a more powerful/bigger cartridge, but the 9MM will get it done, even on grizzlies, if you take their brain with a flat nosed, non-expanding bullet. Of course, making a brain shot under such duress will take practice and cool nerves.

OUTFITTING FOR GRIZZLIES

HANDGUNS

I hike, ride horses, hunt, and fish in grizzly country. When relying on a handgun, I carry a 500 Linebaugh or 475 Linebaugh with heavy, hard-cast, flat-nosed bullets. It hammers grizzlies. Such a revolver weighs no more than a standard Ruger Black Hawk but has the killing power of a moderately powerful rifle cartridge. I find the big, heavy X-frame revolvers (500 S&W and 460 S&W) too heavy for hiking in steep country all day, but they do possess incredible power. However, if I am going to carry a handgun that weighs 5+ pounds, I’d just as soon carry a 6-pound rifle chambered in 45-70 that has a longer sight radius, more power, and is shoulder mounted.

RIFLES
45-70

If I carry a rifle in grizzly country, which I often do, I carry a lever action 45-70 for summer horse pack trips, hikes and fishing excursions. I load it with one of the following Buffalo Bore items:

> (Item 8A) -- 45-70 Magnum - Lever Gun Ammo - 430 gr. LBT-LFN
> (Item 8B) -- 45-70 Magnum - Lever Gun Ammo - 405 gr. JFN
> (Item 8C) -- 45-70 Magnum - Lever Gun Ammo - 350 gr. J.F.N.
> (Item 8H) -- 45-70 Low Recoil - Standard Pressure - Full Power - 430 gr. LBT-LFN
> (Item 8I)  -- 45-70 Low Recoil - Standard Pressure - Full Power - 405 gr. JHP 
> (Item 8J)  -- 45-70 Low Recoil - Standard Pressure - Full Power - 350 gr. JHP

All six of these 45-70 loads will flatten grizzlies. I carry a revolver chambered in 500 Linebaugh too, along with the rifle. The handgun stays on my person in a shoulder holster and the rifle stays on the horse or in camp, unless I am feeling the need to have it in my hands, which does and has happened and has kept me from being injured/killed more than once. I have used both revolvers and rifles on bears several times.

338 WIN MAG

When I elk hunt in grizzly country, I normally use a 338 Win. Mag. With proper ammo, the 338 Win Mag. is a decisive grizzly stopper. See the following items:

> (Item 52A) -- BUFFALO-BARNES PREMIUM LEAD-FREE 338 WIN. MAG. SUPERCHARGED - 250 gr. Barnes TSX 
> (Item 52B) -- BUFFALO-BARNES PREMIUM LEAD-FREE 338 WIN. MAG. SUPERCHARGED - 225 gr. Barnes TSX
> (Item 52D) -- BUFFALO-BARNES PREMIUM LEAD-FREE 338 WIN. MAG. SUPERCHARGED - 210 gr. Barnes TTSX 

HUMAN LIFE

There are many in our society who believe the life of an animal has equal or greater value than that of a human. I disagree. A bear is a wild animal that, when not threatening human life, is a wonderful sight. However, when I encounter bears that act aggressively by popping their teeth, woofing, swinging their head from side to side, charging, etc.. I shoot them. I do not give them a prolonged chance to kill my wife, children, myself or anyone that is with me. When I encounter bears (which I do several times per year) that run at my sight or smell, they are safe from me because I know I am safe from them. When they show aggression to humans, it is irresponsible to let them live as they will eventually permanently harm or kill someone. I don’t care that our governmental wildlife agencies are protecting bears. They are generally misguided in this tactic. The notion that bears are a spiritual, magical life form that has value over human life, is a point of view that not only comes from the typical tree hugger groups/mindset, but it is coming from various fish and game agencies, more and more often. I choose to protect human life over animal life, period.  The notion that bears were here before us and therefore have rights to maul us, is not only untrue, but even if it was true, I am here NOW and assert my right to be so.

BEAR AGGRESSION & ATTACKS

Bear aggression and attacks are far more common than most fish and game agencies want to report. In 2011, in Montana, there were seven REPORTED grizzly attacks on humans. Some of them were fatal to humans. Others mauled the human, who recovered from injuries. There were doubtless more attacks, but they happened to capable and prepared individuals who simply killed the bear and walked away, never wanting the problems that come with reporting the incident to “authorities”. I’ve had more scrapes with black bears than I have with grizzlies, but that is probably because there are a lot more black bears in the woods. Do not let yourself be misled by fish and game agencies that claim “black bears are not dangerous” or likewise about grizzlies.

SHORT STORY

A short story will best explain: many years ago, when I lived up Carmen Creek, in Idaho, early one fall, the neighbors were plagued with a threatening and marauding black bear. (This is a very rural area, and “neighbors” means people who live within 4-5 miles) He would eat their dog’s food, tear up their apple trees, tip over garbage cans, chase their dogs, and even chase people into their houses. Numerous people in the area were scared of him and had been threatened by him. One of my neighbors had blasted him in the butt with bird shot (12 ga.) and that seemed to make him more irritated…..This neighbor (A lady) did it with good intentions, but she did the wrong thing….I explained to her that if she was going to shoot a bear, she needed to do it with lethal intentions and not mess around. He was a large 300lb.+ black/dark brown color phase boar, with no fear of humans. My first encounter with him happened as I was jogging down Carmen Creek Road…..He was standing in the middle of the road as I rounded a corner in my shorts and tank top. He would not move for me, stood in the road and growled repeatedly. I was unarmed and lightly clothed and felt extremely vulnerable. A vehicle rounded the corner, and he then moved out of the way begrudgingly for the car and kept growling as he went. I realized how dangerous this bear was and wanted to “take care” of that bear legally BEFORE anyone was hurt or killed, so I called our local Fish & Game office. They would not give me permission to kill him unless I had a bear tag. (I had already filled my bear tag for that year.)

I explained that the bear was eventually going to hurt someone and the officer on the phone told me that if he did hurt someone, they would come out and trap the bear……..I explained that once someone is hurt or killed, it is too late for that person or family, and if that officer ever got his ass out of a chair while waiting for his 20-year retirement, he would not need such things explained to him……..realizing how futile my attempt at community service and common sense was, by going through legal Fish & Game channels, I gave up on doing things legally. That bear was dead within 12 hours of that phone call, and my neighbors were once again safe in their own yards. In the following days, many people assumed I had something to do with the bears’ disappearance and thanked me. I had no animus for this bear or any bear, but I was able to recognize what type of bear he was and what the risk to innocent people was…….the problem/danger got taken care of. It's a pretty simple solution!  For more inclusive information on stopping bears, you may want read this Trail and Camp Guns article.

INFORMED & PREPARED = NO FEAR

There is no need to be afraid of bears, but there is great reason to be informed and prepared. For those who don’t feel the need to be prepared in bear country, that is your right, but what about your obligation to protect your loved ones and others who rely on you? Every time I see an interview with a wildlife official explaining away a recent fatal bear attack, they ALWAYS say something to the effect of “such bear attacks are extremely rare bla, bla, bla.” Truth is that bear attacks are not all that rare if you spend time in bear country, and even if such attacks were rare, the person that has just experienced one, had a 100% chance of being attacked, no?

Hopefully, this short article is of some use to our customers and friends.

God bless,
Tim