Would you go against a black bear with a 9mm?


You maynot even reach the brain with them hollow points. FMJ would be the better choice in the wild. HP were designed to stop ppl and limit over penetration. They most likely won't penetrate the bones of big game. FMJ may do it a lot easier
Sorta like liberals. They got thick skulls and small brains too.
 

Guide on trip hunting had the best recommendation, was carrying 44 mag as safety, he said " do not un-holster gun, climb tree lock yourself in with arms and legs, un-holster gun and point barrel down tree, when muzzle of barrel hits muzzle of bear, pull trigger, it tends to put them off" Always loved this, but with this said, bigger is better.
 
It took 3 shots to the head with a 7mm Rem Mag to put down my last blackie. So ya, I'd go bigger than 9mm. I carry a redhawk in .44 mag while working on my claim.
 
Ok, new to the forum, and relatively new to handguns. Had a Glock 22 about 13 years ago when I lived in Louisiana, but got rid of it when I moved out of state.

Anyhow, I now live near Los Angeles. Recently my father gave me a Hi Point C9 9mm. I do a lot of hiking in the mountains around here and have never seen a bear, but didn't care since I was single and figured I could deal with it. But, now that I have a wife and 2 small children, and a 3rd on the way, I'm thinking ” what if we do meet a bear and he ain't happy?)

So, figured I could get a CCW and carry my 9mm with me just in case. But, would a 9mm be enough to stop a bear? If not, what would you recommend? A .40SW like I used to have?
Bear mace is the best option.
 
I carry bear spray on the left side as my first option and my 10mm Glock 20 with hot 200 gr hardcast rounds on my right side as my second option. I can shoot both accurate and fast when needed. Handguns are certainly not an ideal way to deal with large game, but I would get arrested for carrying a rifle or shotgun in the state and federal parks that I hike in.

One interesting option is also a Glock 21 with a .460 Rowland conversion. For those favoring .357 Magnum, .44 Magnum or even .454 Casull, you have to ask yourself, how many shots are you getting off with a heavy-recoiling revolver in a real life scenario? Probably only one. If that one is a miss, you are screwed.

Henry Big Boy Mare's Leg .44 Magnum is an option too. Yes, it's a pistol. You just need to learn how to shoot it like The Rifleman.
 
If I had a choice, i would not go against a bear with anything smaller than my .308...

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Depends on the Bear. Cops have killed blackies with there 40sw. But if you can only have a handgun. I would want a 10mm 357mag min.
 
When I hunt I either have my 300 RUM with me or my slug shotgun, in addition to my 45ACP.

The long gun is for 4 legged predators.

The pistol is for 2 legged predators.
 
Not by choice. I put seven 30-30 rounds into an angry grizzly, and my partner finally dropped it with a .308 from the side. Had I been plinking it with my 9mm I would probably have been bear poop instead.
 
Not by choice. I put seven 30-30 rounds into an angry grizzly, and my partner finally dropped it with a .308 from the side. Had I been plinking it with my 9mm I would probably have been bear poop instead.

This goes to show how difficult bears are to kill -- all bears.

A shotgun with magnum slugs is your best bet, short of an elephant gun.
 
This is just my personal opinion but I would prefer my 9mm. Just as an example I'll compare it to the 40. There's only about a 1 mm difference in expansion size. So insignificant that doctors can not tell the ballistic difference in would tracks. The smaller 9mm I think has several advantages. The lower weight bullet will have a higher velocity rate and deeper barrier penetration as well as a much higher capacity ability. My 9mm Sig Legion w 20 round mag + 1 in the pipe gives a hell of a lot of fire power. With that said I wouldnt say a higher caliber is a bad choice only not my personal preference
 

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