40 S&W good enough for mountain lions/black bear?

[MrCleanOK]

It's better than nothing, but probably won't do you much good.

1. Your average Joe black bear wants nothing to do with you. Even if he's after your food at night, the minute you get up and start making noise, he's going to be outta there. For any black bear you just happen to bump into on the trail or that wanders into camp looking for a snack, get big, and get loud, and you'll scare it off.

2. A black bear that is stalking you or that you see more than once is demonstrating predatory behavior. It's either really, really hungry or messed up in the head. In this case, you need to LEAVE THE AREA, and if the bear attacks you before you can, fight back with everything you have because the bear is trying to kill and eat you. He has been watching you for a while, weighed the consequences, and made an affirmative decision that it's time to get some food instead of starve another day. A .40 S&W may save your life if you can dump enough rounds into his vitals and wait for him to die. If the gun goes empty or you can't get to it, keep fighting. It's you or him, and unlike the mountain lion, you actually stand a chance. Good luck!

3. You won't know you've been attacked by a mountain lion until you are face down on the ground with a 150 pound kitty on your back, nibbling on your neck and head. By all means, fight back if you can, but it will probably be over before it begins.

 

[N.H. Yankee]

Well I shot a 450 pound ( live weight ) black bear that was shot in the foot by the village idiot. The bear was wounded running and coming at me at about 80 yards, it turned broadside runing and I drilled it through the right shoulder with a 250gr 350 Remington magnum. I figured when I saw it summersault it was over NOT! I shot it one more time in the right side as it went over a hill and took THREE 7mm rem mags on the other side of the hill, 2 in the side and 1 in the butt and was coming back over the hill ( yeah dumb me was chasing it ) 50 feet from me and I shot it in the face and it dropped.

Better get a gun that needs WHEELS if you want a one shot stop! The buthcher asked me what the #$$% shooting range the bear ran across. All I can say is I was composed while shooting even at 50 feet, but was shaking ssooo bad after it was over I couldn't even talk! Like others said MACE and make it the 10% bear spray, biggest freeking container you can buy! Too think, we were hunting bears in caves with 44 mag handguns the year before, BOY WERE WE DUMB!!!!!!

 

[pacerdude]

Hey oceantoad,

I am in my early 20's and have had a pacemaker since I was 7 weeks old. I am also mostly pacer dependent. In 9th grade i got a staph infection during surgery. SO they ripped out the entire system (including a lot of muscle, bc I still have a hole in my chest... the scar looks like a shark bite though) and put my new pacemaker on the right side of the chest. So because of the scarring on the left side of my chest and my new pacer on the left (again i am mostly pacer dependent although sometimes God sees fit to give me a natural heartbeat) I am not able to shoot longguns. Thanks for the advice though. Im glad it hasnt stopped you from using long guns. Maybe without the scarring on the left a rifle or shotgun could have been an option. Anyway thanks again.

 

[mdvaden]

Lately, I've wanted a second firearm. And since I go into the woods alone too, a big caliber seemed like a good choice. I've been carrying a S&W .40 semi-auto. Figured I'd get a revolver.

Wanted something rather compact to carry in a holster or waist bag with velcro pocket. Ended up getting a Taurus .44 magnum snubnose with 2.5" barrel - 5 round. May be a Tracker model - but it's not marked with a model name. Just serial number. Ported too. $449 new. Rather affordable, and amazingly, fits in the same leather holster as my S&W .40 handgun.

Many of my hikes are spontaneous and offtrail. And in areas like southern Oregon and the north California redwoods where there are bear and cougar.

Just bought this one today. Sure love the instant background check here in Oregon - although the CC permit does the job too.

 

[skeeter]

Really you know the answer to this question. Go to the zoo and look at a black bear or mountain lion and ask yourself if this animal was coming after you would you want a 40SW or a SW 329 (which weights the same as a Glock 23 in 40SW) but is in 44mag?

 

[MEATSAW]

I have hunted black bear here in Oregon for the last 4 years. Besides my rifle I ALWAYS carry a backup .357 J-Frame loaded with Buffalo Bore 180 gr Hard cast lead flat nose bullets. Ultimately you will need a bullet that is capable of penetrating the bear's tough skull and/or its shoulders and ribs to get to the vitals IF you were in a situation that demanded that response. However all the times that I have stalked them stories told to me by my father and older brothers who also hunt here, black bears are easily scared off. Having a gun, any gun, is better than (as another member put it) a rotted tree branch. IF you and your wife make lots of noise and make yourself appear as large as possible the bear will turn tail and go away. Just make sure if you stick with your 40SW to practice often because 1-2 shots to a bears skull is always better than missing with a hand cannon.

 

[SA2112]

Best Remedy for black bear.

1. Announce yourself to the bears. Make NOISE. Nine times out of ten, the part you'll see is the ass end of the bear while it runs away.

2. Guard Alaska Bear Repellent. Best out there and rated for all bears.

3. 10mm packing Double Tap 10mm 200gr WFNGC Hardcast rounds: 1300fps/ 750 ft./lbs. - Glock 20 ... 1105fps / 542 ft lbs 100yds down range via Glock 20

 

[pacerdude]

Thanks

Thank you guys for all of the advice!

 

[Cyborg-z]

In reply to those of you who say I did not read the original post I noted that

large caliber HANDGUNS would be usable since the man has a pacemaker. I

recommended the long guns to give him an understanding that more is better, in this situation.

In response to the individual who says .40 cal. will work on a bear, go right

ahead and try it.. it will be your funeral. I work in the firearms industry and

deal with large game hunters all the time. I did not intend to offend anyone by

using command language, one must understand the seriousness of dealing

with bears and cougars! Common misconceptions about effectiveness of

different weapons gets people KILLED. Do you know someone who has took

a charging bear down with a .40 cal.? If so I would like to meet him/her

Their was an fishing guide in alaska that took down a charging grizzly with a 9mm I think it took 7 shots.

http://www.liveoutdoors.com/news/240665-alaskan-fishing-guide-kills-grizzly-with-9mm/#/slide/1

 

[Guv]

Do NOT, I REPEAT DO NOT try to use a .40 S&W on a bear. You will lose life

and limb. I would suggest a NATO .308(7.62x51mm) magazine fed semi-auto

(sorry safety says no bolt action here) or larger high powered rifle. It has

been noted .44 Magnum and CUSTOM loaded .357 Magnum has been used

to kill bears in certain controlled instances. However, better safe than sorry!

Use a high powered semi-auto rifle or TRIPLE ought buck shot in a good

shotgun. Again if you use a shotgun use one that holds at least six rounds

in the tube. A pump will work but I reccomend a semi-auto shotgun. Above

all else be careful, wild animals don't give a @##t

So how many African Lion and dangerous game hunters have used a semi auto?

 

[Aguila Blanca]

Is reviving a nine-year old discussion anything related to necrophilia?

 

[Cyborg-z]

Hahaha necro. Well I was doing research on handguns/rounds for bear defense. I live in the eastern part of the state and our deer here are rather small about the size of a large dog , and the bear are and all that big out here either, so I don't have a lot of experience with large game especially ones they could eat you. but I was out trout fishing the other day and come across some pretty good size Bear Tracks and was quite a ways away from any help and was just kind of doing research to find out what will be the best round to use. I came across this thread and amongst my searching I found several cases where guys used 9 mil 40,45 357 and 10 mil to down anything from a black bear to a grizzly. I have never had a bear charge me but I can't imagine that using a pump action shotgun with a bear on top of you would be useful in any situation I would think a handgun that you could pull off your side and stick into the mouth, eyeball , head neck and start squeezing the trigger might be better , I didn't even realize how old this thread was

 

[Buzzcook]

You need a four bore double rifle preferably fully automatic. Cougar and bears are big and scary and mostly bullet proof.
The quarter pound four bore rounds probably won't penetrate, but they might hit hard enough to break bones. That plus the huge flash and bang will hopefully scare the animal away.

Honestly, just go for the hike and enjoy yourself. The odds of running into a cougar in Georgia are minuscule and the odds of running into a bear near a well traveled hiking trail are very small.

 

[spacemanspiff]

Their was an fishing guide in alaska that took down a charging grizzly with a 9mm I think it took 7 shots.

Just because a handful of people have gotten lucky does NOT mean their methods are recommended.

Should anyone choose to go out into the wilderness, wherever in the country they may reside, and opt for a semi auto handgun, whether by choice or by it being the only possible option, my recommendation would be to have high cap magazines. forget you 15 round mags, go for 30+. A bear won't stop charging for you to reload.

 

[Cyborg-z]

Just because a handful of people have gotten lucky does NOT mean their methods are recommended.

Should anyone choose to go out into the wilderness, wherever in the country they may reside, and opt for a semi auto handgun, whether by choice or by it being the only possible option, my recommendation would be to have high cap magazines. forget you 15 round mags, go for 30+. A bear won't stop charging for you to reload.

I was simply just pointing out that the guy said he would like to meet him in other words it sounded like he saying you cant kill a bear with anything short of a RPG or Minigun. I don't now what that guys experience is with shooting charging bears, it would be my guess that he has zero exp just as I have no experience with charging bears. But I'm sure after reading this he will tell all the failures he never experienced with charging bears. I'm not speaking from experience. I don't think I would call these people lucky or just a handful, after researching about people using hand guns it seems that their are multitude of people who have killed bears in defense with pistols. Their also appears to be several instances where Alaskan state troopers have put down bears with 40 cal. so I would venture to say that this is a viable round. Yes bear spray works, but I had an Alaska fishing guide and a guide in montana tell me you arent you really gonna be far enough away when the burning stops and that grizzly comes back, you can run but once that grizzly can see he is gonna gain ground on you faster than you can run. From a logical stand point after reading all the reports of people using a pistol against bear, if the bear gets on top of you, you are more than likely screwed. But would you rather have a 40 or 9 strapped to a chest rig or theigh rig, or would you rather have a 30-06 that you cant get pointed in the right direction and then you cant work the bolt to load the next round to fire another shot, or a can of spray that might get in your face as well and now your blind hoping you get your sight back before the bear??? I opt for a hand gun in 9,40,45,10mm,357mag,44mag. handgun rounds aren't the weak pea shooters they used to be.

 

[RETG]

All bear country when camping and/or hiking I carry Counter Assault Bear Spray (Large) ,it works I have used it twice and I am here typing with both arms and legs.

If black bear country, I carry a PX4 .40 loaded with Buffalo bore 200 gr hard cast flat nose rounds.

If Grizzly country, I'll take my .44 mag with Corbon Hunter 320 gr HC and maybe a 12 gauge loaded with 602 gr Brenneke Black Magic Slugs.

Most of my camping is in WY, ID, MT with some short trips to UT. So, bears are everywhere. And there is truth in the notion to make noise. The biggest concern with a black bear is surprising a mom with her cubs. So making noise will get them moving. Doesn't necessarily worth with a grizzly, or so my experience has shown me.

Lions? I have seen their tracks, but never come face to face with one. But they might have been around and I never knew it.

And if a bear is charging at you, good luck in shooting it, they bounce around like a 500 pound volley ball. That is why bear spray works so good, it covers a large area, And that is why a short barrel gun is better cause when the bear is on top of you having brunch, you can try and maneuver a short barrel gun into his side, just behind the front shoulder and unload. That puts you where his/her heart is.

And if you are in a tent nice a warm in your sleeping bag: