Cosmodragoon
New member
briandg, that's in line with almost every black bear I've seen. While I agree about 9mm, I'd certainly consider .357 Sig with solids. As I mentioned previously, I've been surprised by how many people I meet IRL who carry .40 S&W in the woods. I've also been surprised by how many just use their regular defensive hollow-points in .40 S&W without a second thought. I don't know of anyone being killed by wildlife but I have heard a few believable accounts of people exterminating aggressive wildlife with only that.
As much as its easy to underestimate the great bears, I think people tend to overestimate black bears. Yes, they are relatively powerful and sturdy animals with small one-shot kill zones. No, they aren't behemoths who laugh in the face of ordinary bullets. They are flesh and blood, usually in the sizes and weights you described above. I think a full-sized handgun in .357 magnum, 10mm, or even .357 Sig with the right bullets is plenty of preparation for your average woodland activities in places where black bears represent the top of the threat ladder.
As much as its easy to underestimate the great bears, I think people tend to overestimate black bears. Yes, they are relatively powerful and sturdy animals with small one-shot kill zones. No, they aren't behemoths who laugh in the face of ordinary bullets. They are flesh and blood, usually in the sizes and weights you described above. I think a full-sized handgun in .357 magnum, 10mm, or even .357 Sig with the right bullets is plenty of preparation for your average woodland activities in places where black bears represent the top of the threat ladder.