black bear defense

Throw a jar of honey at the bear, and make a slow retreat. You won't have to explain to the game warden why you shot the bear.
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you make a good point. I guess I could roll a grenade or flashbomb too. I actually have real good accuracy+timing with them:D
 
Though you likely don't have anything to worry about...since you are using a rifle for coyote, why not just pick a caliber that will work on bear too?
 
One solution would be to get a rifle which is enough gun for both coyote and black bear. A Marlin 1985 in 45/70 would do the job. There are loads which launch a 350gr bullet at 2000 fps. Good bear medicine.

Actually with the right bullet, it is good enough for any North American mammal.
 
Before I picked up my first .357, I carried my SIG P220 loaded with the old Doubletap 230gr FMJ-FP as my woods/hiking gun. I hiked in the UP of Michigan, and the Adirondack, Green and White mountains of NY, VT and NH. I saw LOTS of black bear butts and never felt threatened or under gunned if things had headed south. In all honesty, I carry a handgun when I hike/canoe or hunt more for the two legged predators rather than four legged.
 
Yes .45acp will do.
A 12ga even with #4 buckshot will do.
If you have a centerfire rifle that will do as well.

Beer spray is better.
 
Black bears can be as large as grizzlies with the record black bear nearly 900 pounds in the wild. Many areas harvest black bears over 500 pounds each year. Certainly, the average black bears are going to be in the 200-300 pound range, but in my opinion, you should prepare not only for the average, but the outside range bears as well.
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Very valid point. The record North American black bear was taken about an hour from me, in the coastal North Carolina swamps; 880#s if I recall.
Find out what the normal range is for your local area. If I was in the NC mountains, I'd be comfotable with a a .45ACP and hot hardcasts or a .357-the blacks are only in the 225# range on average. In the swampland, .44 Magnum or better, 500# bears are common.
 
Even a 200 pound bear can cause great injury and death against unarmed people. Take a look at the Liard Hot Springs encounter in British Colombia several years ago. The bear killed two and injured a couple more before someone was able to retrieve a rifle and shoot this predatory black bear. One account I read states that the bear was only 200 pounds:

http://www.readersdigest.ca/magazine/rogue-bear-rampage

So, even an average size bear can kill and maim a number of people in a very short period of time. My opinion is go with the largest handgun you can safely and accurately shoot. For me, that is the .44 magnum. If you can handle a .454 Casull, .460, .500, then that should be your platform. Using handguns designed for two legged predators is not the first choice and you should consider another option in my opinion. Best is a high powered rifle with a minimum of 3000 ft-pds of muzzle energy.
 
Black Bears: Two rounds of 00 Buck to the chest from a sawed off double barrel up close. No autos or pumps. You get a failure to cycle after the 1st round, you're done.
 
I know of one bowhunter who used his 9mm when cornered by a black bear. No names since it was illegal but he came out w/o being injured which is the main idea. He shot the bear 4-5 times from under 10' after climbing on top of a rock to get away from POed bear. Bear retreated and a death moan was heard from maybe 50 yards away. Bowhunter waited 1/4 hour and left the area and did not hunt within a mile of the place again.
I hunted with a Colorado guide who carried a 45 ACP after a bear encounter while following up an elk shot by one of his hunters. The guide had previously carried a single shot handgun in some medium power rifle cartridge(maybe 30-30). He followed the blood trail into a thicket and found the carcass already in the possession of a fairly large black bear which showed aggression. The guide "fired a warning shot" then discovered he didn't have any more ammo. Fortunately, the "warning shot" from 20' was enough to make the bear break off and retreat. The guide decided more ammo in the gun was more important than more range and his only option was a 45. Don't know what type of ammo he used but I think it was some sort of flat point FMJ.
 
Finally, a situation where 10mm should excel!! :D

Or a minimum of 180 gr cast core .357 Mag hunting ammo for revolvers.

And remember, a 15 lb dog can gives humans fits. A 150 lb chimp is as strong as several mena and far more vicious. A 200 lb bear is beyond dangerous if aggressive, don't take it lightly.
 
Today, 03:48 PM #31
FairWarning
Senior Member

Join Date: September 9, 2008
Location: GA
Posts: 315
Finally, a situation where 10mm should excel!!

Or a minimum of 180 gr cast core .357 Mag hunting ammo for revolvers.

And remember, a 15 lb dog can gives humans fits. A 150 lb chimp is as strong as several mena and far more vicious. A 200 lb bear is beyond dangerous if aggressive, don't take it lightly.
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1944 Mauser K98 8mm, 1920s Colt New Service .45 LC, Browning Hi-Power 9mm, SAIGA .308 22", SKS 7.62x39mm, S&W 686 Plus 6" and Taurus 617 2" in .357 Mag, Ruger MkIII Target 5.5" BB .22LR, Mossberg 500 & Marlin 120 in 12 GA.
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+1 FairWarning, the chimp attacks we have seen in the last few years should get everyone's attention of just how deadly this critters can be. A 100 pound chimp against a 300 pound man is no contest, man dead or severely injured every time.

A 200 pound black bear on a rampage is nothing to take lightly. I agree that the 10 mm and .357 in hardcast is the minimum to take as a woods gun for black bear defense. Once you have the penetration, it is all shot placement and the will to survive. Bear spray, i.e. "Pepper Spray," is only one aspect of proper bear defense. Black bears are not always small, nor are they always shy and nonaggressive. I believe to be safe, you really need to look at the recorded bear attack stories to see where people could have survived with a little bit of planning such as having a weapon in bear country. It is often as simple as that.
 
45 will suffice for some black bears.
It will seriously anger large black bears, just before it tears your arm off your body.
Go bigger, or go home dead.
 
All of the bears that I have seen in my hunting were trying to get away from me more than I was trying to find them. But most places that I have been required a hunting license before shooting them.
 
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.45 acp is too light for brown bear, but I'd guess it would suffice for black bear. Definitely go with hard cast, heavy bullets.
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I live up at Lake Tahoe, which is black bear central. Last summer (2010, I think) a local shot a black bear in his kitchen with a .44M. The bear shook it off. You'd be better off with a proper can of bear spray than a .45 acp.

But, statistically, you are more likely to shoot yourself than be attacked by a black bear. That's true, check out the stats! In my state, Nevada, there's never, not once, been a bear attack on a human. Zero, ziltch, as in you're more likely to be electrocuted by your computer reading this forum than be attacked by a black bear.
 
Putting my carcass in the territory of anything that could eat me will have a 44 Special, Magnum, or 45LC on my hip. 240-255gr. HARD cast bullets at a minimum of 1200fps. Moderate recoil, accurate, and will blow through any Black Bear at any angle to 50 yards.
 
Thanks for all the input guys and gals. I have decided to convert one of my 1911s to 460 rowland. That should be enough if winnie the pooh turns vicious!
 
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