I’ve seen the skulls of two bears killed with 9mm. Also heard of one grizzly bear being shot and killed with a 9mm rather recently. Where I am, all we have are black bears, but they can get large. I carry a .357 Magnum for those. If I were in grizzly country, I’d have at least a .44 Magnum.
Thanks for the video, I chose the 357mag for black bear , laws are very restrictive here in Canada concerning handguns for hunting, so my choice is the 357 for reloading. And my carry is a Leaver action carbine.
good video - and one thing I liked a lot is you’re honest with yourself about what you can handle. You like .357 mag and that’s great. I have a snub nose one I bought in the mid-90’s. It’s a great gun. I do use a .44 mag in the back country, usually hiking in Maine where there are not grizzlies thankfully, but large black bears do exist. Ammo selection is key, as you said - I like Underwood’s 255 gr hard cast Keith Elmer style wadcutters. It’s about the most I can reasonably handle with that gun and do what it is designed to. I have shot some Buffalo Bore and Grizzly, and while I can do it, it is not fun. AT ALL. Having Hogue grips on it really helps. It is a Ruger Redhawk 5.5” barrel - and yeah they are expensive. I paid nearly $1,000 for it on gunbroker - USED. But, it is solid and works great. Be safe out there.
Thanks for the video. When I travel in the wilderness with a lot of photographic equipment, I am unable to carry a rifle or shotgun. Therefore, my first choice for protection against black bears, feral hogs, and wild dogs, is a Smith & Wesson 6-inch barrel 357 magnum loaded with six rounds of 180 grain hard cast ammo made by HSM or Buffalo Bore. My second choice is a Heckler & Koch 6-inch barrel 45acp semi-automatic with 12-round magazine loaded with 255 grain hard cast ammo made by Buffalo Bore, Underwood, or Double Tap.
Would you pick a 4 inch 7 shot 357 magnum with 180 grain buffalo bore or 200 grain grizzley ammo, or a 4 inch 5 shot 41 magnum with 230 grain buffalo bore or 250 grain grizzlet ammo?
My concealed woods carry is a Smith M&P Shield in .357 Sig. The velocity of this round when handloaded is very close to .357 Mag. My sidearm in bear country is an 8" Ruger Redhawk, handloaded with .300 grain CPWNFPGC lead bullets, and fueled with H110.
Thank you for your comment I agree that most people when carrying in the woods do not carry the biggest baddest pistol in the world must their environment requires it the biggest thing I wanted people to get out of this was proper bullet choice
In 2015 i had a close call with a Grizz here in northern Montana hit it 5 times 4 chest 1 head dead before it hit the ground I had my Glock 20 gen 4 10mm with federal 180 gr Fmj nothin fancy but it most definitely did the job. From that day on Glock 20 it is when out hiking with the dogs
I watched the video again. You have some good info in there. So thanks for the effort in making this video. BTW- I always thought people were foolish to go deep in the woods without a firearm. Even a .22 LR is way better than nothing.
I have only killed two bears at this time. One was shot with a 30.06 Remington pump and the other was a 22 single shot Winchester. Both bear were shot in the brainstem and only took one shot to put them down. The guns were what i was carrying at the times of the shooting, not planned at all.
First off pretend I'm an actual guide. We preach and preach to carry what you're used too. No we don't. We preach nothing below a 10 mm. 2nd We preach nothing but a revolver. People who go on paid hunts usually are not woodsmen . They are corporate, businesspeople. With very little gun experience. Money talks. And guides are not free or cheap. 90% of all hunters combined have never even seen a bear in the woods. Much less been charged by one. I carry a Stevens 301 12 ga. single barrel. And a Ruger Super Blackhawk 5 1/2 44 mag. Why ? It's a light rig. 2nd it's simple , and simply made usually means less failures. The chambered round for the Stevens is always a "Rio" brand #4 buckshot. 41 pellets. This is my always first shot. I'm going for the front legs. Animals Whether a dog , horse ,cow, or bear. Instinctively protect their legs. You get one or both legs, you have reduced the threat 100% . Escape will be all the bear wants to do now. 2nd and 3rd shots will not be a problem now. This is reality folks. Having the ejector is everything on a defense shotgun, and Stevens is the only brand out there that has one anymore. Speed is important. A lot of guides carry Ar-10's and other extreme heavy hitters like 375 0r raptors and such. To each his own. My rig is light and carefree. And nary a time has any of my clients ended up on the bears dinner table. I can also switch from bear to Deer to squirrel quietly and quickly with almost no noise. #10 times more people get killed by Moose than bears. "Fact". More people die from Deer attacks than bears. Don't get caught up in the bear thing. #1million to 1 odds that you will never be attacked is pretty good odds you won't be dinner. Peace.
I lived in AK for years and spent a lot of time in the bush. Black bears will typically run away if you throw rocks at them - did it many times. Brown/Grizz/Kodiak bears, probably won't attack you if they see you are carrying a handgun for "bear defense" because they will be laughing too hard. OK, seriously... One thing folks don't often mention is that If a Brown/Kodiak/Grizz bear attacks, It i quite common to not know the bear is around until it comes blasting out of the bushes/brush from a few yards away. It's not as if you see this bear a hundred yards away and it attacks (as opposed to a false charge) from that distance so you have time to react/get on target, etc. In a real attack it might be a matter of only a few seconds. Bears can run a LOT faster than most people think they can. The joke in AK was that greenhorns always bought a .44 mag when they moved to AK for bear defense and sold it a few months later/bought a rifle - a 45-70 lever gun was a common recommendation/choice. But, as the man says in the video, a pistol is better than a pocket knife. ;) For hunting the big bears in AK, a 375 H&H is a good choice...and heavier calibers are even better! We used to tell folks that if you are not comfortable shooting a .375, don't go Brown/Kodiak/Grizz bear hunting. There is no shame in knowing/accepting your limitations.
I do agree with most of what unfortunately the only bear that has killed anybody that I know of unless a black bear which was in in Alaska most of the bears we've ran into will simply just run away just by yelling at them but given the choice of carrying a pistol that might actually do some good if you need or nothing I will carry a pistol as far as a rifle being better than a pistol I could not agree more but I carry a pistol on me not a rifle because I do not expect it to be a problem at all but if it does turn into that situation which we've had to put a few beers down I would much rather have something on me than nothing but overall thank you for the comment I really appreciate it and your time
I carry my Springfield xdm elite 10 mm and my Canik tp9 combat 9mm both guns with extreme penatrators plus p extreme penatrators in the 9mm we only have black bear I also carry hardcast too
I think that is the real trick picking the right ammo for the right job is going to do more for you than anything else don't keep me wrong carry the biggest gun that is shootable
A 9mm has a very high success rate when it comes to killing wildlife animals out of self-defense but yet people still want to say it is not enough. I have been carrying a 9mm in the woods for a very long time. It has always taken care of the job when it was needed against wildlife animals. I get the impression that a lot of people who say 9mm is not enough, have never been in that situation before. A buddy of mine killed a 500-pound black bear with a subcompact 9mm firearm. He was packing the silvertip 115 gr hollow points and another person I know also killed a black bear with the civil liberty defense hollow points. I can't tell you the number of times I had to deal with wildlife animals in self-defense from living in the mountains my whole life.
I definitely think you're going to go in the woods you should bring the proper for the gun you're carrying to give you the best chance most animals I have killed in my life do not die in the first 10 s but every animal I've ever shot in the head falls instantly this is why I recommend penetrating rounds thank you for, I really appreciate it
@@tateabdon1 I have killed wild boar coyotes, mountain lions, and moose, black bears. I can say it did not take over 10 rounds to kill those animals. Every animal that I had to kill out of self-defense was with a hollow point.
I carry a S&W 460V .460 magnum 395CPB gas check for grizzly. A Glock 20/40 10mm Underwood 200HC and S&W 329PD .44 mag 240 grn. for black bear and mountain lion.
Old timers say anything that shoots a .40 cal bullet at 200 gr. going 1,000 fps will take any bear in the woods (I am presuming black bear with this quote). Of course, more than this is still better. A lot of people like that Glock 20 even in grizzly country and I had never heard of the .460 Rowland until today, so thanks for that. Myself, I carry a .44 mag Redhawk 5.5". Yup, it's heavy and powerful - I also am not "fast" shooting it and my limit on a round I can handle is about the 255 gr Underwood HC Keiths. The big Buffalo Bore and Grizzly ammo is admittedly too much for me being honest. I can take 1 shot of that. Recover. Dread the next shot. Shoot 1 more again. Rinse, repeat, LOL. I opted for the ,44 mag based on a lot of research and Maine has plenty of 500+ lbs bears (the record is 700!). So large ones are out there and just want to be ready as I can with as reliable a gun as I can and with as big a gun I can handle. I honestly love my Glock 17 and trust my life with it, so I am used to the semi's but just want more power (that's me). Be safe out there.
I definitely agree 44 is a great gun does kick like a mule the autos are great until they jam anybody tells you they have not had a jam as never shot they're done enough practice what you shoot that's probably better than anyting definitely shooting the hot rounds does make it harder to control but the hard lead cast bullets are definitely the way to go for shooting bears in the skull or predators in general thank you for your comment really appreciate them
Since bears seem to be behaving strangely these days. And have become a nuisance in areas that I have camped and hike. I bought a Chiappa Rhino 40DS .357.
I would say the most important thing is shootability if you have the opportunity to borrow one and shoot one in my opinion the 44 Magnum is definitely powerful enough with the right ammo but you must have both of those things power and the right ammo also you must be able to shoot it and carry it I carry most of my heavy guns like that on my chest because it's hard to carry them on your hip good luck thank you for your comment
You’d be better off with a 10mm the more lead you can get down range the odds improve. Unless you are a large guy a big revolver limits follow up shots and recoil is enormous. A 10mm has 9 rounds or more and you can get hard cast 240 gr Buffalo bore rounds it’s what I carry after serious research.
The bears are actually the least of my worries I'm more worried about people calling the cops and getting harassed for carrying a gun that I'm illegally allowed to do so thank you for your comment though
I backpack a lot in black bear country and carry a snubnose .357 loaded with hard cast lead bullets. It is small enough to fit in my pack’s hip belt pocket, and in camp it fits in my pants pocket in a pocket holster. This way it doesn’t sketch out the other hikers. I figure it’ll kill any black bear close enough to legally in self defense. That bear better be close enough for powder burns to avoid trouble with the law.
Also, you mentioning that the Glock 20 would be too big to handle doesn’t seem to make any sense because usually bigger handguns are easier for people to shoot. Unless you’re talking about something like a 44 magnum or larger
Having something is definitely better than nothing lots of people have stopped bears with that round but I do believe you are on the right with the hard cast bullets and then that is your most successful round thank you for your comment
If you ever come face to face with an aggressive bear, you will wish you were carrying a small cannon! I had the experience coming out of a tree stand after dark during archery season. How close was I? I could smell his breath! Lesson learned. I do not advocating carrying a gun during archery season. Whenever in bear country I carry a ss Ruger Blackhawk, .45 Colt. My pet hand loads, 300 gr Nosler partition, VV N105 powder, mv 1100 fps. Never shot a bear with the load, but destroys engine blocks. That gives me confidence.
I couldn't agree with you more I wish they would come up with a much better way no form in the Glock grip I always send mine down and grind them so they fit my hand a little better
If you can find one that shoots well and is reliable more power to you they're a little too heavy for me and I've had reliability issues in everyday carry for those reasons I'll keep carrying Glocks but saying that I do own 1911 they were shot for a damn long time still are in every competition I've ever been to shoot well in a very reliable as long as they're taking care of as I always say pick the gun that you like and you can shoot and is reliable for you and don't listen to the idiots that don't know what they're talking about I'll try not to be one of the idiots have a great day and thank you for your comment
@@tateabdon1 I carry a Sig and because it’s my EDC it’s second nature. The 5” barrel and glow in the dark sites make it easy to shoot accurate. I used to edc a small 9 mm but realized the bigger gun was much more accurate for me. The 9’s are stashed in the camper the truck and the wife’s car like first aid kits now. It’s my comfort zone and it happened by accident.
would not an average flat tip 9mm fmj do just as good as a much more expensive hard cast round in 9mm? if not why. I promise I mean no sarcasm by my question, it's just that most people would advise against carrying fmj in an edc for self defense because of the over penetration, but with something like bear it seems that's exactly what would be wanted
This is a great question definitely a full metal jacket is much better than a hollow-point but because it still has let on the inside they will deform on impact and not penetrate as far as a hard lead cast plus they pump up the round for this purpose usually to at least + p +I definitely recommend the hard cast but in a pinch definitely go with the full metal jacket
@@larryplogman7997 undo grande shoe shop play some is very important but I would not underestimate the as far as a good round it is definitely underpowered for any kind of offensive before a defensive round he can put in your pocket definitely better than a knife in place properly we'll do quaint little bit of damage in skull
@@tateabdon1 cool deal if you trust your life to spraying and praying instead of making the first shot count where I was raised it's one shot one kill no fireworks game in these woods
@@larryplogman7997 I do not know how many animals you've killed the most of the time things do not die one shot one kill unless you shoot them in the skull and then even then making sure you're around that will penetrate the skull and do its job I've killed many animals this way and it's the only way I've ever seen anything drop instantly like I said the only reason I recommend a 9 millimeter is 1 concealment is a necessity I definitely prefer a 10 mm or 357 for the blackbears we have here or bigger if you're in grizzly country picked around that must be used in that area but I do agree with you it is an undersized around for the animal we're trying to take it is a defensive round that it's better than a knife I read two friends of taking bears in defensive mode with small rounded guns like 380 and 32 but they literally had to stuff in his mouth and pulled the trigger I would not recommend that they were pretty tore up by the end
I carry a 45 Colt revolving pistol with Underwood Ammo's Solid Copper 250 grain Xtreme Penetrator @ 1000 fps (standard pressure) 45 Colt round for bear protection. The pistol is all stainless steal which makes for low recoil. The 45 Colt is as big of a round I can control easily enough to get all shots off quickly, and it does upwards of 32" in gel. I wouldn't want less and can not handle more, so it is just right for me as a defense/protection gun.
Thank you for the comment I definitely like what you're saying about picking a gun you can control is key also proper ammo choice like you said thank you comment
I have a 357 mag snub, but can only find 158gr ammo. Where do you people find 180gr hard cast ammo? I'm 61 and have never seen such ammo... (I live in New Hampshire)
I'm not bothered about this. I'm not the one carrying it. LOL You carry what you carry. Its you're responsibility to defend yourself. You have to make your choice. You do you.
I would not carry bear spray after spending a career in law enforcement starting in the mid 90s when pepper spray was the only non lethal option we on our belt. I promise you every time you deploy spray you will be contaminated at some point in the encounter. So imagine your down wind of a bear, it’s close, you spray, now you can’t see or breath as your being mauled by the bear. Being mauled is bad enough, but to imagine being blind and suffocating at the same time! No thanks!!! For us at the time spray was optional, after the first 5-10 uses everyone pulled it off their belt and put it where it belonged, THE TRASH CAN!!!! That stuff hurts, I fought 3 different individuals at different times covered in spray and its a nightmare I don’t wish on anyone!
If you can't hit the target caliber doesn't mean anything. If you shoot the .357 better than the .44mag, you're making the right choice to go with the .357 in my opinion. The heavier the bullet the better.
@@tateabdon1 Most of my bullets are protestant (LoL) but I did just order 100 rounds of the Xtreme Penetrator (+P). Thanks for posting and reminding me I didn't have any yet. The shotgun in the corner has been the primary tool for the job.
KISS you should know what that stands for: keep your trigger finger against the outside of the frame until you have to shoot. Glocks are fantastic safe guns. After practicing with thousands of rounds I never shot myself, duh.
"We are going to talk about some things that are going to bother you." I see a bunch of guns on a table and none of them are destroyed or heavily rusted. I don't think this video will bother me.
I think both are viable with the right rounds but I would still like something with a little more punch if I was going to carry it just for that exclusive purpose like the 10 mm
The 10mm is as powerful or more than the 357 I think your selling your self short picking the wheel gun if the choice is a 357 vs 10mm being you get the same or better power factor with 16 rounds instead of 6/7
I would agree with you that the 10 mm and 357 are very close and if you Max both of them out they are very very close if you make a 10 mm very hot you can even get it as close as some 44 Magnum rounds the issue is what happens if it jams now Glocks and a lot of the 10 millimeters out there are very reliable rounds but I've had all kinds of different problems as far as primers being seated backwards primers being seated sideways rounds that just literally didn't have any powder in them most problems happen with automatics with magazines you eliminate the magazine with the revolver it is true that if you miss six times with an automatic you will have more rounds but most of time with a bear charging at you if you've missed six times you're already dead on top of that it doesn't matter how powerful the round is if you miss and I do shoot the resolver that particular one at least much better than I do the Glock which is why I carry it saying that for most people that only have one choice it would probably be the 10 mm in the Glock configuration thank you for your comment it really does help my channel
And lastly revolvers are much harder to get out of battery if you end up with something on you as a bear mountain lion or something else it is very easy to have the gun come out of battery in an automatic with a revolver you can usually push through to get off multiple rounds even with items interfering with the guns operation this is not always true but it is something to talk about
I like all your choices except the 357 mag, rings my ears to much. The 44 mag doesn't bother me. I hope I don't have to find out if these are good choices. I have black bear in both my orchards close to my home. The only way they stay away is if I thin them out alittle.
I agree saying that I got two friends that have taken bears with 9 mm but thank you comments I definitely believe having a proper size gun if you're going the woods a good idea but a gun is better than no gun and definitely picking the proper rounds is he important part of the game
You said "defensive" purpose. That means you are much too close to a bear who is NOT happy with your presence and intends to do something about that problem. Scaring him away is not an option. You have not lived and worked around bears enough to encourage any of the guns on your table! You need Horse Power or weight at a very close range. The best bear medicine for Life and Safety is a short-barreled shotgun with slugs that fill the clip!
Actually spent a lot of time around bears over the years and most the time the bears have come right up to us we've only had to put down a few bears that have become aggressive and most of those were taken with a 12-gauge with double-ought buck but the bear rounds we recommended for Bear defense have been well tested thank you for your comment
The 1911 has an external safety of which helps keep it safe from negligent misfires when drawing the gun from the holster. The Glocks do not have such a feature and people tend to shot themselves in the leg when drawing the weapon. But both weapons are cocked and ready to rock, just that the 1911 has a lock on it and the Glocks do not. If you think that just because you do not see the hammer cocked back that that makes a striker fire pistol safer you are sadly mistaken. Basically, one either has a semi-auto pistol that is not cocked and not ready to rock [not good], cocked locked and ready to rock [good and safe], or cocked unlocked and ready to rock [good unsafe, so kind of not good]. And if anybody thinks that people shoot themselves with 1911 as much as they do with Glocks I challenge them to watch the plethora of TH-cam videos of people negligently shooting themselves and find me just one where some one shot themselves with a 1911. And at the same time keep count of how many of those videos were Glock related. So far I have not found one video where someone shot themselves negligently with a 1911, but they have mostly been Glock related. A few with revolvers when they were playing around with them and coking and uncocking them. Experts as well as cops, who all have lots of training, have shot themselves with Glocks on the draw and re-holstering. While with 1911s only when re-holstering if they had forgetting to set the safety. With revolvers only if they had cocked the hammer back and did not fire it and then forgot to un-cock it and re-holstered it. Which is better to shot oneself in the leg, because they do not want to have to switch off a safety, and then deal with a bear, or deal with the little time it takes to remember to switch off the safety and then deal with the bear? Or better yet just have a double action revolver (and de-spur the hammer so they can not cock it in the first place, yet it still shoots like a semi-auto by simply pulling the trigger each time they want it to fire) and draw and fire it without worrying about a safety or shooting themselves in the leg when drawing or re-holstering! The safety is your friend on a semi-auto, and Glocks are not friendly in that way at all. And double action revolvers are the friendliest as they are safe without a safety, and they are always ready to rock without being pre-cocked
I don't know how much you know about Glocks but they are only half cocked and tell you pull the trigger all the way that is the take up you feel well pulling the trigger thus the term safe action it's basically half a double-action pull because of this the gun cannot go off unless the trigger is pulled granted 1911's do have safeties on the outside that prevents you from even be able to pull the trigger while the safety is on I have 1911's also not a huge fan just in general what are great guns I have seen a lot of them malfunction because people have not taken care of I do believe that most negligent discharge has that happened with Glocks are all because they are such a cheap gun even the inexperience going by them as far as 1911's that usually cost almost double the amount which leads them to not be one of the most popular handguns for beginners saying that most mistakes are from training scars if you do not put your finger on the trigger the gun will not go off but we must practice with either gunI like clocks just because of the way they run how easy they are to work on how easy it is change parts and how reliable they are but a big part of it is the weight comparing the weight in a 1911 to the weight of a Glock 10-millimeter insubstantial if I'm going to carry something around in the woods all day long I'd rather it be light but as long as you can shoot your 1911 more power to you I respect anybody that's willing to train more than the gun they own thank you for the comment I really appreciate it
good video - and one thing I liked a lot is you’re honest with yourself about what you can handle. You like .357 mag and that’s great. I have a snub nose one I bought in the mid-90’s. It’s a great gun. I do use a .44 mag in the back country, usually hiking in Maine where there are not grizzlies thankfully, but large black bears do exist. Ammo selection is key, as you said - I like Underwood’s 255 gr hard cast Keith Elmer style wadcutters. It’s about the most I can reasonably handle with that gun and do what it is designed to. I have shot some Buffalo Bore and Grizzly, and while I can do it, it is not fun. AT ALL. Having Hogue grips on it really helps. It is a Ruger Redhawk 5.5” barrel - and yeah they are expensive. I paid nearly $1,000 for it on gunbroker - USED. But, it is solid and works great. Be safe out there.
I’ve seen the skulls of two bears killed with 9mm. Also heard of one grizzly bear being shot and killed with a 9mm rather recently. Where I am, all we have are black bears, but they can get large. I carry a .357 Magnum for those. If I were in grizzly country, I’d have at least a .44 Magnum.
Great comment thank you for it
Great informative video. Thank you!
Glad you liked it thanks for the comment
Thanks for the video, I chose the 357mag for black bear , laws are very restrictive here in Canada concerning handguns for hunting, so my choice is the 357 for reloading. And my carry is a Leaver action carbine.
I always end up going back to my trusty G29 SF with good old hard cast. It is light and easy to carry. I even shoot it very well. Thanks for the video
Good information, thanks for sharing!!
October 28, 2022
Thank you I appreciate the comment
Super helpful info in a really well explained manner. Thank you. What are your thoughts on a .45 acp with polymer tipped ammo against a bear attack?
good video - and one thing I liked a lot is you’re honest with yourself about what you can handle. You like .357 mag and that’s great. I have a snub nose one I bought in the mid-90’s. It’s a great gun. I do use a .44 mag in the back country, usually hiking in Maine where there are not grizzlies thankfully, but large black bears do exist. Ammo selection is key, as you said - I like Underwood’s 255 gr hard cast Keith Elmer style wadcutters. It’s about the most I can reasonably handle with that gun and do what it is designed to. I have shot some Buffalo Bore and Grizzly, and while I can do it, it is not fun. AT ALL. Having Hogue grips on it really helps. It is a Ruger Redhawk 5.5” barrel - and yeah they are expensive. I paid nearly $1,000 for it on gunbroker - USED. But, it is solid and works great. Be safe out there.
Smith and Wesson Model 29 6.5” 44 magnum suits my taste, very accurate pistola.
Thanks for the video.
When I travel in the wilderness with a lot of photographic equipment, I am unable to carry a rifle or shotgun. Therefore, my first choice for protection against black bears, feral hogs, and wild dogs, is a Smith & Wesson 6-inch barrel 357 magnum loaded with six rounds of 180 grain hard cast ammo made by HSM or Buffalo Bore.
My second choice is a Heckler & Koch 6-inch barrel 45acp semi-automatic with 12-round magazine loaded with 255 grain hard cast ammo made by Buffalo Bore, Underwood, or Double Tap.
Sounds like a good choices to me
Would you pick a 4 inch 7 shot 357 magnum with 180 grain buffalo bore or 200 grain grizzley ammo, or a 4 inch 5 shot 41 magnum with 230 grain buffalo bore or 250 grain grizzlet ammo?
Lot of GREAT info here.
You're very welcome thank you for your comment
Thx for the help.
Glad it helped have a great day
nice security door stop in the background, just recently got me a couple...
My concealed woods carry is a Smith M&P Shield in .357 Sig. The velocity of this round when handloaded is very close to .357 Mag. My sidearm in bear country is an 8" Ruger Redhawk, handloaded with .300 grain CPWNFPGC lead bullets, and fueled with H110.
Thank you for your comment I agree that most people when carrying in the woods do not carry the biggest baddest pistol in the world must their environment requires it the biggest thing I wanted people to get out of this was proper bullet choice
I think .357 sig is also pretty darn good for bear defense as well.
@@tateabdon1
Indeed...So noted!👍🏿
I have a Ruger Redhawk 44 magnum with hard cast lead 250 grain semi wadcutter. It is accurate to 100 yards.
I'm definitely the way to go
In 2015 i had a close call with a Grizz here in northern Montana hit it 5 times 4 chest 1 head dead before it hit the ground I had my Glock 20 gen 4 10mm with federal 180 gr Fmj nothin fancy but it most definitely did the job. From that day on Glock 20 it is when out hiking with the dogs
I watched the video again. You have some good info in there. So thanks for the effort in making this video.
BTW- I always thought people were foolish to go deep in the woods without a firearm. Even a .22 LR is way better than nothing.
Thank you for your comment I really appreciate it
Thanks for the info. You never said anything about the stainless revolver. Was that one a 454 casull?
I know they're both 357
I have only killed two bears at this time. One was shot with a 30.06 Remington pump and the other was a 22 single shot Winchester. Both bear were shot in the brainstem and only took one shot to put them down. The guns were what i was carrying at the times of the shooting, not planned at all.
Thank you for the stories and the comment
I’d like to hear the .22 story.
@@canthonybutler bump for the .22 story. I wanna know how you did that!
tell the 22. story sir.
we are going to keep on bugging you so hook it up already! :) I wanna hear how you kill a bear with a .22.
First off pretend I'm an actual guide. We preach and preach to carry what you're used too. No we don't. We preach nothing below a 10 mm. 2nd We preach nothing but a revolver. People who go on paid hunts usually are not woodsmen . They are corporate, businesspeople. With very little gun experience. Money talks. And guides are not free or cheap. 90% of all hunters combined have never even seen a bear in the woods. Much less been charged by one. I carry a Stevens 301 12 ga. single barrel. And a Ruger Super Blackhawk 5 1/2 44 mag. Why ? It's a light rig. 2nd it's simple , and simply made usually means less failures. The chambered round for the Stevens is always a "Rio" brand #4 buckshot. 41 pellets. This is my always first shot. I'm going for the front legs. Animals Whether a dog , horse ,cow, or bear. Instinctively protect their legs. You get one or both legs, you have reduced the threat 100% . Escape will be all the bear wants to do now. 2nd and 3rd shots will not be a problem now. This is reality folks. Having the ejector is everything on a defense shotgun, and Stevens is the only brand out there that has one anymore. Speed is important. A lot of guides carry Ar-10's and other extreme heavy hitters like 375 0r raptors and such. To each his own. My rig is light and carefree. And nary a time has any of my clients ended up on the bears dinner table. I can also switch from bear to Deer to squirrel quietly and quickly with almost no noise. #10 times more people get killed by Moose than bears. "Fact". More people die from Deer attacks than bears. Don't get caught up in the bear thing. #1million to 1 odds that you will never be attacked is pretty good odds you won't be dinner. Peace.
I lived in AK for years and spent a lot of time in the bush. Black bears will typically run away if you throw rocks at them - did it many times. Brown/Grizz/Kodiak bears, probably won't attack you if they see you are carrying a handgun for "bear defense" because they will be laughing too hard.
OK, seriously...
One thing folks don't often mention is that If a Brown/Kodiak/Grizz bear attacks, It i quite common to not know the bear is around until it comes blasting out of the bushes/brush from a few yards away. It's not as if you see this bear a hundred yards away and it attacks (as opposed to a false charge) from that distance so you have time to react/get on target, etc. In a real attack it might be a matter of only a few seconds. Bears can run a LOT faster than most people think they can. The joke in AK was that greenhorns always bought a .44 mag when they moved to AK for bear defense and sold it a few months later/bought a rifle - a 45-70 lever gun was a common recommendation/choice. But, as the man says in the video, a pistol is better than a pocket knife. ;)
For hunting the big bears in AK, a 375 H&H is a good choice...and heavier calibers are even better! We used to tell folks that if you are not comfortable shooting a .375, don't go Brown/Kodiak/Grizz bear hunting. There is no shame in knowing/accepting your limitations.
I do agree with most of what unfortunately the only bear that has killed anybody that I know of unless a black bear which was in in Alaska most of the bears we've ran into will simply just run away just by yelling at them but given the choice of carrying a pistol that might actually do some good if you need or nothing I will carry a pistol as far as a rifle being better than a pistol I could not agree more but I carry a pistol on me not a rifle because I do not expect it to be a problem at all but if it does turn into that situation which we've had to put a few beers down I would much rather have something on me than nothing but overall thank you for the comment I really appreciate it and your time
Honestly a 1911 chambered in .45 can get the job done with 255gr hard cast ammo.
If that's what works for you that is great in my opinion, ammo choice is in my opinion is more important than the caliber or the gun
I carry my Springfield xdm elite 10 mm and my Canik tp9 combat 9mm both guns with extreme penatrators plus p extreme penatrators in the 9mm we only have black bear I also carry hardcast too
I think that is the real trick picking the right ammo for the right job is going to do more for you than anything else don't keep me wrong carry the biggest gun that is shootable
A 9mm has a very high success rate when it comes to killing wildlife animals out of self-defense but yet people still want to say it is not enough. I have been carrying a 9mm in the woods for a very long time. It has always taken care of the job when it was needed against wildlife animals. I get the impression that a lot of people who say 9mm is not enough, have never been in that situation before.
A buddy of mine killed a 500-pound black bear with a subcompact 9mm firearm. He was packing the silvertip 115 gr hollow points and another person I know also killed a black bear with the civil liberty defense hollow points. I can't tell you the number of times I had to deal with wildlife animals in self-defense from living in the mountains my whole life.
I definitely think you're going to go in the woods you should bring the proper for the gun you're carrying to give you the best chance most animals I have killed in my life do not die in the first 10 s but every animal I've ever shot in the head falls instantly this is why I recommend penetrating rounds thank you for, I really appreciate it
@@tateabdon1 I have killed wild boar coyotes, mountain lions, and moose, black bears. I can say it did not take over 10 rounds to kill those animals. Every animal that I had to kill out of self-defense was with a hollow point.
@@tylerlong-zz5wp definitely good
I carry a S&W 460V .460 magnum 395CPB gas check for grizzly. A Glock 20/40 10mm Underwood 200HC and S&W 329PD .44 mag 240 grn. for black bear and mountain lion.
Definitely can't disagree with any of those pics
INSTEAD OF HARDCAST, WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON LEHIEGH EXTREME PENETRATORS.
I have not used them I have always stuck with the hardcast lead
Thank you, sir
Old timers say anything that shoots a .40 cal bullet at 200 gr. going 1,000 fps will take any bear in the woods (I am presuming black bear with this quote). Of course, more than this is still better. A lot of people like that Glock 20 even in grizzly country and I had never heard of the .460 Rowland until today, so thanks for that. Myself, I carry a .44 mag Redhawk 5.5". Yup, it's heavy and powerful - I also am not "fast" shooting it and my limit on a round I can handle is about the 255 gr Underwood HC Keiths. The big Buffalo Bore and Grizzly ammo is admittedly too much for me being honest. I can take 1 shot of that. Recover. Dread the next shot. Shoot 1 more again. Rinse, repeat, LOL. I opted for the ,44 mag based on a lot of research and Maine has plenty of 500+ lbs bears (the record is 700!). So large ones are out there and just want to be ready as I can with as reliable a gun as I can and with as big a gun I can handle. I honestly love my Glock 17 and trust my life with it, so I am used to the semi's but just want more power (that's me). Be safe out there.
I definitely agree 44 is a great gun does kick like a mule the autos are great until they jam anybody tells you they have not had a jam as never shot they're done enough practice what you shoot that's probably better than anyting definitely shooting the hot rounds does make it harder to control but the hard lead cast bullets are definitely the way to go for shooting bears in the skull or predators in general thank you for your comment really appreciate them
Good video. I would use the 180 gr cast for the 357 Magnum.
Works for me
Otherwise good stuff!
Since bears seem to be behaving strangely these days. And have become a nuisance in areas that I have camped and hike. I bought a Chiappa Rhino 40DS .357.
Works for me
I carry a sling shot and a fat guy with a bum leg. Works like a charm.
Lol
is 44 magnum a powerful enough round for grizzly bear defense? or is .454 casule better?
I would say the most important thing is shootability if you have the opportunity to borrow one and shoot one in my opinion the 44 Magnum is definitely powerful enough with the right ammo but you must have both of those things power and the right ammo also you must be able to shoot it and carry it I carry most of my heavy guns like that on my chest because it's hard to carry them on your hip good luck thank you for your comment
You’d be better off with a 10mm the more lead you can get down range the odds improve. Unless you are a large guy a big revolver limits follow up shots and recoil is enormous. A 10mm has 9 rounds or more and you can get hard cast 240 gr Buffalo bore rounds it’s what I carry after serious research.
Right...
We don't want the bear to know that we're carrying.
The bears are actually the least of my worries I'm more worried about people calling the cops and getting harassed for carrying a gun that I'm illegally allowed to do so thank you for your comment though
I backpack a lot in black bear country and carry a snubnose .357 loaded with hard cast lead bullets. It is small enough to fit in my pack’s hip belt pocket, and in camp it fits in my pants pocket in a pocket holster. This way it doesn’t sketch out the other hikers. I figure it’ll kill any black bear close enough to legally in self defense. That bear better be close enough for powder burns to avoid trouble with the law.
All good points concealability is definitely something to because some people just don't understand
Why do I carry a pencil, is it gunna kill a bear? No. Is it better than an eraser? Yes.
Also, you mentioning that the Glock 20 would be too big to handle doesn’t seem to make any sense because usually bigger handguns are easier for people to shoot. Unless you’re talking about something like a 44 magnum or larger
If I had something bigger I’d take it, but gonna have to settle for my G19 with 16 rounds of 147g +p hard cast.
Having something is definitely better than nothing lots of people have stopped bears with that round but I do believe you are on the right with the hard cast bullets and then that is your most successful round thank you for your comment
i carry a high capacity, high powered 22. revolver
If you ever come face to face with an aggressive bear, you will wish you were carrying a small cannon! I had the experience coming out of a tree stand after dark during archery season. How close was I? I could smell his breath! Lesson learned. I do not advocating carrying a gun during archery season.
Whenever in bear country I carry a ss Ruger Blackhawk, .45 Colt. My pet hand loads, 300 gr Nosler partition, VV N105 powder, mv 1100 fps. Never shot a bear with the load, but destroys engine blocks. That gives me confidence.
If it works don't fix it I agree
You do NOT advocate carrying a gun during archery season?
I like the Glock 20 but I shoot the Springfield much better it has a better grip for my hand but the 20 is great
I couldn't agree with you more I wish they would come up with a much better way no form in the Glock grip I always send mine down and grind them so they fit my hand a little better
I carry a Glock 21 converted to a 460 Rowland
10mm auto 1911 all day every day, period for a sidearm.
If you can find one that shoots well and is reliable more power to you they're a little too heavy for me and I've had reliability issues in everyday carry for those reasons I'll keep carrying Glocks but saying that I do own 1911 they were shot for a damn long time still are in every competition I've ever been to shoot well in a very reliable as long as they're taking care of as I always say pick the gun that you like and you can shoot and is reliable for you and don't listen to the idiots that don't know what they're talking about I'll try not to be one of the idiots have a great day and thank you for your comment
@@tateabdon1 I carry a Sig and because it’s my EDC it’s second nature. The 5” barrel and glow in the dark sites make it easy to shoot accurate. I used to edc a small 9 mm but realized the bigger gun was much more accurate for me. The 9’s are stashed in the camper the truck and the wife’s car like first aid kits now. It’s my comfort zone and it happened by accident.
would not an average flat tip 9mm fmj do just as good as a much more expensive hard cast round in 9mm? if not why. I promise I mean no sarcasm by my question, it's just that most people would advise against carrying fmj in an edc for self defense because of the over penetration, but with something like bear it seems that's exactly what would be wanted
This is a great question definitely a full metal jacket is much better than a hollow-point but because it still has let on the inside they will deform on impact and not penetrate as far as a hard lead cast plus they pump up the round for this purpose usually to at least + p +I definitely recommend the hard cast but in a pinch definitely go with the full metal jacket
You just made me lmao the 9is nothing but a spray and pray cartridge no matter what load your useing for anything other than maybe a medium size dog
@@larryplogman7997 undo grande shoe shop play some is very important but I would not underestimate the as far as a good round it is definitely underpowered for any kind of offensive before a defensive round he can put in your pocket definitely better than a knife in place properly we'll do quaint little bit of damage in skull
@@tateabdon1 cool deal if you trust your life to spraying and praying instead of making the first shot count where I was raised it's one shot one kill no fireworks game in these woods
@@larryplogman7997 I do not know how many animals you've killed the most of the time things do not die one shot one kill unless you shoot them in the skull and then even then making sure you're around that will penetrate the skull and do its job I've killed many animals this way and it's the only way I've ever seen anything drop instantly like I said the only reason I recommend a 9 millimeter is 1 concealment is a necessity I definitely prefer a 10 mm or 357 for the blackbears we have here or bigger if you're in grizzly country picked around that must be used in that area but I do agree with you it is an undersized around for the animal we're trying to take it is a defensive round that it's better than a knife I read two friends of taking bears in defensive mode with small rounded guns like 380 and 32 but they literally had to stuff in his mouth and pulled the trigger I would not recommend that they were pretty tore up by the end
I like your choice of the 10 mm Glock. I carry my Ruger Blackhawk in 44 Magnum with solid copper rounds.
A great choice in my opinion the 44 magnum is definitely a devastating round
What guns don't I carry for bear, I bring em all!
Lol thanks for the comment
Why was 22 even up on the table🤔
I carry a 45 Colt revolving pistol with Underwood Ammo's Solid Copper 250 grain Xtreme Penetrator @ 1000 fps (standard pressure) 45 Colt round for bear protection. The pistol is all stainless steal which makes for low recoil. The 45 Colt is as big of a round I can control easily enough to get all shots off quickly, and it does upwards of 32" in gel. I wouldn't want less and can not handle more, so it is just right for me as a defense/protection gun.
Thank you for the comment I definitely like what you're saying about picking a gun you can control is key also proper ammo choice like you said thank you comment
I have a 357 mag snub, but can only find 158gr ammo. Where do you people find 180gr hard cast ammo? I'm 61 and have never seen such ammo...
(I live in New Hampshire)
A lot of times stores will order it for you sportsman's warehouses where I get it most consistently
@@tateabdon1Thanks Friend, I just ordered 2 boxes from Sportsman's Warehouse!👍😊
Buffalo Bore and Underwood...neither of which will typically be carried by your LGS.
🇦🇺😎👍
I'm not bothered about this. I'm not the one carrying it. LOL You carry what you carry. Its you're responsibility to defend yourself. You have to make your choice. You do you.
Sounds good to me
The most dangerous animal in the forest walks on two legs.
DURR! I KNO GUNZZ!!
I would not carry bear spray after spending a career in law enforcement starting in the mid 90s when pepper spray was the only non lethal option we on our belt. I promise you every time you deploy spray you will be contaminated at some point in the encounter. So imagine your down wind of a bear, it’s close, you spray, now you can’t see or breath as your being mauled by the bear. Being mauled is bad enough, but to imagine being blind and suffocating at the same time! No thanks!!! For us at the time spray was optional, after the first 5-10 uses everyone pulled it off their belt and put it where it belonged, THE TRASH CAN!!!! That stuff hurts, I fought 3 different individuals at different times covered in spray and its a nightmare I don’t wish on anyone!
If you can't hit the target caliber doesn't mean anything. If you shoot the .357 better than the .44mag, you're making the right choice to go with the .357 in my opinion. The heavier the bullet the better.
Thank you for your comment
I think I like Lehigh Xtreme Penetrator by Underwood for 9mm
I've not use that one but I think you're probably on the right path and kind of Xtreme penetrator or Catholic bullet probably the way to go
@@tateabdon1 Most of my bullets are protestant (LoL) but I did just order 100 rounds of the Xtreme Penetrator (+P). Thanks for posting and reminding me I didn't have any yet.
The shotgun in the corner has been the primary tool for the job.
KISS you should know what that stands for: keep your trigger finger against the outside of the frame until you have to shoot. Glocks are fantastic safe guns. After practicing with thousands of rounds I never shot myself, duh.
I would carry all of those at the same time 😂😂😂
You'll need a sturdy belt lol
"We are going to talk about some things that are going to bother you." I see a bunch of guns on a table and none of them are destroyed or heavily rusted. I don't think this video will bother me.
I'm glad to hear that thank you for your comment they really do help
38 super or 40 super?
I think both are viable with the right rounds but I would still like something with a little more punch if I was going to carry it just for that exclusive purpose like the 10 mm
.475 Wildey Magnum
Game over
Definitely an amazing weapon but I cannot afford $10 around LOL thank you for your comment have a great day
I have seen three of my friends killed a bear with a Mossberg shockwave 20 gauge shotgun that's why I'm saving money for a shotgun
The 10mm is as powerful or more than the 357 I think your selling your self short picking the wheel gun if the choice is a 357 vs 10mm being you get the same or better power factor with 16 rounds instead of 6/7
I would agree with you that the 10 mm and 357 are very close and if you Max both of them out they are very very close if you make a 10 mm very hot you can even get it as close as some 44 Magnum rounds the issue is what happens if it jams now Glocks and a lot of the 10 millimeters out there are very reliable rounds but I've had all kinds of different problems as far as primers being seated backwards primers being seated sideways rounds that just literally didn't have any powder in them most problems happen with automatics with magazines you eliminate the magazine with the revolver it is true that if you miss six times with an automatic you will have more rounds but most of time with a bear charging at you if you've missed six times you're already dead on top of that it doesn't matter how powerful the round is if you miss and I do shoot the resolver that particular one at least much better than I do the Glock which is why I carry it saying that for most people that only have one choice it would probably be the 10 mm in the Glock configuration thank you for your comment it really does help my channel
And lastly revolvers are much harder to get out of battery if you end up with something on you as a bear mountain lion or something else it is very easy to have the gun come out of battery in an automatic with a revolver you can usually push through to get off multiple rounds even with items interfering with the guns operation this is not always true but it is something to talk about
I like all your choices except the 357 mag, rings my ears to much. The 44 mag doesn't bother me. I hope I don't have to find out if these are good choices. I have black bear in both my orchards close to my home. The only way they stay away is if I thin them out alittle.
@@wendellbell6164 "357 mag, rings my ears to much" So true!
@Lazy Way a distinked possibility. I lean to the 10mm over my revolvers because I feel I can get on target faster and have night sights on them.
I carry a 357 Sig, almost as powerful as the 10 mm. Carrying a 9mm for bear defense is like carrying a 380 for SD, not advisable.
I agree saying that I got two friends that have taken bears with 9 mm but thank you comments I definitely believe having a proper size gun if you're going the woods a good idea but a gun is better than no gun and definitely picking the proper rounds is he important part of the game
I carry Ruger Blackhawk 45LC , HMS Bear Loads .
Works for me good luck hope you don't need to use it thank you for your comment
You said "defensive" purpose. That means you are much too close to a bear who is NOT happy with your presence and intends to do something about that problem. Scaring him away is not an option. You have not lived and worked around bears enough to encourage any of the guns on your table! You need Horse Power or weight at a very close range. The best bear medicine for Life and Safety is a short-barreled shotgun with slugs that fill the clip!
Actually spent a lot of time around bears over the years and most the time the bears have come right up to us we've only had to put down a few bears that have become aggressive and most of those were taken with a 12-gauge with double-ought buck but the bear rounds we recommended for Bear defense have been well tested thank you for your comment
Because sheep?
Okay thanks for the comment
Why do criminals get to carry anywhere they're not allowed to??🤔 Seems they have more rights than we do😐
Couldn't agree more turns out that criminals that break laws don't follow new ones just because you want them to thank you for your comment
The 1911 has an external safety of which helps keep it safe from negligent misfires when drawing the gun from the holster. The Glocks do not have such a feature and people tend to shot themselves in the leg when drawing the weapon. But both weapons are cocked and ready to rock, just that the 1911 has a lock on it and the Glocks do not. If you think that just because you do not see the hammer cocked back that that makes a striker fire pistol safer you are sadly mistaken. Basically, one either has a semi-auto pistol that is not cocked and not ready to rock [not good], cocked locked and ready to rock [good and safe], or cocked unlocked and ready to rock [good unsafe, so kind of not good]. And if anybody thinks that people shoot themselves with 1911 as much as they do with Glocks I challenge them to watch the plethora of TH-cam videos of people negligently shooting themselves and find me just one where some one shot themselves with a 1911. And at the same time keep count of how many of those videos were Glock related. So far I have not found one video where someone shot themselves negligently with a 1911, but they have mostly been Glock related. A few with revolvers when they were playing around with them and coking and uncocking them. Experts as well as cops, who all have lots of training, have shot themselves with Glocks on the draw and re-holstering. While with 1911s only when re-holstering if they had forgetting to set the safety. With revolvers only if they had cocked the hammer back and did not fire it and then forgot to un-cock it and re-holstered it. Which is better to shot oneself in the leg, because they do not want to have to switch off a safety, and then deal with a bear, or deal with the little time it takes to remember to switch off the safety and then deal with the bear? Or better yet just have a double action revolver (and de-spur the hammer so they can not cock it in the first place, yet it still shoots like a semi-auto by simply pulling the trigger each time they want it to fire) and draw and fire it without worrying about a safety or shooting themselves in the leg when drawing or re-holstering! The safety is your friend on a semi-auto, and Glocks are not friendly in that way at all. And double action revolvers are the friendliest as they are safe without a safety, and they are always ready to rock without being pre-cocked
I don't know how much you know about Glocks but they are only half cocked and tell you pull the trigger all the way that is the take up you feel well pulling the trigger thus the term safe action it's basically half a double-action pull because of this the gun cannot go off unless the trigger is pulled granted 1911's do have safeties on the outside that prevents you from even be able to pull the trigger while the safety is on I have 1911's also not a huge fan just in general what are great guns I have seen a lot of them malfunction because people have not taken care of I do believe that most negligent discharge has that happened with Glocks are all because they are such a cheap gun even the inexperience going by them as far as 1911's that usually cost almost double the amount which leads them to not be one of the most popular handguns for beginners saying that most mistakes are from training scars if you do not put your finger on the trigger the gun will not go off but we must practice with either gunI like clocks just because of the way they run how easy they are to work on how easy it is change parts and how reliable they are but a big part of it is the weight comparing the weight in a 1911 to the weight of a Glock 10-millimeter insubstantial if I'm going to carry something around in the woods all day long I'd rather it be light but as long as you can shoot your 1911 more power to you I respect anybody that's willing to train more than the gun they own thank you for the comment I really appreciate it
Those are noob Guns Carry a 4 bore
Do they sell Behr rounds for that lol
I'm a .44 magnum guy, nothing else ❗️ S&W 629 6" or Mt.S&W .44 magnum. 👉💨💨
I'm all for that carry which works for you
My grandpappy charged and killed 2 grizzly bears with a Swiss army in Alaska in 1927 true story
With one arm tied behind his back😅
good video - and one thing I liked a lot is you’re honest with yourself about what you can handle. You like .357 mag and that’s great. I have a snub nose one I bought in the mid-90’s. It’s a great gun. I do use a .44 mag in the back country, usually hiking in Maine where there are not grizzlies thankfully, but large black bears do exist. Ammo selection is key, as you said - I like Underwood’s 255 gr hard cast Keith Elmer style wadcutters. It’s about the most I can reasonably handle with that gun and do what it is designed to. I have shot some Buffalo Bore and Grizzly, and while I can do it, it is not fun. AT ALL. Having Hogue grips on it really helps. It is a Ruger Redhawk 5.5” barrel - and yeah they are expensive. I paid nearly $1,000 for it on gunbroker - USED. But, it is solid and works great. Be safe out there.