There is a man with more handgun bear killing experience than anyone I have ever heard of. Across his career, he was a game manager on over 300,000 acre timber conern which bordered an even bigger wilderness area with an almost unlimited number of bears. He was federally licensed to remove (trap and kill) problem bears, which he did day in and day out for years. He was a black bear hunting guide in Idaho and Washinton in season. He was a grizzly bear guide in Alaska. He was the Western Editor for Bear Hunting Magazine, and he is currently a Professional Hunter in South Africa. He has personally killed dozens, if not over 100 black bears with a handgun, He has been guide for hundreds of other bear killed, counting both grizzlies in AK, and black bears in the lower 48. After seeing bears shot with handguns, from 45acp, to 357 mag, to 10mm, to 41 mag, to 44mag, to 454 to Contender single shot hand cannons. he has formed some definite, probably indisputeable, opinions about the effectiveness of different handgun calibers and loads for hunting and defense against bears. Anyone else who has personally shot over 100 bears with a handgun, the majority of which were enraged and fighting for their lives and trying to tear his head off, because they had one foot in a foot snare at the time, feel free to disagree. He has been kind enough and patient enough to answer some of my ignorant, novice questions over the years.
Here are some of JJ Hack's hard earned opinions:
1. Handguns can be sufficient for Black Bear hunting and defense, under the following specific conditions:
A. sufficient caliber (41mag/10mm caliber and up for hunting under 75yds, 44mag caliber and
up for defense under 50yds)
B. sufficient IMPACT velocity over 1000fps (not just muzzle velocity)
C. sufficient bullet weight over 200gr.
2. No handguns and few long guns are sufficient for stopping Brown Bear/ Grizzly charges. For big bear defense you should use long guns starting at a minimum caliber of 375, with 270gn bullets at 2700fps or 300gr bullets at 2500fps.
3. His personal carry arm for black bear defense was a Ruger Redhawk 7.5" barrel, with 240gr Jacketed Hollow Points. At first he carried Randy Garret 300gr hardcasts, but they proved to have insufficient stopping effect. Hardcast would kill with a heart/lung shot, but the bear may run over 100yds before they die. They may run away from you or at you. Hack shot dozens of black bears with the 240gr JHP's, and "NOT ONE RAN OFF AFTER BEING HIT. "
In JJ Hack's own words about shooting Black Bears with a 44 Mag for DEFENSE:
"The heavy hard cast bullets don't disrupt enough tissue to crumple or stall a bear unless a perfect CNS hit is made, Feel lucky? The better choice and I say this after trying so many loads and killing so many bears I feel the research is nearly indisputable, is the common 240 grain hollowpoint. I have used many types but having done research with Hornady to develope the XTP bullet in the 80's I feel the XTP is as good as any bullet or even better. I have seen nearly every bear hit with a Garrett bullet run a long way unless CNS hits were made. However with a 240 hollowpoint the bears will spin like a top and bite at the wound trying to get the burning "bee" out of there hide. This allows many more shots. I have also seen them fall at impact and roll aound on the ground while bawling their heads off allowing more shots. These bullets rarely exit and tear up so much tissue that the bears really show amazing impact effect when compared to the 300 grain hardcast bullets most folks want for hunting. I would not use a 300 grain hard cast bullet for bears as a first choice."
Here is an exerpt from an email exchange I had with JJ Hack more than 15 years ago. My question in the underlined part. His answer follows:
I realize a handgun is not ideal for the purpose, but for very large dangerous game like lion, cape buffalo, brown bear or moose, what handgun and load would you recommend for last ditch protection (i.e stopping a charge and/or shooting an animal that is on you)?
Stopping a charge is not gonna happen on the animals listed using a handgun so eliminate that from your inventory of choices! As I said above it may happen once or twice with a lucky CNS hit but it's an absolutely non functional weapon to depend upon. It will give you a false sense of security and put you into situations you would not otherwise have gone into unarmed. With a handgun you are effectively "unarmed" against those animals.
I have had a bear on me and been chewed at the same time I had a 44 mag ruger redhawk with 300 grain garrett hardcast bullets. I never was able to get the gun out of the holster to use it. Every Time I moved the bear bit me again and again. A brown bear lion or Cape buffalo will crunch you to bits long before you could use it by your statement of "shooting something that's on you". It may work to deter the animal but your really pulling the auxillary rip cord at that point. I think anything starting with a .44 mag would be better then nothing or a sharp stick but it's likely too late by the time you pull the trigger.
The Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said:
A smart man learns from his own experience. A wise man learns from the experience of others. (emphasis mine of course)
I have never shot a bear with a handgun, but I have taken time to find people who have, A LOT, and learn from their EXPERIENCE. Ain't the interweb grand.
Holy Wall of Words - He's done it again Batman.
PAYS YOUR MONEY AND TAKES YOUR CHANCES as they say. YMMV
