January 27, 2020, 05:47 PM | #101 |
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It looks as though Federal is now offering their own Bear Defense load.
Apparently they're making a new line of ammo called Solid Core which is intended for Animal Defense.
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January 29, 2020, 04:45 PM | #102 | |
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I think it has to do with the fact that I'd never look forward to having to employ my self defense firearm against a 2 legged critter, I pray I never in my life have to face that situation and have to answer to the Lord for it. But a bear.... : ) |
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January 29, 2020, 05:32 PM | #103 | |
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I have no doubt that plenty more people will venture out into bear country armed with whatever gun they feel comfortable with, and most will never have to fire a shot. Good for them. More power to them. And if they should find themselves having to employ their weapon of choice, I wish them the best of luck. No matter if its a .500mag or a 9mm or a .22lr.
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Bottom line, people who are forced to shoot bears and survive to tell the tale, are incredibly lucky.
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January 29, 2020, 08:14 PM | #104 | |
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The amount of bone and the distance the bullet needs to travel would not be something that a .22 lr could not accomplish. There is really nothing terribly remarkable about a bear's skull.
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January 29, 2020, 08:39 PM | #105 |
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9mm would not be my first choice, but I remember reading Iain Grahame's book, Jambo, Effendi! back in the '70s. Grahame was an officer in the King's African Rifles. One of his men used a Sten on a rhino and killed it. Most of us don't have selective fire weaponry to take on Griz though.
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January 30, 2020, 12:36 AM | #106 | |
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Quote:
tipoc
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January 30, 2020, 02:42 AM | #107 |
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February 1, 2020, 10:59 AM | #108 |
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February 6, 2020, 09:07 AM | #109 |
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I learned a long time ago the difference between "graveyard dead" and being mortally wounded. The mortally wounded animals can still kill you "graveyard dead." I once shot a big buck at about <50 feet twice with 10mm Glock/155 grain XTPs. Bullets went through deer and were just under skin on opposite side of entry. He ran about 50 feet before dying. I started reloading 155 FMJs . Hopefully, they would do more damage to a bear and the gun's 15 round capacity would keep me somewhat happy while running away from a charging bear. I'd prefer my M1 Garand for bears, which you can reload real quick under shear panic!!!!!!!!! Or better yet, my M1A's 20 round magazine would even be mo-gooder.
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February 9, 2020, 01:27 AM | #110 |
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The choice of a 9mm is definitely odd until you see the choice of ammo. He didntnjust choose it load up and head out. He had been working with it and checking penetration. Also I believe he was above average when it comes to hitting where he wants. He probably has had that gun for several years practiced with it and was very comfortable with it. So I'm sure the average conceal carry Joe hasn't practiced as much as him and hasn't checked their carry ammo for penetration and by what I have seen at public ranges most people couldn't handle the buffalo bore ammo in 9mm not to mention the big bores.
Due to his time guiding I would think he has seen a few bears and to him the sight and proximity doesn't start the flow of pee like it would for the first time a client sees one, so I would believe he knew when it was time to shoot and was able to place the rounds where they needed to go. The part about the clients putting their lives in his hands and expecting him to save them. That is so much bull ship it drives me crazy. We are the ones in charge of staying alive. In this case that means asking what he is going to carry on that trip. If they are not comfortable with his choice and the reasons for his choice it's up to YOU to say something if he won't take something else find some one elsewhere will but don't sit on your ass then hitch and whine you didn't know what he was going to carry. You are responsible for you know one else should have to hold your hand and make choices for you Sent from my SM-T377V using Tapatalk |
February 9, 2020, 12:20 PM | #111 | ||
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My memory was off about the incident so I'm posting Shoemaker's account of the shooting which was written for American Rifleman of August 10, 2016.
Quote:
Here also is a bit from Shoemakers letter to Tim Sundles of Buffalo Bore. Quote:
https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=389 I did recall a main point correctly. Shoemaker took the DAO 3953 S&W 9mm because he incorrectly did not expect any issue with bears. He normally carries a Model 629 in 44 Magnum. He and his guests were, as he says, lucky that the bear they stumbled on was confused. tipoc
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February 9, 2020, 12:24 PM | #112 |
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Here also is a link to a piece by Tim Sundles of Buffalo Bore.
"'Stopping Bears' with Handgun or Rifle Cartridges" https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...uct_list&c=108 It's a useful read. tipoc
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February 9, 2020, 03:21 PM | #113 | |
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If he really hadn't expected "any issue" with bears, he wouldn't have carried a gun at all. But he did take a gun. One loaded with ammo he had tested himself to insure it had sufficient penetration for bears because he knew there might be an issue with bears. He didn't take his normal handgun because he thought the probability of trouble with bears was lower on this trip than usual. Had he KNOWN that he was going to have an issue with a bear, it seems likely he would have stayed home that day, taken his clients to another area, or carried a heavy rifle. Had he thought that the probability of an issue with bears was normal, it sounds like he would have taken his normal sidearm.
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February 9, 2020, 05:09 PM | #114 | |
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Read what he said in his own words. He did not anticipate that there would be high danger from the bears in the area. Had he expected, he says, that a sow with cubs would be there he would have taken his 629 Mountain Gun. But he did not expect that to be the case. He says they spoke in loud voices to give a bear warning they were in the area. He anticipated them backing off. He assumed, he says, that male bears would be there and that the potential danger was small and so took the 3953 loaded with the proper ammo for the job if needed which he did not think it would be. That's what he has said in more than one place.
He also tells us that he believed they stumbled on a sleeping bear that woke up confused. That is different from a bear that may have been stalking them. Had he anticipated being in an area with bears that charged or stalked them his handgun would have had his 629...so he says. Shoemaker makes a distinction This goes along with what Tim Sundles of BB says... Quote:
But, as Sundles and Shoemaker say, if you have a choice take a more powerful gun and learn to use it. tipoc
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February 9, 2020, 05:46 PM | #115 | ||
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I read it. You initially said he didn't expect "any issues" but that's not what he says, nor is it consistent with his carrying bear loads in his gun.
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He says he knew there were many large boars in the area where they were going but said they were "less of a problem". "Less of a problem" is clearly not the same thing as no problem, but it would be pretty similar to saying that he felt the danger was lower than usual. I don't think that there can be much serious debate about whether or not he expected bear issues when he was carrying a bear load in his gun. Clearly he recognized that there could be issues, he just thought that the probability of an issue was less than usual. Quote:
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February 9, 2020, 06:11 PM | #116 | ||
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What Phil the Fabulous actually said:
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So from past experience he was expecting large male bears to be there, whether "less of a problem than sows with cubs" or not. So in a fishing location known for the presence of large bears, he decided to pull a reckless stunt with his clients' welfare and take a mini-meter pistol loaded with hardcast bullets in order to chance some sort of selfish 'field test' as to their likely effectiveness on an aggressive bear, rather than take a big-bore revolver that's proven its effectiveness multiple times. Quote:
Last edited by agtman; February 10, 2020 at 08:40 AM. |
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February 10, 2020, 11:23 AM | #117 | ||
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OK, so how'd it turn out?
Was the presence of bears "less of a problem"? It was in the sense that no bear stalked them or charged them. Had that been the case things very likely would have turned out worse. Shoemaker is an honest man so he tells us... Quote:
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Now the bear being there and waking up could of happened anywhere no matter how many guns a person carried or what type. It was Shoemaker's experience and good sense that saved lives but also luck. The "little S&W" 3953 is an 8 round compact 9mm. Shoemaker had it loaded with good ammo. He is skilled with that gun and shooting that ammo. The point here is that if anyone thinks the 9mm is a good round to carry against bear...it's not. Not enough gun. But if that's the only gun you can shoot well with accuracy and speed then make sure it has good ammo for the job and that you can shoot it well. Bring a pack full of luck as well, without that this story would have been different. tipoc
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1. All guns are always loaded. 2. Never let the muzzle cover anything you are not willing to destroy. 3. Keep your finger off the trigger till you are ready to shoot. 4. Identify your target and know what is beyond it. Last edited by tipoc; February 10, 2020 at 11:34 AM. |
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February 10, 2020, 11:42 AM | #118 |
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If you are standing off against a charging bear things have gone drastically wrong already. I would prefer not to do it with anything even a 375 Holland and Holland rifle because the chance of missing, or even scoring a non immediate threat ending hit, is high. If I had my choice of pistols some behemoth pistol like the .500 S+W would be my choice. However I am never going to be in a position where I am planning on this happening and am going to use whatever I have on me. Am I going to go "all I have is a .22 so its not worth trying?" No. It would be ludicrous to do so. So if all I have is a 9MM on me so be it.
If you are intentionally creating a situation where you are shooting at a charging bear with a 9MM you are an idiot. I'm not sure the choice of firearm alleviates that point.
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February 10, 2020, 12:50 PM | #119 | ||
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Quote:
A "charge" or "charging" is exactly how Shoemaker himself characterized the bear's behavior. Quote:
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February 10, 2020, 03:34 PM | #120 |
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Bullet placement is everything. That takes 2 things. Knowing WHERE to shoot. And knowing HOW to shoot. This guy knew and accomplished both. These stories are as common as the bears that absorbed 5 shots from a .375 H&H. Because they were shot in the feet, ass, and everywhere else they should not have been.
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February 10, 2020, 08:57 PM | #121 | |
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They did not come upon a bear defending it's cubs nor a bear hunting them. The story likely would have ended differently then. By virtue of a lotta luck (good name for a stripper ain't it, Lotta Luck) they all survived. Too much luck was needed here. I don't think Shoemaker is stupid either. I think he made a bad judgement call. Luck with good shooting and a good bullet saved them.
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February 10, 2020, 10:47 PM | #122 |
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For as long as I'll probably remember anything, I'll remember a picture I saw or the lower leg of a hiker, stripped of flesh from the knee down to the tennis shoe, and an empty .38 snub nose pistol beside the body.
That bear was enormous, a brown (though today the Internet tells me browns and grizzlies are "the same bear") standing it could look into a second story window. Killed later by a ranger with several shots of 7mm magnum. I think about everyone here agrees that a 9mm was not the best possible choice, but it worked for that guy, that day, and you know the saying, if it's stupid but it works, it ain't stupid.... We've spent several pages saying how stupid it was, but he's here, the people he was guiding that day are here, all unharmed and the bear ISN'T. perhaps not the smartest thing, but not stupid.
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February 10, 2020, 11:35 PM | #123 |
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Ever heard the term, "dumb luck?"
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February 11, 2020, 12:56 AM | #124 | ||
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It's not what I would choose to carry, but there's no denying it can be enough gun--because it has been demonstrated more than once that it is. Quote:
<<Edit--Corrected Brenner's first name. My apologies to anyone who tried to find the incident using the incorrect first name.>>
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February 11, 2020, 08:01 PM | #125 |
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Unlike situations involving human predators, I have no problem firing a round off in a "safe" direction to scare off a bear. In such cases, a 9mm is quite adequate. So is banging pots and pans.
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