That's not the blooper, dude, it's your avatar. The bear takes one look at those eyes and says "fuggit, I'mouttahere!"

Crimson Ghost'd!

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Good call, Dunedan. Nothing puts the fear into wild animals like the awful scream of abrasive '70s punk music.

Epic.

Somewhat useful contribution:

Get Bear Smart Society - Bear Facts

Ugh I hate to restart this bear thread, but I randomly came across this link saying that a .40 pistol brought down a bear, maybe it was a fluke ...

Bear killed with .40 caliber handgun - Alaska - Sleepless in Midland

I hear you should wear bells and carry bear pepper spray... also know how to identify signs of bears being in the area like identifying their poo... its easy... its the one with little bells in it and a peppery smell....

Well a poisoned stick can bring down a bear... the question is of time and repeatability. I think we can safely say 9mm or under isn't going to be a good bet though it'd technically be possible. A .40 isn't a .50 but its not too bad either. I don't think we have enough data to reliably say one way or another. Could have been lucky...might not be a bad choice. Not many people can practically carry and shoot reliably a .50 while under pressure and still hit a moving target. .40s, .44s, and .45s are going to be what most people would have as a realistic backup piece for bears.

I'd think .44 mag would be the best all around unless you're good with a .50.

And what .40s, .45s, and .50s are you guys talking about here? Seems like video game / action movie knowledge.

Most people can't carry and shoot a 9mm under pressure or hit a moving target while relaxed.

Do we really have to say .40 cal S&W, .45 ACP..? And for .50 there isn't much of a standard, I think S&W makes one, I know there's one specifically for grizzly, I think it has the name in it.

Dude you are so annoying sometimes, no ones toting video game knowledge. I may not know as much about specific guns as you but I grew up a hunter and probably know more about bears and hunting safety. And there's a reason its a backup piece, no one has said to go hunting a bear with a .44 mag.

Yeah, its hard to shoot big hand guns, duh. I'd still rather have a .44 and have a 40% chance to hit than a .22 with a 80% chance to hit. I still don't think a 9mm is going to cut it. Truth be told though that's what we carried as a backup piece on our hunts. Course we also drank beer too, neither was the brightest thing to do...

<- grew up a redneck

Would an M60 work against a charging bear? Stationary with you prone so that there is not as much chance of missing.

Pffft not if the bear was in a bunker with a grenade launcher! See we like to arm the bears first, give them a taste of human blood, turn them into godless killing machines, then hunt them. Makes it more fair.

See? This is why it pays off to ask people in the know first. Had I carried my M60 into the wilderness, I'm sure there wouldn't be anything left of me but a pair of smoking boots. Fuckin' bears.

I'll have air support on speed dial just in case from now on.

I think a RPG-7 firing a HEAT round is the most effective small arm against any attacking animal.

Naw the AMR-B7 is clearly the most effective.

The UberCannon craze perpetuated by S&W, Ruger, Taurus and others is mostly masturbatory. .500 S&Ws on the X-frame are completely ridiculous. It's a rifle without a shoulder stock. Granted, advances in frame designs / materials and cartridge technology have really pumped up hunting handguns in the last 2 decades. Look at .454 Casull, for example. For many, it represents a new standard for big bore hunting revolvers.

Let's assume this is bear country where actual bear-sized bears exist... not the dog-sized critters that run around outside DC. Bears are harder targets than humans... they have stronger skulls and more muscle mass. Nobody in their right mind would use a 9, .40 or .45 to stop a bear. Unless the noise and flash of firing the peashooter scares the bear, you'd be pretty much screwed versus a charging bear even if you score direct hits at "oh shit" pistol range. People have been killed even after delivering mortal wounds to the creature with large bore rifles.

And I don't get your caliber / accuracy percentage thing here. Odds are you'll get one or two shots. This isn't a firearm capacity string, it's point and squeeze. Accuracy is accuracy. This isn't relative to any other weapon. It's been my experience that the first shot out of a H&K USP .45 is just as accurate as the first shot out of a Walther P22... the operator is the weakness, not the gun. A .22 may prove to be more accurate of the course of 50 rounds, but the UberCannon should be just as accurate with the first two shots. We wouldn't spend $1800 on a BFR if it couldn't hit worth a shit, right?

The best backup piece on a hunt is your buddy's rifle, not a handgun. A .44 Magnum is a good compromise if you choose a handgun.

I don't think this has anything to do with your qualifications as a modern day slayer of animals and/or consumer of alcohol and tobacco products.

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Odds are you can scare the bear off with bright colors, making big arms, screaming, a whistle, bear spray, etc.

And for those who miss the obvious: Don't fuck with bear-tots.

Yeah I know, that was just in response to your specific response. And I'd rather have my buddy w/ a rifle *and* my handgun personally... The percentages weren't meant to be accurate or anything, just saying I'll take the biggest available within reason. If I sprain my wrist with a .50 on the first shot and miss...fml.

I guess I know a shitton of hunters out of their minds then :) (which they may be) cause none of them own a .50. And a backup pistol is better than a backup knife.

Umm you called me on my knowledge and claimed I got it all from video games. I simply said its from real life and I don't think you know shit more than I do about what might stop a bear.

Once again we are practically giving the same damn advice and you seem to have some bug up your ass about me and keep calling me on stupid shit.

M240B.

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Wouldn't surprise me. Dumbasses are plentiful during hunting season... it's why Busch makes camo beer cans. It's why Remington auto rifles have 10 round aftermarket magazines... because the 2nd round of .30-06 wasn't enough. First day of hunting season sounds like the Normandy.

Going into the woods with a 1911 or a Glock on your hip as your "bear defense backup" is foolish.

I find it hard to believe that these plaid-covered, Skoal-sucking individuals don't own a .44 Magnum.

It's practically required by law in some counties. Hell, even I've got one. It's way ostentatious.

Is that an anti-bear version of an M60?

Agreed about the dumbasses, but wtf should they carry as backup? Hairspray? Backup means backup for a reason. I mean, a 2nd rifle? That's not really a backup for logistical reasons. Of course nothing is as good as a high powered rifle, but what else ya gonna do? I could see an argument for the .50 but that doesn't seem to be what you're arguing.

I am curious as to why you keep fire extinguishers in your home when the fire brigade is just a couple of blocks away "protecting" your home?

Well, I live about 300 yards from the Fire Station as it goes,and I dont have any fire extinguishers in my house whatsoever.

Fine, so you are an extremely rare exception - a person who can throw a rock at the fire station. Would you say your family and friends who do not benefit from such proximity are foolish for having such unnecessary instruments of protection in their homes when there are people to protect them from fires?

Of course you wouldn't. Firearms are the fire extinguishers of crime.

Dude you should still have a fire extinguisher! It can mean the difference between putting out a small blaze and having to call the fire department to put out half your apartment! Even across the street, you still have to call, they have to receive it, get ready, move the truck over, hike up your stairs (if you have em) etc. Or what if worse, someone gets caught on fire? Or there's a grease fire (water can't put it out)?

Me thinks our friend may be fibbing in an attempt to punch his way out of the corner I pushed him into.

To further your point though: not having an extiguisher and depending on the 300 yard fire brigade for protection is just like not having a firearm for protection. It can be the difference between scaring off a criminal without firing a shot and your family having to call the coroner to mop you up.

In the course of the classes I took as a requisite for CCW, a city police officer came in and detailed the legality of handgun possession, CCW usage and response in my city. According to him, in 2006, an FBI survey came through to analyze the average response time to a 911 call in our city and it recommended additional staffing as a result of the discovery that following an emergency 911 call it takes police officers on average 14 minutes to respond to the location. I can put out a lot of fires in 14 minutes with my 'fire extinguisher'.