Handguns in Defense Against Bears by Caliber

SW686 SSR 357 Magnum Revolver. Img. Jim Grant

Many readers are inquisitive about how numerous handgun calibers have carried out in protection towards bears. It is a sophisticated topic. Generally, any caliber will do. Generally, a stage of energy could also be required. Generally, a stage of accuracy or velocity could also be required. Many permutations exist. Crucial side, if a confrontation happens, is to have a firearm obtainable, simply and rapidly accessible. The particular caliber is much less necessary. These updates embrace all of the incidents we’ve been in a position to doc to the date of the replace after a number of years of intense searches. We’ve all the time sought examples of failures. We respect readers who assist us doc extra instances.

Listed below are all of the instances which have been documented the place .357 Magnum caliber revolvers have been fired in protection towards bears. These instances don’t embrace incidents the place handguns have been used with different deadly means or a mixture of handgun calibers have been used. If multiple handgun of the identical caliber was used, the incident is included. There are 14 incidents with a .357 caliber revolver (3 black, 10 brown, 1 polar bear), and 1 incident was a failure with a brown bear. 1 incident was indeterminate. The incidents are listed chronologically.

We’ve discovered fourteen instances through which .357 magnum revolvers have been used to defend towards bears. Twelve have been profitable, one was unsuccessful towards a brown bear, and one was indeterminate.

September 1956 or 1957 — Geologist Alex Burton, Highland Valley, British Columbia, .357 Magnum Colt revolver, Black Bear.

I interviewed Alex Burton. The main points of his instances have been detailed on AmmoLand earlier than. When Alex arrived on the scene, the Prepare dinner had gone again to the dump. Alex needed to retrieve his 357 Colt revolver, unlock the field it was in, retrieve ammunition from one other field, and cargo it. Whereas he was doing this, the Prepare dinner got here working again from the dump, with the bear chasing him. Alex shot the bear from about 100 toes away. The bear bumped into the dense woods. Alex was obligated to comply with it up, and, thankfully, discovered it useless a brief methods into the woods.

Spring 1961 — Washington State, Grays Harbor County, .357 Magnum, black bear, From The Schooling of a Bear Hunter by Ralph Flowers p. 115,116

I used to be standing in somewhat clearing about fifteen toes in diameter and I couldn’t see the bear till she burst out of the thicket, heading straight for me, clicking her tooth like castanets. I noticed black in my sights and pulled the set off and the outdated bear skidded to a halt, proper at my toes. I put one other bullet into the yearling, after which I sat down on the log by the lure, my coronary heart thumping as I noticed how shut I had been to tangling with that mad sow bear.

I walked over to take a look at the mom bear and noticed that my bullet had hit her immediately within the high heart of the nostril, slightly below the eyes, and had gone straight into her mind, killing her immediately.

The creator, Ralph Flowers, was severely mauled twice in his skilled bear-hunting profession. In each instances, he didn’t have his .357 revolver with him.

Summer time 1976 — Grizzly Bear Assault in Montana, .357 Magnum used efficiently by Allen Schallenberger

In Allen’s personal phrases:

In the summertime of 1976, I used to be working alone on the grizzly bear analysis and was on a visit within the Scapegoat Wilderness south of the Benchmark Highway finish on USFS land. I used to be driving my saddle horse and main two pack horses with my gear and tenting provides. I rode right into a small grassy opening appropriate for horse feed north of Half Moon Peak at about nightfall. I unloaded the 2 pack horses and turned them free to graze with hobbles and was beginning to unsaddle my driving horse. A really heavy, tall, darkish coloured grizzly bear appeared strolling on the close by USFS path about 30 yards away. He made no dangerous threats and saved strolling. I had been out about two weeks and my flashlight batteries have been useless. Rapidly I threw some range gas on dry sticks and bought a big hearth going for gentle. I put a double halter rope on my horse so he couldn’t break free from the tree. I arrange my small tent after which I stood exterior watching my horses and listening to the bear circle the small clearing breaking sticks. The horses with hobbles weren’t consuming and have been pivoting sensing the journey of the bear circling round us.

After about two hours, I knew I needed to do one thing to scare away the very massive and aggressive bear. I fired six quick pictures with my Colt Python and reloaded rapidly. The bear left and I tied up all of the horses, ate some supper and went to mattress within the tent. The horses have been allowed to graze the subsequent morning earlier than we headed again to our pickup and trailer at Benchmark Highway. The bear’s tracks have been within the path mud for a number of miles. The entrance paw print was 8 inches huge which signifies a really massive grizzly in Montana. That was the final journey I ever made in grizzly analysis with no 760 Remington pump 30:06 rifle with ghost ring peep sight and 220 grain masses or a brief, barreled Remington 12 gauge 870 with sights and a mix of double 00 buck and slugs together with my revolver and exhausting forged lead bullets.

Spring 1977 — Byers Lake Campground milepost 147 of Parks Freeway, Alaska, grizzly bear, .357 magnum. Alaskan Bear Tales, Larry Kanuit, p. 156.

Lori Meade was tenting together with her mother and father. She and her sister have been in a tent and her mother and father have been in a camper. Right here father’s .357 revolver was within the cab of the pickup. A grizzly bear got here into camp, knocked over trash cans and swatted the cooler with about 80 lbs of meat in it. The cooler landed just a few toes from the tent. Her father tried to scare the bear off, but it surely calmly continued to eat from the cooler. Her father then accessed his .357 magnum. From Lori:

“Dad then bought his .357 and fired three rounds into the air. The bear dropped the package deal of sausage and checked out Dad. He shot one other spherical, and the bear reared.”

Dad then began shouting: “Don’t say something! Exit the again of the tent, quick! We’ve a bear!

“Being woke up at 5:30 a.m. anytime is a shocker, however with gunfire and a bear in camp!”

“Properly, Lynn couldn’t get out of her sleeping bag, so she took it together with her – hippity hop, hippity hop. As a substitute of going out the again of the tent, which Lynn needed to crawl below, I went out the entrance. Off to my proper, about three toes, was the bear. Boy, did I ever boogie to the pickup!”

“The bear stood their Dad straight within the eyes, not shifting. So Dad had one heck of a call – He knew he solely had one spherical left. He was shut sufficient he may kill the bear if he bought the bear both between the eyes or within the throat. He wasn’t that certain of himself so he began strolling towards the bear and shot his final shot within the air. Lastly the bear lumbered for the timber. He picked up a steak on his means out!”

Lori’s father solely had 5 rounds in his .357 revolver.

Summer time 1977 — Grizzly Bears, Montana, .357 magazine as advised by Allen Schallenberger

In spring 1977, I used to be flying with a small airplane pilot out of the Choteau airport to verify on the placement of radio collared grizzly bears. My spring helper Roy Jacobs and I had just a few snares set in aspen patches on Ear Mountain, a outstanding peak on the mountain entrance adjoining to the foothills and prairie about 25 miles west of Choteau. I flew over the snare units with the pilot to verify for bears and I noticed two grownup grizzlies in snares and one other grownup hanging out with a snared bear. We instantly stopped our radio monitoring flight and went again to the Choteau airport. Roy and I caught our saddle horses and a pack animal for our trapping and radio gear and loaded up my trailer at Choteau. Roy who was an area recommended we get Wayne and Chip Gollehon who ranched on Ear Mountain to assist us deal with the bears for security. I referred to as Wayne and we met them on horses on the mountain.

We had no hassle with the primary massive male and I rapidly drugged him with a dart gun, and we measured him and put a radio collar on him. The opposite pair was a few mile away. All of us tied up our horses to aspen timber and I gave my shotgun to Wayne Gollehon and advised him his job was look ahead to the courting sow grizzly which had been hanging out with the grownup male within the snare. After I drugged the bear and we have been on the point of put the radio collar on him, Wayne yelled, “ Look out right here she comes”! She was charging us at a trot at about 40 yards. I jerked my Colt Python .357 out and fired two pictures into the air and she or he swerved away and didn’t return. Roy had laid his shotgun on the bottom and needed to run towards the feminine to get it. We completed measuring the male and put the radio collar on him. We thanked the Gollehon’s for serving to and so they rode their horses dwelling. Roy and I went to the Cow Monitor Restaurant and had late dinner and a few drinks to settle our nerves. Roy grew up in Choteau and had camped and hunted on Ear Mountain many instances with out realizing what number of grizzlies have been current.

August 29, 1978 — Montana Grizzly bear .357 magazine, indeterminate, as advised by Allan Schallenberger

Once we had climbed to about 8,200 toes which was above timberline, we noticed a big grownup grizzly at about 300 yards coming down a sport path on the mountain towards us. Keith checked the radio, and it was our courting male we caught on Ear Mountain in 1977. I stated I assume I higher let him know we’re within the space, and I yelled,” Hey bear” loudly. He let loose a string of bear cuss phrases and began working towards us as quick as he may run. I rapidly fired two .357 magnum pictures within the air which appeared to don’t have any impact on him. I rapidly stuffed two extra shells within the revolver and gave it to Keith. I chambered a spherical in my shotgun and stuffed one other slug spherical within the journal. There was a five-foot-high boulder about 20 toes behind us and we bought behind that. I advised Keith when the grizzly appeared on high of the ridge, we have been going to kill him. We waited with our hair standing up and the bear didn’t seem. A verify with the radio receiver confirmed he had handed down the opposite facet of the ridge headed for the dense forest on the river.

September 15, 1985 — close to Healy, Alaska Ruger single-action .357 magnum, grizzly, Ben Moore: Bear Assaults of the Century: True Tales of Braveness and Survival P. 23-24

The pictures have been barely delayed as a result of the revolver was a single motion

The bear charged him. His first shot was from about 5 toes, into the chest. The bear grabbed him by the leg and threw him, then picked him up once more. Ben missed a shot, then managed to get a shot into the bear’s abdomen. The bear dropped him, then grabbed him by the pinnacle, shook him, and dropped him once more. He shoved the pistol and each palms into the bears mouth, and fired.

The bear moved again, shook its head, took a swipe at Ben with its paw, leaving a sliver of claw by Ben’s thumb.

Then it walked off. The assault was completed.

Ben required reconstructive surgical procedure for his face, however totally recovered.

August 1986 — Tsiu River south of Cordova, Alaska, .357 magnum revolvers, grizzly bear

A bunch of seven individuals on a fishing journey, with a information and a cook dinner, needed to take care of an more and more aggressive grizzly over a number of days. The group included Bob and Marietta Herron and their pal, Invoice. They saved a watch at night time, and repeatedly drove off the bear with warning pictures. About 1 am on the fourth day, the bear ignored warning pictures and got here inside 15 yards of the group. Throughout extra warning pictures, the information’s .30-06 rifle misfired, and one member fired on the bear, along with his .357. The bear moved off. after the solar got here up, the group discovered the bear, useless, with two .357 slugs in it. Web page 312-313 Protected with Bears.

June 26, 1987 — Montana: Grizzly Bear Killed After Biting Warden in Montana Forest .357 magnum

Footage at Subject and Stream Article right here

‘’I wouldn’t wish to have one other go-round,’’ the 60-year-warden, Lou Kis, stated from his hospital mattress after present process surgical procedure for the chunk, which was so highly effective that it broke the leg bone beneath the knee.

Mr. Kris, a warden captain right here for 22 years, killed the 400- to 500-pound bear with six pictures from his .357 caliber Magnum revolver because it bit him.

June or July 1991, Ontario, Canada, Backyard Lake, black bear, .357 magnum (Colt Python) Talked about in Feedback on Ammoland.

I interviewed George Scott in 2019.

Authorities geologist George Scott had an ATC (Authority to Carry) whereas within the efficiency of official duties. A black bear raided coolers and ate steaks and pork chops, punctured all coke cans. The subsequent morning, it was foggy and Scott went out fishing, leaving his Colt Python Stainless-steel revolver within the holster, loaded, within the cabin. He heard gunshots and returned to the cabin. His associate had fired on the bear, however had missed. The subsequent morning, approached the outhouse with rest room paper in a single hand and the Python within the different. The bear got here out from behind the outhouse when he was 20 toes away. He fired one shot, and the bear ran 40 toes and expired.

July 1992, close to the city of Central, Alaska, Grizzly, .357 revolver.

A 600 lb grizzly breaks right into a mining declare trailer. 14 yr outdated Clint Reynolds shoots the bear seven instances with a .357 revolver. The bear leaves the trailer by way of a window. There have been three pictures to the chest of the bear with the .357. The bear died exterior the trailer. Anchorage Each day Information, as reported by Craig Medred, J-8, 1992 as reported in Protected with Bears, web page 314.

February 27, 1993 – Barents Sea, Norway FOIA Polar Bears Rubber bullet from a particular handgun or .357 Magazine.

The bear was noticed round 12-13 hours by Joan and Jill on the first cabin on Vestpynten after the tenting place. The subsequent cabin is Ralph. They noticed the bear on the shore, strolling in direction of Ralph’s cabin. The canines (8) Ralph had with him had warned him concerning the bear and he began taking them inside. To the witnesses on the opposite cabin it seemed just like the bear was smelling the canines and getting . Ralph stated he had 3 canines left exterior when the bear arrived on the cabin. The witnesses solely noticed 1. Ralph tells that the bear had a darkish spot on the stomach, possibly from oil spill and that it was very aggressive. He went to get a particular weapon, “rubber-bullet gun”. At about 1m distance he fired one shot on the bear. He suppose it hit the bear within the facet. Joan couldn’t see the weapon correctly, however she thought it was a pistol as a result of he was holding it with one hand. She couldn’t see it if the bear reacted after the primary shot, however she stated that he fired yet one more shot and that the bear then jumped and ran away in direction of the ocean. Ralph himself claims he solely fired one shot. Jill additionally thought she noticed Ralph hearth 2 pictures however she wasn’t sure. She was sure that he didn’t use a rifle/ shotgun sized weapon, however a smaller sort of weapon.

The rubber-bullet-gun was by no means proven to the police, and on the subsequent interview, Ralph had destroyed it.

The rubber-bullet-gun was bought in Canada 20 years earlier than. The identical goes for the ammunition. The day of the incident was the primary time Ralph used the gun, and it was the final of the ammo. 20 yr outdated rubber bullets can get exhausting as rock and because it was fired at very shut vary it may need made critical accidents to the bear. Ralph additionally had a .357 revolver. Ralph claimed it was contained in the cabin when he shot on the bear.

June 20, 2010, Alaska: Geologist Pistol Protection failure Grizzly Bear, .357 Magnum

Miller managed to drag out his .357 Magnum revolver and squeeze off a shot, probably grazing the animal. Then he fell onto his abdomen, dug his face into the grime and lined his neck.

The bear went for his uncovered proper arm, gnawing and clawing it and chipping the bone off the tip of his elbow. The assault lasted 10 to fifteen seconds, then the animal lumbered away.

As Miller rolled over and was attending to his knees, the bear, solely about 40 yards away, got here at him once more.

He managed to fireplace two extra pictures, however along with his proper arm badly injured he thinks he missed the bear. Then he lay nonetheless because the animal gnawed and clawed at him.

After the second assault, Miller performed useless once more, mendacity nonetheless for 3 to 5 minutes. He tried to maneuver and realized he couldn’t. He was too badly injured.

“I used to be simply hoping my radio was nonetheless in my vest pocket and it was,” he stated. “I bought it out and began radioing mayday, which no one answered.”

July 26, 2014, Montana: Glacier Nationwide Park: Bear first sprayed, then shot with a .357 grizzly bear

Murphy first sprayed bear spray on the bear when it was 15 to 25 toes away, firing one shot from his .357 revolver when the bear had approached to inside 7-10 toes. The bear was charging uphill on the time. He solely fired one spherical on the bear, which fell again and stopped shifting when shot. Many have recommended that he ought to have continued firing, however it’s exhausting to argue with success.

About Dean Weingarten:

Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a army officer, was on the College of Wisconsin Pistol Crew for 4 years, and was first licensed to show firearms security in 1973. He taught the Arizona hid carry course for fifteen years till the objective of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has levels in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Division of Protection after a 30 yr profession in Military Analysis, Growth, Testing, and Analysis.