Glock 20 For Bear Defense - "How to Choose the Right Side for Cargo Protection," by Will Brantley, Bryce M. Towsley, Tyler Freel, and John B. Snow. Keith Crowley/Images on Wildside
Hunters love to sit around the fire and argue about guns. When there's no fire, there's social media, and people sometimes argue. When I saw Freel and Towsley making a noise game about defensive guns on Facebook, I invited them to visit
Glock 20 For Bear Defense
I have hunted bears in North America and Russia for over 40 years. I learned two truths. First, bears are strong in physique and temperament. They have thick skin, strong muscles, and large bones. When injured, they rarely give up quickly.
Setting Up A Dedicated Home Defense Handgun
The idea of using a semi-automatic pistol in the context of a self-defense weapon designed to be used against humans is absurd. I know everyone thinks they're going to go after John Wick on a bear and beat him with a ton of bullets, but that ignores the second truth about bears: bears attack fast. a lot of. If you're lucky, you can get a hole or two before he chews on your skull like hors d'oeuvres.
Mine is a 5" Freedom Arms model 83 .454 Casull ($2,421) that Ken Kelly of Mag-na-Port designed for me. I load 305 grain hardcast bullets at 1,650 fps. The .454 Casull has no trouble killing everything I shoot, including two bears.
True bear-proof rifles use large bullets with high horsepower in the rear to penetrate skin and muscle and break bone. Bigger guns with larger caliber, flat nose, non-expanding bullets do a better job at this. Cartridges designed to protect against predators do not.
A 10mm car with the best 220 grain hardcast bullet has 703 foot-pounds of energy. For comparison, a .500 Smith & Wesson with a 440 grain bullet has a 2,579 foot-pounds. It has double the weight of the bullet, is 25% larger, and is 267% more powerful (not to mention 170% more powerful, which many believe is a better measure of whether a bullet's penetrating power is greater than its kinetic energy).
Mm Auto: Good Self Defense Round?
Semi-automatic can be blocked. Revolvers rarely malfunction and no magazines fall out, as happened last fall in a fatal attack on a Wyoming tour guide.
Another guy in New Mexico couldn't stop a black bear with his 10mm bullet, even with multiple hits. When he tried to shoot him in the head, the bear ate him. The gun jammed. He cleaned up the jam as the bear proceeded to eat his leg and eventually killed the victim. Rescuers had to cut its lower jaw from the bear's leg.
In stark contrast to my friend Lucas Clark, an Alaska resident and tour guide. He was attacked by a big brown bear. He fired with his .500 S&W and the bear fell to the ground, an honorable death.
Small gun makers have two arguments. One is for quick follow-up photos. It's John Wick's disease again. But the first shot of this gun is as fast as any other, and that's what counts. Their follow-up shots are also fast, even for big boomers. I can put my full power hand on target with my .454 Casull single action in 2.8 seconds. I have a video to prove it.
Hsm Bear Ammo 10mm Auto 200 Grain Lead Round Nose Flat Point Box Of 20
What does the second small gun say? Theologians say most people don't shoot big guns. Retreating would melt the snow or something. Anyone who can shoot 10mm can quickly learn to shoot old cartridges. I know because I've learned a lot.
This is your life we are talking about. What do you wish you were holding when an angry 1,200-pound brown bear gives you orders? —Bryce M. Tosley,
The Glock 20 ($600) is the standard by which all other pistols are measured. It's simple and reliable, with a 15+1 spin capacity. Companies like Lone Wolf Distributors are now producing their own special 10s based on the G20. By the time this magazine goes to press, I should be getting mine.
Nothing is certain in a bear attack. I have lived in Alaska all my life and I have killed and witnessed 45 black bears, 16 grizzly and brown bears killed. Every bear is different, but in general, if a bear jumps up, it's hard to stop.
The 10mm: Might In A Small Package
If you're in a hurry, you'll want a gun. This is a big deal. A gun is better than nothing, but whether it's a 9mm or a .500 S&W, it's just a punch. Some make larger holes, while others make deeper holes. But they don't all have the speed of a gun. For perspective, the 8 inch .500 and 440 grain bullets are superior to .308 with less muzzle energy. Smart guns are the only way to make sure you can stop an attacking bear with any shot. You can shoot quickly and accurately, and you can deliver a ton of bullets to your targets, which is as it should be. (Good luck with follow-up shots with a kick like a .454.)
But a gun is useless if you don't have one. In my opinion, portability and usability are more important than caliber. The .454 Casull's Ruger Super Redhawk will have a loaded weight of over 4 lbs. A fully loaded 15-round Glock 20 weighs only 2.5 pounds.
In Alaska, most of us don't carry pork knuckles anymore because, frankly, they're a headache. But if you don't have it, it's useless. The light weight, ergonomics and increased capacity of the 10mm drivers were a very important consideration. So is the potential for practice. Big guns range from tedious to painful to shoot, and their bullets are too expensive for most people's standard practice. The 10mm drive is strong, but the recoil is manageable. You can find sample ammo for around $20 a box. Be sure to switch to hard bullets or solid bullets for protection.
Some people use this incident as an argument against 10mm, but it was all over last summer when a guy from New Mexico put the last bullet in the head of a black bear stuck in his leg. Then he used six more rounds. His first gunshot wound in self-defense may not have stopped the attack, but it's hard to tell if it was more bullets or a bigger gun. Finally, he got the gun and the bear died and came back to life. Bear attacks aren't always as clean and pure as we think they are. Sometimes the bear will bite you and it will get hurt - but if you survive the attack, that's a win.
Glock G20 Magnaport 10mm Custom Cased Ammo, Kenai, Two Barrels ++
Having a gun that shoots well, practices regularly, and is carried regularly is far more beneficial against bears than a big gun that can be shot a few times a year. Your backpack or the back of your truck. –– Tyler Freer
No matter which gun you choose to carry to protect bears, practice taking down charging animals in life-or-death situations.
Of all the animals in North America, the most charged and attacked animal is the brown bear. I have lived and hunted in this colorful country and when I go back I always have an arm by my side to hunt bears. (In case you're wondering, my gun of choice was a Smith & Wesson 329 PD .44 chambered for 420 grit hardcast bullets.)
It happened fast, and charges were imminent. Must aim your gun to stop the threat. This exercise will test your speed and ability to move quickly between targets. You can do this with a rifle, shotgun, or rifle.
Shtf Guns: Heavy Metal
Arrange four to six targets in a staggered order, placing the far end at 50 feet below and the closest end at 5 feet below. Also, vary the height at which you set your targets, placing them between 2 ½ and 4 ½ feet off the ground.
You can use IPSC letters or cut out 8" cardboard circles. Either way, place a 2.5" black hole in the center of the target. (This is the bear's nose, a useful focal point.)
Move your eyes to your gun and during your shoot learn to pull the trigger as soon as your front sight is aligned with the black dot. Don't start and stop the shot with a jerky motion - keep moving slowly.
Use a timer (you can download one for free on your phone) and start shooting from the lowest settings. Set the timer to 3 seconds. Hearing gunshots, raise the gun to the far end and fire. It's up to you to pull the trigger or not, but either way, quickly move on to the next prospect and the next. Hold the gun slowly back and forth. You must take a shot at each target before the 3 seconds expire, completing
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