Can a 9mm stop a bear?

The 9mm can kill bears but is considered underpowered by experienced woodsmen. The 9mm has 350 to 450 ft/lbs. of energy, while 1,000 ft/lbs is considered the minimum for a bear hunting gun. Proper 9mm bullets yield sufficient penetration in soft tissue, but it may not stop a bear quickly enough to avoid being mauled.

Which handgun will stop a bear?

44 Magnum is the minimum for charging bears, many others have opted for a Glock 20 in 10mm Auto and, interestingly enough, passed right by the . 357 S&W Magnum. Several folks have even successfully killed bears with a 9mm.

What bullets can stop a bear?

For a bear cartridge anything equal to or more powerful than a . 41 Magnum or . 44 Magnum will be fine. Oldtime black bear hunters say that any load that throws at least a 200-grain or bigger solid bullet at 1000 fps or more will take any bear in the woods.

Will a .45 stop a bear?

In general, the . 45 acp is a poor choice for bear defense. The round is slow, fat, and has fairly poor penetration on tough-skinned animals; however, some people carry . 45 acp with modern +P ammo and hardened bullets for bear defense.

Can a 10 mm handgun stop a bear?

“I am a big fan of the 10mm for a bear defense handgun, but there are some premises that need to be understood. Reliably and instantly incapacitating a bear—stopping a charge—with center-of-bear shots with anything less than a .

Is 9mm Enough for Bears? | Gun Talk Radio

Will a .44 Magnum stop a grizzly?

44 magnum revolvers were used. The grizzly bear was killed. In total, there were 8 defenses against black bears and 27 defenses against grizzly bears. One pistol failure out of 35 cases translates to a 97% success rate for the use of handguns against bears.

Whats better 10 mm or 9 mm?

Regarding terminal performance, the 10mm will generally damage more tissue. But, when you consider carry comfort and shootability, the 9mm is probably the best choice for all but the most experienced shooters. There's a reason most police departments issue 9mm handguns.

Can a 40 cal stop a bear?

40-caliber Glock. The hollow-point bullet performed as advertised... As it turned out, the . 40-caliber 180-grain CorBon hollowpoints... were enough to take down a bear in short order.

Does a .45 have more stopping power than a 9mm?

45 ACP is often called the 9mm self-defense pistol for adults. However, that's not always the case. The . 45 ACP indeed has more stopping power — one of the reasons why the U.S. military adopted this cartridge with the 1911.

What caliber can take down a mountain lion?

A 30-30 is great... slow caliber and makes for an easy shot that will likely make them dead before they hit the ground.

Where do you aim at a bear?

Bears are not hard animals to kill with a firearm or a bow. A well-hit bear won't last long, but they are extremely unforgiving when hit marginally. In summary, only take broadside shots, prioritize getting a pass-through, aim about 4 to 5 inches back from the shoulder on a broadside bear, and don't shoot too low.

Do bullets bounce off bears?

In one incident in mid-2009, a bear matching Bubba's description confronted a frightened homeowner, who told officials that he shot the bear between the eyes with a . 44 Magnum. The bullet apparently bounced off the bear's skull, leaving him wounded but still alive, Mr.

Will 357 stop a bear?

Especially when shooting hard cast or other non-expanding bullets, hunters can rely on a . 357 Magnum. This cartridge's deep penetration is more than capable of stopping a charging bear with good shot placement.

What caliber is best for bear hunting?

Best Pistol Caliber for Bear: .

44 Magnum. This pistol packs a powerful punch while still being small enough to fit in the hands, which makes it a popular choice for people who want a sidearm when they take to the field for a bear hunt.

Can a bear survive a headshot?

Sure, the bear may die, but not before the victim is dead. The best bet to immediately stop an attacking bear is to turn off its central nervous system, which requires a brain shot or a shot which severs the spinal cord.

What caliber is best for black bear hunting?

308 Winchester. If you're looking for a one-cartridge answer for all methods of black-bear hunting, it boils down to the . 308 Winchester, as it does for just about every other type of big-game hunting in North America.

Is a 357 more powerful than a 9mm?

The 357 Magnum round loaded with a 125-grain projectile reaches almost 1,500 feet per second and strikes targets with 585 foot-pounds of energy. Needless to say, ballistically, it outperforms the 9mm. The 357 Magnum also has no problems reaching the FBI standards and even exceeding them.

Is 9mm enough for self-defense?

So, with proper HOLLOW POINT and 124-125 grain ammo, a 9mm will work fine for defense, since it meets these two F.B.I. criteria. Recognize that some guns perform better with high pressure loads or bigger grains, while some don't.

Is a 9mm enough stopping power?

Based in a combination of factors, including so-called “stopping power,” weight and availability, the FBI study shows that the 9mm round penetrates far enough, allows for shooters to carry more rounds, and is more widely available and less expensive than alternative rounds like the . 45 ACP or . 40 Smith & Wesson.

Is 9mm more powerful than 40?

The 9mm has a muzzle energy of 364 ft-lbs, while the . 40 S&W has a muzzle energy of 484 ft-lbs. This is one comparison, but you will generally find that most . 40 S&W products are stronger both at the muzzle and downrange.

Does 40 caliber have more stopping power than 9mm?

40 S&W has more stopping power than the 9mm. This stopping power conclusion is further supported by a 1992 Ohio police study which found that the 9mm bullet required 2.45 rounds fired to incapacitate an assailant. The . 40 S&W, on the other hand, required only 2.36 rounds on average to achieve incapacitation.

Why did the FBI stop using 10mm?

Although it was selected for service by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in 1989 from the aftermath of the 1986 FBI Miami shootout, the cartridge was later decommissioned (except by the Hostage Rescue Team and Special Weapons and Tactics Teams) after their Firearms Training Unit eventually concluded that its ...

Which is more powerful 45 ACP or 10mm?

Both are popular choices for self-defense and both have a lot of stopping power. The 10mm is a bit more powerful than the . 45 ACP and it also has a higher capacity.

What grain is better for 9mm?

For self-defense, shoot your specific 9mm handgun with 115 grain and with 147 grain bullets at 25 yards and less to see if you find, like I did, that the heavier 147 grain bullet hits the target higher almost every time.