9mm Buffalo Bore 147gr +p vs G9 124gr +p woodsmen for Predator defense?

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Hey, going on my first solo archery Idaho Elk hunt in september and I currently have a P365x I'll be taking to carry with me. I wont be able to save up to afford to buy a 10MM so I'm asking is it better to get the 9mm Buffalo Bore 147gr +p.. or G9 124gr +p woodsmen for Bear/Cougar/Wolf defense?

Figured 9MM is better then not having a sidearm..

thanks!
 
Nothing wrong with 9mm. I carried a 10mm with hardcast for a while. After a good education I now carry a 9mm with 147gn Speer Goldot hollowpoints. Yes. Hollowpoints.

Why? Because that's what I carry in all my carry pistols and it has more than enough penetration to kill a bear.

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Nothing wrong with 9mm. I carried a 10mm with hardcast for a while. After a good education I now carry a 9mm with 147gn Speer Goldot hollowpoints. Yes. Hollowpoints.

Why? Because that's what I carry in all my carry pistols and it has more than enough penetration to kill a bear.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk
good to know!
 
Hey, going on my first solo archery Idaho Elk hunt in september and I currently have a P365x I'll be taking to carry with me. I wont be able to save up to afford to buy a 10MM so I'm asking is it better to get the 9mm Buffalo Bore 147gr +p.. or G9 124gr +p woodsmen for Bear/Cougar/Wolf defense?

Figured 9MM is better then not having a sidearm..

thanks!
Wouldn't worry about buying a 10mm, the 9mm will work just fine. Any good barrier blind bullet will work; options include Hornady Extreme Duty/Carry or their Backcountry Defense, Speer Gold Dot, Federal Punch or HST, G9 or Lehigh Defense for non-expanding bullets.
 
FYI...P365 does not like hot/heavy hardcast loads in my experience. I have 3 p365 pistols and none are fans of +p heavy/hardcast loads from both buffalo bore and Underwood. I got a response from Underwood that SIG specifically does not recommend heavy +p rounds in the p365 chassis despite the only info I can find from them stating the p365 will handle factory +p loads. Underwood was the worst of the two but I had cycling issues from both.
Mine will all shoot any other +p jacketed or hollow point rd I've tried just fine, but the heavy (over 127gr) lead stuff has had feeding issues in all 3 of mine so I avoid it...practice extensively with what you plan to carry, POI shift was notable for me on the hot/heavy loads that did cycle.
They all cycle +p 124gr copper jacket flat nose rds perfectly fine. Not sure what it is about hot heavy rds in the p365, but im not the only one to have issues there.
 
Nothing wrong with 9mm. I carried a 10mm with hardcast for a while. After a good education I now carry a 9mm with 147gn Speer Goldot hollowpoints. Yes. Hollowpoints.

Why? Because that's what I carry in all my carry pistols and it has more than enough penetration to kill a bear.

Sent from my SM-G990U using Tapatalk
Curious what the education you received about the 10mm?
 
Hey, going on my first solo archery Idaho Elk hunt in september and I currently have a P365x I'll be taking to carry with me. I wont be able to save up to afford to buy a 10MM so I'm asking is it better to get the 9mm Buffalo Bore 147gr +p.. or G9 124gr +p woodsmen for Bear/Cougar/Wolf defense?

Figured 9MM is better then not having a sidearm..

thanks!
I'd recommend the Buffalo Bore 147gr +P as the better choice for bear defense. The heavier bullet provides deeper penetration, which is critical when dealing with large, muscular predators. While the G9 Woodsman is excellent for smaller threats like cougars, the Buffalo Bore's ability to reach vital organs through thick hide and bone makes it more reliable against bears.

That said, test both in your P365X first - some compact pistols can be finicky with +P ammo. Also, absolutely carry bear spray as your primary deterrent. A 9mm should be your last resort, not your first line of defense. Stay safe out there!
 
With Gel penetration tests, including those that include typical FBI barrier tests like plywood and sheetrock , even for long 9 mm bullets with a comparatively high sectional density like the 147s, I am not sure accurately relate to heavy boned animals. I have a background in the area having run the weapons and ballistic testing for years at a large Leo agency.

Laminated auto glass at an angle btw was the killer for most pistol hollow points, even some of the bonded ones.

In the end It all comes down to shot placement and penetration on a large animal.

If you are talking about black bear a 9mm bonded 147 jhp may get the job done just fine, but for straight on penetration assuming I may hit a hard bone like the skull/shoulders or hit at a less than ideal angle I would take a hard cast flat point 9mm if I could choose.

My normal carry woods gun is a Ruger lcrx 3 inch 5 shot 38 special with a fiber optic front sight. I use underwood 158 hard cast 38 spl and get right 1090 fps with it. The gun is a joy to carry but at 15 ozs with that load it barks a little. I tested it on some 2x4s and a buck(not mine) that I found hunting that had been gut shot and died, went through both front shoulders and dug a good ways into the clay under it.

For brown bears country I like a G20/29 with 200 or 220 hard cast flat points or my Dads old 4 inch model 66 with 180 Swift A frames.

All that being said. Something is better than nothing, so go with what u have but know its limitations.
 
Curious what the education you received about the 10mm?
Long story short, the only way to stop a charging bear is to shoot it in the brain or the spine. You can shoot a griz in the heart with a 338 win mag and it can run 100 yards and still maul you to death. So a more powerful hand gun isnt helpfull.

So if you have to hit it in the brain or spine the diameter of the bullet is irrelevent. The only thing you need is sufficient pentration. 9mm penetrates more than enough, even with most hollowpoints, let alone hardcast ammunition.

If I want to go practice with my 10mm it's $40 per pox of 50. You can get 9mm for $10 box. Shooting your 10mm sucks, and your going to shoot a 9mm faster and more accurately.

I sold my 10mm 3 weeks ago and will never go back. For what it's worth, I've dealt with more G Bears in the last 5 years than most guys will ever see in their lifetime.

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FWIW Buffalo Bores 124gr +p+ stuff is producing around 521 ft pounds of energy. Tools & Targets on YouTube reviewed it and it did very well during his velocity & gel block tests.

If I wanted every bit 9mm had to offer, it would be that specific bullet.
 
I have a vast array of the most popular woods defense rounds....329pd, 460xvr, multiple 10mm's, 44mags, 45lc....etc.

I will typically have a g43x loaded with berry's hybrid 147's at 1k fps. My experience after killing some bears and deer with pistols and gel and tissue testing the hybrid has me satisfied with my choice.

I assure you that your success will be far more dependent upon your nerves and skill than the headstamp or brand.
 
Something is always better than nothing. Regardless of what, you need to be proficient with it, it has to be accessible, and reliable.

For the 9mm I always recommend the Lost River predator penetrator first. Buffalo Bore second. Buy some and shoot them until you're confident.

 
Federal has a nice hard cast 9mm for dangerous game, wife's carry gun shoots it well and cycles reliably. Whatever you get, put a few boxes through your gun to be sure it's reliable.

Having said that I carry a suppressed 22lr with subs because it doubles for Grouse. I figure if a bear attacks me I'll shoot his damn eyes out.

 
With Gel penetration tests, including those that include typical FBI barrier tests like plywood and sheetrock , even for long 9 mm bullets with a comparatively high sectional density like the 147s, I am not sure accurately relate to heavy boned animals. I have a background in the area having run the weapons and ballistic testing for years at a large Leo agency.

Laminated auto glass at an angle btw was the killer for most pistol hollow points, even some of the bonded ones.

In the end It all comes down to shot placement and penetration on a large animal.

If you are talking about black bear a 9mm bonded 147 jhp may get the job done just fine, but for straight on penetration assuming I may hit a hard bone like the skull/shoulders or hit at a less than ideal angle I would take a hard cast flat point 9mm if I could choose.

My normal carry woods gun is a Ruger lcrx 3 inch 5 shot 38 special with a fiber optic front sight. I use underwood 158 hard cast 38 spl and get right 1090 fps with it. The gun is a joy to carry but at 15 ozs with that load it barks a little. I tested it on some 2x4s and a buck(not mine) that I found hunting that had been gut shot and died, went through both front shoulders and dug a good ways into the clay under it.

For brown bears country I like a G20/29 with 200 or 220 hard cast flat points or my Dads old 4 inch model 66 with 180 Swift A frames.

All that being said. Something is better than nothing, so go with what u have but know its limitations.
Any experience on penetration with a 115 FMJ from a 9mm?
 
Phil Shoemaker used the 147gr BB ammo for his 9mm to stop a grizzly bear. It was he guided a fishing trip. When it comes to handguns I'd want something that's going to penetrate the skull. When I went to Alaska I carried a S&W 29 with 300gr Federal Castcores. If I went today with a 9mm I'd use the 147gr BB.
 
Having only carried a LCRx or j frame previously. I have changed my thinking based on a conversation with a Shooter in a no BS org that I know very well. Asking why they trained as much as they did. “You don’t rise to the occasion, you fall back to your highest level of training”.

Practice more and with a system that is in your favor. I am moving to a S&W 5.7. I can practiced suppressed, thus shoot more and I have 22 opportunities to make a hit or miss. I prefer better odds and less recoil.
 
Any experience on penetration with a 115 FMJ from a 9mm?
FMJ tend to glance off of bone and change direction. Or I should say they can. Id shoot a good heavy hollowpoint before FMJ.

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