9mm vs 10mm for Bear defense.

[fatrascal]

A pretty interesting video. My vote goes to the 10mm. Fatrascal.

 

[Luke S]

I'm sure that's not proper ballistics gel but I like the comparison.

 

[z987k]

A pretty interesting video. My vote goes to the 10mm. Fatrascal.

The bear died in every shot with both the 10 and 9 in the ballistics gel.

On the moving paper target, there were more cns hits with the 9. Everything but a CNS hit is a miss on a charging bear.

I like 10mm. I've carried 44 for a long time. 9mm won that test hands down.

 

[Rich M]

I didn't watch - whatever you shoot best is what you should carry.

 

[flathead#2]

That BB ammo is the real deal.
I shoot the 255gr. hardcast in my 45 Super.

 

[Houseminer]

The Underwood 124 grain 9mm +p Jacketed Flat Nose and the same in 147 actually penetrate better than their hard cast 147s. That being said, it is not just about penetration, the impact of the round has to be significant enough to deter the charge
On average a 10mm has double the impact force of a 9mm, that is SIGNIFICANT.

 

[z987k]

The Underwood 124 grain 9mm +p Jacketed Flat Nose and the same in 147 actually penetrate better than their hard cast 147s. That being said, it is not just about penetration, the impact of the round has to be significant enough to deter the charge
On average a 10mm has double the impact force of a 9mm, that is SIGNIFICANT.

Those impacts are irrelevant if they're not CNS hits. CNS hits either make the lights to out instantly or sever nerves to limbs making them go down like a sack of potatoes. Everything else at that range with a charging bear means the bear is on top of you. You can put 6 though it's heart with a 44 at that range and you're still getting mauled. It'll die a few minutes after it gets done tearing you a new one.

 

[IDVortex]

I don't believe in big calibers, so packing a 22lr.


In seriousness, I'm packing my FN 9MM, Have a 1911 in 45. But I've got more rounds in my 9mm, and have practice with it more lately considering it's my daily. Even if I bought a 10mm right before season, ill take my 9mm, at the end of the day, I'm taking the gun I know the most of, and shoot the best with. And I do plan to have hardened lead rounds or the g9 ammo.

 

[ElkArcher918]

I roll either with a 10mm or if it's a long hike in a lightweight 357. You know the saying, "Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."" Lotta of moose where I hunt, black bears not much a problem as long as camp is kept clean. Anybody try shooting a moose in self-defense with a 9mm? It's not gonna end well for the shooter.

 

[cuerro viejo]

I roll either with a 10mm or if it's a long hike in a lightweight 357. You know the saying, "Better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it."" Lotta of moose where I hunt, black bears not much a problem as long as camp is kept clean. Anybody try shooting a moose in self-defense with a 9mm? It's not gonna end well for the shooter.

I put wild broke leg cattle down with a TCP 380 and p365 9mm.

9mm with underwood penetrator is pretty impressive.

 

[Luke S]

I once walked up to a wounded caribou and finished her off with a 10mm to the head. It drilled a perfectly neat 10mm hole through the skull, same on the exit side. She was dead but you could barely see the hole. Later I finished off a caribou with a head shot from a .358 Winchester. That was dumb, it blew chunks of bone back at me and it was too gross for a photo. So a 10mm is nowhere near what a rifle will do to an animal. I just sold my 10mm before seeing this video because I figured it my 10mm was only going to make neat (but long) holes through animals I might as well go with my old Glock 19 that I'm more comfortable with. I doubt a moose will know the difference if we are talking hardcast bullets.

 

[Beendare]

The penetrating ammo is a game changer in these semi autos- penetrating monsters. . I shoot it in both my 9 and 10. Depending on where the hunt is.

The HC ammo turns a 9mm into serious business.

A G20 is a pretty tame pistol really.

For fun, Shoot a G20 next to that light weight SW 329 PD or the short barrel SW500….most will get 3 accurate shots in the same time as one from those powerful revolvers.

.

 

[Carl Ervine]

I have seen polar bears killed with 22lr and brown bear take 340 w to the dome and come back the next year. If your on this website you probably arent john whick. Bring bear spray.

 

[Tmac]

Interesting info. They were closer in terminal results than I’d have guessed. Much like a 77 gr. TMK is very close terminally to larger bullets of similar construction.

I shoot my G20 about as well as I do my G19 or G43X. The size of the G20 seems to fit my hand and feel the best of my Glocks, possibly a combo of hand fit and overall size? Not sure. I also shoot my M&P Shield in 40 S&W equally well, it also fits my hand and feels good. That may be a key variable to consider.

If you study bear shootings there are a number of instances where a charging bear is shot, turns and runs off. It’s sometimes later found dead or nearly so. So a CNS hit is not required to stop a charge according to actual data. Not saying you should count on that any more than a CNS hit, it’s just something to consider. So volume of reasonably accurate fire could be a thing when considering a semi-auto vs big wheel gun.

Lastly, if the wind never blew, I might carry bear spray, but I’ll never not carry a gun. The only exception is where I can’t bring a pistol, like on a Moose hunt in Canada this Fall.

 

[smoshtag]

It sounds like many agree bear spray is table stakes to have in addition to a firearm.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I like my g20 with 200g underwood hardcast. When I first moved to AK I was broke as hell, I carried my Glock 19 with 147g Buffalo bore.

I’ve never used either on a bear.

 

[Jsmalls273]

I do not hunt anywhere near bear territory, but if I did I'd take my 9mm carry gun and not have any doubts it would be perfectly capable. Data collected a couple years ago and published showed pretty much every cal from 22 to 44mag all being equally effective in stopping bear attacks, with 9mm being the most used. I do not have the link but I'm certain a quick search would turn it up.

Sent from my SM-S921U using Tapatalk

 

[Wrench]

After I killed the bear with my 10mm I backed off to 9 and 40. My shot went home and killed him instantly.....but the follow up shots on the 10 are simply slower and in the event of injury the recoil is substantial enough to possibly not allow the gun to cycle correctly.

Whatever you choose.....shoot it a lot.

 

[Kutter16_681]

10mm Buffalo bore 220gr stops any and most everything pretty quick

 

[taskswap]

A pretty interesting video. My vote goes to the 10mm. Fatrascal.

Same. Glock 20, 10mm, Underwood hard-cast. Some say the G20 isn't accurate with hard-cast but it's worked well for me at the range. If in grizzly country, Ruger Super Redhawk, 44-mag.

I approached this one from the numbers. The 10-auto is one of the few rounds that meets the "minimum energy of 550-ft/lbs at 50 yards" to be legal for taking big game. (Depends on your load, obviously, and some states require expanding bullets for hunting, so no hard-cast.) But the fact that this is considered legal for big game while a 9mm definitely is not helped give it extra value to me as a sidearm. I have no plans to actually hunt with it, but...