Revolver or Semi Auto for Grizz Protection

[mcseal2]

I've never shot a bear or been charged by one, this is not an expert opinion.

I have put some time into choosing a handgun for bears, and shot a lot of options. I actually shot my 1911 10mm and both my 357's this afternoon at 10, 15, and 20 yards. I was seeing how fast and accurate I could get 3 shots off from the holster. I've done a lot of that especially over the last few months.

Here what I learned I shot best with, may or may not be the same for you:

I have shot a lot of revolvers and generally shoot 357's in the J frame through L frame size pretty well. I tried a Ruger Redhawk 5.5" 44 magnum revolver and while I shot it pretty well, I had to reach a little for the hammer with my hand size on that big frame. It slowed me down drawing from the chest holster and shooting fast. I shot it ok double action, but not nearly as well as single. I grew up putting bricks of 22LR through a Ruger Single Six and built up a lot of muscle memory telling me to cock a revolver when I draw it. Cocking as I drew slowed me down on making an accurate first shot with the big frame gun.

I also tried an S&W 69 5 shot 44 magnum revolver on the L frame. It was a great feeling revolver and felt just like my 357's. After shooting it with bear loads, even the 255gr Buffalo Bore reduced recoil loads, it was just more recoil than I want to handle. I wouldn't want to practice with the ammo I'd carry much or I'd develop a flinch. I have had flinching issues in the past and don't want them back. I sold the revolver, great gun but not for me.

My 357's I shoot well single action and decent double action. I find that their factory sights (S&W 386 XL Hunter and S&W 60) are great for precise shooting, but slower for me to line up for quick shooting inside 20 yards. By this I mean slower than the semi-auto 10mm's I'll talk about next. The sights can be swapped out, but I like them for the slower more precise shooting I mainly do with these guns. If I was to choose a revolver I would put tritium sights on it for bears. Options with a light rail are pretty limited, but night sights can be found for a lot of revolvers.

I own a 10mm Glock 20 and a 10mm Sig Tacops 1911. I have other threads on the mods the Glock got, but it's running well now. The main modification that matters for this post is the aftermarket sights I put on it. I had my gunsmith install Truglo TFX Pro sights with both tritium and fiber optic illumination. This makes the sight picture really bright so I can shoot it fast and well when I draw. I am not a huge fan of striker fired triggers, but inside 25 yards I shoot this one pretty well. The 1911's better trigger makes up for the slightly better sights on the Glock and I shoot it just as fast and accurate but not noticeably faster or more accurate.

When I go to Alaska this fall (if the virus doesn't screw it up) I will probably be packing the Glock 20. For any range I could envision a defensive shooting scenario with a bear I shoot it as well and fast as the 1911. It's also lighter and holds more ammo. Carrying a 1911 cocked and locked there is always a chance of getting crap stuck between the hammer and slide when going through brush. If I was bow hunting Alaska where I could also use a firearm to fill my tag if I had a bow issue I might go with the 1911. I definitely shoot it better at longer range. At 50 yards shooting it slow offhand I'm very pleased with how well I do. For inside 25 yards though as I practice more with both I'm not seeing an advantage to the 1911 over the Glock. The Glock is easier to take apart to clean if I need to in the field as well.

One advantage I see to the semi-autos is that they can be bought with tritium night sights, or aftermarket ones are widely available. Another advantage I see to the semi-auto guns is the rail under the barrel I can put a light on. I have Razco holsters for both handguns built to fit the gun with a TLR-1 Streamlight attached. It's an extra 4oz, but I consider it worth it if I feel the need to carry an handgun in the first place. I have a chest, FHF bino harness, and a paddle holster for the G20. I have options for whatever I'm doing.

Anyway that's a long winded explanation of what I have tried and what I ended up choosing.

 

[mcseal2]

One thing I might add: Another option that I like the looks of is the Sig 220 10mm. I have had great luck with Sig handguns and think I'd like the Legion SAO 220 10mm very much. It would have easy takedown, great factory sights, and a great trigger. The biggest downside is weight at 44oz I think. I may own one someday, but not for a while. I sold my DA/SA Sig 226 9mm to buy a SAO version and want to shoot it for a while before deciding if I want to save up for a $1600 10mm someday.

 

[jmez]

Legion is a nice gun.

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[Formidilosus]

I believe that greater ft. lbs. of energy translates into greater effectiveness/response.

Ok, how?


Again, you could place the muzzle of the pistol to your chest with a vest and pull the trigger- you won’t be knocked back.

 

[AK Troutbum]

Ok, how?


Again, you could place the muzzle of the pistol to your chest with a vest and pull the trigger- you won’t be knocked back.

This may be true, and I do have somewhat of a grasp on the physics of ft. lbs. of kinetic energy, but all I can tell you is what I saw, and I do not believe I would have seen the same reaction out of a much small/lighter cal. handgun. Like I said, maybe that's just how that particular bear responded to being shot, and he would have responded the same way had he been shot with 10mm, 9mm, or even a .22 for that matter, IDK nor will I ever know, but I don't believe those smaller calibers would have elicited the same response. The main point of my post was to illustrate my belief that, higher cal. handguns can be beneficial to help compensate for lack of accuracy. Things have a tendency to happen really fast when it comes to bear attacks/mauling's, and most folks tend to not perform at their best under those stressful situations. If you feel otherwise, that's fine, all I can say is, while it may be a lot easier to carry and shoot a light little pistol, I wouldn't recommend it if your planning on using it for self defense in brown bear/grizzly country.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

AK, don't take this personal. I'm really just discussing it.

ft-lbs of energy is a calculated measurement. It does not translate directly into killing power. The basic formula for energy is:

E=0.5*m*v^2

Square the velocity, multiply by the mass, and then take one half of that number. This puts a premium on velocity since it gets squared. Based on that equation, I could have a little 32g .22 bullet with more energy than your 500 by just increasing the velocity. But I think we both know that the little bullet would just come apart and the energy would dissipate very quickly when it hit something.

Energy can be a useful tool, but it has it's limits. It doesn't account for momentum, durability, expansion, etc when talking about bullet performance. When the bullet hits the bear, a lighter weight bullet is going to slow down faster than a heavier bullet due to momentum and conservation of energy.

You shot that bear with a big heavy deep penetrating bullet. That .500 has all the boxes checked. It's got energy, it's got a heavy bullet. It weighs about as much as a rifle. If anything is going to kill a bear, that thing aught to.

I remember the second deer I killed. It was a doe, I shot through the heart at 15ish yards with a .308 Winchester. Bullet went through and made a mess. It has more fl-lbs of energy than your handgun. That doe didn't fall over, it ran near 100 yards away before expiring. When we cleaned it, it was a mess on the inside.

 

[Woodrow F Call]

Oh, another observation. Every action has an equal and opposite reaction. This means that the energy of that bullet being propelled forward is also pushing back on you in the form of recoil with an equal amount of energy. If that bullet knocked the bear down, the recoil would have easily knocked you down.

 

[kid44]

I prefer to carry a semi auto that has a great track record on bears, but most consider way too light for such endeavors.

What would that be?

 

[kid44]

I haven’t found revolvers to be exceptionally reliable

They don't stovepipe and no failure to feed issues.

 

[kid44]

Either one, because what you should have on your chest and grab first is bear spray. Spray is way more effective at quickly deterring an encounter. If that doesn’t work, then shoot it. But if you shoot it first, the chances are slim that your shots will incapacitate the bear before it mauls you. And it is super important that the spray is on your chest or the front of your belt.


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Not very effective on a windy day, could be blown right back in you face.

 

[Ndbowhunter]

They don't stovepipe and no failure to feed issues.

And semi auto don’t develop head shake, or timing issues..

what’s ur point?

 

[blktail74]

Though we don't have any Grizzlies here, I pack a Ruger Alaskan .44. Surprisingly light and easy to handle. For more comfort, I had a Diamond D Custom holster built for it.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Interesting question and I do believe that most folks overestimate their ability to handle a real charge with no notice. This article is a good read: https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/guns/handguns/much-time-hunter-draw-fire-grizzly-charging-40-mph

Using the information in the article, your choice (handgun/spray) is mostly for psychological benefit. How many people can honestly assess the situation, draw, and get a CNS shot in under 3 seconds?

 

[Kronos]

Interesting question and I do believe that most folks overestimate their ability to handle a real charge with no notice. This article is a good read: https://www.grandviewoutdoors.com/guns/handguns/much-time-hunter-draw-fire-grizzly-charging-40-mph

Using the information in the article, your choice (handgun/spray) is mostly for psychological benefit. How many people can honestly assess the situation, draw, and get a CNS shot in under 3 seconds?

A 3 second reaction time with no notice is an outlier statistically speaking. There are always scenarios where people will be caught off guard, but being prepared for the most likely scenarios is what's important.

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

A 3 second reaction time with no notice is an outlier statistically speaking. There are always scenarios where people will be caught off guard, but being prepared for the most likely scenarios is what's important.

Honest question and not being argumentative.

If the 3 seconds, and associated 50 yard example, is an outlier then what is the average time/distance that an individual has when it is time for the individual to be concerned?

 

[Backpack Hunter]

What would that be?

9mm

Esse quam videri

 

[kid44]

And semi auto don’t develop head shake, or timing issues..

what’s ur point?

That you can't depend on either to be 100% reliable 100% of the time. Everything breaks, and/or fails at some point. You can only hope for the best in any given situation.