Sure. I guess I should start by adding some context to my statement. Brown Bears are very unpredictable both in their defensive behavior and after been shot. Most of the maulings that happen in AK are by sows defending their Cubs. Usually it's against stupid people in stupid situations doing stupid things I.e. Biking, hiking, running in the back country with headphones on next to tall browse along a salmon stream. The same can be said for moose which is much more likely to hurt you than a bear. Most Mauling victims are clueless and have no situational awareness or respect for the dangers inherent in nature. I suppose this changes after getting chewed for a while by Yogi. This happened to a coworker of mine back in 13 and trust me, it's not an experience any of you want to go through. The worst part is not necessarily the attack itself but the infections from all of the bacteria from the Bears claws and saliva. Again, not a fun experience.Originally Posted by HKGuns
But I digress. As far as stopping a bear it's pretty much a crapshoot with handguns, not unlike with humans I suppose. I never heard from any of the people I've talked to that have been in a DLP with a bear that shot it with a handgun that they stopped it dead in its tracks. Most of the time it's a bluff charge anyway. I've heard more accounts from troopers and hunters that stopped them with 870's, 375's, 338's etc but only because they were able to take out a shoulder or got lucky with a cranial shot. In these cases the shooter was in the defensive and at the ready where as most folks are completely unprepared and caught off guard (bearspray or gun in the pack....head up the ass) My advice to people would be to know your surroundings and don't go into bear country with your head in your ass. If you do plan on running into mr bear then bring a long gun.
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