Glock 10MM vs black bear
I don’t have a lot of experience in firearms so I thought I would get a few opinions. I have a Glock in 10mm and a 15 round clip. I bought it because I like to backpack and Glock’s can take a lot of punishment and still be reliable. My question is whether or not you feel the 10mm round is sufficient to handle a black bear. I am not hunting them, I just want to be able to take one out if I had too. There are a lot of choices in ammo what are the best choices for what I want to do. Or should I get something else to carry. I thought the Glock was good due to the high round capacity to size. I think I would grow to hate a giant revolver while hiking so I don’t think a .44 mag is really the answer. What do you think?
Mike
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Mike,
I have shot a few black bear and have also been one of the few who did it in self defence.
I have used, everything from the 223 car 15 with 52 grain bulllets thru to the mighty 340 weatherbys with 250 Noslers, and I have used 40 cal glocks, but in my case a 40 S&W. Same thing, just a couple hundred feet per second faster with the 10mm.
I shot the one with the 40 thru the lungs, thru the guts and a raking shot thru the hips that broke one of the hips, it still traveled a half mile. first two shots were point blank with the first one ,a lung shot a contact wound.
No pistol round will kill one instantly, unless it is one of the big cannons, you do not wish to be burdened with or you brain the thing. Brain shots are difficult on Black bears with any caliber, but particularly so with a handgun, because of the sloping skull.
The problem is that most weapons that you are considering, do not have that hydrostatic shock effect.
Having said that, most of them will in fact run away when they get hit, the ones that don’t will be when that 15 round magazine is handy.
I have had them try to take me when hit solidly, they are tough, anything 400 lbs with claws and teeth can be dangerous. If they run in your direction, and you have a handgun, the scriptures may be your best bet.
The problem is, they are fast, they can outrun a horse, they posses strength out of porportion to their size, and they are tenaious, couple that with the fact that a fast moving animal with a sloped skull running towards you makes hitting a vital area difficult’
I am not trying to talk you out of your Glock, it is probably about as good as any man sized self defence weapon, I would take one on with it, but I would recognize that it is not a bear super weapon.
After my last encounter, realizing even the limitations of even my beloved Mdl 29, I carried a semi auto rifle while doing all my chores. It is easier to hit with in fast action, carries more rounds and much more power to penertrate that skull.
I personally hate the fuckers.
Roachcreek
Thats good news.
I was hoping that would be the case. I would not mess with a griz thats for sure. Not with the Glock.
We got raided by black bears up in the U.P. of Mich on day 3 of our week long backpacking trip. They took almost all our food. 2 guys hiked out and brought back more provisions, when they got back we were already doing battle to keep them away, throwing rocks and such.
We tied our food bags up in a tree and a cub was up there trying to break the limb we had the rope over. I could not believe it! I decided right then I would be ready next time. 🙂
Mike
That would be a fine black bear protector/deterrent. Most likely you will never need it but if you do you will really need it as most black bear attacks are predatory.
Another thing is that black bears usually run when wounded compared to a grizzly that you better actually stop/kill in an attack situation as it will often continue with an attack until it’s dying breath or it feels like stopping.
A black bear will likely run with a slug or two in him even if it is a survivable wound or one that would not stop him.
A 10mm is very capable of killing a black bear at close ranges too.
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Mike,
It is a fact that there are very few documented cases where bears attack humans in Oregon.
Having said that, when I was a kid, shortly before the dinosaurs disappeared, each summer it seemed that there were people disappearing in the coast area while picking berries.
In later years the same thing started to happen during hunting season with hunters.
Animal rights folks will tell you that cougars and bears just don’t eat people as a general rule.
But these folks disappeared without a trace.
Bears will eat you and then chew and crush the bones going after the marrow , I have seen it with cattle they have eaten in my meadows. The lions will bury what is left over of their kills to hide it if they wish to return, first couple times it rains, that evidence disappears forever.
I lived in the outback for a long time, I never go in the woods without something to protect myself.
Roachcreek