Grizzly Bear Attack Foiled With A Large Bore Handgun
BY Herschel Smith
3 years, 10 months ago
Neighbors in the Dupuyer area had warned him about the dangers of grizzly bears in the area. He had taken their advice and was carrying a Smith & Wesson 629 stainless steel .44 magnum revolver. The revolver was loaded with 305 grain HSM cartridges. He had a can of bear spray.
[ … ]
As the bear knocked him down and twisted him, he managed to free the revolver from the windbreaker, release the thumb break, and draw the revolver.
He could see the back of the bear, but not it’s head. He shot the bear in the back, into the shoulder/chest, with the muzzle of the revolver just inches from it. Ken said, maybe he should have shot her in the head, but he did not want to shoot his own leg.
Ken says the first shot worked. It hurt the bear. The bear immediately let him go and retreated. As the bear turned and presented its side, he shot again at its chest. As the bear staggered away and paused, Ken emptied the revolver at it.
Then Ken attempted to reload with an HKS speed loader. The HKS is a handy way to carry spare ammunition. It seemed to take a long time to reload. He attributed the lack of speed to a lack of experience.
The bear staggered away. Ken finished reloading, assessed the damage, and limped back to his truck. He was able to drive to the hospital in Conrad. It took him four months to heal.
Dean has the rest of the story. This speaks well of the practice of carrying a large bore handgun with you.
A large bore long gun, of course, would be better in certain circumstances, but I’ll willing to bet that a shotgun or rifle would have been knocked out of his hands during the initial assault, and that a handgun was much easier to turn and wield.
Finally, there is the added advantage that a handgun is on your person at all times – or at least it should be.
On January 19, 2021 at 11:39 pm, Jeremiah said:
My friend recently picked one on these utility pouches/holsters and it has me interested. Seems useful for hiking with a pack, as hip straps interfere with a belt holstered pistol, and bowhunting. https://hillpeoplegear.com/Products/CategoryID/1/ProductID/5
On January 20, 2021 at 12:19 am, Herschel Smith said:
@Jeremiah,
I used this very utility gear to carry my weapon when hiking the Weminuche Wilderness.
https://www.captainsjournal.com/2018/08/05/walkabout-in-the-weminuche-wilderness/
I can tell you it is handy, useful, and after three days of difficult backpacking at 12.000 foot elevation it gets tiring and heavy around the neck.
YMMV. Plan accordingly.
If I was going on a day hike or a hunt (where I could go back to camp at the end of the day), I would carry it. If I was on an extended trip, I would find a way to attach a firearm to my waist.
On January 20, 2021 at 7:21 am, anonymous said:
Agree with the big bore handgun thought that it is worn on your person, vs. put aside and leaning against yon tree. I was glad to hear he recovered, but I’ll bet he has some vivid dreams about the encounter that are NOT Disneyesque.
On January 20, 2021 at 2:35 pm, Pat Hines said:
My largest bore handgun is a S&W Model 25 in .45 Colt. It can fire a very heavy projectile. My bear country rifle, that is Grizzly bear country, it a Remington 673 in .350 Remington Magnum. Though the barrel is 22 inches long, it’s a pretty handy length and fires a very heavy bullet at substantial velocity. These two are what I’d have had with me.
When I lived in Montana, I never encountered a Grizzly, but did kill a black bear with my .257 Roberts rifle. It was loaded with 120 grain Nosler bullets, back when Nosler machined their bullets and divided the lead between the front and rear hollows, then swaged the front half into a semi-spitzer. I hit the bear twice, both bullets when through the bear from just behind its left front leg, exiting ahead of its right leg. The second bullet was the lethal shot.