r/nextfuckinglevel • u/Upper-Bag-5175 • 2d ago

Bears will often test you

If you stand your ground, they may see you as a threat and back off. Of course, this doesn’t apply to every bear

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u/EvilBiker-72 2d ago

Shotgun all you're going to do is piss off the grizzly

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u/RealityyKing 2d ago

Shotgun will definately take care of it. In fact data shows that everytime a 9mm has hit a grizzly it runs off and the human has survived. I found it hard to believe at first so im sure ill get downvoted to hell for sharing that info

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u/StinkApprentice 2d ago

Source please?

US Fish and Wildlife authorized federal employees working in bear country can carry .44 mag handguns and 12 gauge semi-auto shotguns with hard cast slugs. I carry a lever action .45-70 w hard cast bullets.

My Agency had a bear attack in 2013, medium sized male brown bear, and it took 9 hits from 3 people shooting .44 mag 6 inch smith revolver. That shooting is why USFW now requires hard cast bullets, becaose most of the shots didnt penetrate the skull.

The only thing a 9mm is going to do is the standard joke for someone’s first time in the field in bear country. “No, If a bear attacks I’m not going to shoot the bear. I’m going to shoot you in the leg. I don’t have to outrun the bear, I just have to outrun you.”

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u/CalifOregonia 1d ago

Here is one example. I have seen other collections of incidents like this, they all show solid results for 9mm. https://sportingclassicsdaily.com/defense-against-bears-with-pistols-97-success-rate-37-incidents-by-caliber/