SIDEARM: Black Bear: Lightest Pistol you feel safe carrying for a Backup?
- Thread starter TheGDog
- Start date
Since we are having fun.....
How about all you moa warriors that shoot 1/8" groups come out to taft on sunday show how its done
I'm gona setup a new station, the out the window 1k yard challenge
How about all you moa warriors that shoot 1/8" groups come out to taft on sunday show how its done
I'm gona setup a new station, the out the window 1k yard challenge
Ya see? SIGH... "And this is why we can't have nice things!"
I ask a reDONKulosly simple, yet serious question, and all you fools wanna do is jabber bout this and that and try to out do each other with puffin' up your InterWebz chest comments trying to talk down at a Mofo. Really? Is that what we're about here?
Damn... did y'all suffer from Narcolepsy in English class all them years ago?
The question... was crazy stupid simple.
What is the lightest (in weight) sidearm you feel would handle taking out a SoCal Black Bear confidently, (presuming decent shot placement), with only 1 or maybe 2 shots?
And yeah... straight up... I'm a Paranoid... think all the details thru type of mofo. Say what you want. Laugh all you want. I could give two sh_ts and a __ck about it! 'Cause I will not be "caught slippin' " Jack!
I ask a reDONKulosly simple, yet serious question, and all you fools wanna do is jabber bout this and that and try to out do each other with puffin' up your InterWebz chest comments trying to talk down at a Mofo. Really? Is that what we're about here?
Damn... did y'all suffer from Narcolepsy in English class all them years ago?
The question... was crazy stupid simple.
What is the lightest (in weight) sidearm you feel would handle taking out a SoCal Black Bear confidently, (presuming decent shot placement), with only 1 or maybe 2 shots?
And yeah... straight up... I'm a Paranoid... think all the details thru type of mofo. Say what you want. Laugh all you want. I could give two sh_ts and a __ck about it! 'Cause I will not be "caught slippin' " Jack!
BTW.. I wanna thank @Lungpopper for taking the time to answer like a gentleman!
I was kinda thinking G20 SF there... or maybe a Sig in 10mm. I kinda don't like the Glock style sights of the squared "U" Notch in the back, for some reason. Though I may just have to learn to deal with it. I forgot about how much Tax they were going to take out of that dang Bonus check, ugh.
I know you got a hard time about asking that question because none of us feel a need to carry a weapon for black bear.... but why do you still want an answer from people who don’t use a piece of equipment in the context that you’re asking about? If you just want to know what handgun/ammunition combo will kill a black bear you ought to be able to figure that out by looking at ballistic/energy delivery tables for a given ammunition/barrel length. No they’re not perfect but you ought to be able to get in the ballpark. Firearm weights are also readily available. Just pick something that fits you and your weight requirements and go with it. The best weapon for self defense is the one you’re most comfortable with.
Good post.
Yes. Asking for opinions on hunting forums can almost guarantee you will get BS answers....
WHY!? You might ask.... because hunting forums are an extension of a CAMPFIRE!! If we did not talk shit to one another around a campfire they would be some boring as hell kumbaya type experience.
Post anything on here and expect to be treated like one of the ,"DUDES"... some guys are going to give you the answers you want and others will just chime in for fun.
You my be having a serious conversation with one dude and another comes by and farts on your face.... some posts are just dudes rippin a fart.
This is not guys puffing their internet chest, this is the same crap we talk to each other in person.
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"OMG!!...Incoming Mallar..."<FART!!!!!!!!!!> "AHHHHAHAHHAA...I Gotchu!!! Your mouth was OPEN to Dude!!!!"
Yeah... real entertaining. What Ever.
Anyhoo... I thank and appreciate the ones who were polite enough to take the question seriously.
Looks like a G20 SF it is then. Ugh.. but I'd really like that form factor of the 29. However, I'm reading that you can take the 20 and slap in 6" barrel as well after the fact, and possibly even do swap outs to have it be a 40 as well if ya want.
For some reason, I'm really turned off by Glock stock sights though. So...for getting a 3-Dot Night Sights set...whose the best bet? Trijicon?
DOH!... they didn't have a G20 there at the moment... and I ended-up pulling the trigger on a Marlin 1894 in .44 Mag instead, Hehe!
Meh... there's always Christmas
Meh... there's always Christmas
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(Mind wanders at the thought of the Joy of walking into an entire field of Mary Jane...)
For the 2-legged... my Sig P238 is just fine. That thing is crazy accurate for 2.75" barrel! I can do like 6-8" groups at 25yds. And I'm sure that's more just a reflection on skillset not being "all that". I feel certain a younger and more experienced shooter could do better at that distance. But yeah man.... at 15yds, I can shootout the neck of those black/grey/red silhouette targets they have at FT3.
For the 2-legged... my Sig P238 is just fine. That thing is crazy accurate for 2.75" barrel! I can do like 6-8" groups at 25yds. And I'm sure that's more just a reflection on skillset not being "all that". I feel certain a younger and more experienced shooter could do better at that distance. But yeah man.... at 15yds, I can shootout the neck of those black/grey/red silhouette targets they have at FT3.
DOH!... they didn't have a G20 there at the moment... and I ended-up pulling the trigger on a Marlin 1894 in .44 Mag instead, Hehe!
View attachment 38587
Meh... there's always Christmas
Nice, and who was off topic? Lol, enjoy.
I know right? They are very nice! Not gonna lie, was seeking that instant gratification for the BDay. Hehe.
YEah... OK... After re-reading again... I suppose they weren't exactly off-topic in their responses. You've got a point there. But then they sorta tack on little subtle jabs where they are trying to poke fun. I'm just over here saying that's not appreciated. Especially when I ask a very specific and detailed question that is not vague and over-generalized. Should be easy to answer directly, succinctly, respectfully, and to the point. That's all I'm sayin'.
YEah... OK... After re-reading again... I suppose they weren't exactly off-topic in their responses. You've got a point there. But then they sorta tack on little subtle jabs where they are trying to poke fun. I'm just over here saying that's not appreciated. Especially when I ask a very specific and detailed question that is not vague and over-generalized. Should be easy to answer directly, succinctly, respectfully, and to the point. That's all I'm sayin'.
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1.) I do not know what is considered the minimum energy requirements for that animal in a sidearm.
2.) Of those who chose to respond so far... they don't feel the need for a sidearm. Cool Ok. Totally your choice. Then just say "I don't carry a sidearm in Black Bear country. Don't feel the need for them." or whatever. Ain't no need in layin' into a mofo just because he likes being prepared.
The current options I have are a S&W M60 .38spl +P in 3" 5-shot. My Sig P238 .380acp. And my Ruger Security Six .357 Mag in 4".
I take the .380acp with LeHigh Penetrators as a backup when going where there are MtnLions but no Bears. It's nice and light and easy to carry. It's got night-sights to. And I like that when taking potty-breaks outside of the tent in the middle of the night.
Of my current choices, I am certain the .357 is the only one anybody would say is for sure a good choice for that application, which it is. But... I was curious to ask around of you more experienced gentleman... and look for and find a new choice which is lighter than that Ruger. Which I presume would mean a polymer semi-auto of some sort. But still widely accepted as competent for the task I intended.
Since there is so much experience amongst you all, I (incorrectly) figured you'd all be like "Oh Yeah... you'd probably want at minimum a <???> loaded with at least <??? or ???>." BOOM! Done. End of story. Thank you for your time Gentleman.
But instead? Buncha unnnecessary and you could say disrespectful stuff. Just not cool. Not cool.
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A buddy picked one up recently.. it's a pretty big frame, even by Glock standards. You'll probably need to run a chest rig for it instead of a side holster.
Minimum energy requirements to kill an animal don’t change based on the firearm used.... obviously the energy delivered depends on a few things (bullet mass and velocity at impact mainly) in general the accepted minimum number to make an ethical kill is 1,000 foot pounds for medium sized game and 1,200 for elk or bigger. So for black bear in California call it 1,000.
As for people’s responses... I honestly don’t read any of those responses as “people laying into you.” Mostly everyone just said you don’t need a sidearm for that. I don’t think being called paranoid is a diss. Ed is just telling you to relax and go enjoy your time outside and stop worrying about what goes bump in the night. And you should. I’m going to suggest that you were reading this thread a bit defensively because you weren’t expecting us all to say what we did. It may take you a little longer to pick on on people’s personalities too. Hard to read tone of voice...
If you just want an excuse to buy a new gun, look no further. We will encourage you to no end. But it kind of felt like you were fishing for a different answer than you were given.
EDIT: So you don’t think I’m trolling you, those numbers are guidelines for making ethical kills in hunting situations. If you haven’t figured it out already 1,000 foot pounds with a handgun is hard to do without carrying a hand cannon. I think the takehome message is just carry something you are comfortable handling if you choose to carry.
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Thank you for reminding me how interpreted tone is hostage to the current emotional state of the reader. That's an observation I've sprung on others myself.
Past few days the trend toward bitchiness and escalation in "the other half" has likely been influencing my interpretation of nuance in others at the moment, in a negative manner. So please bare with me and forgive me on that.
RE: "felt like I was fishing for an answer different than I was given" That seems rather obvious... I quite explicitly laid-out what I was looking for suggestions on.
It seems crazy obvious to me that the choice of NOT carrying a sidearm was already a given. "Ya already gotta rifle in your hands G!" I get that. I also know that trying to wield a long gun from inside a tent... Or trying to wield a long gun if something tries to put the move on ya while you're in the middle of takin' a crap at night... will present you with "challenges". And those scenarios are just much easier to deal with using a pistol or BearSpray in my opinion. And I like the security-blanket feeling of having a pistol with me in those scenarios.
RE: the 1000 Lbs thing?
To get up to 1000 ft Lbs a person would HAVE TO go up to .44 Mag minimum.
And yet .357's, scratching at the ceiling of like 800 ft-Lbs with the hottest loads seem to do Ok for anything we have to hunt in SoCal, no?
So anyhoo... my hopes with the question was that like somebody would perhaps shout-out some make and model and caliber of pistol/revolver that perhaps I hadn't yet come-across or considered. Like everybody else, I try to do my due diligence in terms of researching everything I can on the InterWebz first. ... But sometimes there are little things... little observations you can get directly from other users with your similar parameters to fill that can tell you about their own trial-and-error in various purchases and are often nice and want to share their hassles with others so the next guy doesn't have to learn the hard way what works and what doesn't like they did. You know... paying it forward. That type of thing.
Damn... that Kimber 1911 was nice though. But yeah... I wanted something lighter than what I already have.
Dunno, I may end up trying for one of these 329PD's in .44 Mag since I'm gonna be getting this lever-action. Certainly would make sense to do the whole same ammo thing I suppose.
Past few days the trend toward bitchiness and escalation in "the other half" has likely been influencing my interpretation of nuance in others at the moment, in a negative manner. So please bare with me and forgive me on that.
RE: "felt like I was fishing for an answer different than I was given" That seems rather obvious... I quite explicitly laid-out what I was looking for suggestions on.
It seems crazy obvious to me that the choice of NOT carrying a sidearm was already a given. "Ya already gotta rifle in your hands G!" I get that. I also know that trying to wield a long gun from inside a tent... Or trying to wield a long gun if something tries to put the move on ya while you're in the middle of takin' a crap at night... will present you with "challenges". And those scenarios are just much easier to deal with using a pistol or BearSpray in my opinion. And I like the security-blanket feeling of having a pistol with me in those scenarios.
RE: the 1000 Lbs thing?
To get up to 1000 ft Lbs a person would HAVE TO go up to .44 Mag minimum.
And yet .357's, scratching at the ceiling of like 800 ft-Lbs with the hottest loads seem to do Ok for anything we have to hunt in SoCal, no?
So anyhoo... my hopes with the question was that like somebody would perhaps shout-out some make and model and caliber of pistol/revolver that perhaps I hadn't yet come-across or considered. Like everybody else, I try to do my due diligence in terms of researching everything I can on the InterWebz first. ... But sometimes there are little things... little observations you can get directly from other users with your similar parameters to fill that can tell you about their own trial-and-error in various purchases and are often nice and want to share their hassles with others so the next guy doesn't have to learn the hard way what works and what doesn't like they did. You know... paying it forward. That type of thing.
Damn... that Kimber 1911 was nice though. But yeah... I wanted something lighter than what I already have.
Dunno, I may end up trying for one of these 329PD's in .44 Mag since I'm gonna be getting this lever-action. Certainly would make sense to do the whole same ammo thing I suppose.