10mm, .357, or .44

[Sheepdog1968]

Back when I was hunting, I didn’t have any wheel guns. My choices were either 9 mm or .45 ACP as that was what I owned and I didn’t want to spend more money on a firearm. I shot both platforms well. I chose .45 ACP with Buffalo Bore hard casts for my hunting in Northern CA.

 

[Gawernator]

Yeah, it's always the guys who have never been hunting that fantasize about carrying a magnum handgun of some sort along with 100 rounds of ammo. LOL. I'd rather carry water, snacks, and a warm jacket, but I guess that would be way too practical. I take a handgun on camping trips because I disperse camp out in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes there are some weird-looking people out there. But I just take either a Glock 19 or 22. I'm not worried about having to blast a black bear away. But even if I had to, I'm pretty sure a round or two to the brainpan would probably do the job, if you know, just walking the other direction or bear spray didn't work. As others have said, nuisance bears go where there is trash around, in more developed areas, neighborhoods, and campgrounds where no one is going to be hunting. For example, I've seen tons of bears around South Lake Tahoe where no one is ever going to be hunting deer. But just to the south along the Hwy 88 corridor and Carson Pass, which is a very popular hunting spot, I've never once seen a bear out there. And there is a fairly steady flow of backpackers on the PCT, and none of them are even carrying bear spray, let alone a hand cannon of some sort. There are quite a few backpackers that have gone missing over the years, but I'd bet it was more likely a two-legged humanoid creature is responsible and not a bear. And that is why I take a simple, unglamorous Glock 9 or 40.

Only one fatal black bear attack in California I think ever recorded. For all of our time here

 

[Gawernator]

The REAL question should be 9mm or .45 for bears? lol

 

[Trapper]

Yeah, it's always the guys who have never been hunting that fantasize about carrying a magnum handgun of some sort along with 100 rounds of ammo. LOL. I'd rather carry water, snacks, and a warm jacket, but I guess that would be way too practical. I take a handgun on camping trips because I disperse camp out in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes there are some weird-looking people out there. But I just take either a Glock 19 or 22. I'm not worried about having to blast a black bear away. But even if I had to, I'm pretty sure a round or two to the brainpan would probably do the job, if you know, just walking the other direction or bear spray didn't work. As others have said, nuisance bears go where there is trash around, in more developed areas, neighborhoods, and campgrounds where no one is going to be hunting. For example, I've seen tons of bears around South Lake Tahoe where no one is ever going to be hunting deer. But just to the south along the Hwy 88 corridor and Carson Pass, which is a very popular hunting spot, I've never once seen a bear out there. And there is a fairly steady flow of backpackers on the PCT, and none of them are even carrying bear spray, let alone a hand cannon of some sort. There are quite a few backpackers that have gone missing over the years, but I'd bet it was more likely a two-legged humanoid creature is responsible and not a bear. And that is why I take a simple, unglamorous Glock 9 or 40.

I load a 118 grain Lehigh Defense copper bullets in Starline nickel plated brass with BE-86 at a mild 1105fps out of a Glock 19 and don’t feel the least bit under gunned.

 

[ar15robert]

The REAL question should be 9mm or .45 for bears? lol

Well 45 can be converted to 460 rowland.Had i known that before i got my 10mm i would have done that

 

[Gawernator]

Well 45 can be converted to 460 rowland.Had i known that before i got my 10mm i would have done that

Oh wait that's right my dad has one.