Alaska Outfitter Defends Fishermen from Raging Grizzly with 9mm Pistol

[huntersdog]

I have been guiding brown bear hunters and fishermen and bear photographers from our homestead within Becharof National Wildlife Refuge in Alaska for 33 years and have had numerous close encounters with bears. Until now, I have never had to shoot an unwounded bear to protect either myself or clients, but the other week an event occurred and my good fortune changed. When it happened, I was fully aware of what was going on and how big the bear was. I also managed to stay aware of where my clients were, even when the bear was directly between us. The woman I was guiding said that while she did not remember smelling the bear’s breath, it was close enough to her face that it could have bitten her!

I have killed enough bears to know how important shot placement can be, even with large-bore rifles. I was well aware of the limitations of my 9mm pistol, even with Buffalo Bore ammo. I was aiming for a vital area with each shot; because it all took place between 6 and 8 feet, they were not far off. But hitting the head and brain of a highly animated and agitated animal is a difficult shot.

Attachment 175181

https://www.americanhunter.org/artic...th-9mm-pistol/

[RPRNY]

Much discussed. Experienced, respected guide making much of what should have been acknowledged as a very fortunate and unlikely outcome given the very poor choice of cartridge for the job.

[35remington]

It worked, but wonder why not something else.

[35remington]

Apparently an experienced bear guide values repeat fire and penetration above all else. Based on this single example it's hard to prove it was a "very poor" choice, as that label would have applied better if somebody other than the bear died.

[Hickory]

To my thinking, a 9mm is marginal for humans, for a grizzly it would be on par with a flyswatter or pocket knife. (I guess anything is better than nothing.)
Good shoot'n.

[762 shooter]

A steady hand and a clear sense of purpose will prove most theories wrong, especially when it comes to stopping a threat.

762

[35remington]

Griz apparently thought it was something other than a flyswatter and died anyway.

[jmort]

The magic meplat. You would think that the members here would get it. When your ammunition will shoot through a 900 pound bear on a broadside and will penetrate a bear skull then you have enough gun. He stated the experience has led him to carry his .44 mag in the future.

[Bzcraig]

The magic meplat. You would think that the members here would get it. When your ammunition will shoot through a 900 pound bear on a broadside and will penetrate a bear skull then you have enough gun.

That's what I was thinking! It wouldn't have been my choice but it worked! I think it was a case of a man able to remain calm and shoot with great accuracy way more than lucky.

[RPRNY]

Apparently an experienced bear guide values repeat fire and penetration above all else. Based on this single example it's hard to prove it was a "very poor" choice, as that label would have applied better if somebody other than the bear died.

The exception that proves the rule.

However, if you're game, I'm fairly sure we could crowd source a grizzly hunt in Alaska so that you could put your inadequate cartridge where your sharp tongue resides. The television rights to this debacle would surely earn funders a healthy return but I, for one, would be unwilling to direct any proceeds to your heirs.

Sent from my KFOT using Tapatalk

[Piedmont]

I remember a few years back in Handloader or Rifle Magazine Phil (the bear guide in the story) said they carried .357s with 180 grain hard cast ammo. His reasoning was the gun was carryable and with correct shot placement that .357 load had adequate penetration to do the job. A .44 with hard cast loads would too, but you had to hit them in the right place and if you hit them in the right place with a high penetration round it didn't matter whether it was a .357 or .44.

I'm amazed he was carrying a 9mm to protect clients from brown bears.

[w5pv]

The only experience that I have had with any bear was when this 12 year old friend of ours wanted to get a close picture of picture of a black bear and got out of the car to do so wrapped in nothing but a blanket after she had a accident and soiled her clothes but when the bear made a run at her she forgot about the blanket and camera and made it back to the car.I waited until the bear wondered off and went and collected the things she had dropped but still get a belly laugh out of the memory.It is funny to her now but not then and that was over 45 years ago.


Vote Trump

[Teddy (punchie)]

First he they should be thankful it all worked out. I would not take a 9mm hunting for any large game. Why would I take it for protection from that game. Nice shooting !!

[35remington]

RP, perhaps you should send outraged emails to this fella telling him how stupid he was. He used it on the bear, not me. Perhaps you should focus your righteous indignation on the person that committed this impossibility. It wasn't me. Nowhere did I suggest I would be interested in using a 9mm, so save the bear hunt for yourself or the involved individual.

My observations are rooted in fact.....the bear died. They did not. Not an arguable point. Telling him how stupid he was would be more effective had there been a different outcome.

Given how this all turned out I will let others drape themselves with the mantle of All Knowing Arbiters Of Appropriate Bear Defense Guns.

[OS OK]

He's shot wounded bears before...could be he has some inside information on this 9's penetration and capabilities. After all it is a fairly high speed slug that meat and bone have to stop.
Maybe it's the weight savings on the hip he opts for in his age...I dunnoh...it seems like a sketchy choice from over here though.

[bouncer50]

This is not the first story i hear of a bear being killed by a 9mm. It did the job and every one lived to tell about it. Not my first choice either for a bear gun.

[Walkingwolf]

I would not chance it with normal SD 9mm loads. For woods carry it is nothing less than a 357 or a 40 S&W, but usually a 44. He had the right ammo, heavy(for 9mm) non HP bullet with a flat point. Shot placement, and penetration are the key, I would never carry HP for woods carry, I have little use for them for SD either. Personally I would have had a 40 in the same, or similar package rather than a 9.

[Premod70]

It would be of interest to have a examination of the bullets paths and destruction of the bear. The guide was lucky the bear was distracted by the clients or the outcome could have easily been in the bears favor. Never go into harms way with a one gun/one shooter plan. There should be two or more for any form of security in the environment the guide took his clients. A very lucky day for all.

[jmort]

"It would be of interest to have a examination of the bullets paths and destruction of the bear."

The magic meplat, no moving parts and crazy insane penetration, even in a 9mm.

ALASKAN GUIDE, PHIL SHOEMAKER, USES 9MM OUTDOORSMAN ROUNDS IN A S&W 3954 TO STOP AN ATTACKING GRIZZLY - See story and photos below.

Tim,
Two days ago I was guiding a couple from NY on a fishing trip and decided to pack my S&W 3954 pistol . When we were approaching the stream we bumped into a large boar who must have been sleeping as we were talking loud just so we wouldn't suprise one. Over the past 33 years I have lived and guided here on the Alaska peninsula I have never had to kill a bear in defense of life but this bear was different.
We were in thick brush and I was only 8 or 10 feet from the bear when he started growling and huffing. I began yelling and it eventually ran around, behind my two clients, into the brush. But within 15 seconds it came charging back from the area behind us and popped out of the brush 10 feet from me ! I had the little S&W in my hands and was thinking I was probably going to have to shoot it but as it cleared the brush it headed toward my clients. The man had enough sense to grab his wife and fall backwards into the tall grass. The bear seemed to loose track of them, even though it was less than 3 feet away from them and it was highly agitated ! It then swung toward me, I was 6 or 8 feet away, and I fired the first shot into the area between the head and shoulder. It growled and started wildly thrashing around, still basically on the feet of my clients. My next shot hit it in the shoulder and it began twisting and biting at the hits and I continued firing as fast as I could see vitals. Five shots later it turned into the brush and I hit it again and it twisted and fell 20 feet from us !
We hiked out and I flew back to camp to report the incident to F&G and pick up my daughter to go back and skin the bear for F&G.
You are the first person I have told this story to as I haven't decided whether to write it up or not, or where, but thought you should know that your ammo WORKS. We recovered 4 of the bullets and I took a photo of the back of the bear after the hide was removed that shows an entry on one side of the back and the tip of the bullet on the off side ...
Phil Shoemaker
www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=388

[ole 5 hole group]

I do like 35remington's posts, as they get to the point of the matter at hand.

That 9mm did the job and was the right firearm for that guide, that day. That particular brown bear really wasn't interested in killing those 3 people that day or else he would have killed all 3 and died from the inflicted wounds a very short time later.

In my opinion, the 3 individuals entered this bears territory uninvited and the bear was on a mission to teach them some manners and ran into a guy shooting a 9mm and he decided to turn around and get out of Dodge and died for his efforts. Not much more to it, because if that bear was intent on killing those 3 individuals, he would have done so at that distance and without a CNS strike a 9mm, 45ACP, 44 magnum, 45 Colt or a 460 Weatherby wouldn't make a difference.

Shot placement is king and why a charging bear will turn when hit with a heavy rifle or any other type firearm or just keep coming is known only to our Creator and I'm a firm believer in being the best you can be when involved in a deadly confrontation but when your time is up - it's up, doesn't mean you have to accept it, but you're checkin out just the same.