38 Special Bear Defense Load

[justindad]

I use something less powerful. That load might over penetrate and kill a baby hiding behind the bear.

That reminds me of something… why don’t rifles over penetrate?

[Der Gebirgsjager]

The answer is in how you read the question. Personally, I doubt if bears need defense loads, as they are big, with teeth and claws.

DG

[44Blam]

So - not a 38 special load, but I have some HP GC boolits that are in the 158 grain range that I think I'm gonna try out in the 350 legend... I do load these in 38 special and they are going a modest 750 or so fps. But a 30 round magazine and a gun sending 150 grain boolits at 2100-2200 fps should stop a bear...

[45DUDE]

With 38 special you may as well shoot in the air and see what happens.

[mehavey]

Handgun or Pistol Against Bear Attacks 104 cases, 97% Effective

https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/...70_FMwebp_.jpg

[bedbugbilly]

If it were me, I think I would just carry some of my 38 Colt Short loads . . . . they take up less room in your pocket which leaves more room to carry more toilet paper . . . just in case you do run into a bear . . . .

[Shanghai Jack]

<tongue in cheek mode on> Reload the case to the brim with VV310 and give it to the bear to fire.

On a separate note - If attacked by a bear, play dead. It's good practice for when it kills you 5 seconds later.

[Frank V]

Oh boy, pass the popcorn!!!!!

[JSnover]

Wait till he opens wide to eat you... then shove the barrel in his mouth and pull the trigger; make it look like a suicide

[jonp]

I've found that a 140gr dewc with red dot works fine if you wait out the charge till the last moment then somersault onto it's back and fire into it's ear riding it to the ground like a bucking bronco. After much experimenting I found a 5 shot Chiefs Special works the best as the short barrel is easier to get into the ear so you don't have to latch onto the other one with your teeth to keep its head steady. Lots of ticks in the ears so try not to do that.
I must point out a caution, though. If he is real rambunctious you might have to clamp onto that left ear (if right handed) and reach under with your right and muckle onto the family jewels to show who's boss and settle him down. Just get over it and get it done. If it's a sow your on your own as I've not been charged by one. I heard that using your Indiana Jones bullwhip, you always carry one, right?, to keep the ride going and just tire her out works but that was told to me over a fire in Siberia by a guy I'm not sure I trusted as he had a predilection for exaggeration. He spun a wild tale after much vodka of taking Stalin hunting. When a bear charged Stalin he froze so this guy jumped on and finding out it was female yanked out the whip and they went in circles. Told me Stalin threw himself on the ground and cried like a Nancy watching him subdue the Brown. Seriously, Stalin crying? Oy...
Use that method at your discretion

I've used my method on a number of blacks, griz and browns. Always works for me

[Super Sneaky Steve]

The old 200gr boolit over real black powder is the best load, to shoot your buddy in the knee with.

After that you should be able to out run him.

[Bigslug]

I've loaded the Lyman 358430 (195gr RN) in the Special at a pokey 570fps in one of my earlier efforts to simulate the old British .38/200 load. It penetrated 18" of calibrated FBI-spec Jell-O in a nice straight line. It could be thrown faster. If one is assuming ANY handgun has a reasonable chance of stopping a large carnivore fast enough to save your skin, there are worse combinations to kid yourself with.

[MT Gianni]

I've found that a 140gr dewc with red dot works fine if you wait out the charge till the last moment then somersault onto it's back and fire into it's ear riding it to the ground like a bucking bronco. After much experimenting I found a 5 shot Chiefs Special works the best as the short barrel is easier to get into the ear so you don't have to latch onto the other one with your teeth to keep its head steady. Lots of ticks in the ears so try not to do that.
I must point out a caution, though. If he is real rambunctious you might have to clamp onto that left ear (if right handed) and reach under with your right and muckle onto the family jewels to show who's boss and settle him down. Just get over it and get it done. If it's a sow your on your own as I've not been charged by one. I heard that using your Indiana Jones bullwhip, you always carry one, right?, to keep the ride going and just tire her out works but that was told to me over a fire in Siberia by a guy I'm not sure I trusted as he had a predilection for exaggeration. He spun a wild tale after much vodka of taking Stalin hunting. When a bear charged Stalin he froze so this guy jumped on and finding out it was female yanked out the whip and they went in circles. Told me Stalin threw himself on the ground and cried like a Nancy watching him subdue the Brown. Seriously, Stalin crying? Oy...
Use that method at your discretion

I've used my method on a number of blacks, griz and browns. Always works for me

I don't know Jon, I have a tendency to grab both ears and might forget to remove my off hand when I shoot.

[lightload]

Keith 358429 and 7 grains of Unique might work but falls into the excessive pressure and irresponsible category though Elmer recommended this bullet with 8 grains of Unique. I saw a bear in the zoo. That's my experience.

[Thumbcocker]

I've found that a 140gr dewc with red dot works fine if you wait out the charge till the last moment then somersault onto it's back and fire into it's ear riding it to the ground like a bucking bronco. After much experimenting I found a 5 shot Chiefs Special works the best as the short barrel is easier to get into the ear so you don't have to latch onto the other one with your teeth to keep its head steady. Lots of ticks in the ears so try not to do that.
I must point out a caution, though. If he is real rambunctious you might have to clamp onto that left ear (if right handed) and reach under with your right and muckle onto the family jewels to show who's boss and settle him down. Just get over it and get it done. If it's a sow your on your own as I've not been charged by one. I heard that using your Indiana Jones bullwhip, you always carry one, right?, to keep the ride going and just tire her out works but that was told to me over a fire in Siberia by a guy I'm not sure I trusted as he had a predilection for exaggeration. He spun a wild tale after much vodka of taking Stalin hunting. When a bear charged Stalin he froze so this guy jumped on and finding out it was female yanked out the whip and they went in circles. Told me Stalin threw himself on the ground and cried like a Nancy watching him subdue the Brown. Seriously, Stalin crying? Oy...
Use that method at your discretion

I've used my method on a number of blacks, griz and browns. Always works for me

Does the bear ear wax increase the velocity out of the Chief's special?

[Dancing Bear]

Most any .38 Special load should work as well as the mighty (cough) .25 ACP in slowing down your companion during bear attack.

Robert

When an acquittance questioned my 9mm for bear defense I told him it wasn't for shooting the bear but to slow him down. He was quite after that.

[Three44s]

Seriously though, where 9mm has worked, and trust me as I believe in 44s and 480s ..... a properly loaded 38 would be a better choice than a 9mm except for round count.

The Chief Special and a heavy framed 38 like the Outdoorsman can handle some pretty rambunctious loads, the Outdoorsman being the inspiration for the creation of the 357 magnum cartridge.

If I was charged while only packing a 38, that is what I would use.

If I was out with Joesph Stalin and only had a bull whip I would try it on the bear. If it did p not turn it away, I would use it on "Joe" to get him runnin'........ the bear would focus on him whilst I slipped away.

Three44s

[Shawlerbrook]

Any load will do to put you out of your misery before the bear makes you it’s lunch.

[mr surveyor]

I feel sorry for all y'all that still have to worry about bear encounters and caliber choices. Back when I was a kid here in the Stumpwater area of NE Texas we eradicated the entire population of bears (and lions, tigers, elephants, etc) with our finely tuned Daisy BB guns. I've felt so safe for the last 60 years that I even leave the house without my Daisy.

[John in WYO]

I used a Chiefs Special against a grizzly.
ONCE!
Never again!
Took jonp’s advice and stuck it deep in its ear and pulled the trigger.
The exposed hammer was so deep in the ear canal it got hung up and the gun couldn’t fire.��
Now I use a Centennial with an internal hammer.