We Get Letters

"Charles Petty (famous gunsmith and load-designer) of American Handgunner says that black bears don't attack people very much so a person should not worry about defense loads for such animals. Didn't I hear from somewhere that black bears were becoming so much of a lethal nuisance that even Ann Coulter mentioned it? If so, how could Charles Petty be so wrong..."

In 2005 there were over 100 reported cases of black bears, in New Jersey alone, attacking people, pets and livestock. 100 reported cases means three or four times that many where a bear was successfully driven away without much ado, so yes, Mr. Petty was speaking out of his ass, but that's pretty much what gunscribes do. And yes, Ann mentioned it in the context of explaining that we don't have enough air marshals or airport security screeners or game wardens to stop black bear attacks in New Jersey. There's never enough help available from the government for anything, and that is why many people recommend learning to protect yourself.
The Jersey/Pennsy/Southwestern NY State areas happen to be overflowing with black bears, much of it due to the cancellation of hunting licenses for such critters because the tree huggers would rather see you dead than a bear dead and that's that. NY State and Pennsylvania are far more reasonable than Jersey and will at least permit you to shoot an offending bear should it mean you or your property harm, but NJ's legislators are beholding to the greenies and most DA's will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law if you don't run, then get mauled to near death before killing an offending bear.

As far as the "right" weapon" to use against a bear, any bear, a rifle or shotgun comes to mind as the first line of defense. .308 or 30-06 rounds from a rifle or slugs from a 12 gauge will stop most members of the black bear clan, but just remember that a 750 pound Jersey bear was taken in late 2004 (the record remains a 10 yr-old black from North Carolina that tipped the scales at 880 back in 1998), so an aggressive, attacking blackie isn't a piece of cake to kill. If all you have is a handgun, then it better be at least a .357 magnum loaded with 180-200 grain cast bullets and you better be a fine hand with the weapon. Sure a .41 or .44 magnum is better on paper, but chances are you're going to need more than one shot and cyclic rate of fire comes into play so whatever you select make certain that you can get rounds downfield quickly and with much accuracy. A big black can have his heart shot to a vaporous mist and still spend the next 30 seconds or so tearing you to pieces, so CNS (Central Nervous System) hits are highly recommended to end such confrontations as fast as possible.

Grizzly, or Brown Bears? Forget it. Hunters regularly take these animals with 30-06's and above, but hunting the beast and it hunting you are two very different things. A scoped-in kill at 150 yards is not the same as a 1500 pound Grizzly busting from the bush with hostile intentions. Sure, plenty of big bears have been stopped by the right .357 magnum load, but you'd better be the reincarnation of Bill Hickock or damned lucky to settle things thusly.

The good news about Bear-Spray is that it works. The bad news about Bear-Spray is that it doesn't work. I've read reports, and spoken with those in the know who tell me highly-concentrated capsicum sprays will stop a charging bear perhaps 50% of the time. The other 50% of the time it's nothing more than a condiment.

I myself would never go for a walk in bear country without the stoutest .44 magnum or corresponding .454 Casull...at the barest of minimum. I'd prefer a 375 H&H Mag kicking a specially designed 300 grainer at 2600 fps, and yes, the .500 S&W boys are doing terrific work with 750 grain cast bullets created for the world's biggest of game and have taken Hippo and Elephant galore, but bears...

Bears are just a different story. They're mean and dangerous and tree-hugging idiots prove to them how harmless we are so they consider us to be a notch or two below them on the food chain.

And some of us are.