Can either .45 ACP or 10mm AUTO take down a bear?

Question

is it possible to defend yourself against a bear with .45 or 10mm? or would you rather use .308?

Answer 1

In a defensive posture, ANY weapon is preferable against a bear!  A 10mm is a proven round against bear (Ted Nugent has killed more than one with his Glock29).  If you are HUNTing bear, then I would use a .308 or higher powered rifle at distance.  If you are defensive and the bear is very close, bringing a long barreled rifle up to aim and getting off a decent shot would be extremely difficult.  A large caliber pistol is much easier to draw, point and shoot.  A 10MM Glock20 gives you 15 rounds to discourage the bear from attacking or turn him into a rug!

I personally carry a Glock20 in 10MM with a Lone Wolf 6-in barrel and pack Georgia-Arms 155gr +P Gold Dot JHPs @ 1375FPS for any encounters I may have with a bear or deer in the mountains of Western Maryland.  My secondary round of choice is DoubleTap's 200gr Wide Flat Nose Gas Check Beartooth @ 1300fps, but this is a full lead round and not recommended for Glock barrels.

Answer 2

Maybe, but i wouldn't want to be the guy to test it.

I'd rather be a half mile away with a rifle, preferable one that shoots a cartridge that has magnum on the end of its name.

Answer 3

The 10mm would work. I read Ted Nugget carries one when hunting big game like bear with his bow.  A 45 round might be a little slow for such a big animal but is better than nothing. I certainly would not use it as my primary weapon, only as a back-up.

Answer 4

neither one of these is an ideal choice, but if i had to pick one handgun you mentioned, i would go with the 10mm first.  to be safe, i would select the .44 magnum or even the newer S&W .500 Magnum if i had to go with a bear hunting handgun. if you are that close to a bear to be shooting handguns, you have got some serious guts! i'd much rather be at a greater distance than handguns would allow with a .308, .30-06, or 7mm Remington Magnum!    

Answer 5

If I had the choice, it would be the .308.  why p!ss off a bear with a .45 or 10mm when a .308 would do the job?

Answer 6

Yes, but becareful there will be some hunters who will get pissed abou this question

Answer 7

There are bears and mountain lions in the woods around my home. I have a 10mm Glock in my pocket now and always carry it whne i'm outside. I stake my life on my 10mm. Like H said, it has as much power at 100 yards as a .45 does at the muzzle. Ted Nugent carrys a 10mm Glock. If it's good enough for H and Ted, It's good enough for me.

Rifles are mostly for hunting, not for sewlf-defense. I can work outside with the Glock in my pocket, but having a rifle slung over my shoulder makes getting anything done hard to do and I can pull the Glock and shoot it a lot faster than I can shoot a rifle. Nothing in America can stand up to the power of a 10.

Answer 8

An Alaskan guide told me once, "If you use anything other than a .44 Magnum, you're just pissing it off more."

Answer 9

hands down I'd use the 308

Answer 10

In all honesty I do not think this would drive off a bear unless you had excellent shot placement like the eye's, nose, and mouth, the general head area. As for me I do not think I could pull off those shots while being charged or chased by a bear. A rifle would be a much better choice, but if you are not hunting and just looking for a woods gun and you do not want the weight of a revolver. The two semi-autos you listed are your best bets.

Answer 11

10mm is a proven Bear defense round. Loaded with proven rounds like the CorBon 185 grain Hunter Rounds which move at 1300FPS or one of the other loads specifically designed for hunting are enough gun to do the job if you want a dual purpose auto.  

Another defense handgun option is a .44 Mag revolver which can be had for $400 or less used and is unquestionably a bear hunting handgun.    

Answer 12

The 10mm is as powerful at a 100 yards as the .45 acp is at the muzzle.  The 10mm is adequate for hunting up to deer-size animals.  With the proper ammo and especially the six-inch barrel available for the Glock Model 20 a 10mm is better against bear than a .45 acp.  Basically the .45 acp is big bore defensive weapon against 2-legged predators.  It is way too slow to be effective against large, heavy-boned and muscular critters like bear.  Of course, the .308 Winchester is the better choice for bear protection than either pistol.

H

Answer 13

They might do it, but "might" isn't enough for me. Heck, even a .22 Long Rifle might do it, but better you than me on this score. For a black bear, I want at least a .44 magnum revolver, if I must use a handgun. For grizzlies and Kodiak bears, use a powerful rifle, .338 or more.