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Grizzly bear gets killed by 9 rounds from Glock 21 45 acp

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29K views 31 replies 11 participants last post by  SmittyJ  
#1 ·
There was not much news coverage of my friends incident up on his place in Marias pass area here in Montana. The proper agencies investigated and found him to have defended himself against this 400 lbs sow grizzly with 2 cubs.

Roy was up on the edge of his property tending his fence line, when out of the brush she was a coming straight at him with her ears back. Roy drew and put 3 rounds of 230-gr FMJ in her neck shoulder area, then took off away from the trail about 5 yards. Roy said the bear was still coming at him, and he fired 3 more rounds into her frontal area. And again took off another 5 yards off in another direction. The sow continued to follow coming at him, so Roy fired 3 more rounds into her frontal area and she dropped taking a dirt nap.

Roy called to report the incident, and they came out and brought a metal detector to locate spent extracted shell casings. Roy was found acting within his right to protect himself against the grizzly bear attack. But they said, they wished he would have used Counter Assault Bear Spray. Roy did not have any, so they gave him a can, plus some 12 ga cracker shells, and some other 12 ga shells will rubber bullets in them.

Roy came into town and purchased a Glock 20 10mm auto now.

I'm glad Roy is okay.
 
#2 ·
The bear wasn't deterred by .45s and they want him to try pepper spray and noisemakers?? Bite me!!

The 10mm sounds like a better answer to that problem, more power and penetration. Much as I love it, the .45 ACP just doesn't have the penetration for big bear.

I think he's lucky to be alive, he kept a cool head.
 
#3 ·
I think I'd have prefered a 44 mag or larger! 454 maybe or a 500! The 45 did do the job though although I bet the pucker facter was high!!
 
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#4 ·
44s Rock said:
I think I'd have prefered a 44 mag or larger! 454 maybe or a 500! The 45 did do the job though although I bet the pucker facter was high!!
Click to expand...
Yes, those calibers are great, but many fail to be able to return fire accuratly with the 454, 500 and such. I prefer the fact that I have 15 rounds of 200-gr WNFP bullets at 1300 fps rather than a 44 magnum with 6 rounds at 1250 fps. The wide flat nose of a 44 and the wide flat nose of a 10mm is marginal, so I have no problem taking the 10mm Auto 200-gr WFN over the 44 magnum.

Test have proven that the 10mm Auto is just as leathal as the ones you have mentioned, and this is why the Seris Artic Team from Denmark is issued the 10mm Auto as their sidearm form Polar bears.

But we have gotten away from the original part of this post here, it was about the .45 Auto being used to kill a grizzly bear. Roy told me that if he had been wearing his 1911 that only holds 7 +1 rounds he would have been in trouble. He was very glad he had his Glock 21 that holds 13 +1
 
T
#13 ·
What Deputy said! :? :lol:


I think I would have preferred a sturdy .44 Magnum ala a Super Redhawk or Raging Bull and these:

http://www.garrettcartridges.com/products.asp

Image


GARRETT'S 44 MAG HAMMERHEAD AMMO
$100 / 50 CTGS

330-GR SUPER-HARD-CAST GC LONG-HAMMERHEAD AT 1400-FPS

THIS 44 MAGNUM AMMO IS RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN RUGER AND DAN WESSON DOUBLE-ACTION REVOLVERS, AS WELL AS THE TAURUS RAGING BULL. IT IS ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR THE GARY REEDER 5-SHOT ULTIMATE 44 MAGNUM, AND THE JOHN GALLAGHER CUSTOM LONG-CYLINDER RUGER SINGLE-ACTIONS. THIS AMMO SHOULD BE FIRED ONLY IN THOSE RECOMMENDED REVOLVERS! THIS AMMO IS BOTH TOO LONG AND GENERATES TOO MUCH CHAMBER PRESSURE FOR SAFE USE IN S&W AND RUGER SUPER BLACKHAWK REVOLVERS. IT IS ALSO TOO LONG FOR USE IN THE FREEDOM ARMS REVOLVER.

ENERGY: 1440 FT/LBS; TAYLOR KNOCKOUT VALUE: 28; MEPLAT: .320"; CHAMBER PRESSURE: 43,500-CUP; SECTIONAL DENSITY: .255; TRAJECTORY: +2" @ 50-YDS; ZERO @ 100-YDS; -7" @ 150-YDS
 
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#15 ·
Sheepdog, I was just quoting that bit to show the type of ammo used. As much as I like the .45 as a fighting cartridge I would not feel safe in bear country with it. I would prefer something with more penetration, even a .357 Magnum with proper loads and better a .44 Spec or Magnum. A 10mm would be much better than a .45 for that.

I certainly agree about the .45-70.
 
#17 ·
That story sounds fishy to me. (Maybe I should send it to the whitehouse). I'm not arguing he killed the bear just he danced around with it. A grizzley can cover 40 yards in 3 seconds in an all out charge. I suspect there was a little reconstruction going on. I won't argue which is better to carry as I'm guessing he wished he had a 460 Weatherby Mag when the thing busted out of the woods after him.
 
#18 ·
Taurus_9mm said:
What Deputy said! :? :lol:


I think I would have preferred a sturdy .44 Magnum ala a Super Redhawk or Raging Bull and these:

http://www.garrettcartridges.com/products.asp

Image


GARRETT'S 44 MAG HAMMERHEAD AMMO
$100 / 50 CTGS

330-GR SUPER-HARD-CAST GC LONG-HAMMERHEAD AT 1400-FPS

THIS 44 MAGNUM AMMO IS RECOMMENDED FOR USE IN RUGER AND DAN WESSON DOUBLE-ACTION REVOLVERS, AS WELL AS THE TAURUS RAGING BULL. IT IS ALSO RECOMMENDED FOR THE GARY REEDER 5-SHOT ULTIMATE 44 MAGNUM, AND THE JOHN GALLAGHER CUSTOM LONG-CYLINDER RUGER SINGLE-ACTIONS. THIS AMMO SHOULD BE FIRED ONLY IN THOSE RECOMMENDED REVOLVERS! THIS AMMO IS BOTH TOO LONG AND GENERATES TOO MUCH CHAMBER PRESSURE FOR SAFE USE IN S&W AND RUGER SUPER BLACKHAWK REVOLVERS. IT IS ALSO TOO LONG FOR USE IN THE FREEDOM ARMS REVOLVER.

ENERGY: 1440 FT/LBS; TAYLOR KNOCKOUT VALUE: 28; MEPLAT: .320"; CHAMBER PRESSURE: 43,500-CUP; SECTIONAL DENSITY: .255; TRAJECTORY: +2" @ 50-YDS; ZERO @ 100-YDS; -7" @ 150-YDS
Click to expand...
I shoot the 310@1325fps in my 629s but really NOT fun in the 3" Tail Boss. I shoot the 421@1850fps in my 45/70. Good stuff for anything in North America!
 
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#20 ·
I understand what some of you prefer, but Roy was not carrying nor wanted to carry a .44 magnum etc. He was carrying a .45 acp and it took 9 rounds of 230 gr FMJ to kill the grizzly bear sow. Now it was after, he came into town and purchased a good 10mm auto.
 
#21 ·
He got the job done with the 45, if there is a next time the 10mm will be better! Hopefully there won't be a next time!
 
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#22 ·
tn gun runner said:
Never take a knife to a gun fight or carry a 45 ACP in bear country .
Click to expand...

Now this is what I told a couple of US Forestry LEO's that one a K-9 Cop carries a Sig 45. ACP and her partner carries a Sig in .40 S&W. She asked me what I carried while out in the woods, I told her a Glock 20SF in 10mm with 200-gr WFN bullets at 1300 fps.

She asked, why do you like the 10mm auto?

Well it is endorced my many Alaskan LEO's as great bear defense. It is carried by the Sirius Artic Patrol from Denmark as their issued sidearm for Polar bears (and has worked on several). As I explained to her, the proof is in the pudding, and I personally would not carry a .45 ACP nor a .40 S&W in the woods for an animal sidearm.

She said, well that is why we also have 12 ga shotguns in our vehicles as well. :D
 
#23 ·
She said, well that is why we also have 12 ga shotguns in our vehicles as well. :D[/quote]

So what is she going to use while she is trying to get back to her vehicle, pepper sryay? Hope it isn't far!!
 
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#26 ·
Terry P, if you would like Roy's phone number, and that of the USWL LEO's that investigated this out of Great Falls, Mt I can provide all that information to you. I have known Roy for quite sometime, and he is a man of his word. I spoke with the US Forestry LEO's that work out of the same building I do, they confirmed Roy's version of this encounter with the bear. And BTW a grizzly bear on a full charge can cover 100 ft in 3 seconds, yes that is fast, but Roy's encounter was fast and furious.

We don't always get the chance to read a text book account, but I guess it would have been better if Roy had someone with him to video tape his chance encounter with this bear.
 
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