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ANSWERS: 18
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Probably a 44 magnum with hollowed out ammo but a poor shot would only rile up the bear and make him much more dangerous. If he isn't shot in the eyes, a bears thick bone structure can withstand the gun blast. I wouldn't put my faith in a handgun for totally stopping a bear. An elephant rifle would be the best bet.
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The 500 Smith & Wesson magnum is very capable of stopping a bear.
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Any hand gun that shoots consistently accurate can stop a bear with a well placed shot to the brain. I can't help but laugh a little when I see those guys with the "hand cannons" at the gun range shooting their $3 bullets. A .22 caliber bullet will kill you just as dead as a .50 caliber.
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Sawed-off shotgun.
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a 45-70 will if it's a well-placed shot, and since you will be hunting him from a tree you should have time for a follow-up shot
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Mmm I'm not sure a handgun could stop a bear. Bullets would be my best bet if I ever needed to stop a bear... Possibly a handgun + bullets combination.
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I am not a handgun expert but my husband is. He says: First of all it depends what kind of bear. A 357 Mag would be the minimum for a black bear. a 44 Mag would be the best for a Grizzly or a brown bear. Do not shoot hollow point bullets with either because of the lack of penetration. The best would be to use a hard cast bullet. Normally you would want to use a revolver and not a semi-automatic because they are not powerful enough. A good sized rifle or shotgun with slugs would also be sufficient. A .22 long rifle would be dangerous because you would make it mad but most likely not kill it. You would have to be careful unless you are an expert gunman. They would have to be shot in just the right spot and thier skull is very thick. When a bear charges most are not calm enough to shoot accurately enough with a handgun to use a .22. Bear spray is also very affective for most encounters.
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Remember, Wild Bill Hicock shot a bear multiple times through the heart after accidentally coming between it and its cubs- & then it ripped him up before dying. After that, he always went for the head shots in his gunfights!
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The best answer i can provide is IT ALL DEPENDS ON YOUR AMMO i mean you may be able to stop a bear with a few steel well placed .22's but i would not try it but you may be able to do it. for a hand gun i would recomend something in a .40mm or higher load. i would use bear mace and a .45 long glaser or hydrashock round.
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Any handgun capable of firing a bullet which can penetrate deep enough to reach a vital organ will stop a bear. Even a .22 long rifle pistol can do this "Stop" defined as "kill". However, what you are probably asking is what handgun can cause enough MASSIVE trauma to drop a bear in it's tracks. And again, there are several which can do the trick...from the .357 magnum on up, mainly. Tompson Contenders are single shot pistols which can be chambered for high powered rifle caratridges. There are many magnum pistols out there which can quickly kill a bear. However, shot placement it paramount. It will do you no good to shoot a bear in the *ss is you are trying to kill it. What you end up with is an enraged bear. NOT a good idea. Learn where to shoot a bear to reach it's vital organs...like the heart and brain. And select a weapon powerful enough to penetrate and cause massive trauma along the way. And then be d*mn sure you hit the target right.
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Couple years ago I read about an 11-year-old who got a thousand-pound boar with a .50-caliber handgun. Can't imagine the recoil, though.
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a phaser would be my choice.
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Look at the ballistic information on any handgun and then look at rifle ballistics. If you just want to shoot a bear, carry a rifle. If you're going fishing and are afraid of bears in the neighborhood, carry a shotgun. If you have to carry a pistol while fishing, spend some time reading the literature on the subject. Many people have successfully hunted bear with pistols. But if you intend to hunt bear, and are not an experienced pistol shot, carry a rifle. I've killed bear with a rifle. I personally prefer some distance between me and the bear. I can cover that distance with more accuracy with a rifle.
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u could kill a bear with a .44 mag an a 300 grain bullet or a 454 casull most people that handgun hunt use a 454 or a .460 mag that can send a 200 grain bullet at about 2600 fps with almost equal ft-lbs of energy
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Personally, I prefer a long gun (rifle or shotgun) with at least a 28 inch barrel. Were I to choose a handgun for bear hunting, I would choose a caliber in the .44, .45-Long Colt, or .50 caliber (Desert Eagle or Smith & Wesson) with at least an 8" barrel. Shot placement is equally important. Bullets have been known to bounce of black bear, frizzly, and polar bear skulls. A lung-heart shot is preferable, not that the bear likes it more (I'm certain it doesn't), but to get a quick kill. A wounded bear will often hunt down its shooter. That ain't no fun!
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.357 w/solids & Upwards. The 50 S&W is hard to master, but certainly has the power. Most in the "Bush" carry .44 Mag. as back up when hunting just for Bear. John
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Any hand gun if you aimed it just right... If you managed to hit it in the eye for instance.
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I'd recommend a .357 at minimum with non-hollowpoint ammunition, .44 Magnum would be better. I carry a .357 whenever I hike in the woods (just in case) and have some special +P loads with a flat nosed bullet that I keep it loaded with. Shot placement is as always the key, if you hit it in the wrong place you're just going to make it mad at you.
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