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What 10 mm for my back country hunts?

1911 vote for me. You can pick up a nice single stack RIA for $600 . LOVE mine. Gave my G29 to my youngest for her 21st birthday, she’s liking it a lot, I do too. But a sidearm for hunting…. 1911 for me, I carry it 50% of the time comfortably IWB . For a little more you could go double stack but idk a lot about those yet.
 
All the data and discussion I have seen around this issue from people that work or hunt in that part of the country points to one caliber. 44 mag.
Though I can’t help but ask why not bear spray instead? You can “spray and pray” with that stuff and bears can’t stand it. Miss the vitals on the first two shots with a pistol and most likely your dead.
 
All the data and discussion I have seen around this issue from people that work or hunt in that part of the country points to one caliber. 44 mag.
Though I can’t help but ask why not bear spray instead? You can “spray and pray” with that stuff and bears can’t stand it. Miss the vitals on the first two shots with a pistol and most likely your dead.

Two article's that show that bear spray isn't as effective as one would believe it would be.

Bear Attack 1

Bear Attack 2

I used to think the same way, but changed my mind after reading news articles like these.
 
All the data and discussion I have seen around this issue from people that work or hunt in that part of the country points to one caliber. 44 mag.
Though I can’t help but ask why not bear spray instead? You can “spray and pray” with that stuff and bears can’t stand it. Miss the vitals on the first two shots with a pistol and most likely your dead.
It all comes down to comfort I guess. Just as you could have a malfunction with a semi-auto pistol, there is always a chance the bear spray does as well. I'd sleep a lot better in my tent knowing I have the option to sling 200 grain slug 15 times versus a 10 second bear spray within 30'. I've listen to podcasts of hunters that have been charged/attacked by bears and almost every one goes for the boom stick if its life or death situation.
 
Will you gun be as close to "idiot proof" as possible, so that your hunting companions will be able to make use of it in an emergency?

In this case at the link below, a hunting guide died and his client was injured because when a bear attacked, the guide was not wearing his 10 mm Glock pistol but had placed it nearby. Then, the client, an archery hunter, did not know how to make the Glock fire.

The gun was found with the chamber empty and the magazine out --leading to speculation that it had been carried with an empty chamber, and the bow hunter who grabbed it did not understand why it wasn't firing for him, and he pushed the magazine release thinking it was a safety switch.

 
P.S. Notice that both men carried bear spray. The hunting guide did manage to get his out and spray the attacking bear, but that did not stop the bruin and he lost his life due to that attack.
 
Just a few comments, these threads about bears can go a bit long, that’s ok. If around Yellowstone or Glacier Park, one needs to pay more attention, step it up some. For most of the black bear areas in the rest of the lower 48, the risk goes down a good amount. Of course being ‘gun people’ most will want to carry something. I usually stop short of the ‘boat anchor’ weights, if hiking some.

Another thing one can do is get the best ammo for a gun you already own, like a 40 S&W, rather than buying that new 10mm. There are some deep penetration options with ammo & bullets for handloading from Underwood, Lehigh Defense, & others. I’m kinda thinking, some of the very best options for the 40, can outperform many average ammo types used in the 10mm.
 
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