Handgun For Dangerous Game

What do you currently carry for dangerous game?

Are you asking about 9mm as a dangerous game round?

Will it compete with big bore magnums? No

Is it ideal? No

Can it work and has it worked? Yes

With premium boutique ammo, it can work. Look up the story of the Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman ammo taking out a brown bear in Alaska.

Just like all things, it's a spectrum. And generally, multiple spectrums intersecting. With firearms, it's finding that balance between power, reliability, weight, speed, price, usability, realistic use, needs vs wants.

For me, in Alaska, I carry a pawn shop XD45 Tactical "converted" to handle 45 Super (barrel and springs).

I've also carried 9mm with Buffalo Bore or Underwood or Fort Scott when weight really matters on a long hike (when there's low risk of animal encounters).

And other times, I have a magnum rifle or magnum revolver.

Having said an that, I've never had to use it so it's theoretical and if I turn into bear food, never take my opinions

I live in a "dangerous game" zone (black bear and mountain lions). When hiking/walking in the neighborhood at night, usually carry a customized 4" 629 No Dash with night sights loaded with WWB 240 gr JSP- plenty for my area. Funny enough, any two-legged concerns are also covered by that set-up.

Biggest caliber you can afford and reliably find. 9mm in hard cast will work, it is not ideal. 45ACP is better, but still not what I would consider dangerous game bullet. 357 is probably your best choice in handgun selection and ammo availability. If you prefer a semi-auto, you can look high and low for a Coonan 1911. Or just switch to a 10mm.

I carry a .500 S&W in "dangerous game" country and still feel inadequately armed.

I've taken many deer with my .44 magnum. It's a helluva round. I can shoot it accurately to 100 yds. plus. It's a real freakin' thumper. I have every confidence in it. Having said that, if I lived in an area with anything meaner or larger than an eastern Black Bear, I'd be packing a bit more. If I was in Moose or Griz territory, I'm packing at least a .454. I think if I were under attack, I'd want something that one shot would make that animal stop in it's tracks and think twice about continuing. I don't know if you'd get off a second shot. I want whatever I have to really hurt that thing that's coming at me. I believe in a .44 mag, but I'd feel better with a 10mm or larger semi auto, 454 casull, or some other 3-4 inch barreled brute. I believe a 9mm would be a joke against a charging bear. Like shooting an elk with a .22. Can it be done? I'd say it's possible, but not real likely to get the proper outcome. This is where the saying , "Go big or go home" means just that.

Don’t overcomplicate it.
These questions always come down to “what do I want?” for myself.

If I always wanted 500 S&W then I’d buy that, I prefer old smiths so I’d buy a pinned barrel model 29. If you want a 460 Rowland, well nows the time to get it.

lots of things will work, so which do you want.

I believe the most dangerous animal walks on two legs; if being attacked by one (or more) stopping it (them) ASAP be highly desirable.
What caliber would you want to stop the most dangerous animal on the planet (armed) ASAP, even in a "good area".
A. 22lr / 25 acp
B. 32 / 380 acp
C. 9mm / 357 Sig
D. Equal to or bigger than choice C

If that question seems easy, some people get it wrong even with 50% odds.

I hike early AM with the dogs (3-4AM) in the woods of Eastern Idaho. Common are black bear and mountain lions. I carry a .40 PX4 with 200 gr Buffalo bore FNHC ammo and a large container of bear spray. I also make sure to make a lot of noise with the dogs. Never used the spray or the gun, in seven years. HOWEVER, I have used the spray on grizzlies when hiking further north and it works. Also carry basically the same gear.

The question for those that choose the larger, heavier caliber handguns, are "you" capable of deploying and shooting them quickly and instinctively, in a realistic manner under stress?

You always hear about how great this or that caliber is, but if you cant make it work beyond shooting tight little groups off a bench at your leisure with a lot of deliberation, instead of trying to draw and rapidly place accurate shots on something that's very likely rapidly moving on you while under a good deal of stress, whats it matter how good the caliber is, if you cant do your part?

Not in the least saying that those rounds arent capable of working, the question is, can you make them work, in a realistic situation and manner against something that is running towards you with malice, instead of something you're more accustomed to, that's running away in fear, or just standing there, if it even knows you are there at all?

And this goes for any of the calibers carried for people too. The threats are all the same, and the answer is too, but I think most want/expect the gun to do all the work and arent up to whats really needed, beyond luck, to get things done.

Location, location, location. North America is a big continent with a lot of variety. Here in southwestern Ohio, the most dangerous 4 legged creatures are dogs or maybe an angry snapping turtle you snagged while fishing. It's unlikely you'd need a firearm for defense against animals but 9mm would be more than enough. Go a little further east and you'll run into black bear. Making noise is probably your best defense there, but again 9mm would be plenty if it came down to it. Or just some good pepper spray.

Out in the northwest it's a different story but I've seen compelling arguments that bear spray is still a great option.

I'm a handgun hunter and I would put 10mm as my minimum. 44 is excellent. Anything much bigger and you are trading 2 shots for 1. I can get 2 rounds of 44 off accurately in the time it takes to get 1 500 or 460. For a charging animal that might make a world of difference. Also I can get a 4 inch 44 on target far faster than either x-frame or raging bull or whatever. I think 10mm would be minimal in Alaska but 15 rounds of 10mm from a Glock is easy to get into a target. Plus its a great open carry gun for crackhead or other 2 legged threats which is exponentially more likely than an animal attack most places. Stand in front of a hill and let a pumpkin or ball roll toward you. Try to shoot it and then see if you want several 10mm, a few 44 mag, or one 454, 460, or 500. See which one gets you eat by the pumpkin and which one at least punches a hole or two

For hunting I don't worry about fast follow ups. Completely different scenario. A single action 454 or 45-70 or whatever is fine. I have shot a DA revolver in DA mode exactly once at a game animal. A 4 inch smith at a buck at 30-40 yards. I do (although rarely) hunt with an 8 inch 460 btw.

Ethics also comes into play. If an animal or person is attacking me then I don't care about ethics. If I need to thoroughly perforate the threat to stop it then so be it. "They started it". But hunting (or killing beef or whatever isn't after me) I insist on one shot having the best chance of taking my game quickly.


Will a 9mm kill. Id think so loaded heavy. Ive used 40 and 10mm (loaded down to near 40) to kill wounded cattle, horses, canine, and deer. Id think a bear skull would be pretty similar to an old beef. Id err on the heavier side of 9mm though. A headshot has never failed me. None of those other than the coyote or dog had a chance of moving much less eat me.

As kind of an all around handgun, I like my Ruger Toklat. For me it is a good balance of size and power. I can shoot light .45 Colt loads or go up to the .454 if needed.

Not my gun, but here is a picture:

CDW4ME said:

I believe the most dangerous animal walks on two legs

Click to expand...

Yes- You live in FL. I would expect your knowledge of the four-legged threat matrix in my area or other similar mountain areas to be limited. Like my signature says, there are different neighborhoods.

Hunting or Self defense?


If I'm hunting with a handgun I'd choose a revolver with a 6" or longer barrel chambered in 44 mag at the minimum. Possibly one of the hot 45 calibers such as 454 Casul or 460 S&W. IMO the 500 is too much of a good thing, and maybe even the 460. But to be honest, I'd much rather just carry a short barreled rifle than a handgun with a barrel 6" or longer. The longer barrel aids more accurate shooting and improves muzzle velocity. Better triggers are generally on revolvers too. All that adds up to better accuracy at longer ranges.

For SD, ranges will be very close and the shooting fast. Long barrels slow you down and heavy recoil means repeat shots are slower. I'd compromise some power for a more compact gun, less recoil and with more ammo available. A 3-4" barreled mid frame 357 is a good start if loaded with some of the better ammo from companies like Buffalo Bore, Double Tap, and others.

But my go-to pick is my G29 in 10mm with 15 round G20 magazines. That is what I carried to Yellowstone choosing to leave the 44 and 357 mag revolvers home. It's about penetration, not energy numbers and the heavy for caliber hardcast loads work pretty well. Those 10mm loads have taken big bear and cape buffalo.

But those same loads in more common cartridges like 45 ACP, 40 S&W and even 9mm have proven capable on the biggest bear in North America. I might use those rounds in black bear country, but my personal comfort zone on bigger critters is 10mm and up.

Here is a link to the Phil Shoemaker incident.

https://www.americanhunter.org/arti...fishermen-from-raging-grizzly-with-9mm-pistol

My default serious carry handgun is a Ruger GP100, .357 Magnum. I do have a Super Redhawk Alaskan snub-gun, .454/.45, so, am capable of up-gunning, if I feel compelled to do so, such as if going to AK.

I do not claim any expertise, in the hunting of dangerous beasties. We do have to be careful, however, here in SE Texas:

https://abc13.com/christine-rollins...d-dead-animal-attack-death-wild-hogs/5716849/

I was at the LGS yesterday. A gentleman was there, looking to trade his 8 3/8 inch 44 magnum. He works with live hogs and sometimes they "get rowdy", as he put it.

He said that he definitely wanted 44 magnum (45acp hadn't been powerful enough), but he needed a 4" or 6" barrel so that he could draw it quicker.

My deep woods carry has been my 6.5" Model 29. I carry "Dirty Harry" style in a custom built leather shoulder holster.

In the colder months it conceals well under a light jacket. Even in the woods I still prefer concealed carry, to avoid attention from other hikers I may encounter along the way.

Big and heavy isn’t always best cause that dangerous game can come at you so fast you’ll be shocked, 10mm Glock will do the job as well as a 41-44 mag or 45 long colt. Personally I have a 44 mag single action 45 acp that work just fine but I mostly carry a 30-30 for black bear and cat. Forget the grizzly he’s federally protected so you can’t shoot him no matter what you end up in court ( if you survive) and avoid that moose also.
Added: I have a friend that carry’s a shotgun at the ready..

Just for the record, the largest grizzly ever taken was in 1953 with a 22lr single shot rifle by a 5' tall Cree woman named Bella Twin; it's a great story look it up. Ammoland has also done a full-depth analysis of every publicly reported bear shooting finding that every caliber worked.