Who has had to use their "backup" pistol?

[urbancowboy]

Just curious to hear stories from people who have had to use a "backup" pistol while hunting, hiking, or camping. I'm not talking about people who are hunting with a pistol on purpose.

I was hiking in alaska a few weeks ago and carried my glock 29 (10mm) just in case. No close calls with bears or anything, but I'm sure someone has.
Anyone?

 

[WeiserBucks]

I don't carry a backup sidearm, I carry a primary use sidearm.

 

[urbancowboy]

Yeah I'm not sure how to word it. If you're hunting with a rifle but carry a pistol "just in case," or you carry a pistol (or revolver) while fishing, camping, hiking, etc.

 

[WeiserBucks]

I carry a sidearm because a bolt action rifle is quite possibly the worst choice for defense.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

Have had many memorable and hair- raising close encounters with grizzlies, wolves, etc....only time I ever had to pull my pistol in defense of life was with a cow moose while I was gutting her boyfriend....only thing that saved her was all the downed trees we were tangled up in, she kept bouncing off them trying to charge in and stomp me....eventually she gave up...it was terrifying.

 

[Back Country Hunter 2]

I have used my 9mm for grouse while hunting elk with a bow and/or muzzle loader. It’s more for my peace of mind at night for bears though.

 

[Wrench]

I've killed 2 bears with a pistol while wearing a rifle on my back. One with a 329, one with a 10. The 329 was at 30 paces nose down coming hard on the blood trail of the deer I just killed....and had strapped on my back. The 10mm was at 10 feet and no way was I going to try to get on him with a rifle.

The first bear wasn't necessarily "defense" ad I probably could have tried to talk it away. The second was too close and scared....not a good spot.

 

[urbancowboy]

Which 10mm were you carrying and what ammo? How did the ammo perform?
Glad you're around to share this story!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’ve had my pistol out a few times but never had to shoot a charging bear.

 

[BRTreedogs]

I got chased by a hawk for like 2 miles.
Dive bombing me in the head. It was ridiculous.
I didn't lite off the 44 but mostly cause I knew I couldn't hit it.
I also came face to face with a black bear about 15-20 ft in dark in a creek bottom. That was pretty scary.
I didn't shoot cause it moved off when I yelled and I figured a wounded bear was worse then one moving off. But I was cocked and locked.

 

[HawkCreek]

I carry a sidearm because a bolt action rifle is quite possibly the worst choice for defense.

Far from ideal but they can be fired quickly and while still maintaining combat accuracy. No, I'm not claiming they are as fast as an autoloader.

 

[Crewsader]

My bro in law and I were bow hunting in NM. Came across a Mexican Grizzly that was in the process of eating an Elk. I just had a .40 cal on me and my bro had a .45. We deployed handguns and moved away without the bear taking notice/caring about us. Didn’t have to fire a shot but it was scary enough for me to sell the .40 cal and replace with a TRR8.

 

[Wrench]

Which 10mm were you carrying and what ammo? How did the ammo perform?
Glad you're around to share this story!

full sized 1911, 200gr xtp at 1250. 16" penetration and pancaked his ass like a switch.

 

[wind gypsy]

Ran a black bear off my elk carcass last year during bow season. He circled around and required a warning shot from my pistol to keep away.

 

[Salmonchaser]

Both bears we had to kill were killed with long guns, rifle and a shot gun. I’ve had my pistol out many times but haven’t had to kill a grizz in more than 20 years. I have documented over 1,000 contacts with grizz, inside 50 yards, guiding in Bristol bay.
As a law man for 20 years I went to my back up twice. In a ground fight with Gerald Kieth, he is no longer with us. Another time I bailed out of my car felt a tug I ignored, only to find a few minutes later my pistol had some how got tangled with the seat belt and was some where behind me. Suspect thought it pretty funny until I pulled my G27 from under my shirt.
Most of the guides I know up here are satisfied carrying only a rifle while guiding hunts, probably 99% bolt actions.

 

[Akwoodchuck]

I carry a sidearm because a bolt action rifle is quite possibly the worst choice for defense.

If that's all ya got...use it:

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.wideopenspaces.com/room-error-intense-kodiak-bear-charge-alaska-video/amp/

 

[thinhorn_AK]

My bro in law and I were bow hunting in NM. Came across a Mexican Grizzly that was in the process of eating an Elk. I just had a .40 cal on me and my bro had a .45. We deployed handguns and moved away without the bear taking notice/caring about us. Didn’t have to fire a shot but it was scary enough for me to sell the .40 cal and replace with a TRR8.

Cool story if true. Any more details???

 

[Crewsader]

Cool story if true. Any more details???

We were bow hunting with recurves in the Manzano mountains on 9/23/18 at just before noon. I snapped this picture of the tall canopy we were walking through about 5 minutes before we walked up on him. We could hear an elk moaning so we stupidly decided to walk in that direction to see what was up. Just before we saw the bear about 10 huge vultures flew out in front of us. Their wing span was so big that the sound of their wings moving the air sent a chill up my spine. About 10 seconds later from where the birds had flown out of we spotted the bear/elk. We both drew out side arms and began backing away. The bear didn’t seem to even notice us. After we backed away it a bit we hustled back to the truck. We were nervous and in an area of the woods we weren’t familiar with. We ended up passing the truck and wandering around for 15 minutes looking for it. We finally found it and got out of there. We told the story to some people who kind of made fun of us about seeing a Grizzly as they are not suppose to be around this area. I did a lot of research and turns out the Mexican Grizzly are considered exterpation (locally extinct) rather than extinct. They ranged from mexico to CO, from CA to NM. Apparently there are still some left in the deep woods of NM. - Ted.

 

[Wrench]

I wouldn't feel under gunned with a 40. My 10 did about 10" more than it needed to. I actually carry my g23 90% of the time now .

 

[ramont]

I wouldn't feel under gunned with a 40. My 10 did about 10" more than it needed to. I actually carry my g23 90% of the time now .

On a black bear (or a cinnamon bear) I might not feel too intimidated but on a Grizzly I'd feel under-gunned with anything, those are some really big animals and they are really aggressive. But like some one once said, anything is better than your bare hands. Down here in Montana and over in Wyoming there have been a couple of cases in the last two years where hunters had their rifles swatted out of their hands before they could get a shot off, I'd rather use a shorter barreled firearm that makes big holes with a lot of power.