# 9mm for Michigan black bear ?



## Doeboy (Oct 20, 2005)

Can't believe it my self, till I've read and seen it in (Michigan's Hooks&Bullets) magazine Nove/dec issue 06. A guy took a black bear with a 9mm rifle and it was field dressed at 360# in Kalkaska. Although they didn't say what kind of bullet he was useing or at what distance he shot it at and the weight the bullet was, that would have help. Now! would any of you guys take a black bear with a 9mm hand gun? or maybe a 40 cal? what do you think? and does anybody know how much fps are you gaining with a 9mm 0r 40cal rifle? The reason i'm asking this ? is i'm thinking about getting a (glock 40 cal) for dear hunting dear next year, but I'll be keep it in BOW range.


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## jmoser (Sep 11, 2002)

IMHO 9mm for bear is totally irresponsible - extremely small margin for error with a misplaced shot, more likely to kill the bear but never recover it after it runs off 5 miles to die. Details are not clear here - was this a stand hunt, treed with dogs, etc etc? In any case this should NOT be encouraged.

I don't think it was responsible reporting to feature an article on this either - its going to inspire clueless copycats.

If you want to hunt with a Glock get the Model 20 10mm - it is like a .40 S&W magnum. You can download to .40 levels or go full bore with 200 gr bullets at 1100 fps. That is a legitimate hunting pistol in the right hands. Add a 6 inch KKM barrel and you are well equipped.


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## mparks (Sep 4, 2001)

file down the front sight.:lol:


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## Rupestris (Aug 25, 2000)

From right: Old medium bores - 8x57mm Mauser (the parent cartridge), *9x57mm Mauser, 9x56mm Mannlicher-Schoenauer*. The modern equivalents - .376 Steyr, .338 Winchester & .375 H & H.

The only 9mm('s) I'd use for bear.  

cs


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## Quack Addict (Aug 10, 2006)

The ONLY way I'd use my 40 S&W on a bear is if he crawled into my blind with me AFTER I emptied every shell in my 870 on him. 

I carry my 40 S&W as a put-down gun during firearm deer season, at least in principle (I've never needed it). IMHO, a 10mm would be bear minimum (pun intended), if you can shoot it well enough. A 41 Mag would be better, a 44 Mag better yet.


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## MIBIGHNTR (Aug 27, 2002)

May also have been a 9.3x62mm. Falls somewhere between a .35 Whelen and .338 Win Mag, power wise, and is very popular in Europe and Africa. Gaining popularity here in the US and many custom rifles are being chambered for it as well.

May have been a misprint or misinformation....wait, that never happens in the media, right? :evil: 

Mark


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## Rootsy (Nov 1, 2006)

personally... Hotly loaded 357 is about as small as i'd go for deer under 50 yds.... I carry a 6" 686 in the woods... seen a few deer taken with 357 Mag... deader than a doornail.. never took a step... 

40 S&W even hotly handloaded would be very marginal except at very close range... remember most auto's aren't meant for 25 yd grouping but more like 7 yd and less get er on the assailant, er, pie plate... although i did own a Sig 229 in 40 S&W for a few years that was extremely accurate at the 15 yd mark, within about 4 inch grouping... 

but that's JMHO

Jamie


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## SevenMaryThree (May 30, 2006)

You will actually LOSE velocity when you fire most commercially made pistol cartridges when fired out of a rifle length barrel. Commercially manufactured pistol rounds, for the most part, are designed to be fired out of pistol length barrels, i.e. consuming the entire powder charge in less than 10 inches of barrel. 

Anything much beyond that you begin to induce friction and drag which robs you of velocity. 

I've shot two deer with the .40 S&W under fairly "controlled situations". 
It is not ideal. I cannot imagine purposely going after bear with a Marlin Camp Carbine chambered in 9mm. That is all.


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## M1Garand (Apr 12, 2006)

This trend of using marginal at best cartridges for deer and bear concerns me. I don't know why there seems to be those who want to see how little gun they can use to take an animal but I think it's both irresponsible and disrespectful to the animal. They deserve a quick, clean kill, not a marginal caliber that may maim them if shot choice and placement is not ideal. I'm even starting to see super air rifles and those shooting pigs, deer, etc. with them. I can sit in a tree stand with my 20 gauge and #6 shot and probably kill a deer that walks underneath. Does that make it a deer load? NO! Use enough gun, the animal deserves that.


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## BR549 (Feb 5, 2006)

A 9mm on bear is going to get you in trouble in a hurry.


> The reason i'm asking this ? is i'm thinking about getting a (glock 40 cal) for dear hunting dear next year, but I'll be keep it in BOW range.


 You'll end up with a hefty fine at the very least. In a pistol, the maximum allowed capacity in barrel and magazine combined is 9 rounds for deer huntng. Under Michigan law, you can carry a pistol of any caliber and capacity if you have a CCW license, and you do not attempt to take game. But, as soon as you pull it out and attempt to take game, you fall under the .35 caliber/9 shot rule. The .40 S&W is a neutered 10mm. Keep with a 10mm revolver (or auto with a 8 round mag) as it has more power than a .357, and I've seen very successful lung shots at 50+ yards. Almost every auto out there would suck as a hunting gun. A Glock simply isn't made for what you want to do. Buy a revolver with target sights on it is my opinion.


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