Taurus may be getting better, BUT...

[AZHTfreak]

A couple young Idaho bow hunters are lucky as hell vs Griz. Maybe all the one could afford was a Taurus. Probably gonna be upgrading soon...

"He “fumbled around,” pulled out his Taurus 1911 .45 ACP pistol and fired four to five shots at the bear before the gun jammed."

https://www.eastidahonews.com/2024/09/two-hunters-who-shot-530-pound-grizzly-24-times-share-their-stunning-story-of-survival/

 

[Suck My Glock]

Reminds me of one of the rules of gunfighting;...bring all your friends with guns.

 

[QuietM4]

I've seen plenty of high end 1911's malfunction. Most likely has nothing to do with the gun being a Taurus.

 

[Half Cocked]

This sucker weighed 530 lbs. .45 acp would probably just piss it off. It might be a better idea to carry something with a little more punch like .44 mag or .45. Casull when in grizzly country. Of course it sounds like these hunters were unlucky enough to tangle with "King of the Hill."

 

[Suck My Glock]

I agree that something more powerful would have been better. But .45 and 10mm are not pipsqueak rounds either.

What we don't know is if these lads might have been carrying JHP ammo meant for humans that would not have penetrated deeply on an animal like this. FMJ might be better in such a situation with these calibers.

I can also imagine that in the adrenaline rush of what was happening, shot placement might not have been stellar. I mean, the initial 8 hits SHOULD have had some sort of effect. But if the hits were not where it counts,...well,...yeah, that's one pissed off bear. As the victim himself describes, when he put 3 shots in the spine, that did the trick. I'd rather not do that at contact distance with my arm in the bear's mouth, but it's a lot harder to miss.

One could make the argument that if these lads had .44mag revolvers and made the exact same hits, they might have been worse off because they would have emptied their guns and been out of ammo after only 18 rounds. Would that have beaten 24 rounds of 10mm and .45? Maybe,.... Handguns are just not reliable bear medicine. We use them because they are portable and handy. (And in this case, legal, since they were archery hunting and having a long gun would have been illegal.) And even if one deems that .44mag revolvers would have better performers, magnum revolvers require more practice and skill to employ effectively. Would these boys, under stress, have shot even more poorly, reducing the expected effectiveness? Perhaps carrying something slightly less powerful but which you can actually hit with is more important? We could speculate til the cows come.

In my opinion, the reason the victim lived and isn't pooped out all over that mountain is because he and his buddies went out together. Even if he had been using a .454Casull, that bear sounds like he was just too mean to be ended quickly. If alone, the kid likely would have gotten off one or two rounds before he met Jesus.

 

[action magic]

Hmm. Gee....1911 jams. Couldnt be the fact that he was shidding his pants and just pulling the trigger as fast as possible. Not managing recoil so as an semi auto will do, it stove piped. Shooter has to at least be as good as the firearm...
Maybe practice with it? Naaaw...

 

[stomp442]

I love my Taurus 1911. That thing is honestly one of the most accurate pistols I own and I have way less problems with it than I do my Kimber. I have been pleasantly surprised with it and have purchased a couple other Taurus handguns since because of that one. None of those have given me any grief either.

 

[knockonit]

lol, the taurus haters probably never ever owned one or owned long enough to figure out its use. just saying, lol, see what crap that causes. happymonday

 

[aroyobob]

They'll have a great story to tell their grand kids.

Any gun can jam, even revolvers. Good on the friend who cleared his jam, ran right up to the griz on the other guy and kept shooting.

Something hard cast would probably have been a better choice but the ammo you have with you is better than the best ammo at home or in a store somewhere.

From reading the interwebs lately about bear defense, 10mm has gained a lot of traction in brown bear country vs. 44 magnum with Glock 20's being very popular among those who choose 10mm.

 

[aroyobob]

Speaking of bear defense, (hopefully this isn't too far off topic,)

Saw this in Whitefish, MT a few weeks ago.

Here's the price list. Since you can't fly with bear spray you'd either have to buy new and throw it away before leaving or do without.

 

[action magic]

Thats awesome. Bears like spicy food too....:angry-fire:

 

[Winmagbill]

Hotel in Estes Park would loan them out free with a signed disclaimer.

 

[xerts1191]

 

[Suck My Glock]

What's with all the bear attacks all of a sudden?


https://www.today.com/parents/wisconsin-bear-attack-son-saves-dad-rcna171761


Wisconsin 12-year-old saves his dad's life during bear attack




A Wisconsin dad says he's lucky to be alive after he was attacked by a black bear while hunting on Sept. 6.

Ryan Beierman, 43, and his 12-year-old son, Owen, recounted their brush with death to the Minneapolis Star Tribune this week.

Ryan Beierman and his son, Owen.Courtesy Ryan Beierman

The elder Beierman said he had been tracking an injured bear near his cabin in western Wisconsin when he happened upon the animal in a small clearing under an oak tree.

“He was in a stance like a cat about to pounce,’’ Beierman told the paper. “The next thing I know he was on me. He charged and knocked me down.’’

Beierman told the outlet he couldn't remember how long he wrestled the 200-pound bear.

“The bear was fighting for its life, and I was fighting for mine,’’ he said.

He added that he probably wouldn't have survived if not for his young son. Beierman said Owen used his hunting rifle to shoot and kill the bruin.

“I was flat on my back and could feel the bullet going through the bear,’’ Beierman said. “Owen was a hero. He shot that bear and killed it on top of me.’’

Beierman was left with a big gash on his face, other cuts and punctures to his forehead, right arm and leg, the Star Tribune reported.

Neighbors helped Beierman get to a nearby hospital — eventually being intercepted by an ambulance — and the father of two needed 23 stitches in his cheek, he told the outlet, and another set of stitches on his right arm.

"I was proud of Owen," he told the newspaper. "He really held it together. But after it was all over, you could tell he was pretty shaken."

Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources confirmed the Beiermans story to the Star Tribune and said the father-son hunt was legal.

Beierman concluded by telling the newspaper that he'd told his wife, Ali, he is "done" bear hunting.

"When we returned home to River Falls, (Wisconsin), I told my wife I was done bear hunting," he said. "Now, I don’t know, but she’ll have something to say. It was a wild ride. It was a hell of a night, to say the least."

 

[brandonsmash]

For what it's worth, I used to own a Taurus. 44 revolver. It was very unreliable. Sold it many years ago a a range toy, but am glad I never had to actually use it.