Between the two guns, which one would you choose for hiking where black bear are present? I will also be carrying bear spray and a loud whistle. I believe either handgun would be sufficient if I do my part with shot placement. I’m considering weight, accuracy in a stressful situation, capacity, and quick follow up if necessary. It will be carried in a chest rig. I would appreciate your opinions on the matter. Thanks.

Glock 20 Gen 5 MOS 10mm
Kimber K6s 3” 357 magnum

The Glock

Mo is betta

Gluck

Get a Frisbee and tape a jelly donut to it. When the bear comes around, fling the Frisbee and slip outta there.

I have black bears on my property here every years or so.
They're easily startled and will run at the sight of you.
A mama with cubs is something else. She will intimidate and charge you.

Take the Glock along just in case the bear is into a savory meal more then sweets.

Of the two, Glockinate yourself against the hirsute menace.

On the other hand, if you have access to a S&W 500 Magnum Bear Evaporator, you might consider that.

This bear gun thread is missing some cliches:

Whichever gun you pick, file the front site off so it hurts less when the bear shoves it up your keister

All you need is a .22LR. Shoot your hiking partner in the leg and leave 'em for the bear.

If the caliber doesn't start with a '4', don't bother.

In all seriousness, either one will be fine for black bear. I lived in grizzly country for 5 years, I've been 30 ft from a grizzly in the wild, and I've been 35 ft from a polar bear in the wild. Frankly, 99.99% of the time tactics matter more firearm selection:

Look for bear sign as you hike and it'll likely be in the form of scat (aka poop) and tracks. I had a dumb ass visit me that was obsessed in telling me how much more physically fit he was and I was slowing him down. He STFU pretty fast when I started showing him the bear tracks and skat he hadn't seen.

FFS, don't hike wearing head phones. You need to be using your hearing for sounds like a 300+ lb animal moving through brush, their warning woof/growl, etc. Ideally, you first detect a bear at a safe distance not bad breath distance.

Talk as you hike as most bears will avoid humans. In fact, overcommunicate as you enter thick cover, loud streams, blind curves, peaks of trails, etc.

If you do encounter a bear be big and loud, and whatever you do NEVER show a bear your spine. That means ALWAYS facing the bear and NEVER dropping your backpack.

The bear spray deployment is 2 phases as bears bluff charge. If an aggressive bear breaks the 30 to 40 ft barrier then a 2 second spray to put out a cloud to prevent/stop/divert bluff charge. If the MF'er keeps on charging then empty the bear spray can and empty the firearm.

Due to the above 2 phase bear spray deployment, I preferred to arm my guests / hiking companions with bear spray and have them do the 2 sprays. I wanted both hands on my .454 Casull.

Have your bear spray and/or firearm on your torso and not covered up by a jacket, backpack, fishing waders, etc. I bought a 3-in-1 holster for the bear spray which could be a chest holster (preferred), attached to strap of backpack, or hip holster (worst location). I carried my .454 Casull in a Diamond D guide holster (aka chest holster) as it was accessible wearing backpack, waders, could be over a jacket, and was always with me. My employee's husband was an active duty US Army Paratrooper with a Ranger tab (aka verifiable bad ass) who had seen combat in A-stan and his sole bear encounter was fishing in a river where he had left his gun in his backpack on the river bank. He felt pretty skinny standing in the river with a grizzly sniffing around his backpack/gun.

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Ego is the anesthesia that deadens the pain of stupidity

DISCLAIMER: These are the author's own personal views and do not represent the views of the author's employer.

quote:

Originally posted by techguy:
I believe either handgun would be sufficient if I do my part with shot placement.

The phrase, "do my part" only applies to leisure target shootings and perhaps in competitions. Self-defense scenarios are quick and short. If against wildlife with no real legal implications, I'd pump as much lead as I can for good measure.

Glock 20 all the way.

How far are you hiking, and over what kind of terrain? What's the rest of your load out like, and how sensitive are you to weight?

The fully-loaded Glock is about 10ozs heavier than the K6s. Day hike with a light pack it probably won't matter. Just take the Glock. It's got similar ballistics, is easier to shoot quickly and accurately, and has more capacity.

Do 30-40 miles over a weekend, or more, with all your food and camping gear and you'll notice the difference, though. Ounces matter in that scenario, and considering that the gun is something you're not likely to actually need to use compared to everything else you're carrying, it needs to be as light as possible. Then it becomes a game of how much weight can you save vs how effective the tool will be should the need arise to use it. IMO, if weight is a serious concern, there are lighter revolver options out there than the K6s.

quote:

Originally posted by Rawny:

quote:

Originally posted by techguy:
I believe either handgun would be sufficient if I do my part with shot placement.

The phrase, "do my part" only applies to leisure target shootings and perhaps in competitions. Self-defense scenarios are quick and short. If against wildlife with no real legal implications, I'd pump as much lead as I can for good measure.

Glock 20 all the way.

Legal implications depend on where you live.

For example, here is a legal implication most people don't consider. In Alaska, if you shoot a bear you are financially responsible to fund the AK F&G's carcasses recovery and the brain biopsy as they want to determine if the reason it attacked was that it was sick. It's an expensive proposition if you're hiking on the side of a mountain and it falls into a ravine or if you're 30 miles from the nearest road as you're paying for a team with equipment. It's been over a dozen years since I lived there but one story made the news where [paraphrase] hiker shot an attacking grizzly on a trail on the side of hill (think small mountain). A 6-man team had to be hired to repel down to the bear, pull it up the hill, and haul it back to the trailer at the trail head. It was over $10k.[/paraphrase]. It's better than being mauled or dying but that was one expensive hike.

It's also why I like the 1 person with bear spray and 1 person with firearm - 2 second bear spray and if he/she keeps coming empty both the gun and bear spray. It's a helluva lot cheaper if the 2 second bear spray burst ends an aggressive bear encounter.

One of those two can mount a light, which makes it more useful in the most likely scenario of needing it at dusk when you reach the parking lot.

Either is sufficient for BB. A revolver is a more reliable firearm. Does not mean a Glock won't work. But I would for sure get proficient with a G20 before carrying thinking it will save you if your life is on the line because of a bear attack.

Of the two choices, the Glock 20 - loaded with Underwood ammo.

quote:

Originally posted by techguy:
Between the two guns, which one would you choose for hiking where black bear are present? I will also be carrying bear spray and a loud whistle. I believe either handgun would be sufficient if I do my part with shot placement. I’m considering weight, accuracy in a stressful situation, capacity, and quick follow up if necessary. It will be carried in a chest rig. I would appreciate your opinions on the matter. Thanks.

Glock 20 Gen 5 MOS 10mm
Kimber K6s 3” 357 magnum

Are these the only 2 handguns you own?

You need to pick the right ammo too. For my 10mm in Bear Country, I use gas-checked hard-cast rounds. That type of ammo is pricey but you should shoot a box or two of your preferred ammo to make sure it cycles reliably. My G20 wouldn’t feed Buffalo Bore hard-cast ammo so I ditched it.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:

I like this except it is single action, mine has a longer barrel and is scoped. But I also have a S&W 500 revolver with the 4” barrel. In black bear country I have carried a S&W PC 629 (the 2.6” barrel version).

To the OP carry the Glock, black bears will most likely run from you. There are some good factory 10mm loads for bear.

Yes either will do.

My two questions you'd have to ask yourself and answer honestly:

Can you hit anything with the Kimber?
(if not, choose the Glock)

Will you have the Glock with you, or leave it behind because it's heavy? (if so, choose the Kimber)

We were hiking in Grand Teton NP on the Taggert Lake Trail, whick forms a loop. Near the end of the loop we came upon several people stopped on the trail. There was a black bear sow, with 2 cubs, just a short ways off the trail. I watched her for awhile, and she seemed oblivious to the people nearby—so were her cubs.

I had bear spray. I told the others that and said I would lead the way through, if anyone wanted to follow. They did. No problem, the sow barely noticed us. I would not have done that with a wet grizzly sow.