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I've taken a total of one bear with a handgun, and that wasn't a hunting-type situation so I'm not sure if it counts. Mr. Bear caught 8 rounds of a cast-bullet .45acp handload equivalent to hardball. First bullet entered just below the sternum, the rest walked up the front. Several shots were through-and-through the sternum, one broke a shoulder, one went through the neck and ended up in the back of the skull. I considered it adequate as it took care of the bear, but after that trip I went to a 230 TC at about 1,000 fps (and never saw another bear while carrying the pistol).

That said, if I was going to carry a handgun while bowhunting, in case of bears, I'd probably choose a 4" Model 29.

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This is very much like my experience.

After 2 hours of hard running thru the mountains, took my first shot at 40 yards was broadside thru the lungs. Critter dropped like Clinton's pants at a Mary Kay Convention. We were all relieved. Then a dog jumped on the bear and the bear blew up, grabbing the dog and rolled off the bank. I ran after it and shot it again as it ran from me about 15 yards. Shot hit its hip and we found that bullet under the hide on the off shoulder. Bear stopped, swatted the hip and spun around and came back at me. I fired again, hitting it a little too far back and a dog lunged into the bear's chest and tackled the bear. Down on the ground I ran up, shove the revolver into its chest and fired I thought twice. My son later told me he heard what sounded like a burst from our Stemple submachine gun. I stepped back then the bear came on to at my feet and I stooped down to put the last round into its head and ClickClickClick!!!.

Darn...

Reached fr some rounds from my belt when my then 14-year-old son dove over my shoulder and more or less "bayonetted" the thing with one round of 7x57R from his Baikal combo gun.

Later I tested the bullets and whatcha know they performed in my jugs exactly as the recovered bullet looked. No expansion. Inside the bear were holes but no significant indication of severe trauma as you would get with opening bullets. And this was a small bear.

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