At what point would you shoot a grizzly/other predator in self defense?

[hunter1947]

A grizzly will bluff charge a person and it's not fun your aiming at the bear and just waiting the bear turns and runs off then the grizzly comes running back towards you the bear stops about 60 yards out turns and runs away from you again I am still standing there shotgun up and ready to fire the bear disappears over the hill I wait for 10 min nothing to see myself i would had let lead fly at the grizzly if it kept coming at me at 40 yards that's close enough for me ,,I have had a few times that a grizzly bear will bluff charge you but you only let him come in within 40 yards of you and if the bear at 40 yards is still coming make your shot placement count because you won't get a second shot..

[hawk-i]

In the late 80's while hunting along the border of the Cold Lake Air Weapons range in Alberta I had a Black Bear start his charge at less than 30 yards...I got off 2 quick shots with a 308 Semi auto...the bear literally stopped with his head touching my feet.
The excitement never set in until it was all over!

[fuzzybiscuit]

The problem with that, is that the guys who know, will know. And the guys that are scared of bears, will always be scared of bears, and fear tends to cloud judgement.

The problem with that is not all G-bears know the rules. You could have many close encounters where a bear bluff-charges you and then stops short. Encounters like that would caused a person to think they know an animals behaviour when in fact they only have an understanding of the behaviour of those bears they ran into. Things happen fast and a Grizzly at full charge moves very fast. Most people think they will react all calm and cool but in reality they don’t.

A partner and I were charged by one 20 years ago at around a hundred feet. My partner turned and ran, while I stood my ground and shot. The G-bear was at probably 40 feet when I fired and the gun came up and I shot as fast as humanly possible. My partner didn’t make it 20 feet when I shot. Would the bear of attacked or stopped short we will never know but why would anyone take a chance? Being scared had nothing to do with shooting but rest assured, I was scared. More so after the fact though once I processed what just went on.

Remember Timothy Tastewell? He thought he understood G-bears pretty good and put himself around them all the time. Then he ran into one that decided to eat him and his partner. Some would say it was a freak incident but in reality he was just playing the odds and he ended up losing.

At the end of the day do whatever floats your boat. I’m going to shoot every time and not leave things to chance.

[Jagermeister]

For me it would have to be close like that under 15 yards. Last year I had bullet in and safety off with a black bear that kept coming. It was slow and steady but at 20 feet away with me yelling and jumping he turned around. With a grizzly it would of been to close

Watch this video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_VMcJ5ClPU See how fast they run? Either bear would have your ass on the ground plucking the stomach muscle strings like strings on a harp. You'd be dead. Unless he's just up to #itc&-slapping you a bit in which case you roll up in a ball and protect the back of your neck by clasping your hand behind your neck. You're going to get hurt.
Never mind that if it is a black bear. Fight for your life.There are two ways a black bear sums up humans. A threat to their well being in which case they are high-assing for parts over the next hill. The other way is that he is envisioning you on his dinner plate in which case he isn't high-assing for parts over the next hill. Of course he could circle around and have dinner walk right in.
Anyhow, my safe zone is 50 yards, anything under is going to get some lead.

[moosinaround]

I have commented on these bear threads a lot over the years! I hunt with one in the tube, and the safety on, and practice proper gun handling techniques! A loaded but not chambered round does you no good, in a full on bear charge! I give NO WARNING shots! If a bear does not EFF off when I yell at it, the first shot from my defense tool, will be a center mass shot! I would feel that a person should have the defense tool aimed and centered and ready to fire at the bear at 50yards as a minimum, if time allows that. Kodiak hunter said it best, watch for sign, crows, smells, sounds of other predators! Kill or be killed, the bear has advantage if it so chooses to use it! Moosin

[browningboy]

In all honesty, some say 30 yards or less? Risk shiet for a bear? That’s nuts IMO, it’s a bear..

[338win mag]

I have never had a charge, but I have been puckered once by a black bear when we both arrived at the same small opening in a thick brushy hillside, it was scary because he was thinking about charging me, at less than 100ft.

I did have 2 grizzlies, sow and large cub sneak behind me and huff. I was in a ground blind hunting whitetails, there was almost 2ft of snow and I never would of known anything but I saw their tracks in the snow down the slope from the blind.
Thats when the one huffed.

My buddy was grouse hunting near Golden years ago, when a black bear charged him, he shot it in the face with 2 barrels of bird shot and the bear bumped into him on the way by. The bear was hit by a vehicle on the hwy a day or two later with his face blown off.

[caddisguy]

The whole distance thing really depends on the circumstance. I think I gave 50 yards as in hypothetical scenario where a bear was clearly engaged and stalking and all the "hey bear!", "screw off bear" stuff failed, yet the stalk continues.

You can tell when a bear is engaged and 100% focused on you. That's a shooter at 50 yards if the stalk has been ongoing for some time and it's gaining ground. That would be my buffer for a predatory bear stalking, as 50 yards is potentially 3-4 seconds until "contact" and they do go from "stalk" to "charge" around that distance with other prey.

The only time a bear confused me (well, not so much me but rather my wife) was went she went for a walk early one morning. I was still sleeping. She just brought some bear back to camp "hey wake up this bear followed me for 20 minutes" ... "wait what now? *rubs eyes & pops a redbull". So I assess it. This bear is not remotely interested in either of us, just mauling stumps for grubs... we turn the tables and follow it around for a while... still not a care in the world about our presence. It's climbing up trees, swatting down yellow jacket nests (that was our cue to leave) but we were within a few meters of this bear a lot of the time. The reality is the bear was just wanting to go in the same direction as my wife for a morning stroll along the bug circuit, but the result was she walked backwards for a good kilometre or so LOL. Close encounter, closer than 50 yards, closer than 10 yards, not a defense scenario at all... some confusion for sure

I don't think I can count the number of times we have had bears within 5-20 yards. Sometimes we unknowingly came to them (in one case we cornered a bedded bear against a rock face at around 3 yards... I still don't know how neither of us got run over when it exploded) other times they unknowingly came to us, other times they knowingly came to us, but not in any sort of predatory way... just "yeah so what? I'm a bear. big deal?" (you want to keep your eye on those ones though... never let your guard down)

Oh man, just thinking of all the ridiculous stuff. I remember one time caddisgirl woke up to eat cereal... again, I'm snoozing, but wake up to "ah crap... bear" ... I wake up and see this bear just walked out of the brush into our camp. They are like two yards away from each other, both totally frozen. I honestly had no idea what to do. I could have yelled or honked the horn, but I didn't want to provoke anything. Not sure how long that stare down lasted (maybe 10-20 seconds?) but it ended with the bear taking off.

And then there's the sow with two little cubs clacking her jaws at me 30 yards away while I'm boning out a boar. I just kept yelling back at her calm down I did you a favor.

Sooo yep, you can have all sorts of close up bear encounters and no need to shoot anything. If I'm being stalked or charged, 50 yards is the limit.

OH! One other time where I thought I "might" get attacked, I had a bear giving me heck about 20 yards away (couldn't even see it) the growling and huffing was definitely escalating. While I was trying to assess the situation, I dropped down on my knees and pointed the rifle straight at bear level. I'm not even sure if I realized it at the time, but that might be a good tip for a bear charge. If you are standing up and something is coming at you 30-50km/hour you won't have time to adjust your angle unless you are good with iron sights or shooting from the hip. I think it is better to be as the same level and eliminated the need to adjust angle if you think something is about to go down... saves time... time counts.

Many years and many encounters into it, I've still never had to shoot a bear to protect myself. Had a lot of bears give me heck from close by. Only met one bear I felt absolutely needed to be destroyed, but when that went down it wasn't a forced situation.

All sorts of situations unfold. hawk-i really nailed it with "you will know". Good chance and with some luck when it happens, it will seem like slow motion like when something goes south in front of you on the highway. Your brain/gut will think a thousand thoughts per second and will guide/force your reaction... hard wired survival mechanism.

[Bugle M In]

I seen a large grizz, and I mean "BIG"!
Long story, but, in the end, it was only several meters away from me on the other side of the road.
At 1st light, I had walk in the dark, 1/2 hour b4 light.
When I did 1st see it, I thought it was a Moose, with its head feeding in the trees.
Nope, and turned and started to head towards me.
Unaware of me.

Then, suddenly a work truck was headed our way, the bear stopped, 1 paw up in the air, as to swat whatever was coming.
Huge!
Anyways, truck enters sight in a corner.
Bear spins, and clears 100 yards in like 2 seconds (so it seemed)!!
I was on his game trail, but boy did I luck out!
I thought he is coming full tilt my way.
Yes, rifle was up!!!

The size of this bear (and confirmed by some other hunters and the outfitter) was huge, biggest they had ever seen.
Shoulders on all 4 was as high as my chest standing.

He was well fed, and fat going into winter soon.
But man, all I remember most to this day...…

Was Gbears can haul ass like you cant believe.
Cant imaging if they are pissed off, and want you down.
Again, you just know.
A bluff charge that seems "too close" is good enough for me to cap his ass.....I hope????
Period.
Don't care what anyone else says....it's my ass!!!

[triggerhappy]

I will shoot at the point I feel my life is in danger. Not any sooner, and not any later. Everyone is going to be a little different, you just have to use your best judgement in the situation.