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The Best Ammo Cartridge & Handgun Combo for Bears

Posted on July 9, 2024August 9, 2024 by Tom Kubiniec

From Pennsylvania to California, when you go hiking, camping, or plan a trip to explore with your loved ones, you’re going to come across a bear. The most important thing to remember is not to panic or run, bear attacks are rare according to NPS, so keep your cool. And that has double meaning if you’re in Alaska or just north of Duluth and find a Polar Bear!

If you find yourself in the one-off occasion where self-defense is needed, here are the recommendations for an ammo cartridge and hand gun combination that in our opinion work best on most bears. But please note that no handgun is a match on its own. The goal is to neutralize and stop the threat.

To make our recommendation we considered:

Average size of continental north American bears including black and grizzly which both inhabit all 48 states, although the populations have been decimated in some.
Lethal range
Accuracy at 100 yards
Ease of access for active lifestyles (fits in a chest holster)
Animal weight and size
Recoil
Ease of loading
Capacity

Fun fact: Did you know that the popular Kenai chest holster was designed specifically because of a run in with a black bear while the founder was mountain biking?

Remember, you’re on a trail or a hike, you won’t have your hunting rifles, a hand gun is your option. So here’s our top choices with the reasons why.

Top Choice for Continental North American Bears

Handgun: Glock 20 for pros and 40 for people with less experience
Ammo: Buffalo Bore Heavy 10mm Outdoors
Holster: Kenai chest

This combination should be universally effective with a bit of training. The Glock 40 has less recoil than the 20 due to the 20’s shorter nose, making the 40 the best for people that have less experience in intense situations so they can re-aim more easily. And adversely the Glock 20 is best for people that remain calm and can handle large recoil.

The 10mm cartridge has an effective range of roughly 100 yards allowing you to protect yourself from a bear if it comes within a football field length. The outdoorsman line has a flat nose allowing it to penetrate deeper through tissue and bone up to 3ft helping to neutralize the bear in an effective and more humane way.

Best for Black Bears

Handgun: XD-M® ELITE 4.5″ OSP™
Ammo: Underwood 10MM auto 200 grain flat nose, cherry coated, hard cast ammo
Holster: Crossbreed Chest Rig Holster – XD-M / XD-M Elite 4.5″

With charging speeds of 25 – 30 mph, and weighing up to 400lbs at 5 – 7 feet tall, you’re going to need speed, control, and accuracy. That’s why we choose the Springfield Armory Elite 3.8 Compact OSP™ for the handgun combined with Underwood 10mm auto at 200 grain.

Bears are big and a single bullet won’t stop them, especially if you’re caught off guard. With a capacity of 16 and ammo designed specifically for wild boar and for black bear defense, you’re going to have enough firepower to neutralize the threat. And both come at a reasonable price. And who better to make the perfect chest harness for the firearm than the manufacturer.

Designed specifically for being on the trails, out hunting, or enjoying the wilds for hiking and photography, you’ll hardly notice it’s there.

Best for Grizzly Bears

Handgun: Springfield XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP

Ammo: Solid Core 10mm Auto 200 Grain

Holster: The chest rig by crossbreed holsters

Coming in at 400 – 800 lbs depending on male or female, and 7 feet tall when standing according to the Idaho state department, and up to 10 feet according to the Detroit Zoo, you’re going to need accuracy and a second shot faster as a single bullet likely will not neutralize the target.

Speed is key as these animals can run up to 35 miles per hour. That’s why our pick is the Springfield XD-M Elite 3.8-inch Compact OSP with a 10mm.

With the manageable recoil, your ability to re-aim and fire your second round becomes easier. The compact design won’t get in the way as it’s holstered letting you enjoy your time in the wilds. If a grizzly is charging and you need to take multiple shots, your wrist and life will thank you for the extra seconds.

It has an 11+1 capacity for ammo with a six inch barrel giving you plenty of accuracy and flexibility to render your target with a 10mm auto cartridge. The reason for solid core with this firearm is because the 10mm auto with 200 grain is designed to penetrate and break through bone. It is designed specifically for bears, and grizzlies are some of the biggest in North America.

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Where Burglars Go First in Your Home & The Reasons Why

Posted on June 18, 2024August 9, 2024 by Tom Kubiniec

Did you know that most home invasions and burglaries happen during the day because kids will be at school and the adults will be at work? And this holds true across the entire US as you can see from the government websites in Everett Washington, Austin Texas, Idaho Falls Idaho, and even the Supreme Court here with 72.4% of them occurring while nobody was home.

And according to each government website, there’s no particular door lock that is better than another. But that does not mean you cannot be prepared. This is because intruders tend to follow the same pathway whether they’re breaking into a house, a condo, or an apartment.

Burglars first look by the front door for hidden keys. They could be in fake rocks, under door mats, hidden panels, and the normal hiding places. This is where you want to use strong deterrents. Place a security system with cameras and recording device by the doors and entry points, warning signs such as video surveillance systems, beware of dog, and motion activated lights are also a valuable first line of defense.

What works better here are cameras and recording devices, and don’t forget motion activated lights at night. But these won’t stop every burglary which brings us to the next point, where they go.

Most burglars are in your home to steal easy to carry valuables from wallets to jewelry, cash laying around, collectibles, and things that can be sold easily. They’ll check master bedrooms, offices, and living rooms for display cases.

Pro-tip: Bathrooms are high target items because burglars can find prescription medications they can sell on the street.

If the home invader has not discovered what they’re looking for, they’re going to go for other bedrooms, wine cellars, look for hidden shelves, and safes in closets. It all depends on how confident they’re feeling and how much time they have to search. And that leads to the next section, how to secure your items. After that we’ll go over protecting yourself and your loved ones.

Tips to Secure Your Valuables from Burglars

Make sure safes are bolted to the ground or the wall. Unbolted safes can be carried and lifted away.
Medicine cabinets should have a lock on them and not be made of glass that can be shattered.
Put security cameras in your home and have them point towards the valuables that are on display.

There’s also things not to do like using fake cans of soup and shaving cream, or hiding jewelry in the fridge. If you can buy the products like a fake stone that stores a key at the store, or find hiding ideas online, burglars know about them too. This includes the popular fake dirty clothing like diapers and underwear that hold money.

How to Protect Yourself From Burglars

The best way to protect yourself is to be trained in self-defense and have a plan in place if a burglar invades your home. The first and best course of action is to find a quality instructor who can train and educate you should be your first plan of action. Read their reviews online, see what certifications they have, and talk to others that have hired them for training.

Beyond training and education, make sure your firearms are easily accessible to you in the event you need them, while also ensuring they do not fall into the wrong hands.

Strategic placement and quality matter here, we’ll use gun safes as an example.

Keep all guns secure in a safe that is secured to the floor or wall with a lock.
Have a hidden gun safe next to or under your bed that can be opened even with sweaty hands. Some biometric safes will fail if you’re fingers have sweat, and your palms and fingers sweat more when you’re nervous.
Have your long guns and non-protective firearms secured in a gun safe or military grade gun cabinet that will not be easy to open by the burglar.
Have a hidden gun safe accessible in a closet or under your mantel that can be opened by a code or key you carry with you.
Make sure your guns are properly stored and organized so you can access your protective firearms like a handgun without having to struggle or pause.

Home invasions happen but you do not have to be left defenseless. With proper training and education on a quality home defense plan, you can be ready should a threat situation ever arise.

If the situation arises that you are home when an invasion happens, make sure your firearms are out of reach of the invader, but within your reach so you can protect yourself if needed.

Pistol, AR-15, Shotgun – The best for home defense is?

Posted on April 17, 2024April 30, 2024 by Jeremy Hilton

Considering a pistol, AR – 15, or a shotgun for your primary home defense weapon? Great choices! And each can be effective depending on the type of home you have, how much space you have, the room you need protection in, and what is or is not allowed by law. As states begin banning specific weaponry, your options may become limited, but there is always a proper backup.

Space is one of the most important aspects when deciding which of these firearms is right for your home defense needs. If you live in an apartment and only have space for a hidden gun safe for example, chances are it can store a pistol so you won’t have access to an AR or shotgun. And if there is space in a closet by the front door for a traditional gun safe you can access, your AR – 15 is able to be there when you need it most.

This guide takes the following into consideration when recommending how to choose between these three firearms for home defense:

Room size
Rural, urban, suburban dwelling
Type of gun safe that fits in the space
Length of room and or distance
Ease of refilling ammo
Amount of rounds per loading

Comparing the AR-15, a standard pistol, and a shotgun.

	AR-15 Rifle	Standard Pistol	Standard Shotgun
Penetration	Medium (because fragmentation)	Strong	Strong
Magazine capacity	30 rounds	15 rounds	5 Shells
Length	36"	4.5"	22" - 28"
Accuracy	Medium-High (pointability)	Medium	High
Turning corners	Difficult	Simple	Difficult
Points of contact	4	2	4
Easy to Control if Hand-to-Hand Fighting	No	Yes	No

AR-15s dominate when it comes to home defense because the capacity is higher than a pistol or shotgun, it is lightweight, and much like a pistol, the AR-15 has comfortable grips. And just like a pistol, the controls can be maneuvered by a single hand. Much like a shotgun, AR-15’s are not as effective if you live in a home with narrow hallways, corners, or you’re in a room like a bedroom with furniture that can block your ability to aim and angle. That’s where pistols come in.

For next to your bed, in an office, or spaces without much distance between yourself and the intruder, pistols are better for home defense than shotguns or AR-15s. If the intruder gets close to you the pistol can be used to bludgeon them during hand-to-hand combat while not hindering your mobility like a larger gun. Not to mention you can control and hold the pistol with one hand compared to your long guns which could wind up in control of the attacker.

Don’t count a shotgun out for home defense when comparing them to AR-15s and pistols. Yes, they only hold five shells, but they’re easy to reload and the accuracy and penetration give you control of the situation when there is enough distance between you and the intruder. If you live in rural spaces, and a trail cam detects a disturbance, shotguns can be quite helpful as you can control the situation from a safe distance. And in a larger room with things you do not want destroyed, the accuracy and aim compared to an AR-15 or pistol will keep you and your home better put together.

There’s pros and cons to each firearm, so a good rule of thumb is for crowded rooms with furniture, tight spaces, and where you could wind up in a fist fight with an intruder, go pistol. If there is space to angle and you have wide hallways, AR – 15s are your best bet for home defense. If you need accuracy, want full penetration, or need distance, go with a standard shotgun.

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Category: Self-Defense