Can a 10mm polymer-framed pistol really be the difference between you and an incoming grizzly, or is this all just wishful thinking from the contemporary backcountry playbook? On the 19th of July, 2025, far in the Alaska interior, Brett TerBeek and his hunting guide Andy tested that question equipped with Glock 20s and a combination of hardcast and jacketed hollow point bullets, they took on a 900-pound grizzly at ten yards, and emerged alive. The tale is exciting, but the science and tactics involved in their survival are just as worthy of a hearing.
Both men, veteran Green Berets, relied on their rigorous training to provide 16 rounds of controlled, rapid fire while the bear closed the distance from ten to five yards through thick cover. Andy fired the first shot, and I remember seeing a perfect sight picture in the center of the bear’s mass as I squeezed the trigger, reports Brett. The bear was hit by 13 of the 16 rounds, hit in the head, neck, chest, ribs, and even a front paw. The nitty-gritty of their ammunition selection counts: Andy carried Federal Premium 200-grain Punch JHP, but Brett’s mag was a “smorgasbord,” containing Buffalo Bore 180-grain hardcast bullets a charge preferred for deep, straight-line penetration, essential for breaking through the thick muscle and bone of a charging bruin.
Terminal ballistics testing has demonstrated that 10mm hardcast loads, particularly those by Buffalo Bore, frequently penetrate two full blocks of ballistic gelatin without expansion. This non-expanding, flat-nosed profile is optimized for maximum penetration over tissue destruction and is therefore uniquely appropriate for defense against large animals where penetration to vital organs is the primary goal. As one gelatin test commented, The Buffalo Bore load clocked in about 90 fps slower [than original 10mm], but still at a higher velocity than what is typical of most heavy commercial 10mm loads produced to date.
Visibility was crucial in the encounter. The attack took place in heavy brush as darkness was falling, a situation in which sight acquisition is notoriously problematic. Brett’s Glock used tritium night sights, which provide a steady glow regardless of available light. As he said, “It was dark in the heavy brush, and the tritium sights helped with the sight picture.” Tritium sights, made from radioactive tritium gas contained in glass vials, provide longevity and visibility under low-light conditions for more than a decade. As opposed to fiber optic sights, which rely on surrounding light and vanish in darkness, tritium’s self-sustainment is a critical edge for wilderness defense, particularly when danger arises from the dark.
However, no matter how superior the equipment, it can only perform at the level of its user’s preparedness. Brett and Andy’s survival rested on being aware of their circumstances and tactically disciplined. They smelled the rot, stopped, and pulled out their pistols shaving precious seconds off their response time. “Being able to fire multiple quick, accurate shots is what stopped that bear,” Brett explained to interviewer Tyler Freel. Their guns were in chest holsters, not packed away in a pack or left back on the boat. As Brett explained, Your seat belt doesn’t do you any good if you don’t put it on. Your pistol cannot be used to stop a bear attack if it is a mile away, back on the boat.
Physiological stress is unavoidable in such situations. When threatened, the body’s fight-or-flight mechanism surges adrenaline into the bloodstream, increasing heart rate and compromising fine motor capability. Research on police and military shooting while under stress has demonstrated that accuracy can decrease from 90% at the firing range to as low as 14–38% in actual shootings. High levels of stress reactivity are predictors of less good performance and more errors in the use of lethal force. But training that involves simulation of high-pressure situations can be a stress moderator and an outcome improver, since skills rehearsed are less impaired by adrenaline. Brett attributes the years of service and consistent practice with the Glock platform for allowing instant, controlled fire under the confusion of the charge.
The event also shines a light on less talked-about fact: bear self-defense shootings are tremendously underreported. Alaska’s Defense of Life and Property (DLP) incidents are required by law to be reported, but successful defenses often go into records as hunting kills or never make the public records unless someone gets hurt. As the reporting has pointed out, “Most media are not interested when a bear is killed without any injury to humans.” Underreporting of this kind distorts public opinion and policy discussions regarding the usefulness of handguns for the defense against bears.
Statistically, bear attacks are still uncommon Alaska averages a fatal bear attack every other year, and hospitalizations number at approximately 3.8 per year. But the fatality rate of grizzly interactions, particularly at kill sites or where cubs are present, is well established. In these few but dire seconds, the appropriate combination of firearm, ammunition, sighting system, and prepared readiness can determine tragedy or survival.
For others heading into bear country, the take-home lessons are simple: select tried-and-true gear such as a 10mm loaded with hardcast bullets and featuring tritium sights keep it handy, and practice under stress. The physics of ballistics and the biology of human performance in the face of danger both argue for preparation over hubris.
