I've heard lots of people take the viewpoint that guns are the only option that will keep them safe. However, let me point out a couple of things. If your advisory is human or a smaller animal, then a large caliber handgun may indeed do the trick. Certainly a close or mid range shot may knock them completely down, leave a large hole in them, or blow off a part of their body that would give them second thoughts before attacking again.
But in the case of a large animal, such as a grizzly or perhaps an adult bigfoot, compared because of their similiar weight range (i.e. 800-1000 lbs), one will have to do a bit better. In fact, you will have to hit them in a kill zone (heart, lungs) and pray like heck they bleed to death before they rip you apart. That is of course assuming you hit them at all.
For me, I'd much rather aim a deterance spray weapon over a gun at something attacking me, since the spray comes out in a wide pattern. Chances are, I'd actually hit it. With a gun, who knows.
Posted on Apr 19, 2002, 5:07 PM from IP address 4.46.204.104