450lb bear vs Hi-Point. Could Wakefield have been right?

[RockIsland]

450-pound Bear vs. Hi-Point pistol? Only in Alaska…

It was in July 2014 when Jim Landess heard loud banging on one side of his home. The 3:30 a.m. pounding shook the two-story Alaska home like a BB in a boxcar. The racket roused Jim’s young son Montana and he went from his ground-level bedroom to the front room to see what was going on. He opened the curtains and looked straight at a big brown bear that started sizing up Montana for a possible early morning snack!



Jim, son Montana and pet dog with Hi-Point handgun terminated home invader. Alaskan Game & fish estimated the big bear to be five years old.

Jim and the family dog quickly joined the affair and the combination of yelling, barking, and Jim firing couple of warning shots from his .45 ACP Hi-Point handgun convinced the big bear to leave the property. Then everybody went back to bed, because visiting bears are normal for many Alaskans.

Two hours later, the bear came back and hammered the house again – except that, this time, he was on the porch and posing a real threat of breaking through the door and entering the house. Having a big bear in a bad mood inside your house is not normal, even for Alaskans, and Jim knew that this bear would soon be inside, no doubt about it.

Jim’s heart started pounding like pistons in a Formula One race car as he ran to the upstairs outside deck so he’d be in a protected position to fight the bear. From that outside elevated position, Jim sent seven well-aimed rounds into the center of the bear before he could get into the house.

Jim said the bear went crazy on the porch for a few seconds, then ran about 50 feet from the house and fell over dead as a doornail. While Montana and the dog inspected the dead invader, Jim notified Alaska state troopers and got the information on what he should do and complied. There were no legal problems with this out of season killing, as this was an obvious case of serious self-defense.


Hi-Points are under rated when it comes to recommendations, but a large caliber for about $150 is hard to beat. As is true with any new gun, be sure to run a variety of ammunition through it first.

Jim’s adventure proved that you don’t necessarily need a high-dollar handgun or long arm to defend yourself even from a 450-pound bear — a proven, accurate, tough, reliable, not-so-pretty Hi-Point pistol that cost well under $200 will do the job in the hands of a good shooter with a cool head. Just ask the bear – well, maybe not the bear, but ask Jim and Montana; they are still around to tell this story for many years to come.

This July 2014 true story was related to Charles Brown of MKS Supply, LLC, by Jim Landress in Sterling, Alaska. Jim likes his not-so-pretty but effective Hi-Point pistol a whole bunch. In fact, he purchased the Hi-Point just three weeks prior to carry while fishing – it is bear country! The bottom line is handgun bullets don’t know or care whether they are launched from a tough, reliable, accurate $200 handgun or one that costs $3,000.

[sprrdhawk44]

This is why we can't have nice things.

Native Americans killed shit for centuries with spears and bows and angry chants. Perhaps I should trade all my stuff in for those things.

[raxar]

This story would only be relevant if people's prejudice against hi-points had anything to do with the gun itself.

[ungawa]

Why no link to the original "article?" Oh, I see why...

[Frenchy]

First of all, Wakefield's magical bear was 700 pounds and ran 70 Mph, when he shot it a second bear came out of it that weighed 900 pounds and ran faster yet...
I wish that story was not deleted so we could quote it, but this little bear had nothing compared to the one in wakefield's dreams..

[Frenchy]

Why no link to the original "article?" Oh, I see why...

The original story makes no mention of Hi-point, but seems the comments do.

[Qtrborecrazy]

Hi my name is Montana Landis and my dad shot an elephant threw the heart with his 45 Hi point, really. Maybe it was maybe it wasn't.

[markshere2]

Sorry, un-possible.

Everybody KNOWS HiPoints never fire reliably and jam and explode and are too heavy to hold up for 7 shots and and are so ugly they will turn you to stone like the gaze of Medeusa.

or not.

I like my hi-points

[RockIsland]

Why no link to the original "article?" Oh, I see why...

Yes.
I haven't ordered anything from them in like 15 years (I swear!) but I still keep getting their emails.

[ungawa]

Yeah, I have to admit I'd probably open an email titled Giant Grizzly Killed with Hi-Point.

"Wakefield? No... I gotta see this..."