Lever gun vs Home invader

[GunnyGene]

Uberti .45lc lever gun used by owner to kill a 250lb home invader. Took 8 shots. 7 to stop him and a coup d'gras. No charges. Authorities hauled off the dead home wrecker.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/202 ... -colorado/

In a scene reminiscent of the Old West, Texas native Bill Williams successfully defended himself and his wife from an intruding 250-pound black bear with his Uberti 1866 Yellowboy carbine rifle chambered in .45 Long Colt. Williams fired eight shots in close quarters before the bear was dead. The act surely saved his and the life of his wife, Stephanie, from the bear.

“Ninety six percent of this county is national forest land,” said Williams. “In the 23 years we have had this cabin, we have never had any problems with animals. Although, we have seen signs of them passing through our property.”

Williams and his wife reside in Conroe, Texas, but spend their summers at the 400 square-foot cabin. Williams first caught sight of the bear the night before the incident.

“I saw him out the window and realized I didn’t have a loaded gun,” said Williams.” So I loaded up the Yellowboy and hung some hooks on the wall next to the bed to hold it. I left the bear alone that night. He was outside and I was inside.”

As a cowboy-action shooter, Williams is well versed in shooting the venerable Uberti Yellowboy – a modern-day replica of an Old West lever-action rifle that got its name from its distinctive brass receiver. With his rifle now loaded and close at hand, the couple went back to their daily business and the bear ultimately left the area.

Curiosity or hunger led the bear back to the cabin the next night. The couple awoke at 3:00 a.m. to the loud sounds of the bear breaking through a cabin window.

“It sounded like an explosion when he slammed the window open,” said Williams. “I grabbed the Yellowboy and walked to the opening from the bedroom to the living room. We don’t have a door to separate the rooms. With the front porch light coming through the windows, I could see the bear on the couch, just 42 inches from me. I cranked off the first round and hit him. He jumped down from the couch and stood up in front of me about three feet away. I shot him twice more and he fell back to the other side of the room.”

Williams shot several more times and could see the bear was still moving. After reloading, Stephanie handed Williams a flashlight, and he put a final round into the bear, ending the confrontation.

Seeing the bear and readying his rifle close to the bed was key to the couple surviving the ordeal.

“That rifle saved our lives,” said Stephanie. “I blow it a kiss goodnight every night before bed. It was one of the scariest things I have been through, but we are slowly getting back to normal.”

Williams dialed 911 and reported killing the bear and a sheriff’s deputy and wildlife officer arrived to assess the situation, ultimately ruling it a self-defense wildlife killing and took the bear.

Although shaken by the incident, the couple is back living in the cabin, now replete with bars on the windows and a reinforced door. Williams also keeps his Yellowboy loaded and ready by the side of the bed.

[JEBar]

decades ago I spent considerable time over 6 years hunting black bear in Blue Ridge Mountains of Western NC .... we hunted them using packs of large hounds that were bred and trained .... I've seen first hand just how tough an adrenaline charged bear with a pack of hounds hot on its heels can be to bring down .... I have to tip my cap to the fellow who maintained his composure while pumping 7 rounds into one that was less than 4 ft away

[fortyshooter]

Great story there! That .45 Colt has been getting the job done for a long time. Wonder what load he was shooting?

[GunnyGene]

Great story there! That .45 Colt has been getting the job done for a long time. Wonder what load he was shooting?

That would be nice to know. Since it was apparently his competition gun (CAS) it may have been low powered cowboy loads. Which would explain the need for so many shots. If that's the case, then I'd bet he's picked up a box or 2 of full power hunting ammo by now.

[JEBar]

Since it was apparently his competition gun (CAS) it may have been low powered cowboy loads. Which would explain the need for so many shots. If that's the case, then I'd bet he's picked up a box or 2 of full power hunting ammo by now.

good point and if so, he most certainly needs to have hunting level ammo loaded when he's at his cabin ....

[John E Davies]

“I saw him out the window and realized I didn’t have a loaded gun,” said Williams.

I fail to comprehend why somebody like this, staying at a remote cabin in BEAR country, would not automatically have adequate protection at hand, preferably riding on his hip..... I am glad he did well, but can’t understand a “gun guy” letting himself get into this situation in the first place. I hope he learned his lesson.

John Davies
Spokane WA

[Rifletom]

Oh, I'm sure he did. Wonder if that Uberti Yellowboy will handle "hotter" factory ammo like Buffalo Bore?
Bottom line, they're ok. That's what counts.

[GunnyGene]

“I saw him out the window and realized I didn’t have a loaded gun,” said Williams.

I fail to comprehend why somebody like this, staying at a remote cabin in BEAR country, would not automatically have adequate protection at hand, preferably riding on his hip..... I am glad he did well, but can’t understand a “gun guy” letting himself get into this situation in the first place. I hope he learned his lesson.

John Davies
Spokane WA

Easy enough to understand; this is very likely his first experience with any threat more dangerous than a target tree.

[220]

“I saw him out the window and realized I didn’t have a loaded gun,” said Williams.

I fail to comprehend why somebody like this, staying at a remote cabin in BEAR country, would not automatically have adequate protection at hand, preferably riding on his hip..... I am glad he did well, but can’t understand a “gun guy” letting himself get into this situation in the first place. I hope he learned his lesson.

John Davies
Spokane WA

Complacency after 23 years of not having a problem, pretty easy to understand.

[Grunt67]

Some lessons have to be learned the hard way, and they're easier to remember.

[markiver54]

When at our cabin my guns are always loaded and at the ready. It's not uncommon for a bear to amble through the property day or night.
Even when outside doing chores I have one on my hip.

[Shakey Jake]

Interesting story for sure. I would have left a few stripes in my drawers.
Jake

[fortyshooter]

I always have a 44 or 45 revolver or Carbine with me while around my range property. You never know who else is wandering on your trails!
https://youtu.be/H9eEOr-nZoo

[dave77]

Don't know if it's a old wife's tale or a true story. I've heard it from a few different sources over the years but supposedly there was a guy in big grizzly bear country that was charged by a very large one. He was carrying a large caliber revolver and fired 5 center body mass shots but the bear kept coming. He fired his last shot at the bear's forehead which supposedly didn't penetrate but stunned the bear enough to stop the charge. When they later dressed the bear out they found that the bear's heart was shredded, the bear was going to die but without that last shot it would have killed the guy before he died. I can kind of believe it when you consider how far a deer can run after a fatal shot.

[Sir Henry]

“I saw him out the window and realized I didn’t have a loaded gun,” said Williams.

I fail to comprehend why somebody like this, staying at a remote cabin in BEAR country, would not automatically have adequate protection at hand, preferably riding on his hip..... I am glad he did well, but can’t understand a “gun guy” letting himself get into this situation in the first place. I hope he learned his lesson.

John Davies
Spokane WA

I’m not in a remote cabin but live in a semi-rural area and have bear in the neighborhood in the summer. I don’t know anyone that packs on their own property.

It’s not practical to have ten year old kids walking around with loaded 45’s.

I grew up in Spokane and have seen lots of bear in the forests there. Spokane has far more bear than The Seattle area. There most people pack heat when they go camping. At least when I was there. What’s it like now?

[Hatchdog]

“I saw him out the window and realized I didn’t have a loaded gun,” said Williams.

I fail to comprehend why somebody like this, staying at a remote cabin in BEAR country, would not automatically have adequate protection at hand, preferably riding on his hip..... I am glad he did well, but can’t understand a “gun guy” letting himself get into this situation in the first place. I hope he learned his lesson.

John Davies
Spokane WA

We just returned from nearly a week in bear country which is also a grizzly bear recovery area. When away from camp (NFS campground) I carried my 10mm and always had my 12 ga loaded with 3” 00bk in the trailer. We spent a lot of time driving in the higher elevations and the only bear I saw was in my rear view mirror crossing the road while driving on the highway.

That’s a great story and was fun to read. Thanks for posting it.

[Hatchdog]

“I saw him out the window and realized I didn’t have a loaded gun,” said Williams.

I fail to comprehend why somebody like this, staying at a remote cabin in BEAR country, would not automatically have adequate protection at hand, preferably riding on his hip..... I am glad he did well, but can’t understand a “gun guy” letting himself get into this situation in the first place. I hope he learned his lesson.

John Davies
Spokane WA

I’m not in a remote cabin but live in a semi-rural area and have bear in the neighborhood in the summer. I don’t know anyone that packs on their own property.

It’s not practical to have ten year old kids walking around with loaded 45’s.

I grew up in Spokane and have seen lots of bear in the forests there. Spokane has far more bear than The Seattle area. There most people pack heat when they go camping. At least when I was there. What’s it like now?

Gene,

Note my story above that I typed at the same time you did.

We were camped at Sullivan Lake and one day made the trip over Pass Creek Pass to visit the Roosevelt Cedar Grove (Stagger Inn) on the Idaho side. While enjoying a picnic lunch there I watched a guy get out of his car and put a holstered firearm on his belt. Didn’t see the gun but the holster looked like a revolver type. Can’t say for anybody else in the camp wether they were armed or not. Not much of a bear problem in camp but every site does have a steel bear box for storing food if you are tent camping. I see lots of younger campers loaded to the gills with kayaks, hiking gear and expensive bikes. I do wonder if there are any firearms included.

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