45 ACP for black bear

Hossfly68 said:

But should one open carry to show the bear that he is armed or concealed carry so that the bear doesn't know and isn't sure if he should attack or not?


I couldn't help riffin on a discussion in another thread. Forgive me.

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Be careful! He could take your gun, shoot you with it, then kill all those young cubs! You monster!

My woods load for my 1911 is a 200gr LFP at about 900+fps. I don't buy into the idea a clack bear, especially in this area, is bulletproof from anything less than a magnum. If there were some really bigger bears in the area I would feel better with the power of a magnum but that doesn't mean a 45acp won't do some serious damage with well placed rounds.

Just remember any time you go up against a juggernaut, save one round...

OK yall let's not be silly about this, no the 9mm is not a deer hunting weapon and no the 45 ACP is not the ideal bear stopper. Is is better then nothing oh heck yeah, will it even approach the stopping power of a 44 or 454 no way. If you don't own a magnum handgun sure bring along the 45, just get some heavyweight hardcast bullets with +P power. Buffalo bore makes a pretty good load if you cannot roll your own.

Cheaper than dirt usually has a decent price on that stuff but their in-stock supply is spotty. If they have it, great. If not, try MidwayUSA

Here in the Catskill Mountains, a black bear mauled and killed an infant at a summer camp in 2002. The responding officer shot and killed the bear with a .40. It was a small bear, though.

http://www.sc-Democrat.com/archives/2002/news/08August/23/bear.html

"Wedded" to your .45, are you, Wisconsin? Maybe you could cheat on her with your buddy's 12 ga, just for the weekend.

Black bears are one of the ways I'm trying to justify this as a new toy for myself http://www.clarkcustomguns.com/rowland.htm

AJumbo said:

"Wedded" to your .45, are you, Wisconsin? Maybe you could cheat on her with your buddy's 12 ga, just for the weekend.

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+1 a 12ga with hardend slugs is a really good choice. Large caliber heavy projectile that penatrates 4 foot of soft tissue, hard to argue with that.

Hossfly68 said:

But should one open carry to show the bear that he is armed or concealed carry so that the bear doesn't know and isn't sure if he should attack or not?


I couldn't help riffin on a discussion in another thread. Forgive me.

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The bear will just target the open carrier first.

Just walk behind your horse. Bears have no idea how many legs a horse has.

I have a 200 grain SWC I shoot in my .45, Lee tumble lube. I have a few rounds loaded up to about 500 ft lbs, +P I reckon, from the Speer manual. That's what I'd use in .45. Should be plenty. But, I have a few .357s and a .45 Colt Blackhawk I prefer for ourdoor guns.

Good info here:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/firearms_defense_bears.htm

He's talking griz. The subject is black bear. I guess some folks don't realize there are different bear species nor the difference in a 300 lb black and a 1200 lb griz. A lot of difference there, I'd say. I do like this statement, though, for all those that say a 12 gauge will kill anything in the world.

Despite the claims of those selling special shotgun (i.e. slug type) ammunition or special barrels to shoot slugs, the reality is that almost any heavy for caliber, high powered rifle bullet, particularly the premium bullets typically used for stopping big bears, has far more penetration than a 12 gauge shotgun slug.

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Me, for griz/browns I want a rifle, not a shotgun. However, a handgun might be easier to deploy FAST. If I were real worred about it on Kodiak or something, I'd carry both.

Plus 1 on the bear spray. You or you buddy would survive a dousing of bear spray, you won't the round to the chest. That poor guy last week didn't.

MCgunner said:

He's talking griz. The subject is black bear. I guess some folks don't realize there are different bear species nor the difference in a 300 lb black and a 1200 lb griz.

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I think you have your facts pretty exaggerated there. Adult male grizzles only weigh between 500-800 lbs, but black bears weigh in between 300-550 lbs (the exception being the black bears here in Jersey). Kodiak bears can be 1200 lbs easily with some known to top the scales at 1400 lbs, but those are in a relatively select area of Alaska and there's a 0% chance you will run into one of them down here.

For a 400lb, curious, easily scared, non bulletproof animal, your .45 will be just fine provided you keep your food high.

i used to sell guns for a bass pro. when ever some one would ask for bear mace spray i'd pull out a smith and wesson 500 out of the case.

when ever i go into the wood lands for a stroll all I carry is a 22mag derringer ... but the trick is not to go alone

so if you do encounter a bruin be it black or brown or blond ... just shoot your walking companion in the foot so you can run away faster then them and let them deal with the bear

I am not a fan of bear spray, I saw a case on the Discovery channal the other day where a guy tried to spray an attacking bear and the wind blew it right back into his face making matters worse. No tornado force winds are going to blow your 45 slugs back at you Nothing says **** quite like a 454 Casull slinging 300gr slugs at 1600fps.

No no no, I should have specified. The center of south Jersey is where the bulk of them are. There isn't nearly as many black bears in the northern part of the state as there are in the southern half.

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Actually, the bulk of New Jersey's Bear population lies in the northwestern corner of the state. The biggest ones live in that area as well. I grew up in North Jersey and my parents live there now (Warren County) and sightings are quite the norm. (I've seen them at Picatinny arsenal too NWCityguy lol) While I'm sure South Jersey has a bear population, I never saw any during the two years I lived there. Not much for them to eat down in the scrub pine areas and I'm sure it limits their size just like it does white tail deer.

Interesting Jersey Bear article:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/scientists_say_black_bear_popu.html

I recommend a blank firing gun. It'll make a loud noise, a bright flash, and have the same result as most handgun rounds on a bear...it'll either scare the bear away or get you mauled brutally.

I too am against the bear spray idea. The idea that the bear has to be within 20 feet of you to be effective doesn't sit well in my mind, as well as the wind issue. If I was going that route, I would just take a 12 gauge with slugs and bean bag ammo on the side.

cacoltguy said:

Actually, the bulk of New Jersey's Bear population lies in the northwestern corner of the state. The biggest ones live in that area as well. I grew up in North Jersey and my parents live there now (Warren County) and sightings are quite the norm. (I've seen them at Picatinny arsenal too NWCityguy lol) While I'm sure South Jersey has a bear population, I never saw any during the two years I lived there. Not much for them to eat down in the scrub pine areas and I'm sure it limits their size just like it does white tail deer.

Interesting Jersey Bear article:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2010/03/scientists_say_black_bear_popu.html

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Well I won't debate the article, but I was basing my facts off of a bear concentration chart that for some time now. Looking at the chart, yes black bears were more prominent in North Jersey in 1995, but the distribution chart says that they are definitely moving south. No food? Try acres and acres of cranberry bog, blueberry fields, strawberry fields, and corn/wheat fields on the more western part of the state. There's definitely enough food for them to steal.

Please note! The chart I am providing shows distribution, not concentration!

If you have a 1911, get a .460 rowland conversion kit and you will get .44 mag power out of your .45acp

I think you have your facts pretty exaggerated there. Adult male grizzles only weigh between 500-800 lbs,

Kodiak bears can be 1200 lbs easily with some known to top the scales at 1400 lbs, but those are in a relatively select area of Alaska and there's a 0% chance you will run into one of them down here.

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Kodiak ARE grizzly. Same species. And Kodiak get way over 800 lbs and take a LOT of stopping compared to a black bear which can easily be killed one shot with a good .357 magnum load or anything that'll take a deer.

You missed my point. My point, someone brings up blacks and three posts later, someone is yakkin' you need a .600 nitro express to kill a bear cause nothing lesser will do and file the front sight off the gun cause when the bear shoves it up you butt, it won't hurt so bad and save the last round for yourself and all the other dumb cliches. They don't know the difference in an Alaskan griz and a black bear. They shouldn't be commenting if they don't know what bears are.