Why .357 and not .45?

Depends on where you are, Gunsmoker, and what kind of bear you might encounter.

For black bear, .357 mag is fine, it seems.

For griz, most recommend something much more substantial.
Alaskans are fond of .454 Casull, for example, or a .45-70 or a 12 ga with slugs.

Gunsmoker, a .45 what? .357 Mag has more energy, and better penetration than .45 ACP. Get into .45 Colt with heavy slugs, particularly the +P stuff and it's a whole different ball game.

'Cuz .357 says 'MAGNUM' after the numbers. The .45 just says 'ACP'. Also, there is a near-religious belief that no caliber in a semi-automatic action can take down a bear under any but the most strange of circumstances.

I don't know exactly how .357 Magnum versus .45 ACP FMJ penetration compares... but I have heard 16" or so in ballistic gelatin being about the standard for the .45 FMJ round.

Honestly....if I'm defending against bear, I'll take something of the long gun variety, such as 12ga or .45-70. A pistol might work (depending on species, age, caliber selection, etc), but if my ass is on the line I'd prefer something I know will work.

'Cuz .357 says 'MAGNUM' after the numbers. The .45 just says 'ACP'. Also, there is a near-religious belief that no caliber in a semi-automatic action can take down a bear under any but the most strange of circumstances.

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That's not fair. Most of the people who recommend a .357 Magnum don't do it just because of the word Magnum. It's a good round for most 4 legged critters in the lower 48 and a revolver is a good choice for woods carry.

I don't know exactly how .357 Magnum versus .45 ACP FMJ penetration compares... but I have heard 16" or so in ballistic gelatin being about the standard for the .45 FMJ round.

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I'll let you know next time I'm attacked by Ballistic Gelatin while in the woods.

There was no reason for you to put down a whole group of shooters because you have a bug up your butt about some people not agreeing with you that a semi-auto is the best choice for SD while hiking.

Regolith, you are totally correct, I would rather have a shotgun if something large decided it wants to make a good lunch out of me.

There was no reason for you to put down a whole group of shooters because you have a bug up your butt about some people not agreeing with you that a semi-auto is the best choice for SD while hiking.

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No put downs intended. I see no problem with preferring a revolver to an auto in that role, or any other role - just a problem with some people (usually seen in the 'bear threads') dismissing guns out of turn - throwing out, say, a Glock 10mm (with however many rounds it holds) as vastly underpowered in comparison to a (five, six, seven, or eight-shot) .357 Magnum... when the velocity/bullet weights are pretty close. It makes no sense to me when people do that - and with the extra emphasis I have heard people use when saying 'magnum'... I can only surmise that the name alone is what draws some people to it.

I live in Alaska, and carry a .44 Mag - S&W 629 with some loads just for Bear. I would not feel good with a .357 or a .45, and I'd go with a 10mm over them both. But - the 44mag is eeeking by as far as I'm concerned.... I wouldn't mind a Semi Auto in .44 mag, but I feel my Revolver is more reliable, and if a Griz is closing in I don't want to deal with any Malfunctions that a Semi might encounter.... ( Not that my wheel gun is perfect )

One reason I could see to carry a .357 perhaps over a .45 would be the abilty to also shoot .38 +P.... But - I wouldn't carry a .357 over a .45
In fact - I would rather carry a .40 over .357 & .45 : )

I think .45 LC with a good load would be just as good as .357......

you did mean a revolver load, right?

I'm from Alaska and we carried a S&W 629 or a LAR 45 Win Mag semi auto which was nice as well. Handguns in general are bad for bear defense, some are just worse than others.

9mm, 40, and 45 ACP are for two legged and smaller threats, even with those threats there are failure to stops, 40 S&W has trouble with dogs sometimes.

I'd prefer a SG or rifle but I'd carry a 10mm with 200 grain FMJ for blacks, 41 Magnum should also work pretty well.

The recommendation that I remember was at least 200 grains and at least 1000 fps, with a very hard bullet non expanding bullet.

A heavy 357 magnum load (not 125 grain) will work on black bears, we had two friends make less than intelligent decisions with bringing food up their tree stand and wound up having black bears join them in their stand.

We also had a friend hit hit a bear in the head with a broad head, and then fall back to his 44 and miss 6 times, luckily the bear died from the arrow.

A little thought will prevent most bear encounters, make some noise and be aware of where bears like to hang out, learn about bear behaviour and the differences between black and grizzly bears, there is a lot of free information on being safe in bear country.

Penetration Test
SInce I didn't have any Ballistic Gel I took a plastic milk
crate and filled it with magazines ( not gun magazines )
spine down and soaked em with water the night before
soaked them again in the A.M and one more time before
my buddy and I went to the proverbial local gravel pit...

.357 Mag. W-W 125 gr. JHP
.45 ACP W-W 230 gr. SXT JHP

both went in about 13 magazines and were the
deepest - I did some other .45 ACP and the
poorest performer - only 6 magazines deep
was the Rem 185 gr. JHP the rest of that box
of ammo has been relagated to plinking/practice.

I've since picked up some

.357 Mag Hornady XTP 180 gr.
.45 ACP Barnes XPB 225 gr.

Perhaps another summary execution of the
guilty and condemned magazines need
killing real soon now....

oh, Joke about Bear Hunters

Two hunters are flying into the wilds
of Alaska with their guide and the bush
pilot. The hunters in the back seat are
excited and talking away. One hunter
sez to the other "Yeah, I brought along my
.38 in case we run into a bear." The
seasoned guide turned twoards them and
commented "I'll presuume that is for shooting
your self in case we see a bear?"


Hunters are talking in the back seat. One

I swear some day I'm going (black) bear hunting with a 1911. If someone was bent on using .45acp on bear, I believe they might seek some effective options for that cartridge. I would personally consider something from Double Tap, such as their 230gr FMJ-FP that delivers over 1,000 FPS and 520 FPE from a 5" barrel.

However, I'm quite certain I could begin hunting black bear today with my 1911s and not finish until the black bear population was extinct as a result and there would still be those who claim the .45acp isn't enough for black bear. Granted, it certainly isn't ideal for black bear, but it could still very well be considered effective (as could be said for the .357 magnum).

How about a 12-gauge lupara with slugs?

If I go into bear country (other than black bear) I'd carry a 12 gauge slug gun.

Velocity, energy and penetration. .357 hunting ammo beats the .45LC and .45ACP hands down, when you're talking about standard factory ammo.

.45LC can be loaded super-hot, but can be shot in only a few revolvers safely that way.

A bigger bullet isn't everything.

.44 Magnum is a better choice, of course, but not everyone finds it manageable to shoot. .454, .460, etc. even more so.

I've got a .45ACP, four .357 magnum revolvers, and a .45 Colt Ruger Blackhawk. My preference is, in order:

.45 Colt -- 300 grains at 1200 fps
.357 Magnum (rather carry this one if I'm hiking, light on the hip)




Distant third, .45ACP.

Yes, the 158 or 180 grain hard cast .357 magnum will out-penetrate a .45ACP hard ball AND do more damage hand over fist despite the fact that God, himself, designed the .45ACP. If you want an autoloader for hunting or outdoor use, get a 10mm and live happy. I like revolvers, myself, and I've killed a lot of small game with an accurate .357 loaded with light wadcutters. Versatility and easy carry is why I like a good 4" medium frame .357 for general outdoor use.

The only bear country I have and will likely EVER hike is New Mexico, Arizona, Colorado. I'll likely never get to see Alaska, let alone hike there. Might get up to Wyoming or Montana some day.

A bear is a big beast with a very strong skull and a very deep chest - I'd want as much penetration as possible.

Once again, as in the past in "bear discussions", there's some "talking past one another" going on here.

The OP specified only "bear country", but did not specify whether that's east Tennessee, Colorado or Alaska.

Those in Alaska have one need; those in the lower 48 outside of ID, MT, WY and other griz states have a different need. Both griz and black will attack and eat you, but griz is a FAR more powerful beast.

To not specify which bear you're concerned about only confuses the issue of "what's enough". Comparing guns "adequate" for each is comparing oranges and grapefruits. What's adequate in TN will get you eaten in AK. What's needed in AK is overkill in TN.

If I was in east TN, and dealing with black bear, I wouldn't feel under-powered with a .357 mag revolver, especially with a 4" or 6" barrel. If I'm in Alaska (which is where I hope to live next, so I'm researching this issue in advance), I want either a .45-70 rifle or a shotgun with slugs. I'm a smaller person, and I'm not confident of my ability to control a .44 mag or .454C revolver.

Sort it out, please, people. Specify where your bear country is, and for which bear - griz v black - you are preparing.

I don't know about a Grizz, but a .357 does a number on Koalas.

ok...

I haven't heard of any Griz in the parts of the west central Idaho panhandle - but some north and into Montana so the cartridges
I mentioned would be pointed at Blac Bear

357 Mag Hornady XTP 180 gr.@ 1,175 FPS or
.45 ACP Barnes X 225 gr. - no vel. claimed so
I will chrono it out of my S&W 625 6 inch Bbl.
when I am at the range next.

that said I guess I would lean toward having them
both on my hip as a camp cook - have some full moon clips
with one full of shot shells for small vermin. but if I had
to choose with no reloading in mind the 686P
gets the nod because it has one more shot than the .45
wheelgun... so use both with the New York reload eh?

Phil Shoemaker, who is a licensed bear guide and who lives in bear country recommends a .357 with a heavy, hard cast bullet. His reasoning is you need to hit and penetrate the skull, and you might get a second chance with a .357. He also points out that the primary way to deal with bears is through your behavior -- act like a bigger bear, and stand your ground. That's a lot easier to do with a gun in your hand than it is if you're totally unarmed.

So I see these threads of people going hiking in bear country and asking what gun to bring along with them. Most of the time, people say to bring a .357.

Why don't people recommend bringing a .45?

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Simple really.


Go into the woods with a .45 and 1 round and a .357mag with 1 round find 2 of the biggest meanest Wild Boars you can find and shoot one with each

You'll see why people will go for a .357 mag over a .45.

.45's are GREAT stopping rounds for 2 legged species. That heavy bullet does numbers on light humans. It just doesnt have the penetration that a .357 mag does when it comes to 4 legged beast.

hey, I love my 1911's and carry them more than anything else, but I have also seen them bounce off trees and such any number of times, and you have to be careful where you shoot them sometimes--just not the best for penetration at times. Never had a 357 bounce off like that that I can recall.

Smaller caliber with higher speed tends to add up to better ballistic coefficient and penetration, which is why supposedly the guy who went after Bonnie and Clyde used a 38 super over a 45 for penetration of Clyde's notorious Fords...

but I still love me my big ol pumpkin ball 1911's

Just not for bear

Exactly. .45's are a human stopping weapon. You ever try shooting a .45 at say 15yrds hitting some sheetmetal and car doors etc. Very disappointing results. They just do NOT penetrate that well.

I'm not bashing the .45acp. It's just that its really only a caliber designed for sport and Self Defense. I mean it'll knock the crap out of a BG.

I don't think either the .357 or the .45 are all that good a defense against black bears. Peppper spray would provide greater safety. A shotgun would be even better.

However, it's not because of the bears (or wild hogs) that I carry a handgun in the field, it's for the two-legged snakes.