45 vs 10mm ,,, This might get a bit wordy but I think it needs to me added JMHO. This is my first post so go easy on me.. OH and I read somewhere too that the best way to stop a charging bear is to take away its credit cards! … sorry I couldn’t resist!!
So what to use to fend off an upset bear wanting to challenge your stroll through the woods? Well I read that a guy and his wife were hiking and he shot a black bear with his 45acp using JHP’s like 5 or 6 times and it just turned and walked off into the woods about 500 or 600 yds and fell down and didn’t get up. They got lucky it didn’t attack! I also read that a park ranger shot a black bear that he was relocating and after it was let out of the cage it turned on him and he shot it 2 or 3 times with his issued 357mag and it fell at his feet. He got VERY LUCKY during the attack! I have visited the Alaskan outdoors forum at
http://outdoorsdirectory.com/ and they talk about bears and handguns a lot and personally I would heed their advice when it comes to such a topic. Yes they get the BIG BRUINS up in the Great White North and there are mama grizzly’s, big brownies, black bears, papa bears, mama bears, and baby bears ,,, sorry couldn’t resist again ,,, but they advise each other as follows. First of all depending on the circumstances and depending on what is in your encounter area. You are talking about a beast that could be a black bear coming out of hibernation thin and hungry with a semi thick hide and very little thick fat weighing in at say about give or take a pound or two of 250 to 375lbs. If it is about to head into its retreat for the winter and it is fat and sassy it could be 450 or maybe as big as 500lbs covered with a thick furry hid and a fatter layer of winter pudgy. If you happen to run into a brownie or a bigger grizzly then you could have a big world of hurt on your hands as they can range from a small female sow of 500lbs up to a 1,000lb plus male. So here’s what I’ve read and you might want to visit Alaskan outdoors and read up for yourself. Bears are wild animals and you never know what is on their mind. They may attack because you startled them, or a mama has cubs to protect, they may have had a fight with their spouse and are out for revenge, or they may look at you and say your not worth it today. Ya just never know. Someone may ask you does your doggie bite?? You say no… Next thing you know it is chewing off their leg! Black bears are the easiest to divert unless they have cubs to protect or might be out for a snack or are just having a bad day. But browns, blonds, grizzles and such are and can be more aggressive and polar bears will hunt you down despite them being miles away when they pickup your scent. Some bears will be attracted to you by hearing your gun shot because they think they can and will try to take your hunted kill. If that happens you have two chooses give it up or try to kill the bear. But now you have to trek out your original kill and a big ol bear too and hope you don’t run into another one or more looking for a free meal also. Here are some rules I’ve come across to think about to maybe try and follow.
1. Do not run from a bear they will chase you down and they WILL catch you because they are very fast. They can run up to 35mph in a split second. Try to avoid direct eye contact they will preset this as a direct threat and do not lie down and play possum. It really doesn’t work 99.9 percent of the time.
2. Do not use the pepper spray you get at the local dollar store used to ward off evildoers with. It will not work on any size bear. They make a highly potent special bear spray for that. But that isn’t a good idea either because what if there is a slight breeze and it doesn’t make it into the bears face or worst yet it blows back into yours? So forget the spray. It will only make you taste like a jalapenos popper when the bear starts snacking on your butt!
3. Do not think that wearing jingle bells will always ward off a bear because it hears you hoping down the bunny trail, though it might work with a mouse and a cat ,,, it will not always work with a bear and it will be the only thing left of you to identify in its poo after your scenic trip through its digestive system comes to its end.
4. Like I said ,,, bears are very fast runners ,,, no make that very very very fast runners and if you do find yourself being charged by one you may only have about 2 or 4 seconds to clear leather and get off a shot or two so you better be quick on the draw and very potent with your shot placement. You think it is a stress full moment having to draw on a BG? Think of it as if you are standing about 30 ft in front of a pickup truck and as you turn to face it head on the driver punches it and is now barreling down on you at 35mph now try and jump out of the way before you get run over and oh ya ,,, don’t forget to draw your weapon and shoot the driver in the head in the 2 to 5 seconds you have before you get run over!!
5. A revolver is better then a pistol because if you only have time to press the gun up onto the bears body because it is on top of you before you can get a shot off a pistol isn’t going to be very useful and will not work very well as you probably already know where as a revolver will not stop firing until it runs out of ammo and yes semi-autos will not go into battery very well when in direct contact with a fuzzy bears coat and some makes are very hardy but a revolver may be more reliable in this case ,,,,,, just a thought.
Alaskan guides do not recommend anything but the following in this order of last to first choice. 10mm, 45colt, 44mag, 454cassul, or if you’re a real masochist a 500s&w. Or just sling a 12gage Stoeger coach gun over your sholder. And since your going to have to penetrate deep and as we always say in a defensive BG situation I do stress a heavy hot load with lots of deep penetration, fps, and ftlbs because your projectile is going through a very tuff hairy hid, a thick layer of dense fat, and their skull is and bones are very thick and strong so do not use any RNFMJ or JHP ammo. Use only ammo similar to Buffalo Bore HCFN or checkout Doubletap WFNGC hardcast. I would suggest it coming out of a Ruger 5.5 inch or 4.2 inch Redhawk or a 2.5 inch Super Redhawk Alaskan they can handle even the hottest loads best. Or if you do go the 10mm rout I’d get a G20 or maybe a G29 but you will need to upgrade to a Lone Wolf or KKM barrel and a new set of heaver recoil springs in order to use the HCL ammo. They also make a 6-inch hunting barrel for the G20, which would add a little more opus. As for me I know that I could get off more shots personally quicker having a magazine full of 10 or 15 rounds of 200gr WFNGC hardcast ammo coming out of a G20 then I could using a 6 round 44mag or 454casull Redhawk in about the 3 or 6 seconds I might have to do so in, and if that doesn’t work on Fuzzy Wuzzy for me then I will make sure to have filed down the front sight so when that pissed off bear I just shot shoves my lead spewer up my fanny it wouldn’t hurt so much as he starts eating my face off!! So IMHO ,,, for get about the 45acp and get a G20 or maybe a G29 and then upgrade the barrel and recoil springs, and some seriously hot and heavy ammo and you should be good to go roam about the woods feeling somewhat secure but keep in mind too that even a deer or an elk or two hit in the shoulder and chest area with a 45-70 have gotten up and run off into the brush a ways maybe not too far too often ,,, but it has happened. But for your BEST protection my advice would be to only venture out into bear land with a friend because all you would really need to carry then is a tiny 22short derringer to shoot them in the leg with so you can run away faster then them and let them deal with Yogi and Boo-boo!! Isn’t that what good friends do is help each other out when your in a real jam … just a thought!
You can load a .44 Mag twice as hot as any of those other three. Furthermore, you can load it down farther than other three. It is my favorite pistol cartidge...the more I think of it, probably the most versatile. The .357/.38 would be a close second, but I think the .44 Mag has it beat. However, I'm just trying to clarify and/or set the record straight.
But the 10mm is probably superior
