45 Acp For Bear?

[Ben86]

If you are going to shoot a bear with a pistol its best that its a magnum. I don't doubt a .45 can do the job though. Just shoot until it stops, then once more to the side of the head behind the ears.

Keep in mind that bears are also killed with arrows. So is a .45 sufficient, I'd say so.

I'd look into bear spray still and not let your dog wonder too far.

 

[ZeSpectre]

According to them, something like 80% of bear confrontations are resolved without injury to the human if they use a good bear spray

Which is great, but you'd better have a "plan B" as well because if the odds go against you the consequences are pretty darn severe.

 

[Webbj0219]

There was an ad Id heard of of a .357 mag hand gun killing a grizzly bear. This was supposed to be true, but they didnt have all the details in the ad. I guess the guy had extra hot .357's in a revolver with maybe a foot long barrell. And there was a team of experienced hunters that knew exactly where to hit the bear and from what angle to be the most effective. Also they were tracking the bear down, might be alot different for someone that is totally caught off gaurd by a bear coming outa nowhere and firing random shots in the bears direction.

 

[ncpammo]

.45 is just a little to small for me when going up against a bear. I would go with a .357 of 44 more stopping power and penetration!!

 

[flyby]

There was an ad Id heard of of a .357 mag hand gun killing a grizzly bear. This was supposed to be true, but they didnt have all the details in the ad. I guess the guy had extra hot .357's in a revolver with maybe a foot long barrell. And there was a team of experienced hunters that knew exactly where to hit the bear and from what angle to be the most effective. Also they were tracking the bear down, might be alot different for someone that is totally caught off gaurd by a bear coming outa nowhere and firing random shots in the bears direction.

The .357 mag has at one time or other killed every large animal type on the North American continent ..but that doesn't mean its recommended ..a larger 357 revolver would probably be ok for Black Bear though ..so long as its not one of the rare 700 pounders.

 

[James T Thomas]

cow punch'n

The "cousin" to the ACP; the Colt was used by the ranch hands against large cattle on the range and worked well, as given in various history documents about the Wild West.

I percieve a similarity in size, etc. to the black bear.

230 grain FMJ.

 

[Blacksmoke]

It is a bad idea to shoot Black Bears with a .45 ACP. You will most likely wound the animal and that presents numerous complications, the least of which is trying to explain yourself to a game warden without appearing to be a fool.

Game warden: "So, you thought the bear was a VC? just 'cuase he is wearing black?" Questions of that sort can be hard to answer. You thought you knew what you were doing at the time but later it is hard to articulate what was going through your mind.

You are a lot better off with bear spray and following practical advice about walking in bear country.

 

[Walkalong]

Sure, if you just want to piss him off.

 

[EHL]

I agree with Bear spray, but 80% is still 20% too short for me to rely on 100% of the time.
I think 45acp is bare bones minimal for a black bear. (better have extra mags) If I was tramping around bear country, I'd carry bear spray AND a Government 1911 with a Nowlin/Wilson .460 Roland barrel and spare mags full of .460 Roland as well. A lanyard loop with a strong cord would be a must in case I have to climb a tree in a hurry.

 

[Blacksmoke]

Ixnay on the tree climbing. Trees are where Black Bears go to hide. They can climb almost as fast as they can run.

Here are a few tips for walking your dog in bear country:

1. Stay in the open, away from brushy spots you cannot see into.

2. Make some kind of noise to announce your presence, talk to your dog, sing a song, chant a mantra.

3. If you spot a Black Bear stop and call your dog to you. Most dogs that are not trained hunters get a little anxious when spotting large predators and will look to their human for some guidance while standing back and barking.

3. Do not, repeat do not, take a bucket of KFC with you on the walk.

 

[moooose102]

WHAT! NO KFC ON OUR WALKS?! ARE YOU CRAZY!!! MAN, HOW ARE WE SUPPOSE TO ENJOY OURSELFS??! LOL ya just gotta have a sense of humor! good one blacksmoke. anyway, this is what i have decided to do. i am still carrying the 45. 2-12 round clips full of fmj ammo + 1 in the chamber. (when i buy some more bullets, i will load up 2 dozen +p fmj ammo). when i am taking the shotgun (a browning auto 5), i am putting 3 slugs in first, then 2 shotshells. it is doubtfull that i will need more that 2 shotshells in the same instant for squirrels. then as i shoot the shot shells, i just keep putting in new shotshells, keeping the slugs in the magazine. if, and really, the risk is slight, i do run across a bear, i can either shoot a warning shot with the shotshells, or rack them through (depending on the situation and range) and then, only if i have to, defend my self with the slugs. i do not now, nor have i ever, had any desire to shoot a bear for any other reason than self defense. if my funds were not short, i would buy a 500 s&w and a shoulder holster. but my funds are quite limited, so i will have to use what i have. the dog, is a half breed, that found me in the woods last year when i was scouting for deer hunting. she appears to be 1/2 pit bull, and 1/2 german short hair. she has the nose, and disposition of the short hair, and the build and looks of a pit bull. she is really a pretty good dog. but, she is a very high energy dog, she needs, and loves to run. i have on occasion, let her chase the truck through the woods. she will run @ 15 mph for over 1/2 of a mile! then she starts slowing down, but will still run for another 1/2 of a mile before giving up and just start walking. i do not know what is going to happen this year @ deer season. i certainly can not take her to the woods. maybe i can tie her to the front of the truck, and she can pull us into town(just kidding). thanx for all the advice guys. hopefully, i will not run across a bear. but if i do, i do not want to be defenceless. i can not run, or climb a tree anyway, so i pretty much am limited to standing my ground, or slowly retreating. i certainly am not above slowly retreating. in fact, it would be the first thing i tried, other than getting the dog back on the leash.

 

[gcmk13]

I don't know if this has been covered, but have you considered a high capacity 10mm? That's what I take into the woods with me. Barring that, a .357 magnum revolver would be the way to go, in my opinion.

I'm sure it can be done with a 9mm or a .45 ACP, but I'm not confident of how reliably it can be done with those calibers. For that matter, I'm not sure how reliably it can be done with any handgun; bear are mean and tough. A black isn't a grizzly, granted, but still...

 

[Rossshady120]

.454 super redhawk compact firepower or get your self a deagle, kel-tec PLR don't knowing about talking a walk with one of those. with the current economic situation i would't just buy a gun for this purpose but rather shop around and find something that you can also use it for. i don't see the point in owning a crazy pistol unless you need it for something like this or hunting ammo is just too crazy on these crazy guns. why did IMI make the desert eagle anyways it doesn't seem to be very pracital

 

[1911Gunslinger]

.45acp will do the job considering that the shot(s) are well placed. Personally I would suggest using a hot loaded HP like the ones from Georgia Arms 185gr HP at 1150 fps. Don't shoot lots of them unless you set your gun up with stronger recoil spring and buffer but in a self defense pinch will do a very good job on 2 or 4 legged terrorists, check all Sp and Hp ammo for function before using in self defense.

 

[ripcurlksm]

safe trip moose, and enjoy yourself!

 

[WVMountainBoy]

Well, what you have is a .45 and a 16 gauge...since that is what you have then I would just say use the hardest heaviest FMJ you can and load the 16 with 00 or slugs. Black Bear around here are usually smallish and I think that with in SD ranges a .45 would do the deal. We'd all want a cannon, but we use what we got.

 

[BADUNAME37]

If you DO get a shot with the .45, then maybe three quick shots - bang, bang, bang!

 

[cornman]

I would rather have a 9mm +P for a bear than a 45. Penetration is what it is all about. The 45 is a man stopper only.

 

[MikePGS]

I seem to recall an article about a man emptying a Glock .40 cal into a bear that was attacking him, but I believe he had 180 grains, which typically have the bullet that penetrates particularly deep. Of course, it was in an ad by Glock (and he had to shoot it over a dozen times) so take it with a grain of salt

 

[Elmer]

I would rather have a 9mm +P for a bear than a 45. Penetration is what it is all about. The 45 is a man stopper only.

Unless you can find some hard cast swc 9mm +P, the .45 will probably penetrate far deeper.

If they're hollow point +P 9's. they won't penetrate worth a darn......

 

[Ben86]

No sir, .45s and 9mms penetrate to approximately the same depth. The 9mm has a smaller diameter which allows it to pass through more easily but has less weight and therefore less momentum to carry it. The .45 has a larger diameter and much more weight, which means more drag but also more momentum. They just about even out on penetration. With sometimes the .45 having a little less.

But that is assuming identical bullet design. JHP bullet design plays a larger part in penetration.

 

[Mike U.]

I admit I haven't read all of this long thread yet and this may have already been mentioned, but, maybe it bears repeating if it has.
If I were to find myself in bear country with only my .45 ACP (God forbid!) I'm thinking I'd like to have this load onboard:
http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_34&products_id=156
With this particular load I'd feel at least I had some semblance of a chance of making it back home and not being turned into bear scat.

 

[The Bushmaster]

When I go up to feed my horses I carry a .45 ACP. So far all I've found in my pasture have been turkey, deer, coyotes, someone's escaped guinea hen and stray dogs. All easily dispatched with the .45 ACP. If I thought that I might run into (and it's posible) a bear or a cougar I'd take my .30-30 instead of the .45 ACP. Just my thoughts. If I'm in "bear country" I would think a rifle in substancial calibre is needed...I hate wounded pissed off bears...

 

[Dogbite]

I was born and raised in Alaska, and spent a lot of time in the bush. I'M talking about months at a time in the bush. Against black bears, you might get away with a heavy loaded 45acp. I would feel a lot better with a 357, 41, or 44 mag loaded with cast bullets. I have seen 250 pound blacks and 500 pound blacks. If you come across a big blackie, you could have a problem with a 45acp. If a gun is alien to you, use spray. I would have a gun. Period. I want something that can KILL a bear. People have been mauled by bears, and before the bear made contact, they sprayed the hell out of it with a large bottle of spray, until they were out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it does not. I know I can stop any bear with a shotgun loaded with slugs/heavy rifle, etc. I'm not going to trust my life to a non lethal (maybe). Of course a ranger is going to give you spray advice. Many of them don't like civilians hiking around armed. My brother got attacked by a large bull moose. It came like a freight train through the trees at him. Spray would have been a joke. My family and I have lived through much of the stuff that is discussed about bears in the woods. Theory is one thing, being there is quite a bit different...

 

[S&Wfan]

Someone mentioned a high capacity 10mm. If a bear attacks you, he won't be circling you like Indians on the old cowboy movies . . . he'll be running at you at full speed.

Most auto shooters will be shooting so fast that they "milk" every round (milk: Prematurely yanking down on the gun trying to anticipate the recoil so as to be able to shoot faster). When you milk it, your shots will hit the dirt in front of the charging bear but you won't see it.

No, you'll get time for a shot or two off. You'd better be steady and LUCKY . . . for it is really hard to shoot a charging bear and hit him anyway unless you have the balls to wait for point-blank range. Even then, you're gonna get mauled before he bleeds out.

The only .45ACP handgun I'd consider in this role would be a .45ACP S&W revolver, loaded with heavy .451-.452 hard cast lead flat nose bullets designed for .45 Colt handguns, and handloaded HOT into .45 Auto Rim brass.

Those heavyweight flat point bullets will shoot straight through deer, end-to-end at 300 yards, and would have a pretty decent chance of killing the bear faster if your shot . . . or even shots, are true.

I wouldn't want to bet my life on it though. Strange things happen when folks shoot at animals that move!

T.