45 Colt Question

[mothermopar]

Figured this would be the best place to post this... hope I was right.

My question is more about defense against animals while camping, rather than actually hunting them.

I'm about ready to purchase a Colt Single Action Army in 45 Colt. I've already started buying the cowboy loads for fun and a box of some Buffalo Bore Heavy 45 Colt that is rated as being safe for the Colt (per Buffalo Bore).

It fires a 255 grain gas checked soft cast round at 1000fps.

http://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=45

What animals could one reasonably expect to be able to 'handle' with this load, given good shot placement?!?! I know a Kodiak bear ain't one of them.

 

[Art Eatman]

Assuming you don't just shoot once and quit to look to see what happened, I figure that load will take care of most anything this side of the big bears. It's not all that horrible for Bambi, for that matter.

I suggest cast lead bullets with large meplats.

If you practice enough to get good with it, you'll find that a Weaver stance and left-thumb cocking makes for a good controlled rate of high speed shooting that's accurate.

 

[MCgunner]

Good nuf for black bear and hogs. +1 on what Art said. Only thing I'd worry about is the sight regulation on that thumb buster. Needs to shoot reasonably close to POA. Most SAAs don't have adjustable sights. Me, I have a Ruger Blackhawk. I didn't get it for authenticity or CCS or stuff like that, though. Some folks carry what they shoot CCS with and they KNOW how to shoot it.

The sights are not insurmountable. Heck, I just got through getting a Colt Navy replica shooting to POA. Weird sight picture, but whatever works.

 

[mothermopar]

That's kind of what I was figuring... Up to and including black bear, though they're usually not aggressive...

Yeah I'll have to figure her sighting out once she's in hand. May have to get a ruger or anaconda in 45 Colt (just for hot load overkill purposes!) lol.

 

[TexasPatriot.308]

Ruger BH Bisley, 300 gr. Buffalo Bore or Grizzly ammo, drop big hogs in their tracks, really big hogs, dont know about bear cause we aint got em, but it is a hand tingler after a few rounds...

 

[MCgunner]

My light load has taken a hog on a shoulder shot from about 30 yards. It's a 255 grain flat nose Lee bullet over 8.3 grains Unique. It moves about 950 fps from my Blackhawk. I do load a hotter load, but never shot anything with it, yet. I normally carry the lighter load knowing it'll take hogs if I need, but won't blow a 3 ft crater in the ground if I shoot at a snake or rabbit. If I'm actually HUNTING with that gun, I load up with a 300 grain XTP moving at 1120 fps and I adjust the sight elevation accordingly. That's not a load for the Colt or Colt clone. The gun is very accurate with both loads.

 

[Sunray]

If you're afraid of the fauna, stay home. None of 'em, bears included, are in the least bit interested in you. Your food, maybe, but that'll be mostly skunks and raccoons.

 

[Art Eatman]

Aw, it's not necessarily a fear thing, Sunray. I've messed around in the boonies since I was a kid, and I've yet to have a problem. Hey, almost seventy year's worth, okay? But that doesn't mean that some back-country cougar offers guarantees that all he wants is for me to scratch his ears, okay? I don't worry about it, but I've always figured the Boy Sprouts' motto is a Good Thing.

So when I'm quail hunting with # 7-1/2, I tend to have a Redhawk along for companionship...

 

[mothermopar]

Sunray, do you carry a gun in the woods?!?!

 

[OYE]

All bears grizzly and black ( as well as wolves and cougars) are very unpredictable. One should never forget that you are "food" for them. Generally they leave you alone, but not always. "Bear attacks" by Stephen Herrero (about 1985 ) a Canadian biologist is definitely worth a read.