Buffalo Bore "Heavy" .357 Mag 180 LFNGC

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Box says LFN-GC, (1400 FPS). Would this load be suitable for hiking/defense from Rocky Mountain Griz? Note that I didn't say "ideal". Revolver is S&W M28 4". Will they blow up my gun? Will they hurt so bad that I wish they had blown up my gun?
 
I've shot them out of my LCR. They aren't too bad with the standard grip, but hurt with the boot grip. I'm thinking a 4" all steel .357 will handle them just fine.
 
Unless the revolver is busted up they will not be dangerous. Recoil is sharp which delays followup shots. If you're serious about using them for a legitimate bear threat, you MUST practice with them in your revolver.
 
N-frames will handle stout .357 loads. As with any gun, maximum loads, maximize wear and tear.
N-frames soak up recoil pretty well, too. Recoil is a very personal thing, though.

I love the .357 but, grizzly is a little outside of it's "weight class." Sure, it can be done but...
Usually .44 mag is considered the ante, to sit at the table with a grizzly.
Of course most any handgun is outclassed by grizzly. And most any gun is better than no gun.

Also not to be overlooked, the ubiquitous "...two-legged predators, more likely than..." comment.
 
Cosmoline said:
Unless the revolver is busted up they will not be dangerous. Recoil is sharp which delays followup shots. If you're serious about using them for a legitimate bear threat, you MUST practice with them in your revolver.
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Well I've got 14 rounds to practice with... better make it quality time! :D
 
Everyone seems to be missing that the OP asked if the load was suitable for Rocky Mountain Grizzly. I'm no expert at dealing with a PO'd bear, but it would certainly be among the best .357 loads you could choose as it wil be among the best penetrators.

I doubt you will get anyone with any experience in Griz country to agree that the .357 in general is enough to make them feel warm and fuzzy. You better have damn good CNS shot placement or you would be better off with bear spray.

I love the round though, great medicine for whitetails and hogs in my 6" DW 15-2. In a carbine you may have something.
 
If you're going to carry a 357 into grizzly country that would be the round to bring. It's what I carried until I purchased my 44 mag. I felt it had better ballistics than the Double Tap 200 gr hard cast that they offer.

BTW, the owner of Buffalo Bore appears pretty confident in the 357:

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=108

" If you are relying on brain shots, it is not all that hard to kill adult grizzly bears. Almost any center fire cartridge of 357 bore or larger with a very hard non-expanding, flat nosed bullet will pierce a bears skull with direct /frontal (between the eyes) hits."

Take it for what it is, I have no experience killing a bear with a handgun but apparently he does.
 
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Well I've got 14 rounds to practice with... better make it quality time!
Click to expand...

I know how that goes. It's why I started buying boxes of the Cast Performance 180's and 200's to craft my own in-town trail loads. Adjusting handloads can give you more reasonable recoil while still hitting hard. I currently have heavy hardcast .357 loads for the CCW revolvers and a more potent one for the Redhawk .357.
 
Between the eyes is a really tough spot. The top of the skull is much softer if you can hit it.
 
If you are close to this animal when you touch it off, and your between the eyes direct frontal brain shot ends up in a glancing blow or buried in 1000 # of bear meat, I would consider you to be in a hell of a lot of trouble.

The bear may ultimately die, but quick enough? Likely when investigating wildlife authorities find a sick and wounded monster and put it down. Not likely they will choose a .357.

Oh, BTW you do realize that when you are motivated to shoot a griz, it will likely be moving don't you? One posing for glamour shots by the local tourists won't usually motivate someone to take a pot shot at it.
 
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Having seen the Griz you speak of on numerous occasion and being within 50 yards of said bear, and having pulled down on what I thought was a Griz with my 44 mag Redhawk (turned out to be a Buff laying in the middle of the trail)

You are just going to piss him off if you hit him anywhere with it.

If it's a mama Griz and her cubs are around, you'll pump off 5 shots before you find out the last one was really meant for your use.

I have witnessed the strength of these bears.......even a juvenile, lifting a 30 foot section of pine tree like it was a two by four and I was 75 yards from THAT!

I got to say if it were to come down to me, one handgun and a need to defend myself, the absolute minimum I would want on my hip would be a .454 Casull 6 inch, DA or SA.

For all other confrontational critters I think that recoil aside, those 180 gas checks will do the trick. That is MOVIN! for that weight/barrel combo.(my guess is the velo is for a 6 inch barrel)
 
I haven't shot them out of a revolver, but I use them for deer in my 1894C. It's the only load I've ever ran through the gun that pops the front sight hood off.
 
jakk280rem said:
I haven't shot them out of a revolver, but I use them for deer in my 1894C. It's the only load I've ever ran through the gun that pops the front sight hood off.
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There are testaments out there of Buffalo Bore rounds blowing magazines out of auto pistols, too.
 
I have loaded my own cast 180grLRNFPGC with 15g Lil'gun and have shot them out of both my 1894C and my pencil barrel S&W 65. They are a handful but for grizz????
 
I carry them in a Gp100 for black bear country. If I had my gp100 in grizzly country it is what I would load. Of course we do not expect bear confrontation.

I'd bring that and bear spray and feel comfortable. Practice avoidance. It'll make a hole.
 
my normal 180 grain load shot out of my ruger blackhawk: 180gn ltc, 10.0 gn bludot (would recommend starting at 8 grains and working up), cci500.

scoots out the 4.625" barrel at 1230fps. your gun weighs a bit (maybe two ounces) more than mine, but those buff loads will be going a bit faster. soooooooo, they should be somewhat comparable. the load kicks, but not bad. i can shoot it all day long. i will feel it at the end, but not as bad as a high-steppin 44mag load shot all day.

make sure the round fits in that short cylinder of yours. fire five pull no. six and see if the bullet is coming out of the case. don't want to tie up the cylinder.

should be accurate in your model 28. lbt bullets are best for large critters and 400 pound truck drivers (just kidding about the truck drivers. nothing works on them!).

murf
 
I'd carry them. At close range, in order to stop an animal that big is is all about penetration, and how many holes you can put in it before it gets you. That and getting lucky and hitting the brain or spinal column.A hot loaded 357 or 10mm is about as good as a 44 magnum or any other handgun for this. 357's and even smaller have worked quite often. Unless you are talking about coastal brown bear most grizzlies aren't much bigger or tougher than black bear. Unless you are going to carry a rifle, 30-06 or larger a hot loaded 375 is as good as any other handgun.

I slighlty prefer the 200 gr load in either 357 or 10mm from Double tap. In either chambering you are looking about 1300 fps from 4" barrels. A little slower, and probably slightly less energy, but the heavier bullet is gonna give a little better penetration.
 
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