In the woods with a .44 Special.

[If1HitU]

If you are in the woods in the lower 48 USA, carrying a .44 special revolver loaded with 240 gr. ammo, and came across a big bear.How much of a chance would you have killing it with a .44 spl.? I know a Magnum would be a better choice,it a hypothetical question.

 

[Patocazador]

It depends on how a good a shot the fella is with that gun. Good shot in the right place = dead bear.

 

[jeepnik]

All depends on shot placement.

 

[Sunray]

The 240 grain Special will do everything a 240 grain Magnum will do, just at less velocity. What do you think was done in 1954? Question is why do want to shoot Yogi/Cindy just because you bumped into either of 'em?

 

[If1HitU]

The 240 grain Special will do everything a 240 grain Magnum will do, just at less velocity. What do you think was done in 1954? Question is why do want to shoot Yogi/Cindy just because you bumped into either of 'em?

Like I said it was a hypothetical question?

 

[wankerjake]

Oh jeez. Yes, carry a stout 240gr handload or Buffalo Bore type load and drill a nice bear if you happen to run across one while targeting something else and it's legal etc. I can think of a bunch of reasons why that would be awesome.

 

[eastbank]

I shot a large doe at 40-45 yards going away from me, hitting her 1/2" high and a little left from her bung hole and the bullet went complety threw her coming out on the right side of her chest . she rolled stumbled for about 8-10 feet before dieing. the load was a 240gr hard cast keith style .430 bullet in front of a very healthy load of 2400 powder in a S&W 624 with a 6.5" barrel. that doe was not a bear, but if shot in the right place I think that load would kill a bear. eastbank.

 

[MCgunner]

There's not even any hypothetical bear in our woods.

IMHO, even the .38 special has enough to stop the average black bear with a well placed shot. That said, the .357 has more often been my companion afield in years past. I can't see that the .44 with a hot load would be any less effective in the real world.

 

[.308 Norma]

If you are in the woods in the lower 48 USA, carrying a .44 special revolver loaded with 240 gr. ammo, and came across a big bear.How much of a chance would you have killing it with a .44 spl.? I know a Magnum would be a better choice,it a hypothetical question.

There's 240 gr .44 Special loads, and then there's 240 gr .44 Special loads!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

MAN there are a lot of variables.
I don't think one can declare a 240 grain projectile from a .44 Special round equal to the .44 Magnum with a 240 grain projectile, saying the Special "will do everything a 240 grain Magnum will do, just at less velocity".
So the 246 grain .44 Special from Winchester at 755 fps will perform just as the 240 grain .44 Magnum from Privi Partizan ammunition with a MV of 1541 fps, just that the magnum round will be going faster?
And we haven't mentioned the platform that is launching said cartridges, so the OP using a 3" Charger Arms in .44 Special can expect the same results that I get when using a Super Blackhawk with a 7½" barrel and the magnum ammunition? How about if we both use .44 Specials?
Are we talking, folks, the hunter is planning to ambush the bear, so you have plenty of time to place the shot with the .44 Special, or are we talking a random encounter for the OP wrote "came across a big bear", so are we talking very little time to fire in self defense? OR is this an unexpected opportunity to harvest a bear?
I know he wrote "lower 48" but there are brown and grizzly bears in the lower 48, and I might be confident going for black bear with a .44 Special, but after a Grizzly....I think I'd at least want a .44 Special doing 1000 fps if not a magnum doing at least 1200 fps with that 240 grain bullet.

LD