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- Thread starter neddles
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Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
NO! .357 might work, but there are much better choices.
Reread what you posted. You want a camp rifle to use against bear, but don't want to pay too much for ammo? How much is your life worth? Is it too much to pay $1.30 a round for .45-70 hollowpoint ammo versus 70 cents a round for .357 for self defense?
Reread what you posted. You want a camp rifle to use against bear, but don't want to pay too much for ammo? How much is your life worth? Is it too much to pay $1.30 a round for .45-70 hollowpoint ammo versus 70 cents a round for .357 for self defense?
db_tanker
Member
Were I to be knowingly going into bear country...
Nothing less than a 444 Marlin would sit next to my bunk...but would prefer a 45-70 or a 450 Marlin.
There is no overkill when it comes to your life, friend.
Nothing less than a 444 Marlin would sit next to my bunk...but would prefer a 45-70 or a 450 Marlin.
There is no overkill when it comes to your life, friend.
Shawnee
member
Get a Remington 1100/1187 or Remington 870 "deer gun" model in 12 gauge and load it to the hilt with #1 Buck or premium rifled slugs.
achildofthesky
Member
I have 357 mag, 44 mag & 45/70 leverguns. Like em all but I think for protection the 44 would be my comfort minimum. The 45-70 even with a 16" barrel is way plenty good for what might try to ail you but here in AARghkansas carrying anything over a 22 rifle in the woods out of an appropriate hunting season is seen as evidence of poaching... That sux...
Be safe
Patty
Be safe
Patty
T.R.
Member
I toppled this cow elk with my 357 MAG revolver. Its live weight estimated at about 550 lbs. No problems with penetration or rib breaking ability.
But I'd want a shotgun with slugs to stop a bear attack. There is a significant difference between an elk that trots away after the shot and a dangerous predator that keeps coming after the shot.
TR
But I'd want a shotgun with slugs to stop a bear attack. There is a significant difference between an elk that trots away after the shot and a dangerous predator that keeps coming after the shot.
TR
nothing wrong with the .357 in a carbine
I'd think of something premium to use though. 180 or 200 grain cast bullets will penetrate deep enough for bears in the lower states.
Against grizzly and larger type bears I think you should reconsider for something in a big bore rifle caliber. .45-70 comes to mind.
I'd think of something premium to use though. 180 or 200 grain cast bullets will penetrate deep enough for bears in the lower states.
Against grizzly and larger type bears I think you should reconsider for something in a big bore rifle caliber. .45-70 comes to mind.
MCgunner
Member
No black bear on the planet cannot be killed with LESS gun than a .357. It's plenty, especially from a rifle. Buffalo Bore makes 180 grain loads that move into .30-30 territory. Black Bear have been taken with all sorts of weaker calibers. I don't think they've started wearing kevlar since the .44-40 ruled the west.
If you don't like .357, think it's weak (my own handload chronographs just shy of 1900 fps with a 158 SWC, a mildish load) go for a .45 Colt or .44 Magnum. We chonographed my 300 grain XTP Colt load I worked up for my Ruger out of my son-in-law's Rossi 92 at 1340 fps. That's enough for about anything, much less black bear.
Buffalo Bore gets as much out of an 18.5" barrel from a 180 grain load as I get out of a 20" barrel and a 158 grain load. My 180 handload shoots under 1700 fps. I'm not sure how they do it, but they do. 1850 fps for a 180 grain SWC is as deadly as any factory .30-30 170 grain load. Maybe the SD is a little low, but it would be no problem on medium game like black bear. Heck, my handloads would be no problem. I've killed three deer with it, one from the rifle, two from a 6.5 inch revolver. Bear ain't much harder to kill in hunting situations, not black bear, certainly no harder than a hog and lots of big hogs are killed with .357s, though I haven't done it, yet. I did, however, put down a wounded charging hog of about 200 lbs once with one shot from a 4" .357 revolver. I've carried a 4" revolver in bear country a lot day hiking and back packing. I have confidence in it. You gotta do your part, of course. A 600 nitro express ain't gonna do it with a miss.
5. 18.5 inch Marlin 1894
a. Item 19A/20-180gr. Hard Cast = 1851 fps
b. Item 19B/20-170gr. JHC = 1860 fps
c. Item 19C/20-158gr. Speer Uni Core = 2153 fps---- Can you believe this?!!!
d. Item 19D/20-125gr. Speer Uni Core = 2298 fps---- Or this?!!!
If you don't like .357, think it's weak (my own handload chronographs just shy of 1900 fps with a 158 SWC, a mildish load) go for a .45 Colt or .44 Magnum. We chonographed my 300 grain XTP Colt load I worked up for my Ruger out of my son-in-law's Rossi 92 at 1340 fps. That's enough for about anything, much less black bear.
Buffalo Bore gets as much out of an 18.5" barrel from a 180 grain load as I get out of a 20" barrel and a 158 grain load. My 180 handload shoots under 1700 fps. I'm not sure how they do it, but they do. 1850 fps for a 180 grain SWC is as deadly as any factory .30-30 170 grain load. Maybe the SD is a little low, but it would be no problem on medium game like black bear. Heck, my handloads would be no problem. I've killed three deer with it, one from the rifle, two from a 6.5 inch revolver. Bear ain't much harder to kill in hunting situations, not black bear, certainly no harder than a hog and lots of big hogs are killed with .357s, though I haven't done it, yet. I did, however, put down a wounded charging hog of about 200 lbs once with one shot from a 4" .357 revolver. I've carried a 4" revolver in bear country a lot day hiking and back packing. I have confidence in it. You gotta do your part, of course. A 600 nitro express ain't gonna do it with a miss.
5. 18.5 inch Marlin 1894
a. Item 19A/20-180gr. Hard Cast = 1851 fps
b. Item 19B/20-170gr. JHC = 1860 fps
c. Item 19C/20-158gr. Speer Uni Core = 2153 fps---- Can you believe this?!!!
d. Item 19D/20-125gr. Speer Uni Core = 2298 fps---- Or this?!!!
MCgunner
Member
Nice Ruger, but I think my blackhawk goes better with my Rossi.
paintballdude902
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for bear here i use a .44 magnum , .45-70, 12guage slug or 000, and at teh very least 170gr .30-30 but that is whe im deer hunting and one will just walk out
loud-mouth shnook
Member
I killed a bear with my 10/22.
Yup, by the time the rangers found my half-eaten corpse, that bear was plumb expired.
On topic: I'm only theorizing because I've not been in a situation with a bear but if I had one heading my way with my demise on its mind, I don't care if I was packing a .700 Nitro, I'd be wishing it was a bazooka.
Yup, by the time the rangers found my half-eaten corpse, that bear was plumb expired.
On topic: I'm only theorizing because I've not been in a situation with a bear but if I had one heading my way with my demise on its mind, I don't care if I was packing a .700 Nitro, I'd be wishing it was a bazooka.
Matt-J2
Member
Ugh, I despise that old line about 'how much is your life worth.' Biggest line of nonsense on this here website.
Pick what would both be adequate and what you can afford to actually practice with. If you never practice with it, then you may as well have brought an unsharpened stick.
Pick what would both be adequate and what you can afford to actually practice with. If you never practice with it, then you may as well have brought an unsharpened stick.
MCgunner
Member
There, I fixed it for ya.
It ain't the arrow, it's the indian. Can ya shoot a 600 nitro well, enough to hit a charging bear? I know I can with my Rossi 92 and it's handy enough to be with me if I need it. I have never taking a long gun on a hike or pack trip in my life, though, unless I was hunting. I've always carried a .357 magnum, medium frame light weight revolver, 4". I can shoot it well enough, has kept me from bites twice...hog and Javelina, not bear. When you get into that brush, it's hard to swing a rifle sometimes. Hogs go straight for the heavy cover when wounded. If I'm stand hunting, I usually leave a handgun in the truck just in case, but I've only had to chase one once, my bad, poor shot placement, it happens. I've since learned a little more about hog anatomy. rcmodel
Member in memoriam
Are we talking about a itty bitty little black bear?
Or a humongous, great big Grizzly bear?
A .357 carbine might be fine for an 80 pound black, and totally inadequate for a 1,400 pound Griz!
Man's got to know his bears!
rcmodel
Or a humongous, great big Grizzly bear?
A .357 carbine might be fine for an 80 pound black, and totally inadequate for a 1,400 pound Griz!
Man's got to know his bears!
rcmodel
RevolvingCylinder
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Doug Wesson took a grizzly with his .357 Magnum from a revolver. So yes, it can be done with hot loads.
Forget about buckshot for bear. In a shotgun slugs only. There is a big difference between hunting and stopping an attack. The .357 will take bear and much larger animals but it is less than I would want to stop an attack. If it is all I had I would buy good Buffalo Bore ammo or reload something similar. Under ideal conditions I would bear hunt with the .357.
paintballdude902
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u act like there arent big black around here we average 500lbs
and about 45misn away a guy i know shot the world record black bear that was 990lbs but the record was taken away because when he shot the bear it was eating out of a dumpster that was in about 98 or so
edit
found out it was 880 gave the guy a call and it was eating hog feed when he shot it
Double Naught Spy
Sus Venator
The OP speaks of taking down a bear if the need arose...which I take to mean protection against bear.
You can get away with a lot less caliber and power when animal sniping, err, hunting, than you can when dealing with self defense situations. Too little caliber means giving the bear more opportunity to get to you and to harm you. "Bear" in mind that virtually all bear confrontations that result in physical contact with the bear result in the human requiring medical attention, if not hospitalization. Smaller and less powerful calibers are more likely to produce slower stops than larger and more powerful calibers. Sure, a .357 may killed the bear, but bear death may occur only after the bear has had time to damage you and the damage will be serious. You can will the battle, but still lose the war.
Personally I like a 41 Magnum to take with me in bear country or any country for that matter.
I know it is not a very popular cartridge but it is one I have a great fondness for.
357 magnum is good but to me on the minimum for bears, I have shot 3 bears with a 41 magnum and it has never let me down once.
I know it is not a very popular cartridge but it is one I have a great fondness for.
357 magnum is good but to me on the minimum for bears, I have shot 3 bears with a 41 magnum and it has never let me down once.
Bartkowski
Member
A .44 mag carbine would be a better choice. .444 marlin and 45-70 would be even better. So if it is strictly a gun for bears, get a .444, 45-70 or even a .450 marlin. If you want a cheaper gun to shoot and use for Black Bear a .44 should work.
Seafarer12
Member
It wouldnt be my first choice but it would be better than nothing.
scrat
Member
I guess it also depends on how fast you can ratchet that lever action to keep pumping rounds through that bear.
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