Minimum for Black Bear

[Crosscut]

Bigger is Better

I love my 357 and 45, but if I where headed into bear counrty I would seriously consider a 454, or 500. Why play around and hope the bear that may attck you is a little bigger than a cub. Better safe than sorry, I'd rather have to much bang than not enough. You can get an Alaska holster that you can strap to your chest, I think the extra weight is worth the piece of mind.

 

[MCgunner]

I love my 357 and 45, but if I where headed into bear counrty I would seriously consider a 454, or 500. Why play around and hope the bear that may attck you is a little bigger than a cub. Better safe than sorry, I'd rather have to much bang than not enough. You can get an Alaska holster that you can strap to your chest, I think the extra weight is worth the piece of mind.

For BLACK BEAR? No thanks, ain't totin' no sawed off carbine. I'd rather just tote a carbine, .30-30. The thuddy thuddy has killed more black bear than are alive today. It's an excellent bear gun. Some would prefer the .35 Remington and I can't argue with that at the short ranges they're usually hunted.

I'd carry my .45 colt Blackhawk with hot handloads, but truth be told, a heavy loaded .357 is just fine for a puny blacky. They don't often get over 300 lbs. 600 would be record book. We ain't talkin ton plus Alaskan browns here, quarter ton at the max. I think anything less than 10mm/.357 mag would be a little light, but no sense going overboard. A S&W mountain gun in .44 mag or a 4 5/8" blackhawk in .45 colt won't weigh you down much in your daily activities and you'll more likely be wearing it when you need it than a rifle or a handgun the size of a rifle. Those Ruger alaskans look not much heavier than a Blackhawk, but you gotta remember you're going to have to shoot this thing and actually hit the bear with it.

 

[Crosscut]

McGunner, the first point is it's a perfect excuse to buy another gun, one the the wife would have to agree with since it's for her protection, the second part of it is you need to spend the additional time and money at the range getting the hang of shooting the new gun so that you are able to hit something with it if need be. They are wrist breakers but you will have more than enough power to take care of any situation.

 

[HKGuns]

I've hunted Black Bear and I wouldn't take any of your handguns as primary defense. Minimum for me would be a shotgun with slugs. As a few others, who I suspect are also experienced, have said....Black bears ain't no humans.

 

[MCgunner]

I was watching a show on Outdoor Channel the other night. This guy shot a big boar at 50 yards with a bow, poor hit. They track this thing the next day through heavy cover and the guide is carrying what looked like a 1911 with compensated barrel. At most, I'm figurin' .45 Grizzly Win Mag or whatever that thing is. It's basically a light .44 mag in ballistics IIRC.

They found the bear dead. They say "Looks like he hasn't been dead long.", but when they move him, rigor mortise has definitely set in. ROFL! Anyway, this guide coulda been carrying a 600 nitro express if he'd wanted to, but seemed quite happy with that 1911 thing, whatever it was. I wouldn't rely on a handgun for browny defense and I wouldn't hunt bear with a stick and a string, but that's just me.

I've heard all sorts of horror stories about how tough hogs are, how you need a .458 to penetrate one, but it's all hogwash (pardon the pun). Killin' a hog is all in the bullet selection and shot placement and I find that pretty true of about any tough game with a bigger than life reputation around camp fires. Heard all my life about people being "attacked by javelina". ROFL! Whatever. You can drop kick the things, ain't exactly big. Yeah, I reckon they can run a guy up a tree, but you won't sit there and starve to death before they leave. The hunting world is full of legends.

If you feel better with a shotgun, though, go for it.

 

[Doggieman]

bazooka

 

[Matt King]

As has been mentioned, a .357 would be a minimum. I would prefer a .44

happy hiking

 

[Cosmoline]

.357 loaded with 180 or 200 grain hardcast slugs at a MINIMUM.

9x19, .40 S&W and the like were never intended to be used against medium or large game, let alone a charging bear! The rounds lack the sectional density and size needed to penetrate.

Just pack a .30-30.

 

[Hogfan1911]

"track this thing the next day through heavy cover and the guide is carrying what looked like a 1911 with compensated barrel."

Could've been a 10mm. With good handloads it excells the .357 mag, even approaches the .41 mag, as I recall. Or what about a .50 GI? Was it a recent video, or could you tell?

 

[Cayoot]

I keep thinking that I would like to buy the new S&W 357 PD (Scandium .41 Mag-4 inch bbl) for just this situation (plus it's a cool looking gun!), but I have to wonder about the loss of velocity in the short 4 inch bbl.

I cant decide which would be more effective...a .41 mag (about 240 grns at I'm guessing about 1100-1200 fps) out of a 4 inch bbl or my .45 Colt Mnt Gun pushing heavy (270-300 grn) SWCs moving about 900 fps.

Anybody have any experience in this area?