coosbaycreep
Member
OK, so I already know a .454/.460/.500/12ga/.45-70/bazooka/etc is going to have a better chance of stopping a bear than a .44mag, but that's not what I'm asking about. I have a 5" S&W 629 that I'm probably taking with me to Alaska either later this year, or more than likely next year. I plan on doing a lot of hiking in the woods alone, and weight is a huge issue, so a rifle is not an option.
I've considered a SRH .454 or a S&W X-frame, but they're still way heavier than my 629, considerably uglier (if I get eaten by a bear, I at least want it to be because it was hungry/angry and not just because it didn't like my taste in revolvers), more expensive to shoot, and I think .44mag is probably going to provide about the max recoil that I can effectively control.
I've considered the 329PD before to reduce carry weight even further, but from what I've read, the recoil is among the worst of any production handgun, it costs a lot, it would be too painful to practice with much, and I'd also be concerned with the internal lock malfunctioning at the worst time possible and rendering the gun useless, or bullets backing out of the cases from the heavy recoil if they're not crimped good enough and locking up the cylinder that way, so the 329 isn't an option for me.
I don't like taurus, and anacondas are too expensive, so those are both out.
I've got a desert eagle in .44mag, but that'd be a stupid thing to carry for what my needs are.
A single action would be an even worse choice than the "deagle".
I carried bear spray last time (because I went through Canada), but I'd rather take my chances with a gun over some spray anyday, especially with the amount of weirdos up there. Plus, the two times in my life I tried to use pepper spray, I blinded myself both times (it was windy), so I'd just assume get mauled by a bear without being temporarily blinded as well.
That effectively narrows it down to the 629, and the hideously ugly ruger redhawk.
I know most folks who pack .44s in bear country tend to go with the rugers over the smith. Most say it's because it will handle hotter loads. I think it's because rugers are cheaper and they just have poor taste though, as S&Ws are sexy and classy in ways that a ruger could only dream of being.
So my main gripes with rugers is that they're heavier, uglier, and I'd have to sell some of my other guns to buy one. One of my friends has a blackhawk and a redhawk, and neither one of them fit me as well as my smith. I don't like the triggers on them as much as smith and wessons either.
My 629 is my favorite handgun, the handgun that I shoot the best, and it fits my hands well. The only thing a ruger offers over a smith is that it's stronger.
So my question is; just how much more effective is a "ruger load" against a bear than a load that's safe for my smith?
As far as factory loads go, about the hottest stuff I've found is buffalo bore. Their hottest load that's safe for my gun is a 305gr LFN with a velocity of 1,325fps and 1,189ft. lbs. Their high pressure ruger load uses a 340gr LFN at 1,478fps with 1,649ft. lbs. Buffalo Bore's website says that the 305gr will penetrate 3+ feet of normal flesh and bone. They don't say anything about the penetration of the 340gr though, only that's it's pretty damn snappy.
So has anyone here done/seen/read any tests of the penetration differences of heavy hardcast .44mag bullets against bears/flesh? Does the extra velocity and knockdown of the hotter loads make much of a difference? Most threads on here were knockdown energy is discussed usually brings out a lot of people who say that it means nothing. Others say it only matters if the bullet doesn't pass through and "dumps" all it's energy in the target. Other's say that it only matters if the bullet has enough velocity to create some kind of "shock effect" or something. I have yet to read a thread on the subject were anyone really gave a definitive answer with some sort of proof that everyone agreed upon though.
Anyone here shoot any bears or other big critters with a .44mag that can comment on the penetration/effectiveness of the round?
Would the extra weight of the ruger be offset by the performance of the rounds it's capable of handling over the smith?
I'll be carrying reloads. What's the best hardcast bullet for bears for the money?
Would a picnic basket full of granola bars and other tasty treats that I could offer to any angry bears I encounter be more effective than shooting at them with a .44mag?
P.S. I know shot placement is key.
P.S.S. I don't really hate rugers. In fact, I consider ruger to provide the best bang for the buck of any U.S. gun manufacturer, and most foreign manufacturers as well. However, they are as ugly as ugly can be, and heavy too.
I've considered a SRH .454 or a S&W X-frame, but they're still way heavier than my 629, considerably uglier (if I get eaten by a bear, I at least want it to be because it was hungry/angry and not just because it didn't like my taste in revolvers), more expensive to shoot, and I think .44mag is probably going to provide about the max recoil that I can effectively control.
I've considered the 329PD before to reduce carry weight even further, but from what I've read, the recoil is among the worst of any production handgun, it costs a lot, it would be too painful to practice with much, and I'd also be concerned with the internal lock malfunctioning at the worst time possible and rendering the gun useless, or bullets backing out of the cases from the heavy recoil if they're not crimped good enough and locking up the cylinder that way, so the 329 isn't an option for me.
I don't like taurus, and anacondas are too expensive, so those are both out.
I've got a desert eagle in .44mag, but that'd be a stupid thing to carry for what my needs are.
A single action would be an even worse choice than the "deagle".
I carried bear spray last time (because I went through Canada), but I'd rather take my chances with a gun over some spray anyday, especially with the amount of weirdos up there. Plus, the two times in my life I tried to use pepper spray, I blinded myself both times (it was windy), so I'd just assume get mauled by a bear without being temporarily blinded as well.
That effectively narrows it down to the 629, and the hideously ugly ruger redhawk.
I know most folks who pack .44s in bear country tend to go with the rugers over the smith. Most say it's because it will handle hotter loads. I think it's because rugers are cheaper and they just have poor taste though, as S&Ws are sexy and classy in ways that a ruger could only dream of being.
So my main gripes with rugers is that they're heavier, uglier, and I'd have to sell some of my other guns to buy one. One of my friends has a blackhawk and a redhawk, and neither one of them fit me as well as my smith. I don't like the triggers on them as much as smith and wessons either.
My 629 is my favorite handgun, the handgun that I shoot the best, and it fits my hands well. The only thing a ruger offers over a smith is that it's stronger.
So my question is; just how much more effective is a "ruger load" against a bear than a load that's safe for my smith?
As far as factory loads go, about the hottest stuff I've found is buffalo bore. Their hottest load that's safe for my gun is a 305gr LFN with a velocity of 1,325fps and 1,189ft. lbs. Their high pressure ruger load uses a 340gr LFN at 1,478fps with 1,649ft. lbs. Buffalo Bore's website says that the 305gr will penetrate 3+ feet of normal flesh and bone. They don't say anything about the penetration of the 340gr though, only that's it's pretty damn snappy.
So has anyone here done/seen/read any tests of the penetration differences of heavy hardcast .44mag bullets against bears/flesh? Does the extra velocity and knockdown of the hotter loads make much of a difference? Most threads on here were knockdown energy is discussed usually brings out a lot of people who say that it means nothing. Others say it only matters if the bullet doesn't pass through and "dumps" all it's energy in the target. Other's say that it only matters if the bullet has enough velocity to create some kind of "shock effect" or something. I have yet to read a thread on the subject were anyone really gave a definitive answer with some sort of proof that everyone agreed upon though.
Anyone here shoot any bears or other big critters with a .44mag that can comment on the penetration/effectiveness of the round?
Would the extra weight of the ruger be offset by the performance of the rounds it's capable of handling over the smith?
I'll be carrying reloads. What's the best hardcast bullet for bears for the money?
Would a picnic basket full of granola bars and other tasty treats that I could offer to any angry bears I encounter be more effective than shooting at them with a .44mag?
P.S. I know shot placement is key.
P.S.S. I don't really hate rugers. In fact, I consider ruger to provide the best bang for the buck of any U.S. gun manufacturer, and most foreign manufacturers as well. However, they are as ugly as ugly can be, and heavy too.