Which gun for bear? Yes, again....

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fjolnirsson

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I like to go hiking in the forests near my home. We have cougar and black bear, among other things, roaming these same forests. While I would like to have a 44mag or 454(10mm, .50, etc) at some point, the funds are not there at the moment. So, my question is, of the three handguns available to me, which should I carry while hiking for last chance defense against bears? Obviously, my first choice is avoidance. However, I would like to at least bloody the darn things nose if I'm gonna be eaten.
So, I currently own a .44 special, a .45 acp, and a .40 s&w. Taking a quick look at the Speer ballistics chart online(my book is in the car with my wife, who is at work), it seems the three are all within the same range as far as muzzle velocity is concerned. That being 900-1000 fps, with a 200 grain bullet.
So, for all you knowledgeable folk, which is my best bet? Seeing as how a bear has that thick skull, would FMJ ammo give any significant advantage in any of these calibers? Am I better off with a sharpened stick? Would a lighter or heavier bullet in any of these calibers be better?
I'd love to carry my 870, but that could get me hauled in for poaching, I'm afraid. Best to keep something concealed.
 
All you need in bear country. . .

a .22 pistol and a hiking buddy.

Here's why.

You and your buddy are walking along when a 700 lb. grizzly jumps out looking for a meal.

Solution?

Draw your .22, shoot your buddy in the leg a couple of times, and RUN LIKE HELL!

And don't worry, cause you don't have to outrun the bear- just your BUDDY!

Enjoy your hike!

Vanguard.45:evil:
 
Fjol' - well as you said, .454 one day would suit very nicely.

Out of your three tho 44 spl for sure. If you load for that (and IIRC you are now into reloading) - you can take that up to max loads, gun permitting. I'd choose heavy bullet such as my fave for 44 mag - well, either 240 or 250.

Not sure what gun you have but anyways - if you stay within safe bounds if 44 spl only, you'll still IMO beat most factory loadings.
 
Bears have pretty large paws so I would suggest something in a large caliber, double stacked auto (maybe a Desert Eagle).


I'm sure they can handle the recoil from the real big magnums ... maybe even one of those Zeleska 600 Nitro Express Revolvers.


I'm not sure any of the holster makers make a long enough belt though ... bears are pretty big around so I'm not sure what kind of rig they would prefer (although you can assume they would prefer leather to Kydex).

Hell, I think the bear would be happier with a rifle.
 
Out of those choices, the .44 Special for sure. EK was killing very large animals with that cartridge long before the .44 Magnum came around. Neither the .45 ACP nor the .40 are designed for any sort of hunting. The bullets are simply too stubby and in the case of the .40 not powerful enough.
 
Can your .45 ACP handle .45 Super ammo?
We're talking a 185-200 grain bullet at 1300-1400 fps.
 
Check out the .45 and .40 BB loadings!

Buffalo Bore also has a .45 ACP load with 230 gr. FMJ Trucated Cone at 950 fps for 461 ft-lbs and a .40 S&W load with a 180 FMJ Trucated Cone at 1100 fps for 484 ft-lbs.

These don't have quite the thump of the metioned .44 special load, but I bet they would penetrate just fine for your needs. Also, if your .40 or .45 has an 8 to 12 shot capacity, they would definitely be able to put more energy down range than a 5 shot .44 special.

I say select which ever gun your has the most confidence in, and then select the load.

Hunter
 
Even with the more potent .45 ACP loadings, though, you're talking about a bullet that's one step over a roundball. Its low SD is intentional, for shooting the narrow torsos of people. It was NEVER designed for hunting or for penetrating the thicker bodies of bears. I would not rely on it unless there were no other choice.
 
The mighty 10 falls somewhere between the .357 and the .41, depending on the loads, weights, etc. If they're all loaded to max, or bought in their best custom loads, it's closer to, but a bit more potent than, the .357. But it's not at issue here, since the thread starter has limited his choice (for now) to guns he already has.
 
A Ruger Blackhawk 4-5/8" .41 mag is very reasonably priced. Compact and powerful, and can be had used in newish condition for $300 or less @ gunsamerica.com almost everyday. I know this doesn't fall into the 3 calibers you mentioned, but it is realistic and practical, and you can get the same model in .45 Colt with an interchangeable cylinder to shoot .45 ACP.
Just another practical suggestion.
Best-Mike
 
Of the guns you currently own, the 44 Special is the clear winner. Check out Buffalo Bore ammo; buy a couple of heavy loads and you're all set! You don't need a 44 magnum, 480, 454, 460, or 500. If I were buying a new gun, I personally would go with a 4" Smith 41 mag. If by chance the 44 Spl is a Charter or Rossi revolver, I would not use the heavy loads.
 
One thing you might think about is a 460 Rowland conversion for your 45acp. If one is available for your gun, it will be less expensive than buying a new gun and will give you 44 mag type performance. I would use heavy hollow points if your guns have barrels over 5", if not, heavy ball ammo will do as well as anything.

Roll Tide
 
You don't need a cannon for black bear. The .44 special loaded hot is my choice of the choices, too. It should do the job just fine so long as the gun can handle the pressures. The .45 auto and even the .40 fall short on energy AND bullet to the .44 special with a good load.

Personally, I have plenty of faith in the .357 magnum and have carried it in bear country a lot, but now I have a new favorite, the .45 Colt Blackhawk 4 5/8 " barrel, very handy gun and loaded hot it's plenty of gun for a blackie. It throws a 300 grain bullet at near 1200 fps. My pet .357 load pushes a 180 grain Hornady XTP from a 6.5" barrel to 740 ft lbs and I can shoot 6" groups with irons at 100 yards. It is a very accurate gun and easy to shoot. Sighted dead on at 100 yards, it's 2" high at 25 and 5" high at 50 with the same sight in as my .38 wadcutters at 25 yards. Pretty cool outdoor gun and I've shot a couple of deer with it. That 180 grain slug has a lot of lead in it and a lot of sectional density and it's laying down some decent energy.
 
When I'm bear hunting, I usually carry a .44 mag. Hiking in bear country, I'll sometimes carry my .357 and feel pretty good about it. I used to do a lot of photography with a guy who carried a .45 Kimber for bear defense...

We don't go shooting together any more.

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I think it time we start arming the Bears. They have a right of SD to. It their home you are the invader. They aren't kicking in you door and coming in. Your in their home. So as far as Iam concerned if you get chew on or killed you shouldn't have invaded their home. Bears are not required to retreat. and should have same right of Defense as people.
 
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