Poll: Best hand gun cal. for bear

[Browning55]

.44 Mag or 500 S&W whichever you can handle with a good hunting bullet.

 

[2506]

Funny, but I would aver that most voting in the poll assumed 45 acp, rather than Colt. I've got more than a few Rugers in 45 Colt that outperform the 44 mag--and in terms of bears that extra 0.023 of an inch makes all the difference to me. Bigger hole, heavier bullet, similar velocity as the 44 but with less pressure. If you load your own, that is.

 

[revjen45]

In a conversation with Jack Huntington (who knows something about using a handgun on nasty critters) he said that the best bullet for penetration in flesh and bone is hard cast - ogive with 80% meplat. I would want at least a .44 mag loaded for penetration rather than expansion.

 

[jimwsea]

What do you folks think about a 1911 with a 460 Rowland conversion?

 

[Stomper]

I was born and raised in SE AK, and never ever went hiking or beachcolming without bear medicine. For black bears, the .357 or .44 mag options will do just fine. When faced with a griz sow and cubs, however, my minimum carry was a .454 casull I picked up at Fred Meyer the year before they carried the .50 S&W. Either one in a good chest or shoulder rig works fine. Then again, my ENT Doc got mauled on a photo hike carrying his .50....

It's not very CCW, but I was always happiest carrying a 12 ga pump... first round chambered is 00 buckshot, followed by as many 3" slugs as the mag will hold (after removing the stupid piece of wood from the mag tube!)

-Case

THIS!!!!

 

[gnarl]

I was hiking a few years back down the Greywolf River trail when I rounded a sharp bend and almost ran into a young black bear.
We were about two feet apart when the bear stood up to just a little over my height...we looked each other in the eye for a couple very long seconds
before the fellow turned casually around and loped uphill.
I had forgotten all about the .45 on my right hip.
Fortunately, I did not have to change my shorts.
Since then, I pack a .44 in the backcountry...I've three handloaded shells in the first chambers made of 330 grain hardcast flattops in front of
20 gr Win 296, the last three are high-vel softnoses.
I've tried using six of the big boys at the range, but the recoile and heavy bullet weight sometimes pulls the bullet partially out of # 5 or #6...
despite the heaviest crimp I can roll.

 

[Stomper]

Holy Scheiße!!!

 

[g.i. joe]

I've tried using six of the big boys at the range, but the recoile and heavy bullet weight sometimes pulls the bullet partially out of # 5 or #6...
despite the heaviest crimp I can roll.

Thats good intel on bullet pull!

 

[fastfoot]

357 Mag.......and a good pair of NIKES!

fastfoot

 

[gnarl]

Thats good intel on bullet pull!

The cylinder only jammed once in the test firings, and I was able to push it back with my thumb
to rotate the cylinder. I wonder if I included some sticky lube like Alox on the projectile if it would help maintain the placement?
OK...I know "sticky lube" is a bit of a contradiction in terms...

 

[gnarl]

Holy Scheiße!!!

...was ok...heart started beating again in a short time...and made up for the pause.

 

[nitestocker]

you need to read the thread hes a delivery man he cant pack a hawg leg guys . get a glock 29 and a company makes longer after market barrels around the same lenght as a glock 20 then you can ccw it the handle will be short with 11 rounds get some 200 gr hc from double tap and your good to go

 

[Shawn the Locksmith]

my personal experience showed that my xp100 in 35 rem (357) at 80 yards took a follow up shot from my 454 at 7 yds to finish him.
When you started this you said CC and one of the cal's was 357. My suggestion is for starters don't go after a bear and pop him at 50 yards or closer. What ever CC you have and can shoot WELL at point blank will work on a blackie. God give them a big nose and a bigger mouth as aimpoints for ussen's. The chances of ever getting run up a tree are very slim to none, and if you do the aimpoints are easily seen and close enough too. I've personally called them in to 10 ft (while deer hunting in southeast AK) and didn't want to shoot them. Trouble bears usually get hauled off to other parts of the woods by FW people in a cage (sometimes the people should be in the cage). So for personal protection a CC that you can shoot Well and keep the shots close (there really aren't too many bad bears out there), Pepper Spray or Wasp repellent for longer range and if you decide to go hunting them a 44 mag plus at no more than 50 yards with good SWC only (Buffalo Bore) in a heavy 250-400 gr load.
Just my two pennies worth. shawn

 

[Misterbill]

Your liklihood of needing protection from a black bear is remote in the extreme. If you were talking grizzlies I would be saying something very different. But I've dealt with black bear many many times with no trouble.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

Black bears

You are much more likely to be attacked by a black than a griz, simply sue to population numbers

 

[Markjz]

.700 nitro express any one?

 

[civilian75]

...I've tried using six of the big boys at the range, but the recoile and heavy bullet weight sometimes pulls the bullet partially out of # 5 or #6... despite the heaviest crimp I can roll.

This probably the topic of a separate thread. This is not the first time a read about this. Speer recommends their Gold Dot bullets and RCBs dies for what they call a neckdown crimp. I noticed Buffalo Bore employs what appears to be a Lee factory Crimp die on their hot stuff. Bottom line, with them big bruisers, consensus is a heavy roll crimp does not seem to be enough.

 

[Blitzkrieg]

357 Mag.......and a good pair of NIKES!

fastfoot

You can't outrun a bear unless you are John Carter of Mars

 

[Smoke It]

I have been on walks in the Columbia River Gorge and come across brown bears several times and felt little danger I'm not
saying I turned my back to them.

 

[coyote223]

I have been on walks in the Columbia River Gorge and come across brown bears several times and felt little danger I'm not
saying I turned my back to them.

Don't you mean Black Bears? Pretty sure there are no brown bears in the Columbia River Gorge,,,


Of course black bears do come in different color phases, you just happen to run into all the brown ones,,,