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not enough penetration.


Well with round nose or wadcutters on the hot side I wouldn't feel scared to be in black bear country. Oh wait I live in the woods in black bear country. Everyone I've seen has ran off as fast as it could. I've walked our woods with an air rifle and still alive. Thinking you need a 500 S&W to enjoy a walk in the woods or hunt small game seems silly, to me anyways. I agree on not using hollow points if that's what you're saying.

Bear hunting with a pistol give me a 44 mag. A coworker took one with a bow, within 5 miles from our house. Made some good sausage. I agree with others on headshots in a charging bear. Wouldn't be my first choice.
 

This.^^^

I've owned a 500 S&W, a 41 Mag and 357s.
If you want to put a bear down and want something besides the rifle that will do a far better job than any handgun, a 20" 12 gauge shotgun with slugs is the ticket. In my "hammer" I have two rounds of buckshot, followed by alternating slug and buckshot.

A black bear is more likely to turn tail and run than anything. If it decides differently, you had better be able to drop him where he stands. Unless you have the ability to hit consistently with something like a 500. 460, 454 or a super hot 44 or 41 mag, you're far better off with a slug gun.

This is mine. I carry it often.

Mav88.jpg
 
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In a caliber argument you're seldom going to convince the other side that you're right. So I'm not going to attempt.

I live in Alaska and I enjoy the outdoors. Most people that enjoy the outdoors in Alaska carry some type of bear solution. Whether it's bear bells, bear spray, or a big friggin gun.

Fishing the rivers up here you see all kinds of guns strapped to people. Glocks (10mm & 45acp), 1911's, giant revolvers, AR15's...you run the whole spectrum. The general consensus is it's better to have something than nothing.

That being said, the majority of people up here seem to believe that in a hand gun, 44mag and greater, is the best bet (gun wise). A lot of people say bear spray is the quickest way to get the bear to go away though.
Obviously the concern up here is brown bear, not cougar or black bear. I'm sure 357mag would work well too if you just have smaller critters like black bears.
 
Recently I have been tossing around the idea to get a new firearm for a bear defense gun. I'm moving onto a heavily wooded ranch and there is talk of a very large and very curious black bear on the property, so naturally I'm using it as a partial excuse to buy a new firearm.

There's a lot of choices for this purpose, so I need some advice. I've done a lot of research but I could use some opinion on the best option.

10mm, .45, .45-70, .44, .454 cassul, .500 s&w

What do you think?
.44 mag. Preferably the 300 gr. Federal loads.
Big, fat bullet with a whole lotta oomph behind it, but more controllable than some of those other choices.
...makes sense to me.


Dean
 
This.^^^

I've owned a 500 S&W, a 41 Mag and 357s.
If you want to put a bear down and want something besides the rifle that will do a far better job than any handgun, a 20" 12 gauge shotgun with slugs is the ticket. In my "hammer" I have two rounds of buckshot, followed by alternating slug and buckshot.

A black bear is more likely to turn tail and run than anything. If it decides differently, you had better be able to drop him where he stands. Unless you have the ability to hit consistently with something like a 500. 460, 454 or a super hot 44 or 41 mag, you're far better off with a slug gun.

This is mine. I carry it often.

View attachment 384475
We can go outside of the choices given?
In that case, I like this suggestion as well.
...especially when loaded with....

88dfc4a2ac.jpg

...of course, a good '06 or .30-30 lever action would work, as well...and at a longer range.


Dean
 
.44 mag. Preferably the 300 gr. Federal loads.
Big, fat bullet with a whole lotta oomph behind it, but more controllable than some of those other choices.

It's the mass of the projectile combined with the sectional density that does the job, especially if you are trying to get penetration thru heavy bones (breaking them in the process). A .429" projectile is not that much 'fatter' than a .358" projectile. But 300 to 350 grains is almost double the weight of 158 to 180 grains in most .357 mag loads and that makes all the difference in a heavily muscled heavily boned creature.

If a person had a cartridge that pushed a 300 grain .358" projectile at 1200 fps it would actually be better than a .429" 300 grain load at 1200 fps because the sectional density of the .358" projectile is higher and therefor will penetrate better.
 
It's the mass of the projectile combined with the sectional density that does the job, especially if you are trying to get penetration thru heavy bones (breaking them in the process). A .429" projectile is not that much 'fatter' than a .358" projectile. But 300 to 350 grains is almost double the weight of 158 to 180 grains in most .357 mag loads and that makes all the difference in a heavily muscled heavily boned creature.

If a person had a cartridge that pushed a 300 grain .358" projectile at 1200 fps it would actually be better than a .429" 300 grain load at 1200 fps because the sectional density of the .358" projectile is higher and therefor will penetrate better.
Its because the bullet is longer, in relation to its width.
Should be aerodynamically superior, too.....should be.


Dean
P.S.- it would be a .356" bullet. .358's are rifle bullets.
 
I actually know a guy who (packing out elk) was charged by a 400lb older grizzly. He fired one warning shot (didn't work) then put two into the chest to stop him. .41 Mag bear load, in one of those Taurus revolvers.

I have a S&W 629 with 5" barrel, used to carry it a fair amount in Wyoming. It was quite comforting.
 
ECFED412-6A28-4721-99D2-2D4C5DB5FA45.jpeg My carry gun in the woods and in town is a smith and Wesson in .357 mag. I recently switched to a 627pc as it is purdy, holds 8 rounds of 357 mag and I can shoot it very well out to just over 100 yds and well enough to 150.
Obviously 99% of defense situations against people or wildlife won't need that level of protection but I tend to be a bit obsessive about working to proficiency with one weapon at a time. And I love shooting it so I shoot it almost weekly.
I carry it in a simply rugged holster and can carry it in the chesty puller chest holster, strong side owb, week side owb and strong side iwb. Just one holster and just one gun.
I like it because it meets all my needs except for my full tacticool combat ninja Jedi lumberjack load out pistol. That's a whole different gun..

did I mention she's purdy?
Life is too short to spend it with ugly women and ugly guns.
 
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As a long time Gun Toter and Instructor etc. etc. I would strongly suggest you look at Carrying in a single location or maybe two at most. Switching from one location to another isn't the best idea. When you get into a "Situation" you really don't want or need to be wondering just where you happen to be Carrying today. Of course, we all dearly hope that you will have say two or three days before you have to draw your sidearm so you have time. Unfortunately, the Bad Guys don't seem to be willing to wait. I'm NOT talking about the Gun Fight at the OK Corral here. Because, hopefully, you'll be able to get prepared before it's time to shoot. Carrying your sidearm and whatever spare ammunition in the same place is just one more thing you should NOT have to think about. I know there are people who will argue this point but having been there and done that a couple of times and having seen what can happen if you are NOT prepared has given me some insight.:):):)
 
Handgun I would want a 10mm but if I went long gun then I would take my 45-70,
12 gauge is good but they are 525gr slugs where my home cast 540gr 45-70 are a bit heavier and I load them myself to what Garrett Cartridges does so I feel more then secure that they will take care of any animal I would run into.
 

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