[MaineMan]

I'm thinking about using my 5 inch PT1911 45ACP as a side arm during bear hunting this season. I would be using Buffalo Bore +P loads, either hollow points or the hard cast 255gr flat nose.

1911 (5 inch) - 1078 fps (200gr. Jhp)
1911 (5 inch) - 960 fps (255gr. HARD CAST-FLAT NOSE)

The JHP load is designed for defense against humans, while the non-expanding load is designed to shoot through large shoulder bones or the skull on a black bear.

Any thoughts? Is the ACP to mild for this application.

[c3shooter]

IMHO, yes, the .45 ACP is too light for this. However, if it is a case of go with what ya got, the heaviest solid that YOUR gun will cycle 100.00000% of the time.

[orangello]

Originally Posted by MaineMan

I'm thinking about using my 5 inch PT1911 45ACP as a side arm during bear hunting this season.

Thank you for taking a stand against the ursine menace. I wish you the very best of luck in killing as many as possible.

Have you heard of that .460 Roland conversion for 1911's? It might have a bit more bear-punching power.
http://www.firearmstalk.com/forums/f35/big-thunder-ii-vs-fenrir-1911-460-rowland-build-off-10752/
http://www.brownells.com/.aspx/lid=12543/guntechdetail/The__460_Rowland_Conversion

[JonM]

460 rowland would definately core a bear stem to stern with fmj.

i gotta go do a bbq for our employees in new hampshire this year im taking my SA 1911A1 in 460 rowland in case a bear gets interested during the overnite brisket cook. ill put him on the smoker too!!

[mes227]

The .45 acp is just too light to be hunting even black bear with. Not that you can't kill one with it, just that it's far more likely to only wound it; a bit like hunting deer with a .22. The .460 Rowland, which essentially produces .44 Mag ballistics, is a fair choice for black bear (though barely) but too small for browns. A better choice is something in the class of the .445 SuperMag, .480 Ruger, .454 Casull, .460 Mag or .500 Mag.

[freefall]

If I anticipate a possibility of bear problems I carry my .44 mag and generally a serious long gun. I'd rather have a .475 Linebaugh if I had the financial resources of a Rockefeller or JD.

[Gloves]

When looking at hunting rounds i've stopped looking at bore size/fps and grain.
Mostly just looking at ft-lbs. Those .45 ACP +P 255gr rounds claim an amazing
815 ft-lbs out the muzzle!

HOLEY SMOKES! That's a great deal of power for the .45 ACP.

If I had to choose a round, that'll probably stop a bear in 2-3 shots of any
short of decent placement. (i have no experience in this, just guessing if
you get past the thick skin, tough muscle, dense bone and into a vital
organ you're good.)

At 50 yards it still has 675 ft lbs.
(my American Eagle Ammunition 45 ACP 230 Grain rounds have a claim of 369 ft lbs)


So you have nearly twice the muzzle energy of my target ammo at FIFTY-YARDS!

A .357 Mag 180 gr has somewhere around 580 - 600 ft lbs. ...
SO your ammo is 1 & 1/3 harder hitting than a .357 mag!

Da-D*****MN!!! I got to try that out if it doesn't blow my gun into fine shrapnel splinters!


Does everyone believe these numbers? Because if they do I'm buying a
case or two of this hot load, going to blow some S***T Up! I'm not sure
why i bought the .458 Socom if they make this kind of ammo for my 1911.

[Ruzai]

There was another thread on this a while back I think. Anyway, the 45acp is hard pressed to do much good to bears, hogs it's a different story.. The .460 Rowland will likely shorten the life of your PT1911, drastically. That's why I havent bothered with it for my PT1911, though I do plan to get a kit one day for a Springfield 1911, just to have fun hunting hogs with. Personally I wouldn't trust the 460 With brown bear either because from what I can tell a hot loaded 44 mag still outranks the best 460 Rowland load. The question is, how much are you willing to pay for peace of mind?

[MaineMan]

I have fired 8 rounds of the 255 hardcast and you can feel the difference between these rounds and standard loads.

[danf_fl]

Originally Posted by Ruzai

There was another thread on this a while back I think. Anyway, the 45acp is hard pressed to do much good to bears, hogs it's a different story.. The .460 Rowland will likely shorten the life of your PT1911, drastically. That's why I havent bothered with it for my PT1911, though I do plan to get a kit one day for a Springfield 1911, just to have fun hunting hogs with. Personally I wouldn't trust the 460 With brown bear either because from what I can tell a hot loaded 44 mag still outranks the best 460 Rowland load. The question is, how much are you willing to pay for peace of mind?

I also thought that the manufacturer does not suggest the .460 on a Taurus.