Bear Defense
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Buffalo Bore makes a 340 gr +P+
that will work great on anything that gets in your way. It's not safe to shoot in all guns and the cylinder has to be long enough to support the extra length.Made for select model Rugers, Dan Wessons, Freedom Arms, Taurus Raging Bulls, and TC's
If you are intent on using an underpowered handgun for a charging bear,sighthe hardcast 340 grain bullet load mentioned in the previous post might be adequate. With multiple hits or if the spine or brain is hit.
Use enough gun ! A 12 bore shotgun and Brenneke slugs would be a farrrr better choice. A bear is as fast or faster than a charging lion, one hundred yards in less than 4 seconds! And they don't go down easy!!!!
I've got a question for you. What idiot recommended a .44 mag for Bear defense?
Use enough gun ! A 12 bore shotgun and Brenneke slugs would be a farrrr better choice. A bear is as fast or faster than a charging lion, one hundred yards in less than 4 seconds! And they don't go down easy!!!!
I've got a question for you. What idiot recommended a .44 mag for Bear defense?
12 guage short shotgun with slugs, pump is my favorite when I was in Alaska this is what most of the guides carried with Brenneke slugs,some also carried a trapper rifle in 45-70 both more than enough power. if you want to use a .44 save one round for yourself that way it won't be an aganoizing death.
What handgun will you be going to carry in a .44 Magnum?
S&W
Taurus
Colt
Ruger
It depends on the firearm, as not all are suited for the 340-gr LFN GC from Buffalo Bore Ammunition. You will need to check your cylinder length to the cartridge OAL to see if it will fit.
Check Buffalo Bore Ammunition web site for details.
Randy Garrett also makes some awesome .44 Magnum loadings.
I personally load my own using a 305-gr WFN GC from Rim Rock Bullets.
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Obviously the best bear defense is avoidance. If you are forced to shoot to defend yourself, you have already screwed up. A .44 is generally considered to be the minimum caliber for bears. I agree a 12 ga w/ good slugs or .45-70 is better, much better.
Bullets, heavier is generally better but for a short cylindered gun like a Smith M-29, about 150 is all you can expect to launch at a decent enough velocity to be effective. Ruger has a longer cylinder that allows for heavier bullets to be loaded long. A 300 gr flat point had cast bullet can be loaded to about 1250-1300 fps safely. That would be a good load (not great, but good).
A 340 .458 FP at 2000 fps out of a .45-70 would be MUCH better.
Bullets, heavier is generally better but for a short cylindered gun like a Smith M-29, about 150 is all you can expect to launch at a decent enough velocity to be effective. Ruger has a longer cylinder that allows for heavier bullets to be loaded long. A 300 gr flat point had cast bullet can be loaded to about 1250-1300 fps safely. That would be a good load (not great, but good).
A 340 .458 FP at 2000 fps out of a .45-70 would be MUCH better.
My friend Larry killed a grizzly that attacked him with a .44 mag. My friend George killed a grizzly that attacked him with a .458 mag. They both went to get friends with rifles (me) to make sure they were dead. The gun you have is better than the gun at home. Get a good one, practice, be good with it, and CARRY IT!!! Anything else is just noise from people with no bear population.
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As stated above, avoidence is best, a big honking 10-12 ga. sure doesn't hurt either. But it depends on what and where as well, i predator hunt 2-3 days a week in oregon, washington, idaho. At the moment black bears are the biggest thing i have to worry about.
Since i'm using distress calls, i call in bears, cats and yodies are what i'm after but you get them all when you call. This time of year bears have started their feeding frenzy, and when we meet it is about eye to eye, around 10yds or less, and most often with him coming up on my back (which is against a tree), so if i have to shoot, i'm sitting down with my ar in my lap, and not enough time to get up with a rifle. What works best for me is a s/w 1006 10mm in a shoulder rig.
Don't misunderstand me, i'm not saying that this is best for every incounter, simply that this works for me for what i'm doing. It all depends on what and where you are as to what is best. blue
Since i'm using distress calls, i call in bears, cats and yodies are what i'm after but you get them all when you call. This time of year bears have started their feeding frenzy, and when we meet it is about eye to eye, around 10yds or less, and most often with him coming up on my back (which is against a tree), so if i have to shoot, i'm sitting down with my ar in my lap, and not enough time to get up with a rifle. What works best for me is a s/w 1006 10mm in a shoulder rig.
Don't misunderstand me, i'm not saying that this is best for every incounter, simply that this works for me for what i'm doing. It all depends on what and where you are as to what is best. blue
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Bumping into a Brown Bear with an attitude would be scary in itself. My first line of defence would have to be a 12ga. and the heaviest slug available, and keep shooting until he drops. I don't think I'd put too much faith in a 44 magnum until you are almost nose to nose and your 12ga is empty...
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992 Posts
That one always cracks me up! First heard it from an old paratrooper who was stationed in Alaska years ago when he was telling me about the salmon running and guys carrying .44s for bear "protection". Like the man said though, better than nothing!
Okay where are you going, and what type of bear are you worried about.....
Personally you stand a greater chance of getting hit by lightning.
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32 Posts
recommend 12 ga w/ slugs or 45/70 w/ Randy Garrets bear loads
if you must take a chance w/ 44 mag you must get Garrets specially designed bear cartridges check my sp garrett or garett ?? very very bad bear medicine
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40mm Fragmentation............
Garunteed one-shot kill capability everytime...yeee-haaaaaah!!!!!!!!
Garunteed one-shot kill capability everytime...yeee-haaaaaah!!!!!!!!
Just to make a point here,
BEAR SPRAY is much more likey to turn an agressive bear around that shooting at it with ANY kind of gun!
Bears are quick over short distances, and they will charge right though a poorly placed shot (and that's even if you hit the darn thing!).
The more nasty versions of bear sprays are MUCH more likely to actually discourage the bear from continuing the attack, simply because it immediately takes away breathing and eyesight
And that will trigger the 'Flee' instinct.
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I've hunted a lot in "Bear Country" and I often carried a Ruger Blackhawk loaded with 250 to 300 grain bullets.
The last black bear hunt I was on I took a good sized black bear with a single 250 Grain Partition Gold bullet from Winchester.
I've taken 4 pretty large bear with handgun, all with a Ruger in .44 Rem Mag.
While in bear country on a recent trip to Alaska, I carried a 12 Gauge since the bears are so much bigger up there,
But on a hunting trip three years ago, where I filled a bear tag and a wolf tag, I carried my trusty Ruger Blackhawk chambered in .44 Rem mag as back up to my rifle.
Most of the guides were carrying .44 Rem Mags or .454 Casull.
Only one hunter up there with a .460 S&W Mag, and when we were out doing a little target shooting, he couldn't hit anything because he couldn't keep his eyes open when he pulled the trigger...
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'Bear' guns are no exception to anything else...
You have to be able to keep your eyes open to hit the target, and if you have some silly 'Hand Cannon' you can't control, you aren't going to do that.
Shot placement is the name of the game, and if you are comfortable with shooting your .44 Rem Mag, then that is the one to use.
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