Black Bear Bullets?

[Rayco3]

Which of the following bullets would be your top choice(s) for black bear hunting in Maine this fall.  I will be using a .45 caliber Ruger Bisley, and most likely buying my loads from either Buffalo Bore, Conley Precision Cartridge or Grizzly Cartridge (depending on the bullet I choose).  Here are the bullets I am contemplating (in no particular order):

325-335 Grain Cast WLN/WFN/LFN
300 Grain Nosler Partition
300 Grain Hawk Flat Point (.035 Jacket)
300 Grain Hawk Hollow Point (.025 Jacket)
300 Grain Speer Plated Soft Point
300 Grain Hornady XTP-Mag
300 Grain Hornady XTP

Any help greatly appreciated, especially from those with experience with any of these bullets on game or in penetration tests, etc.  Thanks a lot.

[Camp Cook]

I am one of about only 890 non-law enforcement Canadians that is licensed to carry handguns fop defense of life against wild animals.

When I carry a revolver in black bear country I carry either my 6" S&W 629 with 270gr Gold Dot's or my 5.5" s/s Ruger Bisley Vaquero's in 45 Colt which I have 2 different carry loads for, 300gr XTP's @ 1280fps or 330gr Jae-Bok Young's WFNGC hard cast bullets at the same 1280fps average velocity.  I have even loaded both at the same time starting with a XTP then cast ect.

When I am in grizzly country I carry my 7.5" Ruger SRH 454 Casull with 300gr XTP-Mag's @ 1620fps or 360gr Cast Performance WLNGC's @ 1520fps but I most often have the cast bullets loaded in the gun.

My personal choice from your list would be the 325-335 WLN/WFN cast bullets for bear protection and the 300gr XTP's for hunting.

[Rayco3]

Camp Cook -

The standard XTP's or XTP-Mags?  Thanks.

[fowler]

In my never humble opinion shoot a heavy 335gr cast bullet and be happy with your dead bear. A 45 colt does not need to open up for optimum results it needs to penetrate. I have this same gun and Buffalo Boar offers the 335 Cast Performance heat treaded bullets at 1250fps, this is identical to the load I handload for and it shoots exceptionally well in my gun (any everyone elses that I know that have tried it). With this load I can hold 8 inch groups at 1oo yards and I have been trying to kill a elk with it for the past couple of seasons. As for jacketed bullets save them for your self defense guns and not for the hunting fields.

[RollTide]

For hunting, nearly any of the bullets you suggest will do the job, but if the same gun must be used in defensive scenario against black bear, I would defintiely go with either the XTP or the XTP Mag.  If you can shoot the mag and get off quick follow up shots, use that.  If recoil is too much, use the standard XTP.

Roll Tide

[Camp Cook]

Sorry to take so long to answer....

I use the 300gr XTP's @ 1280fps in my 45 Colts and the 300gr XTP-Mag's @ 1650fps in my 454 Casull.

RollTide the XTP-Mag's are actually just a tougher bullet than the XTP's not a higher velocity bullet.  Recoil if they are loaded with the same amount of powder is exactly the same.  The Mag's are designed to stand up to the higher velocities of the 454C/460S&W or when saboted for muzzle loading rifles.

[Lloyd Smale]

300+ lfns

[swampthing]

I would choose the WFN or the WLN due to the larger meplat and greater wound dia. at handgun velocities. LFN's are good if you are shooting 1600 fps or so.

[Ak.Hiker]

Don't forget the Sierra 300 grain 45. It is one tough bullet. Cor-Bon loads it in a 45 Colt +P. Cor-Bon also loads a 335 Cast bullet at 1050.

[Redhawk1]

All I use for black bear is cast bullets and they work great anything from 300 gr. up.