Do I have the right idea here???

[Redhawk1]

I have been handgun hunting for over 26 years, I have taken a ton of deer, a lot of hogs and black bear with my handguns.  I have used everything from the 357 Mag to a 500 mag.  Being a reloader as well, I can custom my loads for everyone of my guns from mild to wild.  But to answer your question, the 44 Mag for a non-reloader is a great choice, the 45 Colt ammo is harder to come by in most gun shops, but once again, if you reload the 45 Colt will do anything the 44 Mag will with a bigger hole. The 375 Mag loaded with some heavy 180 gr. hard cast bullets is a game stopper as well.    Now if you want a gun that will stop a bear, you will for one thing, know how to use you handgun well and practice with it a lot. But that does not guarantee you can make a one shot stop on a charging bear. You will have to hit the CNS to stop a bear in their tracks. Hunting a bear and stopping a bear are two different stories!  If you ever have to face that challenge, make sure the gun you have can reach the vitals and is powerful enough to break the skull and hit the brain. Also make sure you shoot that handgun well and are comfortable with it.    I have never had to stop a bear charging me, but I did stop a hog that charged me with one shot. It was from a 44 Mag with a 300 gr. hard cast bullet. Nobody really know how they will act in that situation until they are put into it. The best advice I can give is, use your head and keep yourself aware of your surroundings. At all costs, avoid the situation if you can.

[sidewinder319]

Here in the west we have had 3 Grizz attacks and have taken 3 lives in the past few months. It is true, if you have to ask about a handgun for protection in bear country get a shotgun. I have been a handgunner for 50 years. In bear country I keep a 20" barreled 97 Winchester loaded with buck and ball. Bear attacks however are usually planned by the bear. The attack is fast and unexpected. And in most cases you are not going to survive without lots of hurt.  All this talk of taking on bears with handguns is mostly by people who have never been close to a Brown Bear. When you aim at that bear over your six shooter regardless of caliber it looks damn small.

[S.B.]

And if your concerned about the recoil you can always put a brake on it!!!

If you like noise.
Steve

[David D.]

And if your concerned about the recoil you can always put a brake on it!!!

If you like noise.
Steve

If one likes and wants to keep their hearing they will wear protection regardless. Personally I don't like a brake, but I still protect my hearing!

[Graybeard]

How do you plan to "protect your hearing" while stopping that charging bear with a handgun? If you are walking around with hearing protection on you'll likely never know you were attacked until it's chomping on you and if you stop to put protection one well ya didn't leave yourself time to defend yourself.

Hearing protection is fine on the range and can even work in hunting situations some times. It ain't ever gonna work in a defense of life situation.

[David D.]

How do you plan to "protect your hearing" while stopping that charging bear with a handgun? If you are walking around with hearing protection on you'll likely never know you were attacked until it's chomping on you and if you stop to put protection one well ya didn't leave yourself time to defend yourself.

Hearing protection is fine on the range and can even work in hunting situations some times. It ain't ever gonna work in a defense of life situation.

Well Sir, Just walking around camp I do not wear ear protection and if charged by a bear wouldn't be concerned about the ear protection nor my hearing because if I don't stop this charging bear I'm probably going to die. The only thing I would worry about is my life! So given the choice between shooting a louder gun I can control over a loud gun I cant control, I'll take the louder.  But in a hunting situlation I most always have my Peltor Tac7's on. They amplify my hearing, keep my ears warm if it's winter, and also protect my hearing from loud blast. Lets be realistic here, how many of us have been attacked by a black bear? Yes it can and has happened, but whats the chance! I hunt in areas that have a good many black bear and do not worry myself about it. If one wants to carry a handgun for extra protection then by all means go for it!

[mcwoodduck]

I am of the opinion that if you have to ask then most likely you shouldn't be using a handgun for such protection anyway. It infers that you are a less than experienced handgunner to have to ask and thus prolly don't have the trigger time and experience level with one to defend against a charging bear/human or whatever else.

I find this comment very strange.   The whole idea of this forum is to seek advice on questions.  And while some are repetitive and some silly.  (hearing protection while in camp...) either wear electronic hearing protection the whole time you are armed or you are going to loose some hearing.   
I think the answers given as far as handguns to carry while hiking or other outdoor activities.  I do see a real answer in your sarcasm.  If you want to have a handgun in the woods for precieved protection against bruins.  The need to be proficient with a handgun is needed first.  No matter what you pick that is sufficient you will need to be able to hit what you are shooting at under stress. 
I still think getting a 22 first and learning how to shoot, go to local clubs and shoot in thier shoots, ask if you can shoot their guns and see what you cna handle as recoil.  357 may be the better choice being able to hit what you need to.  Bigger and more power are always better for bears.  After all you are not talking about hunting one, but stopping one and needing to hit what stops them is paramount.  shot placement, shot placement, shot placement! 

[sidewinder319]

You will never hear the shot you fired when being attacked by anything. My neighbor was attacked by Grizz in 1985. He was elk hunting the bear attacked from 20 feet he fired his 7MM Mag. at the bear. The bear closed and took him down. He fired his Redhawk .44 Mag holding it against the bears chest area. He was badly injured and was found hours later by another hunter. The bear was found 500 yards away dead in a fetal position. The hunter spent years in recovery and still carries scars from the attack. The bear had been hit 3 times with the 7 MM and 5 .44 slugs were in the lungs and heart area.

[Graybeard]

I agree the point of the forums is to seek answers and share personal experience and knowledge.

My point was that if a person is sufficiently experienced to effectively use a handgun for defense against that slim chance of a bear attack then they would already know the answer. If ya don't think ergo ya ain't got the proficiency to do so once the question of which gun is answered which I felt had already been done by the time I responded.

My response was to hopefully remove any false assumptions that buying a revolver and doing some shooting at the range is gonna turn a person into one capable of stopping a charging bear. These days I don't shoot enough to be sure I could do that and while I don't know how many rounds I've send down range I'm sure it's in excess of 150,000 handgun rounds perhaps way more I just don't keep count of such.

The level of proficiency needed requires very regular practice year round year after year and not all of it should be at stationary targets which admittedly most all mine has been.

I've taken a few animals on the run with handgun back when I shot my handguns every week year round and competed with them quite successfully.

As an after thought I seem to recall an incident quite a few years ago when a couple of the most famous handgun hunters in the country were in a cabin and a bear broke in on them. It took a ridiculous number of rounds to include reloading before the bear was stopped. I won't mention their names as I am a bit fuzzy on one of them and the precise details. These guys tho were world wide handgun hunters who had at the time taken most all game world wide with handguns.

Perhaps someone who remembers the incident more clearly than me can provide the details. I remember it got a lot of press at the time.

[Lloyd Smale]

Well i for one have never used hearing protection while hunting and probably never will. One or two shots at game animals isnt going to make you instantly deaf. Now if im at the range i wear them religiously. As to grizzly bears, where did that come from? he said in his post that black bear are the biggest animal he will ever shoot and a black bear charging you is about as likely as getting hit by lightning. Greybeards comment about having to ask is exactly on spot. Just because you can afford to buy yourself a shinny new 44 mag or even more so something like a 454 or 500 doesnt majicaly make you a bear slayer. Buy a 44 and 5 boxes of ammo and im betting that after shooting those 5 boxes your still likely to miss a coffee can at 25 yards as much as you hit it. It takes practice. LOTS of practice to master a big bore sixgun. Shooting at charging game is something that isnt easy to practice for. Your going to be about at the point of doing it in your pants and i doubt 1 in 50 handguners even experienced ones are going to even look at sights. Another thing is stopping power. A handgun is lacking in that respect, even a big one. Ive shot buffalo with 475 and 500 linebaughs and watched them continue grazing not even knowing they were hit until they fell over dead. Its tough to even drop a deer on the spot with a handgun. what chance do you think youd have doing it on an angry bear. If you dont hit it in the brain or spine its going to get to you.
 
If you insist on carrying a handgun to protect yourself do it with this in mind. You are not safe because you have it. chances are the bear will still maul you. As to which handgun. I have many and have them up to 500 linebaughs. Which would i carry. Probably one of my 500s but then i shoot them enough that im confortable with them. a 44 mag loaded with 300 grain hard cast at about a 1000 fps.  will penetrate any bear and the differnce  between it and a more powerful load isnt going to make the differnce in whether you drop the animal or not, bullet placement is. A 300 grain 44 bullet in the brain is going to kill just as fast as a 500 grain .50 cal bullet. the big advantage especially for a beginner is recoil is at a level that you can actually learn to hit something.
 
Best defense against dangerous animals is to stay away from them. Im not stupid enough to go out for a strole in an area i know theres dangerous animals. I may hunt in that area but when i hunt in an area like that im going to have a rifle. dont get me wrong im an avid handgun hunter. Ive killed as much game with handguns as i have with rifles. But i know there limitations. Im not stupid enough to go out after a brown bear with a handgun and not have someone there with a rilfe backing me. Hanguns no matter what caliber are hunting tools NOT dangerous game stopping guns. If you want to live in some kind of dream world and fantisize about dropping a big bear charging you or you are the type that buys an ar dreaming of the time when the world falls apart so you can use it against someone your not the guy I want next to me in the woods. Your more likely the guy were going to read an obituary on in the paper tommarow. One thing is for certian, no matter which caliber handgun you choose. the ammount of ammo you shoot in it before you go out is going to make a much bigger differnce in the outcome then how powerful it is.

[David D.]

Lloyd

Not trying to stir the pot with you. I myself do not wear ear protection when hunting with a rifle. But after an experience I once had with an Encore pistol15" barrel in 6.5X55 S.M. that had a brake so I could shoot with a rifle scope on it my Peltor Tac 7's stay on my ears. At the time the Peltors rode high on the head and during a doe hunt I forgot to pull them over the ears before dropping a doe. When I touched off the round the blast from the braked barrel was deafening, instant headache my ears rang for three days. After that blast I would say some perminate damage was done. That being the main reason I do not like brakes. After that episode I now wear them on my ears all the time I,m hunting with a pistol.

[Austin from NC]

A good shot from a 357 mag is a whole lot better than a bad shot from a 44mag or 500s&w. I say try them all if you can and see which you can shoot the best and afford to practice with the most. I would feel just as comfortable with a 357 as a 500 because I know If a bear is charging me I'm gonna be so nervous I  would probably be bear poop either way. I would feel safer with a 12 gauge full of 00buckshot or slugs of even fine shot over my ability to hit one with a handgun and I shoot a handgun way more than a shotgun. Whatever you decide practice, practice, practice and when you think your ready practice some more. Good Luck

       Austin

[gr8ful]

Why is it when anyone asks a question with the word "bear" in it the conversation always turns to stopping a charging grizzly?  I know a guy who chased one (black bear no Grizz in LA or in NY for that matter) off by pelting it in the Azz with a pine cone.  I suspect though that if a bear wants to get ya anything, .44 .45 or .357 is gonna be better than a pine cone at the time of your mauling.
 
To answer the OP's question, either .44 mag or .45 Colt is a good choice, but personally I would go with the .45 Colt, because as stated you are a beginning handgunner and the .45 Colt is easier to master, also commercial loads are available in different power levels, from very mild cowboy action loads to the heaviest Buffalo Bore Blasters.  I know someone will point out that you can shoot .44 specials in you .44 mag, but that comes with it's own set of problems too. Get youself a Ruger Blackhawk and some ammo, practice till you can keep all six on a 2 liter coke bottle at the ranges you intend to hunt, respect your limitations and have fun.  Don't sweat the whole power thing, reguardless of what the experts will tell you inside 50 yards a deer plunked thru the lungs with even a cowboy action load out of a .45 Colt (255gr lrn at 800 fps) will not live long.  Good Luck

[Da-Law-Dawg]

A lot of good advice here......

Like opinion with the masses, I'd leave the tree-fiddy-seven at home.

Bottom line will come down to whether or not you handload. Having owned the S&W Mountain Gun and a few standard 4" Smith .44's, they are all formidable with full-bore ammo. All are also a handfull with the same.

My choice would be a Ruger BH in .45 LC with a 4 5/8 barrell loaded with a cast Lee 300gr flat point with a moderate dose of Unique powder. Have a good friend running this load in a Colt SA clone. Super accurate, modest recoil & hits like a freight train. This combo would make short work on deer & easily dispatch a bear in short order.

[45-70.gov]

i have several  22lrs.........they are for plinking ,small game


i have several 357 mags.....they are for carry......fit the pocket well
                                            i wish  my  44 mags were easyer to carry
                                        ...i even plink with some of the bigger ones


i have several  44 mags....incase i want to put something down......and i plink with'm too


i have a 500.....so i can say  ''my gun is bigger than yours''......no other use i know of


i have several  45 colt.........but are always shot with  410 shot shells


i have no use for  38 or 44 special   or ANY  auto
i have other calibers  but the top 3 are all you need....forget the ODD stuff

[3030guy]

My vote goes to a 357. It's so versatile, and my guess is you'll get more enjoyment out of  itat the range than a larger caliber. 38 special ammo is fairly inexpensive and easy to handle. More practice and you'll be a better shot.
As for bear, I think most people would be hard pressed to get any kind of a shot off on a charging bear. Ever see one run away from you? They would be coming that fast AT you in a charge. I think you'll have some explaining to do if you shoot a bear that just "looks" threatening.
I have a S&W 686, 4" barrel. It holds seven rounds, carries well, and to me is the ultimate all around gun.
Just my 2 cents of course!

[3030guy]

I agree the point of the forums is to seek answers and share personal experience and knowledge.


As an after thought I seem to recall an incident quite a few years ago when a couple of the most famous handgun hunters in the country were in a cabin and a bear broke in on them. It took a ridiculous number of rounds to include reloading before the bear was stopped. I won't mention their names as I am a bit fuzzy on one of them and the precise details. These guys tho were world wide handgun hunters who had at the time taken most all game world wide with handguns.

Perhaps someone who remembers the incident more clearly than me can provide the details. I remember it got a lot of press at the time.

I remember reading about that in an American Hunter article a few years back. They did a feature on handgun hunting. As I recall the hunters put quite a few rounds into that bear, I think he had a 44 mag.

[S.B.]

ii have several  45 colt.........but are always shot with  410 shot shells

Are all your .45 Colt handguns Thompson Contenders? Only one I know of that will chambrr shotgun shells.
Steve

[Graybeard]

So will the Taurus guns that are chambered for both. I think some of the BFGs do as well.

[yooper77]

Obviously the Thompson Center Encore offers a 45 Colt/410 Shotshell barrel.
http://www.tcarms.com/firearms/encorePistols.php
 
The new S&W Governor shoots 45 Colt, 45 ACP and 410 2 1/2" shotshells.
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Category4_750001_750051_768152_-1_757992_757992_image
 
yooper77

[S.B.]

Yes I know but, I was wondering just what guns he has and shoots this in?
Steve

[45-70.gov]

http://www.rexioarms.com.ar/pistolon.htm




i have a matched pair.....very cheap

[dpe.ahoy]

I own all 3 and the normal carry for me out in the mountains here in Montana is one of my 45 colts in a bandolier type shoulder holster.  My two 45's are both Rugers, Super Blackhawk and Redhawk.  I use heavy, 315-335gr SWC or LBT's on top of a full case of H-110 or a bit less LilGun.  If at my cabin where there are no large bears but are big cats, my 44's or 357's may go along for the ride, again with heavy for caliber cast with large flat noses.  I'm much more conserned with the mountain lions than a bear as I have had more of them follow my tracks while hunting.  Really raises the hair on ya when you see them big cat tracks on top of yours in the snow.  Carry what you can hit with and practice as much as you can.  All large dangerous animals can out run a man easily, and you won't have time to draw and aim, the hand gun is to use if down and can't get to the rifle.  Most always carry a large fixed blade knife, handy for most things from digging cat holes to clearing shooting lanes or last ditch defense if everything else is out of reach.  Overkill?, maybe, but I'm the one carrying the weight.  DP
 
 
 
 

[BBF]

Since you got a shotgun why bother with a pistol. Slugs or buckshot will stop a bear of most anything else in N. America

[streak]

I agree the point of the forums is to seek answers and share personal experience and knowledge.


As an after thought I seem to recall an incident quite a few years ago when a couple of the most famous handgun hunters in the country were in a cabin and a bear broke in on them. It took a ridiculous number of rounds to include reloading before the bear was stopped. I won't mention their names as I am a bit fuzzy on one of them and the precise details. These guys tho were world wide handgun hunters who had at the time taken most all game world wide with handguns.

Perhaps someone who remembers the incident more clearly than me can provide the details. I remember it got a lot of press at the time.

I remember reading about that in an American Hunter article a few years back. They did a feature on handgun hunting. As I recall the hunters put quite a few rounds into that bear, I think he had a 44 mag.

I believe you guys are talking about Larry Kelly( now deceased) and was owner of Mag-Na-Port, and J.D. Jones of SSK Industries if memory serves me right!!

[hillbill]

How do you plan to "protect your hearing" while stopping that charging bear with a handgun? If you are walking around with hearing protection on you'll likely never know you were attacked until it's chomping on you and if you stop to put protection one well ya didn't leave yourself time to defend yourself.

Hearing protection is fine on the range and can even work in hunting situations some times. It ain't ever gonna work in a defense of life situation.

if a bear is charging yu, yu will never even hear the gun go off! if you survive you will have to look and see how many shots you fired cuz yu wont know.your ears wont ring and you will just be glad to be alive.

[Graybeard]

I agree the point of the forums is to seek answers and share personal experience and knowledge.


As an after thought I seem to recall an incident quite a few years ago when a couple of the most famous handgun hunters in the country were in a cabin and a bear broke in on them. It took a ridiculous number of rounds to include reloading before the bear was stopped. I won't mention their names as I am a bit fuzzy on one of them and the precise details. These guys tho were world wide handgun hunters who had at the time taken most all game world wide with handguns.

Perhaps someone who remembers the incident more clearly than me can provide the details. I remember it got a lot of press at the time.

I remember reading about that in an American Hunter article a few years back. They did a feature on handgun hunting. As I recall the hunters put quite a few rounds into that bear, I think he had a 44 mag.

I believe you guys are talking about Larry Kelly( now deceased) and was owner of Mag-Na-Port, and J.D. Jones of SSK Industries if memory serves me right!!

That's the two I thought it was but it has been so long since I read about it I just wasn't sure.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup the chances of a bad incounter with a black bear are right up there with getting struck by lightning. Most who do are doing something very wrong.

I would like a revolver that I can carry around with me while camping, or during deer season. I would more than likely shoot it alot since the range is only 10 mins away. Here in NY about the most dangerous animal i would encounter in the woods would be a black bear. Am I right in thinking that a 45 long colt or a 357 mag would be a better choice than the .44 mag? I would be carrying my shotgun during deer season but if I had a good broad side shot at 40 yards or under I would for sure try to  use the handgun. Or should I just get the 44? decisions decisions.....

The odds of you really being threatened by a black bear is extremely rare, but it does happen.
 
I don't know the rules in NY, but I suggest practise with the shotgun (12 gauge I hope) with slugs and that will be your bear medicine.
 
I don't think I would ever get the pistol up and ready fast enough if a bear was a real threat. Your best bet is the shotgun that's in your hands. I understand if you want to carry the pistol to hope for a close shot on deer, I say go for it. Just select the proper ammo for the taking of big game.
 
If you hand load the 45 Colt is best choice over the 44 Magnum. I personally hand load for my Ruger Blackhawk in 45 Colt using H-110 powder and 310 grain hard cast lead bullets.
 
yooper77

[Ken ONeill]

I agree the point of the forums is to seek answers and share personal experience and knowledge.


As an after thought I seem to recall an incident quite a few years ago when a couple of the most famous handgun hunters in the country were in a cabin and a bear broke in on them. It took a ridiculous number of rounds to include reloading before the bear was stopped. I won't mention their names as I am a bit fuzzy on one of them and the precise details. These guys tho were world wide handgun hunters who had at the time taken most all game world wide with handguns.

Perhaps someone who remembers the incident more clearly than me can provide the details. I remember it got a lot of press at the time.

I remember reading about that in an American Hunter article a few years back. They did a feature on handgun hunting. As I recall the hunters put quite a few rounds into that bear, I think he had a 44 mag.

I believe you guys are talking about Larry Kelly( now deceased) and was owner of Mag-Na-Port, and J.D. Jones of SSK Industries if memory serves me right!!

That's the two I thought it was but it has been so long since I read about it I just wasn't sure.

The incident is recounted on page 225 in JD and Larry's book Hunting for Handgunners. JD was not present. Rather, Larry Kelly and his guide  Bob Gerlack were attacked by a 7 1/2 ' brown bear who came in their hunting shack after them. They shot sixteen rounds total, of .375 JDJ, .375 H&H, and .44 Magnum, reporting that the bear was loaded with holes from one end to the other.

Now to address the OP's original question: you're talking about black bears in your area, not brown bears. Personally, of the 3 you mention, I would prefer the .44 Magnum, but then that's what I'd also be doing my deer hunting with, not with the additional shot gun, or other long gun.
My next choice would be the .45 Colt.

You didn't mention them, but MY bear guns are FA .475 Linebaughs. Admittedly, they clearly are not for novices or people with modest handgunning experience, though.

[rugershooter]

I agree that any of those three are plenty of gun.  I love my old ruger .45lc but I handload.  There have been alot of good points made. It all comes down to what you feel most comfortable with.