.357 Mag Heavy Bear Load
- Thread starter bigrevolver
- Start date
where are you going to carry your handgun for bear protection
not in canada .
A 357 is not enough cartridge for grizzly .
If you have ever been beside a live or dead grizzly you would know that it is not enough
i have seen a grizzly shot with a 375h&h destroy ed the lungs and it was still on its feet for 30-40 seconds
not in canada .
A 357 is not enough cartridge for grizzly .
If you have ever been beside a live or dead grizzly you would know that it is not enough
i have seen a grizzly shot with a 375h&h destroy ed the lungs and it was still on its feet for 30-40 seconds
wilderness carry ATC.
I think it's penetration that you'd need, and luck that the bullet intersects with the spine or CNS somewhere. Nothing else reliably produces a bang-flop dead-right-there result, not even a big bore rifle. I don't think 'power' is going to make a ton of difference. I'd take a bunch of lower-powered deeply-penetrating shots that I can place quickly, over a hand cannon that I might only get one shot off. So, if it were me, I'd load up a bunch of the heaviest hard cast I could find, and dump as many as possible in the right direction, and pray. As soon as you pull that trigger the bear is going into fight or flight mode - and you're hoping he chooses 'flight.' Incapacitation is less likely, and harder to achieve.
Painkillers
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I was talking with a guy who was bow hunting black bear in northern Ontario. He put a broadhead straight through this bear's boilermaker. He knew it was a good hit, even though the bear took off on impact. He tells the story that the bear took off some 70 yards into thick bush from where he hit it. When field dressing it, he found the broadhead went through the upper aspect of its heart and both lungs, completely destroying not only the heart but major blood vessels...and it ran, 70 yards before it went down.
Handguns, even powerful magnums that act almost like rifles, really need not apply. Better than nothing, but not exactly efficient either. The older fella's would say the caliber better start with a 4 if it's a handgun you're relying on putting a bear down with. (.45 acp, .45 Colt, .45 Super, .44 Mag, 454 Casull...personally I'd take acp off that list but.)
Handguns, even powerful magnums that act almost like rifles, really need not apply. Better than nothing, but not exactly efficient either. The older fella's would say the caliber better start with a 4 if it's a handgun you're relying on putting a bear down with. (.45 acp, .45 Colt, .45 Super, .44 Mag, 454 Casull...personally I'd take acp off that list but.)
Read this, with a 9mm to boot, not only did he have a horseshoe up this ass but the whole horse.
https://www.americanhunter.org/cont...ishermen-from-raging-grizzly-with-9mm-pistol/
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
I have some 180Grn XTP that are loaded up near maximum.
Well from Alaska the new ‘data’ is on a real charging bear the spray is 30% effective. Hazing a bear it’s close to 100%.
As for pistols the stats are 96% of bears go the other direction if shot from 9mm and up and a lot of guys use 9mm and 10mm autos. Deep penetration counts.
One podcast I was listening to mentioned they called the guy who gave the original report on bear spray that the govt used and he said he was misrepresented and it’s stupid not to carry a gun.
I have only used a rifle and a shotgun so will never know if a handgun will work.
Good luck to all.
As for pistols the stats are 96% of bears go the other direction if shot from 9mm and up and a lot of guys use 9mm and 10mm autos. Deep penetration counts.
One podcast I was listening to mentioned they called the guy who gave the original report on bear spray that the govt used and he said he was misrepresented and it’s stupid not to carry a gun.
I have only used a rifle and a shotgun so will never know if a handgun will work.
Good luck to all.
.357 Magnum at contact ranges is better than your fingernails.
I ATC'd a 4" .357 mag in BC. Never had to fire a shot in the field but drew it a couple of times.
Where legal, the choice between handgun and bear spray does not have to be zero sum. If conditions allow it, carry both.
I ATC'd a 4" .357 mag in BC. Never had to fire a shot in the field but drew it a couple of times.
Where legal, the choice between handgun and bear spray does not have to be zero sum. If conditions allow it, carry both.
