A 357 magnum revolver will kill a grizzly. Couple years ago we had a guy hunting caribou up the liard hot springs area(alaska highway)when he was jumped by a grizzly bear and he shot it dead with his 30-06 rifle,unfortunatly killing a bear and stopping it are differant events ,the bear still killed him before expiring.
.357 mag on Grizz?
- Thread starter popcan
- Start date
Anvil said:
I remember a similar story with Mr. Kelly and the 44 mag. Perhaps it was the same one. Bears have very thick skulls. Bullet placement and penetration are going to be more important then frontal diameter, at least to a certain degree. Not a bear walking the earth that won't die if you shoot them in the right place, and I don't care if you're packing the 727 Tyrannosaurus Magnum, there isn't enough energy or shock value from any handgun to knock down a grizz. Practice putting the rounds where they need to be. - dan
dan belisle said:
Hmmmmm.... I remember it as a .357. It was back when the earth was still flat though so my memory may be impaired. The article was arguing the merits of hard cast bullets for hunting when that was still a controversial subject.
I can't argue about bullet placement even though my contrarian nature wants to. Mr. Kelly's shooting under the circumstances was outstanding, At shot number 4 or 5 I would be thinking " Is there anyone here I can shoot as a diversion so I can run away".
I've never shot a grizzly so I can't really say to much about it. I have shot deer with both .44 and .357 magnum rifles and even with really good bullets the .357 was marginal. I wouldn't use it for bear even with 200gr hard cast bullets. I would prefer a spear ( OK I made that up I would still pick the pistol, maybe).
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
357 Mag - VS - Grizz
All things are possible, and it can or could be done. Reality, about as effective as 'spitting into the wind'. 'File' the front sight down & pay your life insurance.
All things are possible, and it can or could be done. Reality, about as effective as 'spitting into the wind'. 'File' the front sight down & pay your life insurance.
- Location
- Southeastern Michigan
If push came to shove, I would opt for a 460 S&W with as heavy a bullet as possible. I would want to keep one hand free so that I could still pray the rosary! Regards, Richard
This says it all....
A wounded bear of any size hit with anything is still wounded. We all know that..and there fore harder to kill. They do get very driven to survive, or to cause mayhem to whatever is causing them pain. While serving in Petawawa in the early eighties, I had the chance to dispatch a small black bear that was causing grief around the schools and hospital. As there were kids and a residential area, I didnt wast time going back to the guardhouse to get a shotgun. At the time we carried Brng High Powers, with 124gr +P+ hardball.
I happen to be a very good pistol shot, so was confident I could do this. The bear was young, and may have touched 100lbs. I was able to approach this animal to a distance of about 15 yards as it tried to hide. Gents, a well placed shot to the head and it was lights out, in fact I think that hardball went right thru. Ideal, no, but it worked, Something you must ask yourself, do you really think that during a full out Bear attack...which can be so fast, that you are better off armed with a short barreled handgun. Truely I think not. I did security for a film crew in the hills, filming grizzlies, of Kananaskis years ago...I carried a 338win with a 1.5 x 5 Lupy. I shot this rifle very well, my partner, Keith Cunningham, carried a 12ga, rifled barrel same scope mounted 870. The guides and wranglers were happy with us because they watched us check our zeros..not at 200m...but at 50 and 25. They liked this, as they figured if you could hold your ground and not poop your pants, they would be safe. That was the single biggest issue on a know bear attack...being able to hold your ground till everything was right. Its easier said than done, On a suprise attack...I figure you do what you have to to survive,,and if that means feeding the attacker a forearm, and pressing a G-19 against his ribcage loaded with, you bet IVI hardball and 147 BTalons, he's going to be sick and hopefully hurt enough to break off the attack..which is all you can ask for. On a side note..the wranglers and guides that Keith and I dealt with swore by an open sighted sako .375 HH or a short barreled shot gun. The trick with the shotgun was to load it with a OO buck, or better yet AAA(27 pellets) for the first round..followed by heavy slugs. The key was to shoot the attacking bear in the face with the BS, then follow up with slugs. Makes sense. For those of you who havent in real life seen a big black, or medium Griz cover ground in a hurry...they are quick. It really is a shocker. So...My hat goes to a good short barreled rifle, or shotgun...as we dont get to practice this at home..you want to tilt the cards in your favour. My 2 cents
none said:
A wounded bear of any size hit with anything is still wounded. We all know that..and there fore harder to kill. They do get very driven to survive, or to cause mayhem to whatever is causing them pain. While serving in Petawawa in the early eighties, I had the chance to dispatch a small black bear that was causing grief around the schools and hospital. As there were kids and a residential area, I didnt wast time going back to the guardhouse to get a shotgun. At the time we carried Brng High Powers, with 124gr +P+ hardball.
I happen to be a very good pistol shot, so was confident I could do this. The bear was young, and may have touched 100lbs. I was able to approach this animal to a distance of about 15 yards as it tried to hide. Gents, a well placed shot to the head and it was lights out, in fact I think that hardball went right thru. Ideal, no, but it worked, Something you must ask yourself, do you really think that during a full out Bear attack...which can be so fast, that you are better off armed with a short barreled handgun. Truely I think not. I did security for a film crew in the hills, filming grizzlies, of Kananaskis years ago...I carried a 338win with a 1.5 x 5 Lupy. I shot this rifle very well, my partner, Keith Cunningham, carried a 12ga, rifled barrel same scope mounted 870. The guides and wranglers were happy with us because they watched us check our zeros..not at 200m...but at 50 and 25. They liked this, as they figured if you could hold your ground and not poop your pants, they would be safe. That was the single biggest issue on a know bear attack...being able to hold your ground till everything was right. Its easier said than done, On a suprise attack...I figure you do what you have to to survive,,and if that means feeding the attacker a forearm, and pressing a G-19 against his ribcage loaded with, you bet IVI hardball and 147 BTalons, he's going to be sick and hopefully hurt enough to break off the attack..which is all you can ask for. On a side note..the wranglers and guides that Keith and I dealt with swore by an open sighted sako .375 HH or a short barreled shot gun. The trick with the shotgun was to load it with a OO buck, or better yet AAA(27 pellets) for the first round..followed by heavy slugs. The key was to shoot the attacking bear in the face with the BS, then follow up with slugs. Makes sense. For those of you who havent in real life seen a big black, or medium Griz cover ground in a hurry...they are quick. It really is a shocker. So...My hat goes to a good short barreled rifle, or shotgun...as we dont get to practice this at home..you want to tilt the cards in your favour. My 2 cents
none said:
Right!!! I fish a lot of streams up near the continental divide and pepper spray has worked just fine. If the griz's are more interested in me than that, I want a 12 gauge (mines a Rem Marine Magnum) - two slugs then the rest of the tube filled with 00 buckshot loads.
Oilman said:
I am not picking on you or anything Oilman but I just wanted to point out that this is a common theme. Not the incident itself but the "I heard or read about" or "I know a guy that knows a guy" story about someone taking out a bear with a small caliber, my personal favorite is the 22lr clean kill version. I am not saying it does not happen once in awhile (the 9mm anyway, I still think the 22lr thing is a steaming pile of s**t) but it is not the norm and you should never pick your carry firearm based on this stories. I know this sounds like common sense but you would be amazed how many people take these stories as fact and insist on carrying a under powered firearm because of it and think they are safe because it has worked in the past.
Just for the record, I have my ATC and have for 6 years now, work in the Forestry industry and have seen my share of both black and grizzly bears up close so I am not just talking out of my a**. I would also not carry anything less then a 44 (I have been right next to a guy that used one to bring down a grizzly that was charging us and it worked but when the bear finally went down, it was drooling on our shoes) although I am waiting for Gunnar to send me some 45-08 shells and a souped up Norinco to try them in as an option for an semi-auto to carry.
Go minimum .44 mag even better 454 Casull or hot loaded .45 Colt for revolvers. Auto's go .50 AE or Armco 45-08. I personally carry Ruger Super Red Hawk .454 Casull with a barrel chopped to 4.25" during the summer and a Armco preped Spring Field Armory Operator that shoots Gunners sweet 45-08's during the Winter. Just my 2 cents.
there is an evaluation of a variety of guns published by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The only handgun caliber they recommend is the .44 magnum and only then as the least worst.
I had occasion to look at a large grizzly skull a few days ago; what is striking about it is that from the front, the cranium is more or less a flat plane parallel to the shooter which means that any shot to the head is likely to glance along the side of the head rather than penetrate. A shot from the side would penetrate readily but I would suspect that most charging grizzlies don't run with their heads turned sideways :>)
I do know a fellow who killed a small grizzly with a .357 revolver but he also only hit it with one (last) shot at 5 feet. Not a very good comparison
cheers mooncoon
I had occasion to look at a large grizzly skull a few days ago; what is striking about it is that from the front, the cranium is more or less a flat plane parallel to the shooter which means that any shot to the head is likely to glance along the side of the head rather than penetrate. A shot from the side would penetrate readily but I would suspect that most charging grizzlies don't run with their heads turned sideways :>)
I do know a fellow who killed a small grizzly with a .357 revolver but he also only hit it with one (last) shot at 5 feet. Not a very good comparison
cheers mooncoon
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Regardless of caliber, I think a non-expanding bullet - preferably one with a truncated cone profile is the answer for use against a big bear. Hitting the brain requires a deep penetrating bullet, and penetration is inhibited whenever a bullet expands. What are our best penetrating HG rounds...9mm, .357, and .44 - when loaded with heavy for caliber non-expanding bullets which are driven to 1000+ fps. The 300 gr - .429" Sierra JSP is the exception to the rule as it penetrates very well.
Despite the huge size of a bears head, the brain can be difficult to find, and tougher to hit because it is seldom stationary. The bear's brain pan is only the width of his snout, and extends from a line behind his eyes back to his ears. When he comes in on you, his head will often be low, which may present you a with good shot. If your life is not in immediate peril - I would not choose to open hostilities with a big bear armed with just a pistol. But if the bear enters your cabin, tent, or jumps you when you are on foot, or starts to drag you from your sleeping bag - a well placed bullet(s) from a handgun could well save you from a serious mauling.
Despite the huge size of a bears head, the brain can be difficult to find, and tougher to hit because it is seldom stationary. The bear's brain pan is only the width of his snout, and extends from a line behind his eyes back to his ears. When he comes in on you, his head will often be low, which may present you a with good shot. If your life is not in immediate peril - I would not choose to open hostilities with a big bear armed with just a pistol. But if the bear enters your cabin, tent, or jumps you when you are on foot, or starts to drag you from your sleeping bag - a well placed bullet(s) from a handgun could well save you from a serious mauling.
Last edited:
One of my geologist buddies left his shotgun in another location.
He and his partner had a grizzly bear encounter and ended up circling round a big pile of core sample boxes with the bear trying to close the gap.
This went on for a couple of minutes, the bear got bored and left.
They had a .44 mag revolver with them but didn't use it. Discretion IS the better part of valour.
He and his partner had a grizzly bear encounter and ended up circling round a big pile of core sample boxes with the bear trying to close the gap.
This went on for a couple of minutes, the bear got bored and left.
They had a .44 mag revolver with them but didn't use it. Discretion IS the better part of valour.
357 contre ursus
Live right in the middle of bear country been using a S&W 586 .357mag since day one. 158gr keith solid over a healthy dose of lil gun or blue dot. If room permits I also have a 12pump loaded with a whack of OO buck and slugs. I do not feel under gunned, if you can hit a target constantly in the 10 ring with a 357 or once in a while with a 44mag I will stick to the 357. Now in a perfect world I would have the new Ruger Alaskan in 454/45colt stocked full of homegrown 45colts thats right not 454 purely cause I just cannot control that much gun, my two bits, keep your stick on the ice.
Live right in the middle of bear country been using a S&W 586 .357mag since day one. 158gr keith solid over a healthy dose of lil gun or blue dot. If room permits I also have a 12pump loaded with a whack of OO buck and slugs. I do not feel under gunned, if you can hit a target constantly in the 10 ring with a 357 or once in a while with a 44mag I will stick to the 357. Now in a perfect world I would have the new Ruger Alaskan in 454/45colt stocked full of homegrown 45colts thats right not 454 purely cause I just cannot control that much gun, my two bits, keep your stick on the ice.
I believe .357 is too light for grizz, but JHC has made a good point that if you can't hit with larger calibers a .357 would be okay (better than airsoft). If I had a wilderness carry permit (which I may persue) I would still only rely on my .45 Colt Blackhawk (300 GR RNFP @ 1400 FPS) as a backup to my 870 loaded with 3" Brenneke's, after all there are occassions when you do have to put a longarm down during a day's work.
