.44 Rem Mag for Black Bear

B

bluedog

New member
Folks,
I have a model 629 S&W classic hunter with open sights....I'm going black bear hunting in Maine at the end of this month (August)....hunting over bait.....close shots. What do you think about using the Speer 270 grain Gold Dot SP out of the 629 for Maine Black Bear?
Thanks,
Billy
 
The caliber and the load is certainly capable, the question is, are you?

Hit the range or field and put a few hundred rounds through the pistol so that you have the confidence without shakes of putting the bullet into the fatal zone. Study the bears anatomy, it is not quite the same as a deer.

Good luck
 
Even the standard JSP 240's work good on black bear. I would ask what size they are shooting, you might find they think a 200 pounder is a big bear.....

My daughter used standard 240 jsp remingtons to shoot a nice UP mich black bear with a 94 trapper, bullet worked just fine, in and out thru the chest.
 
While I've never used one on bear, the 270gr Golt Dot is an excellent big game bullet. Far tougher than any 240-250gr jacketed bullet on the market.
 
Black bear has a thicker chest wall than whitetail deer but certainly not armor plated. I'm certain 44MAG is adequate. But shooting open sights in fading light at dusk could be a problem.

This photo was taken in Pocono Mts of eastern Pennsylvania last summer. Our daughter worked there at a Christian Camp for the summer.

Jack

bear.jpg
 
Although the 44 mag is capable of taking bear, it would not be my first choice. Most rifles have more power than the pistols. If you do decide to hunt with one, please have someone there with a good rifle to back you up.

I have taken one bear with my 44, but it wasnt by choice. I always carry the 44 in the field whether I am hunting, fishing, or just hiking.

Enjoy your hunting trip.
 
Didn't a certain well-known historical figure take a LARGE number of black bears with a single shot .36 caliber blackpowder rifle?

A .44 Mag with a bigger, heavier, faster bullet should do at least as well as that, one would think better even...
 
Were I to hunt bear with a revolver, I'd want a hardcast SWC with a heaping amount of WW 296 under it. I want them bleeding on 2 fronts, and hardcast is the way to go. My all around load for hunting with my Redhawk was the RCBS 44-240-SWC over 25.0 of 296. It is just about the best weight vs. velocity loading I used. These days if I'm in the woods I carry my '06 so the revolver isn't an option. I've never tried the 270 Speer load; I'll have to defer to those that have. IIRC a Maine guide took several bears with a .41 Blackhawk and the RP factory JSP loading. He said it dribbles them like a basketball.
 
Bluedog,
Where are you going? I'll be in Maine this weekend going the same thing. Are guide companies name is Swayback Camps in Eustis, ME. We'll be hunting over bait. It'll be my son's first black bear hunt. He's using a 12 ga slug, but I'll have my 44 mag, a Ruger Super Redhawk as backup.
 
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easy.
is that the load you want if the only shot you get is quartering away at 65 yards on the biggest bruin in the state?
 
Bluedog is hunting off of bait like I am. I know my shots will be 15-18 yards with the bear eating peacefully on the bait. I've only taken one before and at the same distance. It's an easy shot.
 
I know my shots will be 15-18 yards with the bear eating peacefully on the bait.
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no, you hope shots will be ...
what about that big bruin that you see off at 50-60 yards who wont come in and you know will make record book?
your going to pass?
Most will take the shot anyway.
I dont walk into the woods with the idea in my mind that all is going to fall into some perfect little slot. I prepare and equip myself for the worst case. long shot, quartering away, in brush, rain, wind, ect ect.
If you hit the stand with the idea that its going to be sunny and 72 degrees and that the bear is going to come in and sit at 17 yards broadside then he's going to run towards the truck before he dies (on a smooth trail) you are setting yourself up for failure.
sure hope for the best, prepare for the worst.
USE A HEAVY TOUGH BULLET!!!
cast lead would be perfect.
too much gun is a minor sin...
bufalobore_44%2Bp.jpg
 
davlandrum said:
Less than 1 hour for bullet proof bear post, new record
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Hahahaha!, good one.

One thing to keep in mind is that if you're shooting down at an angle, bullet trajectory changes. If you're shooting up or down at an angle, the bullet will hit just a bit higher than it will if you're shooting flat.
 
One thing to keep in mind is that if you're shooting down at an angle, bullet trajectory changes. If you're shooting up or down at an angle, the bullet will hit just a bit higher than it will if you're shooting flat.
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really?
at 15 yards?
 
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