Bear hunting

C

carp

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I want to us my 44mag on bear his fall, will it be good enough to take a bear down cleanly. I will be going after black bears. And what is a good size bullet.
 
A 44 will pile a bear up with ease. Unless you listen to the guy that says you need at least a .30-06 to kill a deer. I use a 240gr XTP
 
How big are your bears?

Depends on the bear and what kind of hunt.

Depends on how good a shot you are, but yes. For most Black Bears, a .357 is adequate if you can put one in the right place and have backup, but 41 Mag or 44 Mag is generally better.

"Most Black Bears", I said and also used the word "adequate" with the subtext "marginal". How big are the bears in the area in which you plan to hunt, and have you hunted before with your 44? That is, how surely can you put a round in a 3" circle? The smaller subspecies (125# to 300#) can be put down with even a .357 or 38 with the right bullets placed correctly. 240 grain hard cast flat point at 1100 fps is said to do the job very well on bears in the 400-500 lb range.

See the article at
http://www.foggymountain.com/handgun-bear-hunting.shtml

Hunting from a stand or with dogs is different from being on the ground level with one, though. Me, I carry for bears for defense only, which is a completely different set of needs. .454 Casull (and pepper spray), and my friend carries a .500 S&W. But stopping a 600 lb Grizzly before he can reach you (when surprised on a hike) is on a whole different level than in a hunt where you are in some kind of control.

Lost Sheep
 
Even though a standard weight jacketed bullet will probably do just fine with most black bears, I would go a little tougher or a little heavier or both. One of my favorite jacketed bullets is the 270gr Gold Dot. It's a toughly constructed, bonded core bullet that will yield a little expansion with deep penetration. Or a good 250-300gr cast bullet.
 
I have shot bear with a .44 Magnum, and the last thing I care about is expansion...I want through shots with a blood trail. or bone smashing ability...

I load 265 grain Hornady FP (#4300) for my 1894 and Super Blackhawk...I use IMR4227, and listed data from the Hornady 4th edition...

My accuracy load is about a grain under published max for the SBH, and about a half grain below published max for the carbine...SBH velocity averages around 1300fps, and the Marlin comes in at about 1625fps...

Published Max adds about 50fps, and 100fps respectively...
 
Three loaded rounds that will work fine are :
Speer 'Gold Dot Deep Curl' Deep Curl is the hunting bullet. 270 gr
Barnes all copper , Corbon DPX 225 gr
Swift A-Frame Federalpremium 280gr
 
I would feel fully confident with my .357s ability to cleanly take down a bear loaded with Buffalo Bore bullets. Even the big giant black bear we have around here. I do not, however, feel confident with my ability to use that weapon to take that bear. A properly loaded .44 will be more than enough to take down a bb cleanly. I would practice a lot with the rounds you plan on using. I have found my .357 heavy hunting rounds shoot high and to the left.
 
Filing raises point of impact, and in any event, only his "heavy hunting rounds" are high and left...

Pointless to do that if most of your shooting is done with loads that impact to point of aim, no?
 
Where'r your from?

Bear hunting

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I want to us my 44mag on bear his fall, will it be good enough to take a bear down cleanly. I will be going after black bears. And what is a good size bullet.
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IMHO, If you don't know, you shouldn't be hunting bear's, they, should be hunting you. GOOD LUCK!
 
IMHO

Walklightly said:
I want to us my 44mag on bear his fall, will it be good enough to take a bear down cleanly. I will be going after black bears. And what is a good size bullet.
Click to expand...
IMHO, If you don't know, you shouldn't be hunting bear's, they, should be hunting you. GOOD LUCK!
Click to expand...
In my humble opinion, your opinion does not read as humble.

While the O.P.'s question may read like a rookie, you could take him to task with more finesse and more constructive advice than telling him he should switch sides.

Suggest he should study up on bear anatomy. Ask him what experience he has with other animals or other hunting weaponry.

Lost Sheep
 
.44 magnum can indeed kill a bear, but it would not be a first choice of mine. I carry a .44 magnum as a woods gun, but I am not under any illusions that it is the best choice for hunting an animal that can rip into you with teeth and claws if you don't put it down with the first shot.

If I were hunting black bear, I would put my .444 on my shoulder and my .44 magnum would be my BUG.

I believe we need to recognize what we are hunting and secondly, putting them down ethically is also a consideration. They are not a critter to take lightly.
 
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The 44 will work. I personally would carry it as a side arm and lean heavily toward a rifle for hunting black bears. I'd choose Buffalo Bore hard cast bullets in the 260 - 300 gr range if your revolver can handle them.

Where I grew up (PA) black bear hunting was a pretty big deal, but hunters or groups would put on slow drives along the ridges with shooters out front. Many shots were running shots if you wanted to take it and a rifle is a better choice.
 
I have killed a black bear with a .44, but would not recommend it for hunting in most cases for bear. I have taken a few black bears, some with my rifle(s), flintlock, and the one with the S&W .44. This doesn't mean I would do it all the time with the .44. I am confident in my shooting, are you? You have to be, or use a rifle. Even what most consider a small bear can kill you easily. They are not to be taken lightly, or used as a stunt, seriously, do not do that.
 
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While the O.P.'s question may read like a rookie, you could take him to task with more finesse and more constructive advice than telling him he should switch sides.

Suggest he should study up on bear anatomy. Ask him what experience he has with other animals or other hunting weaponry.
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Good point, personally I wouldn't want to bear (or dear) hunt with my handgun (44 5.5" or .357 5"). I think some places require handguns only of a certain standard, if that were the case, I'd probably be OK with my Ruger Redhawk loaded with my buffalo Bore Hard cast 340g +P+. But, for a large grizzly I'm thinking bigger. But, a 44mag loaded hot, my suffice.
 
I am not under any illusions that it is the best choice for hunting an animal that can rip into you with teeth and claws if you don't put it down with the first shot.
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Good Lord, the .44Mag is plenty of cartridge for black bears. Plenty! Properly loaded, grizzlies are not safe either.
 
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