East coast bear...357 mag or .45 apc.

K

kym

New member
Going camping and don't expect any problems but I carry a pistol anyway. So if you had to chose between the two, which do you think would have the best chance stopping a bear. (or should I say which one would **** him off more?):D
 
My standard answer for anything that weighs more than me and can eat me: 45 Caliber, 275gr LFN from 1050 - 1300fps.
 
The 45 would work but shot placement is key. Now if it were me I'd be using the 357 but its just a personal preference.
 
Either. There is an article somewhere on the forum about an Oregon man killing a black bear with a 1911. There are many instances of bear being killed with .357.

Don't forget the bear spray.
 
I wouldn't feel undergunned with the ACP but would rather have a good 180 gr. hard cast SWC out of the .357.
 
What number bear thead is this for the week? I like a bear thread every now and then too but lately we've had 9mm, 10mm, rifles, shotguns, and now 357 vs 45.
 
Auto over a revolver. I would want all the extra bullets I could have. I hear those that said bullet placement but let me tell you (and if you don't agree your a better man than me) if a bear suddenly out of no where charges I am dumping the mag. I am not going to be looking for that perfect shot. My plan would to be aim for head and then hope for a lucky hit or that all the bullets flying at it would make it turn away.
 
Deerhunter said:
My plan would to be aim for head and then hope for a lucky hit or that all the bullets flying at it would make it turn away.
Click to expand...

Your plan sucks. Stay in VA.

You would be much better off with a can of bear spray than a gun.


Would you be so careless with your ammunition in a more populated setting against a two-legged attacker? What about if my 3 year-old daughter is standing behind your attacker?

What if my 3 year-old daughter is just behind that bush that you sprayed-n-prayed towards when the wee wittle bear cub jumped onto the trail?

Get some real training or get rid of your guns.


It is safe for you to assume that the spray and pray crowd disgust me to no discernible end...

:mad:
 
jgcoastie......Before you go shooting your mouth off. You ever think that maybe, just maybe there was another way to rea that other than the way you took it. I never said anything about spraying and praying. My fault for not pointing out that "All the bullets" were well aimed shots. I have plenty of training. He was asking about bullet / Guns to use. So I answered that I would want the semi auto. Anyway, next time you want to spout off about something think about the fact that maybe you read it wrong or maybe I made a mistake and just didn't clarify enough for you. Again I have plenty of training and wouldn't just start spraying bullets. I don't need to justify the level of training or my shooting ability to you and I wont.
 
The opinion of folks who have actually been around bears carries a bit more weight with me. Coasties opinions are valid. I've been around a few east coast black bears. Killed one and helped drag a few others out of the woods. While most weight 200 lbs or less there are a few 500+ lb bears out there.

Pepper spray really makes more sense for most people. Given your options a 357 properly loaded is a much better choice. My personal choice is a Glock in 10mm. 357 mag power in a better package. I'm more concerned about 2 legged predators anyway.
 
Deerhunter said:
jgcoastie......Before you go shooting your mouth off. You ever think that maybe, just maybe there was another way to rea that other than the way you took it. I never said anything about spraying and praying. My fault for not pointing out that "All the bullets" were well aimed shots.
....
Again I have plenty of training and wouldn't just start spraying bullets. I don't need to justify the level of training or my shooting ability to you and I wont.
Click to expand...

Maybe you should read what you wrote before you accuse me of just "shooting my mouth off"...

This is what you wrote:
Deerhunter said:
My plan would to be aim for head and then hope for a lucky hit or that all the bullets flying at it would make it turn away.
Click to expand...
emphasis added by me

If you're hoping for a lucky hit; you're not putting well-aimed shots into the bear.

Like I said; your plan sucks. Stay in VA.
 
Again I have plenty of training and wouldn't just start spraying bullets.
Click to expand...
This is in conflict with what you wrote a couple of posts back:

if a bear suddenly out of no where charges I am dumping the mag.
Click to expand...
The plain fact is, if a bear is rushing you, aimed shots, and certainly head shots, are out the window. You're better served by knowing how to spot the presence of bears and avoiding those areas.

I've gotten this question a lot more than usual lately, and the fact is, handguns are not a great choice for this. Bears are thick-skinned animals with a high pain tolerance. They are fast. Furthermore, we're heading into fall, which means they're going to be gearing up for hibernation soon. They can be very aggressive during that period.

Seriously, you do not want a confrontation with a bear. If it decides to rush you, the chances of it ending well are slim at best.

Factory .45 ACP loadings are not going to cut it. They don't have the penetration. The recommendation for 180gr .357 cast loads is much better, but even then, only against smaller black bears for the most part.

Honestly, if I had to go into an area with medium to large bears for some reason, it'd be a decent rifle or a shotgun with slugs.
 
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