Handgun for Black Bear HUNTING

D

DougB

New member
Okay, before anyone goes nuts with "that topic has already been beaten to death", I'm not talking about a lightweight pistol for bear defense this time. It looks like I may get an unexpected (and cheap) opportunity to go to Alaska. I've been invited to a remote area to do some salmon fishing and, if I want, bear hunting.

I understand that these would be black bears, and probably pretty easy to find and approach, so I'm thinking that it might be more sporting (and fulfill a bit of a dream for me) to take one with a handgun. I'd have one or two other guys backing me up with rifles in case I blow the shot, which I wouldn't attempt unless I get pretty close.

I have a Ruger Super Blackhawk .44 mag that I bought back in the 70s. I think it would be okay, but I'd actually prefer a double-action, and am wondering about a 454 or other heavier caliber. Maybe one of the big Taurus pistols. I'd probably want at least a 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 inch barrel. Can you shoot .45 Colt in a .454?

I'm still not interested in some huge "sawed off rifle." This opportunity has just come up recently, and I admit I haven't given it much thought or done much research. I might also opt for using my .50 blackpowder rifle instead of a handgun. It just seems like it might be too easy (from what I'm told) to shoot one with a scoped high-powered rifle.

Thoughts?

Doug
 
your best bet for blackbear is to stick with the .44 Ruger SA.

Black bear are realitivly small compared to Grizzly but you still want .44 mag or higher to make sure of the stop, for a double action check out the Ruger Redhawks or the Taurus Line of Big Bore. Another Option might be to pick up a Ruger Old Army a shoot Blackpowder Pistol.... that would be a hoot. :)

When I carried a Firearm in the Vehicle for Protection against Bears it was either a 12 guage with a modified choke 21" slug Barrel stoked with 00 or my trusty .338 win mag.

------------------
PROUD TO BE CANADIAN
 
A couple of years back I was watching one of the hunting shows on TV. The hunter was stationed in a tree stand, and using a .58cal muzzle loader, from approx 25 yards shot a 200Lb black bear. The bear managed to run off 75 yards before he dropped. Point being that even when hit with a round that is pretty much the same as a 12 ga slug, the bear still had something left. Most probably would go down on the spot, but why take chances with claws and teeth? Looks like enough reason to buy a .454 to me ;). Yes, you can use .45LC in the .454.
 
For blackies I suggest a 5.5" stainless Redhawk in 45 Colt.

I offer loads for bear that deliver 300g XTP's at 1300fps, and also offer heavier and/or more exotic bullets with more performance.

The 454 is a good round, but has little more to offer at 'normal' levels.
If you anticipate seeing grizzlies perhaps the 454 (in the Super Redhawk) is the correct answer.

The 45 Colt is a 'shorter' 454, and will work fine through your 454.

------------------
"All my ammo is factory ammo"
 
Doug,

The bear in Alaska run 600-1100 pounds. A Gun in 41Mag, 44Mag and 45Colt "IS NOT" going to cut it. Since we are talking "hunting" not defense, you want to maximize your hunting opportunities and drop an animal as quickly and humane as possible. The guns already mentioned will do the job in a pinch inside 50 yards. Outside 50 yards, you will need a cartridge that can drive a bullet with some serious power. That is a job for 445's, 454's and 500's. The three can drive big bullets far and with enough power to get full penetration. I will assume that you wish to stay as economical as possible, a Raging Bull in 454 sounds like a winning ticket.

Robert
 
If you're a Democrat, I'd highly recommend the terrific Iver Johnson revolver, in .22 Short.

If you're not a Democrat, then take the advice of the previous folks on big calibers.
 
Walter,

I think a .22 LR might be better. A .22 short might not piss the bear off enough. ;)

David

------------------
"There are people who do not mind the fact that O.J. Simpson walks free. There are people who do not mind the fact that Lon Horiuchi is not only not punished for his atrocity at Ruby Ridge, but he continues on the public payroll. There are those who know who killed Vince Foster, but are not bothered by the fact that the subject has been dropped officially. I mind those things. Do you?" - Jeff Cooper
 
what are those big chunks in a brown bear's crap?

22 pistols.


------------------
Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what is for lunch.
Liberty is a well armed lamb contesting the outcome of the vote.
Let he that hath no sword sell his garment and buy one. Luke 22-36
They all hold swords, being expert in war: every man hath his sword upon his thigh because of fear in the night. Song of Solomon 3-8
The man that can keep his head and aims carefully when the situation has gone bad and lead is flying usually wins the fight.
 
Maybe a Glock 18 with 6 33 round magazines, loaded with Black Talons.... Oh wait I forgot that was illegal. I think that the Taurus Model 454 with a 6.5 inch barrel would do the trick, unless you would want to lay down the extra cash for a .50 AE Desert Eagle....

------------------
AK-47, When you absolutely have to kill every mother&*$#er in the room...accept no substitutes.

Browning Hi-Power, What went wrong during 65 years?
 
This is an opportunit for a Desert Eagle in .440 CorBon with a 10 inch
barrel, IMO.

Scope it and you have the 'pocket hunting rifle'.

With this caliber, some folks shoot capital hogs which easily make 450
pounds. Or a large car engines. :)
 
Funny you should mention this today. I was out looking at the Super Redhawk in .454. VERY nice revolver. Though I have never hunted bear, I think I would be hesitant to do so with a smaller caliber. The trigger on the one I looked at was at a touch over 4 1/2 lbs pull. Nice and crisp. Will make shooting .45 Colt seem like a .22LR. Comes with factory scope rings.
Good luck
Bill
 
For a while, some years back, I found myself with the job of living in the remote sections of the Everglades and surrounding areas for weeks at a time -- miles from any road. Living out of a backpack.

I learned by the day. I started out with a .44 Blackhawk. After some lessons and lots of VERT good luck... I switched over to a legal semiauto 12 gauge 4 shot "pistol" modified by one of the special shops in Florida. I only shot it once in defense, at a huge rattler but shot it a LOT in practice.

Bears where not the only bad apples out there; there were Brahmas, cats, hogs, snakes, gators, crocs and even spiders that could do a person in.

The little 12 gauge "pistol" was not fun but it was reliable and made me feel better. Several of the bear guides in the area used similar "pistols" as the only gun they carried to protect customers. Down there the common term for such a gun was a Whippett!

I bought some custom loaded cast copper slug loads that did about 1650 fps out of the SHORT barrel and some terribly powerful steel buckshot. They were stoutly loaded.

One of my clients shot the little gun and said it was definately a BEAR of a gun... but that he was not certain whether the bear or the bearer would be more sorry if 4 quick rounds had to be used. ;) I called it my southern comfort.

------------------
Talk is cheap; Free Speech is NOT.
 
My first choice would be a Ruger Super Redhawk in .454. I've handled two and they are well built guns that felt good in my hand. Yes you can shoot 45LC in this .454.

If you are condisering single action at all, take a look at the Freedom Arms revolvers. I'd never handled one until last week (a 50 A.E.) but they are the cats meow for single actions. The quaility that goes into them is all but amazing. Your gonna pay more for one but I'm really considering gettting one for myself. My local FFL is asking $850 for it in mint condition, the two 454 Rugers he sold went for $575.

------------------
John
"Never argue with an idiot, they pull you down to their level and beat you with experience"
 
DougB, buy the .454 Casull. I actually have the Taurus, and I've been very happy. No matter the make, get the caliber...I promise that if you take STRICT observance to the shooting fundamentals (grip, stance, breathing, trigger control, sight alignment, and follow through) it shouldn't hurt you, and you can fire very powerful .45 Colts to boot!
 
Get the biggest bear you can find really mad, pull out your trusty 1911, hand it to Ampercon, run 50 yards, grab your VCR, turn and shoot.
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Robert the41MagFan:
The bear in Alaska run 600-1100 pounds. A Gun in 41Mag, 44Mag and 45Colt "IS NOT" going to cut it. Robert[/quote]

Oh come on? Seriously.
The Black bears in Alaska run 150 to 300 lbs with a really good blackie weighing over 400. I've used the 44 mag to take black bear and with a backup you should have no problem. Use the gun you are most familar with if it has manageable recoil. Know your range and don't shoot past it.
When steadying the sights on a bear the last thing on your mind should recoil, blast, or where will this shot hit.
By the way, I use 180 HPs and take a lung shot behind the front leg, either angling forward or straight through. At the shot, they always head for the brush and never go more than 60 yards. I've found them no tougher than a deer to kill if you hit the vitals.
I've had so-called experts tell me I must use hard-cast 300 grn or some other huge bullet. Either they have no experience or may have shot a bear with the big bullet and found it worked OK (but have no comparsion data). I suspect they have never tried it with a "deer load".
Bowhunters take hundreds of black bears every year and if you use the same kill zones with a pistol, Success will be yours!
Don't forget your backup gunner!

Good luck

[This message has been edited by suckersrus (edited June 24, 2000).]
 
Up here in Maine, our warrantable adult black bears run from 150 to 350 lbs...with the rare monster going perhaps a hundred more.
Sports use cartridge rifles, black powder and sometimes 'pistifle' type handguns, from tree stands or following a dog pack. The guides all carry and use a pistol for backup. Sport gets the first shot at a treed or bayed bear, after that the welfare of the dogs and people present requires guide to finish the business. Those I know of use short .357's, .41 Mags. and in one case a short .44 special, with ease of carry being more important than ballistics. Power isn't much, compared to a magnum rifle, but a black bear isn't much more difficult to kill than a similar sized NFL linebacker...they aren't dinosaurs, after all.
One 250 lb. bear I know of, taken with a 5 1/2" Ruger .44 Mag, flipped end over end when shot after it charged at about 10 feet (no sport was present at the time, the guide was just taking snapshots with the gun hanging from his forefinger, insurance that was needed.) Of perhaps 200 bears, that's the only .44 Mag. kill that I know of, and it was pure self defense. The Bowen/Linebaugh type .454/.500 guns are just too much gun for this kind of shooting, though I suppose if you were planning to mix it up on the ground with no backup, you might feel the need. My personal woods pistol is an old model Ruger .41 BH 4 5/8", and I feel adequately armed, thanks.
 
Thanks for all the good "food for thought." I'm convinced that, with a rifle backup, a .44 mag would be sufficient. But I'm still tempted by a .454 Casul(?) because it could also shoot .45LC, so it would be very versatile - I could probably handload to whatever power level I want (and recoil I can handle). Also, the "gee whiz" factor would be pretty high with a .454. And I see that .454 ammo is available at the local sporting goods super-store (surprised me - they don't even sell handguns any more).

Anyway, thanks again for the input. I'm still thinking this one over. And I'm still not sure if the Alaska trip is going to come together or not.

Doug
 
Ross Seifried featured a famous Maine bear guide in an article a few years back (Boskowitz?). This guy used a .41 mag Blackhawk and said it simply "dribbled bears". This fellow had killed a great many black bears and should know what is adequate.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top