Is the 10mm enough for a bear gun???

Does the 10mm have enough power to kill a bear before it kills you?

  • 10mm is effective on a bear

    Votes: 65 62.5%

  • 10mm is not effective on a bear

    Votes: 39 37.5%
  • Total voters
    104
I

ibe4buckshot

New member
Does it have enough power to kill say a black bear or grizzly? My dad caries a .44 magnum when we go hunting in colorado. I would rather carry a glock in 10mm than a large frame revolver. Would the 10mm do the trick for me.

Any information would be great.

Thanks.
 
I'd rather have a .44mag, that being said, 15 rounds of 10mm over 6 rounds of 44 mag might be better. I own both, my 44 mag is a 6" S&W 629 and my 10mm is a Glock 20C. I am no expert on dropping black bears or grizzlies, but from what I think I know, a hot handload with 230 grain .44 mag wil do more damage in one shot than a 175 grain Winchester Silvertip. But like I mentioned before, maybe 15 10mm beats 6 44 mags?????? I'm interested to see what other people think about this...........
 
Idaho pretty much nails it. Not the greatest round for the job, but round count plus shot placement would probably do the duty. I'd preferably stick with something greater than or equal to .44.
 
I would take a 10mm over a .44 any day. Ballistics about the same as .357 but you get 16 shots plus you could carry an extra clip. Rather that than 6 rounds of .44, even with a speed loader, now if your talking kodiak or polar you best be packin something a lot bigger anyway.
 
I am more likely to encounter Big Foot, an honest politician, and a hot 20 year old virgin than a bear. But if I did, I would feel well protected by a Glock 20 with heavy hot loads.

I know, I know - two out of the three are make believe.
 
I'd rather convert my 1911 to 460 Rowland.

Or better yet just be toting one of my trusty Smith 44 Magnums.

I wish the people who voted on this wonderful poll would tell of their 10mm bear shooting experiences.
 
Grizzly and a 10mm is not realistic! Even a fast moving black bear will give you one shot. Even a 44 mag if not loaded with the right round, like any hollow point, will only get the bear angry. In 44 mag I would only use a Garrett type hard cast flat nose solid like the type Montana Game and Fish carry while in big bear country.
Remember that the 10mm is not loaded like it was when it first came out and actually that applies to most magnums. The lawyers had a say in this. My yellow box 1970 Winchester 44 mags kick way harder than most ammo I find in stores now, Garrett and Buffalo Bore are loaded hot and they use specialized bullets. I am sure some will say here that 10mm is fine-but what will they say if they were faced with a big bear, some people like to live dangerously. I am sure all the sky divers here will say the 10mm is OK.
 
Remember that the 10mm is not loaded like it was when it first came out
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Whether or not a 10mm will stop a bear is debatable. But full power 10mm is available today from Buffalo Bore and Double Tap. And I bet if I could get off one shot I could get off several.
 
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It can work. It's been done with even smaller calibers.

That said, handguns are carried for bear defense, not because they are the best tools for the job, but because they are the most convenient option.
 
Skeeter, just curious where you got the information about Montana Game and Fish carrying a .44 caliber firearm into the woods when they venture into bear country. Last I checked (when I patrolled with a game warden on a few occasions) The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks issued their officers Sig Sauer Handguns in either .357 Sig or 40 S&W. They also issued these Wardens either Winchester 70 or Remington 700 rifle in 30-06 caliber as well as a Remington 870 shotgun. To take a firearm chambered in a handgun caliber into Bear Country when a rifle caliber is readily available is not recommended, not only by many people I hunt with, but by many of the Wardens who work in District 1 of Montana where I live!

Just a thought!!
 
If you're a better shot with a 10mm in the nuclear hot loads, then carry it. A solid hit at 85% power is better than a 100% power miss.
 
This has already been discussed at length in this forum, but since you asked, here goes.

The #1 best defense against bears is a good can of bear spray. I don't really care what anybody on here says; it's been studied and researched thoroughly here in Alaska and it has proven itself time and time again. It has proven to be 97%-100% effective (depends on which study you read) against bears, while handguns remain at or below the 60% mark.

That being said; I carry a 9oz can of bear spray and my Glock 20SF (10mm) loaded with 200gr WFNGC Beartooth rounds from Double Tap + two spare mags. Yes, I do really live in Kodiak. Yes I have had run-ins with a couple bears. And no, I haven't had to shoot one yet. Had to replace a few cans of bear spray that I've used (along with a few sets of underwear ;) ) but I did not have to shoot. I draw them both at the same time just in case the spray does not affect the bear. I'm still alive with all my body parts still attached, so there must be something to this bear spray stuff...

Honestly, nothing short of a .375 H&H and higher will likely stop/kill a bear in it's tracks, but I ain't gonna tote a 10 pound bolt gun on my shoulder when I'm hiking, fishing, deer hunting, rabbit hunting, duck hunting, etc... I carry that 10mm because I am deadly accurate with it and it's so light that I won't have an excuse to leave it home..

Will the 10mm penetrate a Kodiak Brown Bear's skull and kill it? No, but neither will a .44 Mag and I don't care what type of bullet you're using; it just won't do it. I've seen and handled a Kodiak Brownie skull and it ain't no joke. When measured on a horizontal plane (the plane on which the bullet will be traveling) the skull measures roughly 4" or so- on a mature adult. So with a headshot, you're shooting something twice as hard as concrete, 4" thick and on about a 45 degree angle; all in an effort to hit the softball-sized brain? Not gonna happen with a handgun. Sorry to bust your bubble .44 Mag lovers, it just can't do it.

The best option (when forced to use your handgun after unsuccessfully using bear spray) is to shoot and disable the front shoulders. If you shatter the front shoulders, it's mobility will be only heavily hampered/slowed at worst, and completely disabled at best. Thus giving you the time to reload if necessary, get to the side of the bear if possible and place an aimed kill shot to the side of the bear's head or spine. The sides are less protected allowing for one or two shots to the brain, thus ending the threat. (I discuss the 'kill shot' only because under Alaska state law, if you wound or otherwise seriously injure an animal, you must then track it down and kill it. The last thing we want is a ****ed off, wounded bear running around.)

Just about the only chance of a frontal kill shot to the head of a big brownie is to shoot through the nasal passage to the brain. Not a likely scenario to say the least.

You're best bet is bear spray. Carry a gun that you are inherently familiar with and can shoot accurately in the .357 Mag and up range for backup only.

Hope this helps.
 
skeeter said:
Grizzly and a 10mm is not realistic! Even a fast moving black bear will give you one shot. Even a 44 mag if not loaded with the right round, like any hollow point, will only get the bear angry. In 44 mag I would only use a Garrett type hard cast flat nose solid like the type Montana Game and Fish carry while in big bear country.
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What he said, I live up herein MT big bear country, and I will not go into the back country............hell for a walk on high traffic trails close to civilization, With out my 44mag. I am thinking of upping to S&W 500mag bear kit, as I have read about grizz attacks in Alaska where all 6 shots for a 44mag were pancaked against the breast bone. I do have bear spray in on of the water bottle pouches in my pack so I can get to that just as fast as my gun. I have not had to use either but i have seen bears while hiking.

I get some weird looks form the hippie tourists and cali transplants that feel they have to ask why I have a "HUGE GUN" on my hip. I just say "Bears are out here" "where is your gun"???? Then I get "well we have bear spray" then I have to inform them how to tell the differences between Black and grizzly bear poo. The black bear's is full berries and seeds, Grizzly **** is full of bright colored hiking gear fabric and smells like PEPPER.
 
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Bullet construction as important as placement

mrsleeve said:
I have read about grizz attacks in Alaska where all 6 shots for a 44mag were pancaked against the breast bone.
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Mrsleeve,

Without firm testimony to the contrary I have to assume the 44 mag bullets were some kind of expanding (hollow point or soft nose) bullet, not a hard cast solid (think Buffalo Bore and the like).

Remember, guns don't kill, BULLETS kill.

Lost Sheep.
 
Sure,with a pump shotgun loaded with slugs right next to it.

And a can of bear spray.

And another person with the same right next to you.

Personally,with Grizzley's,I would'nt feel overgunned carrying a M1Garand or a FnFal in 308 around the woods.

Come and get it Yogi.

P.s.-your vote poll should have read-"before it eats you."
 
Lost Sheep said:
Mrsleeve,

Without firm testimony to the contrary I have to assume the 44 mag bullets were some kind of expanding (hollow point or soft nose) bullet, not a hard cast solid (think Buffalo Bore and the like).

Remember, guns don't kill, BULLETS kill.

Lost Sheep.
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Yes you very well could be (and more than likely are) right. Just when I moved to bear country form lower MI, I did as much reading as I could on how to protect ones self form them and what caliber to carry. That story just sticks in my mind as how tough a grizz is, thats all.
 
I live in Colorado and I'd say 10mm is quite enough for anything we have here. I got a .40 for when I stay in the mountains, and I'm quite confident I'll be fine with that, but we don't have grizzlies around here, at least not that I'm aware of.

Now for polar bears and kodiaks, I don't think 10mm is enough.
 
Without getting into the 10MM VS .44M as Bear gun, are there any state laws preventing you from carrying a semi-auto? I know some states have limitations on the type and caliber of hundgun you carry while hunting, just curious if this carries over.
 
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