Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Minimum caliber handgun for Black bear and Cougar

Yes, that is correct, very limited penetration with expanding bullets, and with the round nose FMJ bullets they just pushed the important things out of the way and did little internal damage.

Mando, as far as the 45ACP and the personal feelings you have, I wish you well. Sometimes deep rooted emotional feelings are very hard to overcome, even for an intelligent person with a lot of common sense. The object for most is not to kill the attacking animal eventually but to crumple it on the spot. Re-read the part of my prior post where they used a 45ACP. It killed bears, but only after they lived long enough to chew and claw a person to bits. The penetration and tissue disruption was not in the same league as 41 and 44 mags or the 45 long colt and Casull. I also think it prudent to accept that your gonna get a single shot or at the very most two before contact is made. Speaking only for myself I want significant damage internal to reduce the time an animal like a bear has to disrupt my soft tissue.

I'm not sure what big game you have seen shot with a 45ACP, I have seen plenty shot with it. You have to remove the concept that an animal will react like a human when hit. A human hit anyplace with a 45ACP quits the fight right now. A 200 lb deer shot in the chest will run well over 100 yards and live for a long time. A 450lb black bear will not even react to the hit and leave you with the feeling you missed him. About the time you realize that he will be on you and your gun will have been knocked flying out of your hands.

Sometimes our emotions get the best of us, they can even screw with our logic and good common sense. I'm just as guilty at times of this character flaw. I wish you well with a 45ACP, but nothing you can shoot from that gun will really crumple a big black bear they way you will be hoping it does. Re-Read that article I wrote, most of the cops also had significant dissapointment in it's performance after they shot bears.

It's your call. For the most part people who prepare at all are never bothered or need the gun anyway. So odds are slim and none that you will actually put it to use. Even in the unlikely event that you do need it, it's a long shot better then a sharp stick!