Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Which is better for bear?

You are carrying a 15 shot 40sw for grizzly protection.
You can chose between 155gr lswc @1350fps, 18bhn
OR
180gr rnfp @1050fps, 12bhn

Which would you choose and why?

180’s all day.

I have experienced less flip with the 180’s in my Glocks, 35,23,27. The heavier slugs should penetrate deeper.

Or you could spend $20 on a box of quality bear ammo.....

https://www.underwoodammo.com/40-s-w-200-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose.html


In stock right now!

Better yet...get a .44 magnum, .45 Colt or a .480 Ruger.

If I was going to shoot a .40 for bear I'd shoot 180 flat nose. I'd rather get penetration to ensure I still hit vitals

Neither. I'd go with 200g hard cast at 1000fps.

I would use a .45/70 lever gun

I see a trend is starting to develop. I carry ammo just a little more bigger and a little more faster in a 10mm. Never pulled the trigger on a grizzly and hope it stays that way. I’ve got nothing but respect for them. My pistol feels puny when I see one. Yea, I’ve read about 9 mil Phil. Well, I’m not him and he’s too big to carry around in a holster.

I've always been a proponent of dressing for the occasion.

Interesting.
The power factor of the 155gr load is 209, the 180gr load is 189 - a measurement of relative momentum. But the sectional density of the 155gr is .138 versus the 180gr's .160 - not sure what the relative penetration would be given the velocity difference. I've never seen this tested.

I wonder if the softer alloy of the 180gr matters much?

Btw, the SD of a 147gr 9mm bullet is .166 - (what Phil used), yet the momentum of that load is only 150, which shows how little work was required to get that bullet deep into his bear.

I had to look up what BHN was. I think the OP is just being contrary. Hard and light vs heavy and soft. The answer is always heavy and hard.

Something that some "bear killers" don't know is that a bullet put into the actual heart of a bear will not stop him. A bear's heart rate is slow, slow, slow giving him time to kill you even after you putting a bullet or several into him. A CNS shot is all that will prevent him from killing you. Lots of luck with that when he is charging you!!!!

Of course what you say about a bear having a slow heart beat is true. But when you say that a CNS shot us the only way to keep the bear from killing you, is most certainly not true. Too many instances where body shot saved the day.

Do we know how many times the body shot DID NOT WORK?

The correct answer is neither.

If you are going to do 15 shots, make them these:



Stuffed in these:




shot from this:



At around 1200 FPS for a 240 power factor.

JCS271 knows bears, that includes grizzly, I trust his judgement as a very experienced hunter in bear territory. I have black bears and hogs in my neck of the woods and if I were carrying a .40 that is the load I would have in the gun. As it is, I carry a 10mm with Underwood 220 hardcast at 1200 fps. Mo better...

Neither, I have a takedown 450, Marlin and a Norinco
12 ga( 3" mag) single shot.It might be 25" long .
Both fit into my army style ( deep) saddle bags or into a human pack when afoot.
I see Grizzlies frequently, even at my Ranch.
I had one encounter with a sidearm, a .44 mag...after that went back to the rifle and 12 ga.
The .44 might just make a bear really mad.

Do you? But, I do know it worked for the guy in Denali park with a 45 ACP and I know it worked for Phil Shoemaker with a 9MM and I know it worked for me with a 475L

Neither, 200gr hard cast flat points at 1000+ fps.

Actually the myth of bears heart rates being low came from measuring hibernating bears. They have normal heart rates like about any other critter. They have large O2 storing capacity in the form of myoglobin.

Another myth is how difficult it is to get penetration due to big bones. Quite the contrary, their bones are quite light and flexible.