Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns .45 ACP for bear protection - what bullet?

Ya-well..As usual, the discussion has nothing to do with what the original poster asked....He said he was taking a 45 acp to Glacier and was asking which ammo to use...

Then came the reply's that had nothing at all to do with ammo for the 45 acp in bear country....

Carry on.....

Jayco

Hey, I'm cool with discussing things - I was just making an observation.

Jjhack had a career of trapping and dispatching black bears -a very good reference on the subject. It would be worth it to search for his posts on killing bears.


888

I have to say, while I think bear defense is very over thought (easy to say sitting in Iowa), I have found this thread to be informative. Best I've read with many good points both for and against (still a few worn out BS cliches thrown in).

I can't imagine buying a specific more powerful gun for a trip to grizz country. If I were to go I'd still use my .357. Sure I'd cross my fingers some but no matter how big of gun I'd be doing the same. Being a flat lander I'm liking the advice of the BB ammo and dance with who brung ya.

Except for very rare exceptions you have 2 camps when it comes to bear defense. Those that have never done it and those they have done it once. Even twice is a very rare occurrence. For those that have done it, whatever they used musta worked but when it comes right down to it there's not much difference when it comes to practical knowledge IMO. Just cause something worked once does not mean that it will work again in the same situation. I pray that we never have enough actual data to prove how lame a .45acp is or how great .454's and bigger are. If those are the actual case.

Still, I'm actually soaking this thread up and enjoy it. Thanks.

I don't have much experience with grizzly bears, nor do I pretend to. The one I witnessed in full charge mode from about 800 yards away convinced me that I would like to be in a tank under such circumstances. What I do know is that I really suck at shooting handguns that fire monster cartridges. I hate shooting .44 magnums, and couldn't even dream of accurately shooting some of the stuff you guys shoot, at least beyond the first shot. I am better off carrying something I shoot a lot, with an upload that I can handle, than to fantasize that I can buy a .454 Casull and do a better job with it. I just have to stick to something within my limitations. Now, I don�t get too far off pavement in grizzly country when all I have is a handgun. But, I do carry my Glock 30 with 255 grain +P Buffalo Bores (after seeing jwp475's test) as a primary when bowhunting in an area with regular sightings of black bears, occasional sightings of mountain lions, and probably some wolf encroachment by now. If I get attacked walking in without lights before daylight, it's going to be worse than getting hammered by a linebacker and then having to draw and fire at contact distance after being knocked to the ground. I do try to mentally prepare myself for that while I am walking in.

It looks like I can't get any Gary Shelton books for my Nook, so I may have to find some print versions.

P.S. I should start a thread entitled "What handgun/load for a knife wielding amped up meth-head charging you from 15 feet" and see if people's choices differ much from these bear threads. Most people are more likely to face that scenario than a charging bear, and I doubt many carry their "preferred" firearm and load while walking about town.

I've got some 185gr Hornady Z-MAX. If it'll kill Zombies it outta take out any bear wouldn't ya think?...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJkOyPLT3o8

Most definitely!

You would be wrong chief! Ask Whit or Jwp about their handgun experience or better yet read whits book. Probably shouldnt make a staement like that when you dont know.

She's very good about talking about shcit she doesn't understand.

Fascinating.

I was almost tempted to ask you for your insight, but I expect rather than enlightenment we'd receive obfuscation.

Lotof good info from a lot of knowledgeable folks,, thanks to all!

Everyone has heard of the two guys saved by the 45 acp in Alaska and if that don't go far enough on smaller less potent handguns work on bears,here is a 9MM with the proper bullet saving peoples bacon.

The 45acp with a good 230 grain FP is more than capable of killing or stopping a bear!



Jayco

It looks like throwing your shotgun at a bear works also!

Now there you go muddying the water with a real-life example. You need to learn to stay on task there, Buddy. :^)

There's a blog article here. I can't vouch for it, but there is a link to a newspaper article concerning one of the incidents.

Logcutter is an experienced optimist.

For all you doubting buttheads from puzzy states like PA and TX, I worked in SE Alaska and saw bears everyday for several months. Some of them had paws the size of dinner plates. The only person I ever saw in the field was a US Fish and Wildife agent and he was required to carry a .375 H and H if he got out of his boat.

All of this discussion about .45 acps and .357 mags is quite humorous, but a waste of time. If you are going to question someone's else's experience, next time get some of your own.

Phil Shoemaker has a lot of up close and personal experience with big Alaskan bears and he's comfortable with a .357 and the right bullets. He has a great article in the June 2003 Handloader titled "Handguns and Bears" on the subject.

Here's a quote from him on this forum on the subject:
458Win on handguns and bears



My take - a handgun you can shoot well, including a .45acp, with the right bullets is a hell of a lot better than a cannon you can't shoot, a sharp stick, or a rifle you left in the truck because it was too heavy to carry.

For the average person Mr.Shoemaker's advice is misleading and dangerous. There is some logic in carrying handgun's because they are easier to keep on your person. But he is doing a disservice by suggesting a .357 or .45 acp. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but some opinions can get you dead.

Someone needs to explain this to me,especially those saying the 45 acp can't kill game at close range....

Everyone here has heard of the Linebaugh penetration test,I assume....Okay,part was done in wet paper as was the test on the 45 acp.....So here are the results of one,a so-called big boomer(.480 Ruger) versus the lowly 45 acp,that some think is a paper weight for killing bears.....

.480 Ruger-325 grain XTP-17" of penetration in wet paper.
45 acp.....230 grain XTP-18" of penetration in wet paper.

.480 Ruger-306 graan LFN-25" of penetration in wet paper.
.480 Ruger-390 grain LFN-31" of penetration in wet paper.
45 acp.....230 grain FP..34" of penetration in wet paper.

Can't be,can it?

Jayco