Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns Black Bear Loads?

We are in the very begining stages of planning a Maine Black Bear Hunt next fall. I would really like to use my Ruger SRH. Anyone have any suggestions on a load? I am currently using Hornaday XTP 200 Grain bullets over H110. Don't think this would be the right Bear Load. Any suggestions? I'd even be willing to go to factory for the hunt as I won't be shooting a ton, just resighting then the hunt itself.

Talk to JJHACK.

Probably bump it up to a 240 XTP with all the H110 that you can get in the case.... Just make sure you really study a bears anatomy as placing the bullet through the heart is of paramount importance if you don't want to loose your bear... Bad shot placement will ruin your trip...

Here is JJ's answer to Black Bear hunting...

http://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/2911043/m/21810798?r=43810798#43810798


Bob

240gr XTP, CCI350 primer, 23.5gr of H110 or W296. I really like the 240gr XTP.

Or you can use the 300gr XTP if you like more penetration and less expansion. I like this bullet but I don't have much experience with it. You can drive it to 1200fps out of your SRH which is the velocity I think it needs for reliable expansion.

I agree with the posters above. It's really hard to go wrong on black bears with a good 240 gr. JHP and a full charge of H110.

When living in a wall tent in Black Bear country ---- I use 240 grain Nosler JHPs (XTPs might even be better) with a max load of H110. This is in a 5" S&W 629.

I would ditch the 200s and go with a 240 MINIMUM. That said, I would lean more towards the 300 grain XTP.

On bears it depends on your shot angle, so if you are hunting from a stand you can probably pick your shot. In that case the 240's will get the job done. If you are hunting with hounds you "should" be able to pick your shot but the bear might make that choice for you, you certainly don't want to have a pass though & take out of the expensive dogs!
I'd go with the 300's & bust both shoulders, that anchors the bear in any situation. Very seldom will things get hairy but it is a possibility with bears, so using more is better than using less.

Dick

+1

Definitely something more than 240 grains if you cannot garantee a broadside shot.
I also might switch to a keith or NEI style wide flat cast bullet instead of the hollow point. Again, more margin for error and two holes even if you hit bone.

As a bear HUNTING bullet where you get to make the choices about whether to shoot or call it off, I would have no hesitation at all about using any good 240 grain JHP.

I've shot several deer ... and some other things ... with 240s. I didn't really like the number of lead scraps left behind in the carcass, it suggests to me the bullet was coming apart, on the other hand, they all did go clear through, so they didn't fail by any measure.

Bear defense is a different situation. I prefer a tougher bullet even at the expense of expansion. That's not what the question was about though.

I've just put together a load using a Beartooth Bullets 300 grain that I would feel confident in. It's the 300 grain LMN DCG seated at 1.775", WW case, VV N110, and a CCI 300 primer. It shoots as accurately as an XTP load I have been shooting, but I would have more confidence in the BB holding together if bones were encountered, which is exactly where I would try to hit him.

I like to break the running gear. That bullet oughta break it and try to keep going. Or allow you to get to it from a not-so-good angle. I'm not too confident that the XTP would be successful if that were attempted with it.

The nice thing about the BB load is that it hits 2" higher at 50 yards than the XTP load, with no horizontal shift. So, a drastic shift in zero is not needed, at least in my pistol.

Tom,
A .44 cal 250 or heavier grain Keith bullet does not need to expand to kill most efficiently and it penetrates straight without "leaving particles" along the way. And if you do misjudge the shoulder on a black bear, in dark timber, in failing light, the Keith style bullet will still go right through the bear, shoulders and all, or end to end, and leave an almost 1/2 inch hole on both sides. Most 240 gr JHP's will not do that consistently. Why take the chance?
And if the bear decides to come up the tree to see you, you still have the correct load in the chamber. I don't see the down side.

The original poster said he was using XTP's and he did not feel they were right and asked for suggestions.

In a handgun I'd feel OK about the 240XTP on black bear, but I'd prefer something more along the lines of the 270 gr. Gold Dot soft point or maybe the 300 gr XTP.

I realize you mention using a pistol, not a rifle, but if you were to use a rifle in .44 magnum then I'd definitely want the 270 Speer or 300 XTP. I've seen 240s come completely apart on white tailed deer when impacting at rifle velocities and moderate ranges.

Just my 2 cents

I like your choice.

I would never ever use a hollow point on bear unless that's the only thing I have at the time the bear wants me for lunch.

You have to get through the fat. The more the fat the harder it is.

In a pistol I would use a .44mag caliber model 29 and put 300 grain hardcast bullets with large metplate on the front end.

there was a thread on the campfire at one time that discussed this issue. A guy who had killed bears in the hundreds was recomending hollow points as i remember. I have always thought heavy big metplate bullets myself tho

No doubt that they will work if the shot is placed correctly.
When it is not?

One to two bears per season per area ( if you are lucky)
travel and expenses ( If you can afford it)
time limitations ( one week per hunt, one to three month season)

.....One man killed bears by the hundreds with hollow points?

Just sayin.......

I won't use hollow points on a bear unless that's all I had at the time. Bears, during hunting season, have a lot of fat to get through and I don't think a hollow point will do the job.

I talked to a friend of mine was was a guide and outfitter for over 20 years and he said about the only thing a hollow point is good for on bears is to shoot one's self before the bear gets to you.

EMMV

My take on that was that the XTP had the effect of distracting the animal from a charge. Not necessarily immediately fatal or incapacitating, but the animal stopped it's charge to address the impact area, instead of continuing which had sometimes been the case when hardcast bullets had been used.

This, of course, would allow time for follow-up shots.

My first choice for a hunting situation would still be a heavy hardcast LBT-style bullet.