Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Handguns 40 S&W for bear

I appreciate every one's comments here, really interesting. JJ's story is great!

thanks John,

Sure, I like the idea of moving up to a 10mm in a G. But please let me further explain here.

I backpack hunt the "High Hunt" in a Wilderness area here in WA. I just got back Monday early a.m. from a successful kill on a mule deer at over 7,000 ft. Above timberline.

I'm a bloody mess with deer blood on my boots, pack, and clothes and I have the deers head in camp.

I have become a food target in my small Go-Lite floor-less tent. Not exactly easy to swing a rifle around in one. Reason for handgun.

I am beat tired after boning and hauling a buck off the mountain. (which btw, is the best eating grass fed animal I've ever ate) Mainly why I do it...

At night, the bear(s) come in, again, I'm in a small tent, and you don't always hear them come in. I am in a defensive mode. All I want to do is ventilate a bears noggin.
Yeah, I want to kill them clean, if I have to, but at that point, I don't give a crap.

My partner and I had two bear come in at the same time into camp right at dark thirty. Deal with that one. I had to shoot one with my rifle that wouldn't leave.

I also, personally, don't have the luxury of packing more weight like bulky heavy 10mm handguns. Remember, I have to pack a lot of meat out.

Having bears in the area just puts a nice edge on the hunt itself. I could easily kill my fill of bears during the day, but I'm mule deer hunting and at night I want to sleep with a little assurance that I can defend myself if need be, while sleeping in a small tent.

Paul, what powder are you using?

" a .40 with the above mentioned bullet would be more effective than archery tackle."

Serious?

Maybe in defense when your life is threatened and you can empty the magazine. But as a truly lethal tool to kill big game or bears while hunting?

I'm confused by the statement as the OP never suggested archery as an option.

Even if not for sport hunting, are we assuming to let the bear vanish into the bush wounded to interact with the next human coming down the trail. Or are we assuming the prudent and responsible steps to locate and finish the job if needed?

If the latter, how many of you have done this and found a live perforated bear upon arrival? How did you feel when you stumbled upon this very aggressive wounded "nothing left to lose" animal in thick bush with minimal light? Was the gun you had so good you were un concerned and just as easy going as when you started, or did you wish for more regardless of what you were packing?

Ever use a 40 caliber 200 grain flat point hard cast over 1100 FPS? They penetrate exceptionaly well and will kill a black bear very very dead

How long to expire? How many seconds or minutes? What
Is that bear going to do in that time span?

Okay, you pay your money and take your chances have fun with the entertaining analysis of these events. What you feel will work is your responsibility to determine. Whether or not you bail out on the follow up is your decision too. Good luck with your choice and your hunting!

How long to expire is dependent on bullet placement that is a constant no matter the weapon rifle or handgun

Oh one more quick thought, years ago I chained a 140 lb sheep to a tree. A sat in a tree stand bow hunting with this sheep along a well used bear trail.

The first bear to show was about 200lbs or a bit more. He put his front paws on the hind quarters, grabbed the belly skin of that sheep and ripped lose a strip of flesh as easy as a human peels a banana.

He ate a bit and left. Another bear much bigger about 300 lbs grabbed that sheep at the shoulders and lifted it off the ground. He had a tug of war with that Chain on the tree. You could hear bones breaking and skin ripping. That bear did significant damage and destruction to that sheeps skeleton and flesh in under one minute,..... And he was not angry or perforated. YMMV

There is no ideal situation here JJ, I just want to keep my scalp at night while trying to sleep. If ole bear wants to stick his nose in my tent to be meet with a 40/200 grain bullet then it is what it is. If he runs off, I'm sure not going out after him at night.

The next day, I'll look for him with a rifle in hand, not a handgun, that's for sure.

I have been around bears in Alaska and I ain't talking black bears and a hand gun lay onmy chest when I slept in a 2 man dome tent.

One day the handgun came in very hangy





On the other hand Cottonstalk takes black bears routinely with a handgun and some of them are on the large side

We all knew the same old pics from JWP475 were coming. I'd just soon he didn't post on my thread.

He really adds nothing to it of value to the thread except his own ego.

I disagree. He has way more experience than most here, having taken lots of large game with a revolver not to mention the fact that one of the grizzly bears in that photo was shot out of defense with the very first .475 Linebaugh built by Hamilton Bowen. Pretty significant in my opinion -- if that counts for anything.

Whit: No, it really doesn't. This thread seems to have drifted a bit from the OP's question about the best bullet to use from a G23. What somebody did with a .475 or an RPG or whatever isn't at all relevant.

Pretty darn hard to beat the wound channel from a broadhead. My guess is that JJHack's client missed the lungs. I commend JJHack for sticking with it to get the bear but his client's behavior is all too common. I don't know whether or not bears survive these wounds, but Elk almost never do.

As relevant as your comments about broadheads, I guess.

Had nothing to do with the caliber, but rather the handiness of having a handgun at all times. The caliber in this thread is settled and others and I agree have recommended the 200 grain flat point from Double Tap for the job at hand
Black bears aren't bullet proof and if SU35 puts a proper bullet where it goes then all will end well

Whitworth,

JWP475, has a way of highjacking threads for his own use. He has done it to me before.

He has added nothing here at all and I could care less what he has done 30 years ago with a 475L.

If he has 40 S&W experience and loads then lets hear about it.

I'd like to go back to topic please.

We are talking bullets/loads are we not? He is suggesting you use a 200 grain flat-nosed hardcast. Same principal applies in other cartridges with limited case capacity and velocity potential.

I've finished off a couple hogs with the .40 using 180gr. Winchester hollow points. I will say to stay away from any expanding bullets at .40 velocity. They just don't have the penetration potential.

Some are suggesting hard cast bullets but that would make me nervous shooting lead out of a factory Glock barrel. If it were me I'd find some good 180gr-200gr flat nose FMJs to load up.

How about a Bonded HP bullet and have both worlds.
http://www.winchester.com/Products/handgun-ammunition/Innovative/PDX1-Defender/Pages/S40SWPDB1.aspx

I was looking for a bear in the willows just last week. I had a 54 ML in one hand and a 40 in my belt. Not ideal as I would have much rather had my 44 mag, or a repeating rifle for that matter, but you play the cards your dealt...