Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting 10mm for bear?

[jclark5810]

Do any of our northern residents carry or know of anyone who carries 10mm instead of . 44 mag et al?

(edit) I guess I should have specified bear "defense", not for pursuing bears. My tracker in . 44 has 5 shots, my thinking is 15 would be better odds. If found in the fetal position with said bear on top of me i'd likely have enough left for myself.

 

[WCPoe]

Do any of our northern residents carry or know of anyone who carries 10mm instead of . 44 mag et al?

(edit) I guess I should have specified bear "defense", not for pursuing bears. My tracker in . 44 has 5 shots, my thinking is 15 would be better odds. If found in the fetal position with said bear on top of me i'd likely have enough left for myself.

Could you get by with a Springfield XD 45 with 13 + 1 ? http://www.springfield-armory.com/xd.php?version=124

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Even a . 44 mag with full loads is minimal, imo. If you aren't going to take a rifle, it is the minimum I would trust. I am on a bear's diet so I worry.

 

[jclark5810]

Normally I would have a rifle but if you're ambushed or are archery hunting I need a sidearm. Heck even out fishing I carry a sidearm, just wondering if the semi-auto was a better option. I have read studies that say bear "spray" is more effective than spraying bullets so who can say.

WCPoe i'm sure the . 45 would be a good option as well. I don't get too far into ballistics but I'm sure a head shot on a charging bear is just as good with either of the two.

 

[The patriot]

If I'm in a bears territory and all I could carry is a pistol I'd consider 44mag minimum. Especially for grizzly.
I'd feel a little more comfortable with my guide gun.

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

Actually a head shot is often ineffective as the bullet skates off the heavy, hard curved surface of the skull.

 

[jclark5810]

Actually a head shot is often ineffective as the bullet skates off the heavy, hard curved surface of the skull.

Exactly my point, each one would be about as (in)effective as the other.

 

[p-Bar]

how about a . 45 win mag LAR grizzly

 

[BIGNASTY]

If your talking about a Black Bear or as we call them a Yogi, a 44 Mag with the Garrett 330gr Super Hard cast will drop a Yogi,
http://www.garrettcartridges.com/44mag.html

If in Grizz country I carry a 45/70 with the Garrett 540 gr Super Hard Cast AND IT WILL!!! DESTROY a bear, IF YOU CAN DO YOUR PART!!!! usually while CRAPING YOUR PANTS, its not always easy to do. With this being said in Grizz country just in case im having a bad day while craping my drawers and TRYING to off a Grizz, I carry the above mentioned 44 Mag with the 330 gr bullets, that gives me an additional 5 rounds to drop the bear, THE SIXTH ONE IS FOR ME, IM NOT GOING DOWN BEING A HAPPY MEAL FOR A BEAR, WHILE IM ALIVE!!!

http://www.garrettcartridges.com/4570.html

Now for your question about the 10mm, Yes it will work if what you want to do is P*** off a bear, and become the afore mentioned HAPPY MEAL.


IT'S NOT IGNORANCE THAT GET'S YOU KILLED, IT'S NOT BEING PREPARED !!

 

[BIGNASTY]

Exactly my point, each one would be about as (in)effective as the other.

If a Grizz is coming at me im not looking at being a ONE SHOT WONDER!!!! break down the bear with the 45/70 with shoulder shots, if the bear cant walk he cant get you and then finish it off how ever you see fit, but FIRST IT MUST BE STOPPED!!!!!!!! The Marlin Guide Gun with the 540 hammer heads will just about tear off an leg of a grizz the problem is can a man take that kind of punishment that the Marlin deals out? THOSE HAMMERHEADS TEND TO STING JUST A LITTLE

 

[Tractorat]

45/70 with shoulder shots

I was over at the gun range yesterday. There was a real talkative guy there with an 1873 (I forget the make)45/70 antique army rifle. It wasn't a remake, it was an actual rifle used during the indian wars. He let me shoot it (btw, he was using light loads, I guess so he wouldn't blow it up) (its 140 years old)

Anyway, it made a hole in the target the size of a half dollar. Maybe bigger.

 

[BIGNASTY]

I was over at the gun range yesterday. There was a real talkative guy there with an 1873 (I forget the make)45/70 antique army rifle. It wasn't a remake, it was an actual rifle used during the indian wars. He let me shoot it (btw, he was using light loads, I guess so he wouldn't blow it up) (its 140 years old)

Anyway, it made a hole in the target the size of a half dollar. Maybe bigger.

Those Garrett loads ARE FOR THE NEWER MARLIN GUNS ONLY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! they are not meant for the old ones they will BLOW UP!!!!!!!

 

[BIGNASTY]

Im not even so sure about the 44mag loads in a single action, I use them in a Super Redhawk, I know that the Ruger Single Actions are strong, but those are some pretty stiff loads.

 

[jgillott]

How about a S&W 460V or 500 Mag

 

[BIGNASTY]

How about a S&W 460V or 500 Mag

No experience with either of those.

 

[jgillott]

My brother-in-law has the 460V and it seems to be very stout. I've been thinking of picking up a 500 myself at some point but I don't have any experience with them.

 

[BIGNASTY]

There are a few companies that mod single actions into extremely tuff handguns, we had a guy that had one that couldn't shoot it if he had to, but he had one anyway!!! more for bragging rights than anything. Some use the Ruger bisley because of the way the grip is turned down to help control recoil, I have two Ruger Blackhawks one is a Super Blackhawk and one is a Blackhawk, both are 44 mag and I cant shoot either of them with SUPER LOADS they roll in my hand and I get HAMMER BIT.


You shouldn't over look the 45 Colt often mislabeled the 45 Long Colt, it can be JUST A TOUGH as a 44 and sometimes more with the right HANDLOAD and Bullet.


http://www.bowenclassicarms.com/gallery.html
really look at this site the catalog has some REALLY INTRESTING things to think about. there is another guy that mod's the single actions but I cant think of his name off hand.

 

[jclark5810]

My particular use would be most likely for black bear. After two years in TN i'm just not happy. I miss mountains, cold air, and most importantly big deer. I'm moving to Utah this summer after school and plan on getting back in the mountains. I carried a . 44 for black bear when hunting CA mountains. Out of all the days in the woods (10 years) I encountered a bear once, we looked each other in the eye for about a second and he split.



I deer hunt with with my 1895 in high country and 336 in low country, my real question is on archery hunts. I'm happy carrying the . 44 but I was curious if it's more effective to have more lead to sling? Mt. Lion can be just as much an issue, although they usually jump right on your head and you don't get a chance to do much.



As far as Grizz go, i'm quite confident that if charged by one i'd soil myself and get about 2 seconds into a Hail Mary before I was torn to shreds.



I think I may just hang onto the Tracker since I already have it, but I thought a heavy semi-auto might fare better. I'd hate to have to buy another gun:-laf

 

[Joseph Donnelly]

The Super Blackhawk is very strong and like single actions in general, more resistant to problems from dust, etc. I have used 240 gr silhouette full jackets and 265 Hornady soft points at full power, getting good accuracy. WW296 was good; now I am using VV110. I use trimmed down rubber grips (Uncle Mike iirc) to make the grip less slippery. A thin leather glove helps too.

 

[Dl5treez]

Yes.

I have friends in Alaska who carry 10mm semi auto handguns when afield as a backup weapon.

In all my trips up there, I've never seen someone in the bush rely entirely on a handgun as a primary weapon. If you're out hunting, then obviously you have a rifle, but for non-hunting excursions the primary is usually a shotgun.

I don't recall Alaska's archery rules regarding whether you can only carry a handgun as a protective backup weapon. Here in WA state, we are allowed a handgun, and I do personally carry the 10mm.

A 10mm handgun capable of using a cartridge loaded to its true potential (S&W 10x6 series, Glock 20, all steel Delta Elite, Dan Wesson, etc) is adequate for a black bear, but in all honesty, they will probably run from you 99 times out of 100 anyway. Don't intend to engage a black bear with a gun unless it is actually attempting to attack you. They will bluff charge, but most times that can be squelched with rocks.

They're not as bloodthirsty as people make them out to be.