45 acp bear ammo
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nastynatesfish
Active member
I'd carry some 230 hydrashoks, but that's what I always carry in it
Forget the little popcorn popper.
Even a 44 mag is very little protection.
Do a little test;
take a playground ball find a 50 yard hill, have some one roll the ball as fast as they can down the hill with your back turned. Have them haller when they roll it. IF you can hit the ball you may luck out and kill a bear with your pistol. If you get more than one shot off your very skilled with a pistol , if you manage to hit the ball TWICE your a master. Good luck when you think your good at it try doing it with your heart in your ears and wet pants...
Even a 44 mag is very little protection.
Do a little test;
take a playground ball find a 50 yard hill, have some one roll the ball as fast as they can down the hill with your back turned. Have them haller when they roll it. IF you can hit the ball you may luck out and kill a bear with your pistol. If you get more than one shot off your very skilled with a pistol , if you manage to hit the ball TWICE your a master. Good luck when you think your good at it try doing it with your heart in your ears and wet pants...
Originally Posted By: jetman Forget the little popcorn popper.
Even a 44 mag is very little protection.
Do a little test;
take a playground ball find a 50 yard hill, have some one roll the ball as fast as they can down the hill with your back turned. Have them haller when they roll it. IF you can hit the ball you may luck out and kill a bear with your pistol. If you get more than one shot off your very skilled with a pistol , if you manage to hit the ball TWICE your a master. Good luck when you think your good at it try doing it with your heart in your ears and wet pants...
So I guess the best approach would be not to go into the woods?
Greg
Even a 44 mag is very little protection.
Do a little test;
take a playground ball find a 50 yard hill, have some one roll the ball as fast as they can down the hill with your back turned. Have them haller when they roll it. IF you can hit the ball you may luck out and kill a bear with your pistol. If you get more than one shot off your very skilled with a pistol , if you manage to hit the ball TWICE your a master. Good luck when you think your good at it try doing it with your heart in your ears and wet pants...
So I guess the best approach would be not to go into the woods?
Greg
I Called in two bears in Az. in the 4 Corners Area which is just lousy with bears and lions. The area is very rugged and we hunted off of mules.
One guy with me was a retired navy caption that had seen a lot of active duty in Korea. The bear called in with him was probably a two year old, not very big. The bear sounded like a volkswagen coming through the woods, and as he got near, he was clacking his teeth looking to take a wounded animal away from another predator. As he approached us at a dead run at about 50 yards, I stood up, threw off my face mask and started screaming waving my hands. The bear cartwheeled and ran off never missing a pace,
My hunting parnter was scared to death, and he informed me he had heart problems and could not take that kind of excitement. Two weeks later I called him to see if he was ok. He had settled down and was glad to hear from me saying how much he had enjoyed the mule ride. I told him that a lion had been spotted outside a trailer park near Coolidge and we needed to go take him. He told me that he simply could not take that kind of excitement anymore.
Shotgun with buckshot or slug is your best chance. If you want a back up gun that is a pistol, then a 44 mag or even better a Ruger Black Hawk loaded with 300g hot loads is best, and you had better be a crack shot.
If all you have is a 45, then the Corbon 230g fmj at 930 fps is what I would use, you need to break large bones and penetrate to the vitals. I would not use a HP intened to give good expansion on humans. 250g SWC hard cast would be great also.
Bears have a great nose, and if they smell a human, they are gone. Coming across a sow with cubs is probably your only danger.
If you have not tried calling bears, give it a try. They will respond to a raspy coarse call, put out socks filled with two cans of sardines packed in oil. Always be aware of wind direction. Wear boots that have not seen concrete at the gas pump.
One guy with me was a retired navy caption that had seen a lot of active duty in Korea. The bear called in with him was probably a two year old, not very big. The bear sounded like a volkswagen coming through the woods, and as he got near, he was clacking his teeth looking to take a wounded animal away from another predator. As he approached us at a dead run at about 50 yards, I stood up, threw off my face mask and started screaming waving my hands. The bear cartwheeled and ran off never missing a pace,
My hunting parnter was scared to death, and he informed me he had heart problems and could not take that kind of excitement. Two weeks later I called him to see if he was ok. He had settled down and was glad to hear from me saying how much he had enjoyed the mule ride. I told him that a lion had been spotted outside a trailer park near Coolidge and we needed to go take him. He told me that he simply could not take that kind of excitement anymore.
Shotgun with buckshot or slug is your best chance. If you want a back up gun that is a pistol, then a 44 mag or even better a Ruger Black Hawk loaded with 300g hot loads is best, and you had better be a crack shot.
If all you have is a 45, then the Corbon 230g fmj at 930 fps is what I would use, you need to break large bones and penetrate to the vitals. I would not use a HP intened to give good expansion on humans. 250g SWC hard cast would be great also.
Bears have a great nose, and if they smell a human, they are gone. Coming across a sow with cubs is probably your only danger.
If you have not tried calling bears, give it a try. They will respond to a raspy coarse call, put out socks filled with two cans of sardines packed in oil. Always be aware of wind direction. Wear boots that have not seen concrete at the gas pump.
Originally Posted By: jetman Quote: So I guess the best approach would be not to go into the woods?
Greg
Coarse not! Just be aware that if your counting on your 45 acp stopping a bear your going to have to bring desert for the bear too.In my humble opinion that is.
JUST Saing...
It's hard to convey a supercilious answer via the internet. Stress for the untrained and inexperienced can be disastrous. I'm lucky I've lived and worked under it for years. Maybe my pistol skills will be up to it, maybe not.
Greg
Greg
Coarse not! Just be aware that if your counting on your 45 acp stopping a bear your going to have to bring desert for the bear too.In my humble opinion that is.
JUST Saing...
It's hard to convey a supercilious answer via the internet. Stress for the untrained and inexperienced can be disastrous. I'm lucky I've lived and worked under it for years. Maybe my pistol skills will be up to it, maybe not.
Greg
PLOTTHOUND
New member
+1 on the 44 mag with 300gr bullets.
nastynatesfish
Active member
Just remember Arizona bears are not Canadian brown bears. If you find a 300lb bear your into a big one. Chances are you won't get charged by a bear here unless you come up on cubs or it's food. D be more than comfortable with my 8shots to either stop it or change its mind
Originally Posted By: nastynatesfishJust remember Arizona bears are not Canadian brown bears. If you find a 300lb bear your into a big one. Chances are you won't get charged by a bear here unless you come up on cubs or it's food. D be more than comfortable with my 8shots to either stop it or change its mind
I guess I should have mentioned that I am in AZ. also. That was another reason I'm quite comfortable with "just a" 45 on my hip.
Greg
I guess I should have mentioned that I am in AZ. also. That was another reason I'm quite comfortable with "just a" 45 on my hip.
Greg
. Thanks for the input guys. Buffalo Bore, Double Tap, and Corbon all offer some nice warm +P loads with hard cast bullets for penetration. These loads work well on our hogs here in Georgia and should perform as well on bears, esp blackies. Save the expanding bullets for deer and humans.
A 44 would offer more power, but I'd much rather have my 45 than to just try to talk him into leaving!
A 44 would offer more power, but I'd much rather have my 45 than to just try to talk him into leaving!
Uncle_Steve
New member
Hey Mark, check out the 460 Rowland, it is just a barrel and spring swap. Over on the Specialty Pistols site, http://specialtypistols.infopop.cc/eve/ubb.x , a guy uses one up in Alaska for Brown bears. It is a big step up from the .45 ACP. They have kits for most .45's.
NdIndy
New member
Mine. Takes about 5 minutes to convert once you know what you're doing. Takes an hour of cussing to figure out that 5 minutes though
Kits are by Clark custom, everything you need is in 1 box. I don't believe anyone else makes the conversion.
End result is approximately equal to 230-250 gr factory loads in a handy dandy 1911 sized package. Recoil is about the same as the acp it replaces, muzzle brake and heavy spring do a great job. Carries a ton easier than my 44, but you won't get 300gr loads.
Middle of the road loads for both. Can't remember the 44 bullet, 460 is xtp.
Kits are by Clark custom, everything you need is in 1 box. I don't believe anyone else makes the conversion.
End result is approximately equal to 230-250 gr factory loads in a handy dandy 1911 sized package. Recoil is about the same as the acp it replaces, muzzle brake and heavy spring do a great job. Carries a ton easier than my 44, but you won't get 300gr loads.
Middle of the road loads for both. Can't remember the 44 bullet, 460 is xtp.