opinion on a 44mag

[Guest chrisdridley]

I am a big fan of 44 mags....have been for years.....I have taken deer, hogs, bear and cape buffalo with my 44's and I wouldn't carry anything less than a 44 as a back-up for grizzly. One thing to remember is that a bear's head is so hard that many rounds will glance off, only taking a chunk of hide with it and a pissed off bear with a headache is a mean sob. Once a grizzly starts his attack, they rarely back down even with holes in them. A well placed shot...even though you will be under pressure....with a large caliber is what it takes to save your life from a grizzly with bad intentions. My advise....get the best DA wheel gun you can afford and shoot the crap out of it until you can shoot it proficiently without thinking about it. Wear it on your hip until you are used to the weight....a back-up gun left at camp because it is so heavy won't do you any good either. Shoot the hottest hollow point load you can get your hands on so that the round will do as much damage as possible. Learn the vital areas of a bear while it is on 4 legs and 2....a gut shot will make the grizzly flinch and nothing more till he bleeds out.....a shoulder shot is very difficult when he is standing and facing you. And most of all.....practice your tree climbing skills.

[BLACKVANDRIVER]

We lived in Reno NV very close to Tahoe where the bears are thick. While I am all for having a large cal firearm (alaskan by choice) on your person I am suprised that no one has mentioned Bear mace/pepper spray.

The guides and local hunters would have what ever large cal of there choice AND bear spray. The spray covers a large area and may give you just enough chance of stopping a charging bear to then resort to your side arm.

[Jonnin]

the 10 mm is pretty close to a 44 of the same barrel length, 180 grains at 1400 fps and a 44 can be in that same ballpark. But the 44 is more versatile, over 100 grains of variation in bullets and loadings, 44 is a better round, so it comes down to the old revolver vs auto decision. Hollow points, not soft points, for a bear? I would have said the soft points but I have never had to shoot at one and never even seen a grizzly in the wild.

[enfield]

I would feel very comfortable with 16 rounds of 10mm fired at a charging Grizzly even if only 5 hit center mass.

Shoot a grizzly center mass and a pissed-off bear will kill you.

Perhaps I'm just ignorant, but if one is attacked by a bear, how many rounds should he expect to get off before being mauled to the point of submission? I'd be surprised if I were able to get a handgun out of my holster and shoot at all. If six won't do it, I'm sure the end would be near.

Save the last round for yourself. Edited December 16, 2011 by enfield

[nightrunner]

If i were you and it were legal id look at carrying a marlin 1895 guide gun. Id rather be a little uncomfortable on a few hunts than be minced bear chow.

But if you insist on a handgun id look real hard at a ruger super redhawk alaskan. But id opt for the. 454 version and carry either really hot (buffalo bore) .45colt or some. 454casull loads.

[Patton]

Bear spray they say is kryptonite for bears and is a must. Anything over a 44mag unless really heavy is going to recoil so bad that you may not get many shots off. Suprisingly there have been many successful stories of Police killing bears including Kodiaks with 40sw, but why not go bigger?

[Guest bkelm18]

I'd opt for Bear Spray in defense against bears. It's a proven method of deterring a bear. Handguns... not so much. If you're lucky, one of your shots will penetrate deep enough to hit a vital. A .44 could do it, but you've only got 6 chances before you get mauled to death, probably less. Once the bear is on you, you're done shooting. If I were to carry a handgun, I'd go with capacity over brute power. A 10mm or a deep penetrator like a .357Sig would be my choice.

Edited December 16, 2011 by bkelm18

[Guest chrisdridley]

Hollow points, not soft points, for a bear? I would have said the soft points but I have never had to shoot at one and never even seen a grizzly in the wild.

I have seen several instances where soft points have hit bone and glanced off. Even saw a bullet that traveled between a rib and the skin, doing no damage at all. You need to punch through the bone, breaking it and hit the vital organs, causing as much blood drainage as possible along the way.

[hornett22]

Ruger ,S&W,Colt Anaconda, or something from one of the custom makers. I would probably recommend a Marlin Lever gun in 45/70.

No way I'd want to be face to face with a Grizzly holding a Taurus ,Rossi,or Charter Arms in my hand.

[1gewehr]

My friends in Alaska who go in bear country all carry .44M revolvers. Either S&W M29 , M629, or Ruger Redhawks. I'll trust their experience.

My experience with .44M revolvers is that it takes practice to be able to rapidly hit a target at combat ranges (50ft and less). After shooting several .44 revolvers, I prefer my Redhawk (NOT the Super) 5" barrel. It is a little heavier than the S&W, but also much stronger. The trigger pull is not anywhere as nice as the S&W, but there are some good 'smiths who can make it much better. I recommend having that done if you get a Redhawk.

When you practice, use full-power loads. Recoil recovery is the skill you need to learn, and you cannot get that with lighter loads. Longer barrels improve accuracy and control, but reduce the ability to employ it quickly and make it less comfortable to wear. I like 5-6" barrels best. Anything over 6" makes the pistol unwieldy for wearing and quick use.

While I agree with the fellow who recommended a Dillon minigun for Grizzly, the .44M revolver is the best compromise as a carry weapon. Remember that the only good carry weapon is the one you CARRY. A minigun is no use if it is not there when you need it. Neither is a .45-70 BFR or other super-large pistol. My experience is that a .44M revolver is the most powerful pistol you can carry that you will really be able to get used to carrying on your belt.

Edited December 16, 2011 by 1gewehr

[Patton]

My experience is that a .44M revolver is the most powerful pistol you can carry that you will really be able to get used to carrying on your belt.

And be able to shoot for that matter.

[BLACKVANDRIVER]

I have seen several instances where soft points have hit bone and glanced off. Even saw a bullet that traveled between a rib and the skin, doing no damage at all. You need to punch through the bone, breaking it and hit the vital organs, causing as much blood drainage as possible along the way.

Not that I have any experience with one but what about a FN 5.7 with 20rd mag?

[Patton]

That 5.7 does make you scratch your head. I think he had a under $600 price range.

[BLACKVANDRIVER]

I had only mentioned the FN Five Seven becuase of what Chris had stated. I was just shootin from the hip on that idea. I do not believe the Five Seven would have the knock down power as the round would most certainly go in and out but if you could pump 20 thru it might slow him down??? I still say Bear spray and a handgranade

Under $600 not going to happen on a 5.7.. But saving your life is priceless!

[Patton]

I recall some of the damage a 5.56 done to some of our living targets in Iraq/Afghan and being shot with even a 5.7 makes me cringe.

[Guest chrisdridley]

Not that I have any experience with one but what about a FN 5.7 with 20rd mag?

I think you would have as much luck with the 5.7 as you would a switch or a sharp stick. It is my understanding that this is a good personal defense round for the streets but I would hate to go up against a mad hog or a pissed off bear with this round.

[Patton]

If you look at the 5.7 and what it really is(a rifle like round) you wouldn't go there looking for bear with a .243, .308, 6mm so the 5.7 is still know where adequate. I have hunted deer with my 44 mag and have always thought out of a 18" barrel that it's about 30-30 equivalent. So I believe anything equivalent or under 44/30 cal/.270./10mm yada yada yada is strickly about the amount of hits and the quality of them.

Edited December 16, 2011 by Patton

[hornett22]

Good thing about 44 mag is,if you're in BFE, Bob's hardware,booze,video,and Laundromat Is gonna probably have a couple boxes on the shelf.

[Guest carter]

I say get a Mark 19 and mount it on the front of your atv... Or bear spray .... I carry fox it has the most SHU I have found ...follow that up with running... Shooting.... And climbing ... Might be a chance to buy a really tacticool shot gun loaded with slugs

[Guest Lester Weevils]

If you look at the 5.7 and what it really is(a rifle like round) you wouldn't go there looking for bear with a .243, .308, 6mm so the 5.7 is still know where adequate. I have hunted deer with my 44 mag and have always thought out of a 18" barrel that it's about 30-30 equivalent. So I believe anything equivalent or under 44/30 cal/.270./10mm yada yada yada is strickly about the amount of hits and the quality of them.

Would 45 auto or .357 fit in your short list? Of something at least a little better than a sharpened stick? Wasn't there a case earlier this year of some feller successfully defending against a bear with a 45 auto? I don't know anything about the topic. Just curious.

[leroy]

For what it's worth; ive got a buddy that spent time in alaska. Mostly in town. He carried a 6 inch 357 everywhere he went.

I like the 4 inch model 29, model 57, or model 27 (...or one of their variants, like a redhawk...) myself.

leroy

[MiddTennTaco]

On my last trip to Alaska, we borrowed a .50 Desert Eagle just in case. However, when we arrived we were told by a hunter to not bother trying to shoot it in the head because the bullet will just bounce off of its skull. Instead he instructed us to shoot for the legs and arms.

[MiddTennTaco]

Something like this will do fine:

[dlm37015]

first on my hunts in alaska for bears i carried a 50 alaskan which is a 348 winchester blown out stright .it works real good with a 600 grain bullet at 2000 feet per second i have never recovered a bullet from anything shot .in my trips to alaska my guides have carried 375 h&h or 458s but for a hand gun they have all carried 10mm loaded with 200 grain fmj i have always ask even most of the pilots up there carry them my best friend is a pilot up there so i go serevral times a year never have figured out why 10 mm never caudgt on much around here

[dats82]

I have a good friend who swears by a 45 long colt over a 44 mag. This is a little bit of a long read, but he sites this as his source why the 45 is superior over the 44. I have a somewhat basic understanding of physics, but it makes sense to me.

Linebaugh's Custom Sixguns - The .45 Colt - Dissolving the Myth, Discovering the Legend

The same friend owns a few guns he had customized by this smith, so he my be a little bit partial. Either way, it gives you something else to consider in your decision.

For what it's worth, my vote would go to a Ruger Redhawk in either a 44 or 45. Given its intended use and the potential use in a harsh environment, it would be hard to talk me out of the reliablilty of a revolver in favor of an automatic that you have to be conscious of how clean it is, what ammo is used, and whether or not you will have a sufficient grip for it to cycle at any given time.