Reasonably Decent Bear Protection In A Handgun

Grumpy

The Grumpy Grease Monkey mechanical engineer.
Staff member

I watched the video above and its almost sure to open your eyes in how difficult it can be to stop a bear with a hand gun.
personally I think a magnum revolver is ideal as your very unlikely to have the time to fire off more than 5-6 shots from any handgun if your charged is dependable firepower and a 357-44-500 mag packs a decent punch
ITS AS ALWAYS DEPENDENT ON YOUR PERSONAL SKILL LEVEL.( AND EQUIPMENT CHOICES)
FAST EXPANDING HOLLOW POINT BULLETS ARE A BAD OPTION.
notice they stated they had a great many body hits fail to penetrate the bears vitals with the handgun ammo being used.,
yes both the 10mm and 44 mag have been successfully used to kill bears and successfully used in self defense


keep in mind the PROJECTILE DESIGN IS CRITICAL as it does ALL THE WORK, and SHOT PLACEMENT is CRITICAL, simply because the projectile can't be effective if not placed where it can do the most damage.
you must also select a projectile designed to maximize results on its intended target thus you must know the intended targets anatomy and where the vitals are located internally, a bullet designed break bone and penetrate to the vitals on a large bear will zip through a human opponent, causing less than ideal internal damage, a bullet designed to max internal damage on a human opponent might expand far to rapidly on a BEAR! to ever reach the vitals!

but as always precise shot placement and a knowledge of bear anatomy is critical to rapid success.
there's always a balance to be struck between a selected cartridge and handguns power to penetrate and break bone ,
vs recoil levels and the potential accuracy and number of shots capacity and much of that is related to the level of practice & experience the operator has. :like:
glock 20/10mm with aftermarket barrel for more effective cast bullet use generally noticeably improved accuracy with hard cast

img_20180621_181026-jpg.517634



n7h9xd4rr9la1.jpg

,Id point out , after reading years of reports, two basic facts are obvious,
your chance of being attacked or mauled is very very low,

and if attacked ,that in most cases you'll be forced into a very close range confrontation ,

under a very limited amount of time on a fast moving attacker,
Id doubt you'll have time to place more than 3 shot's maximum,
and your life might depend on the results of a single hits lethal damage.
personally Id prefer the 44 mag revolver with a 300 grain hard cast bullet over 21 grains of H110 powder,
but I would certainly not feel defenseless if all I had was a 10mm pistol,
there are 180-200 grain hard cast bullet loads over about 10 grains of blue dot, have worked well on hogs, and deer
(CHECK YOUR LOAD MANUAL)
keep in mind no handgun has near the stopping power of a 12 ga slug,
or a 45/70 or 450 marlin with a hard cast 400 grain bullet


keep in mind its a knowledge of the opponents anatomy,
your skill at accurately placing shots under stress,

and precise shot placement more than power or magazine capacity,
that makes ALL the difference

below some vaguely related videos



BTW the 41 mag in a longer barrel revolver,
and if its properly loaded with heavy hard cast gas check bullets,
has a noticeable power advantage over a 10 mm handgun

consider the fact that your very un-likely to have time to get off more than 2-3 shots in a bear defense situation, a 41-44 mag revolver seems to potentially hold some advantages over a larger capacity 10mm semi auto.
yeah its mentally comforting to have a 15 shot mag capacity,
but only hits to the vitals count in stopping a bear attack!

below some 44 mag related info, notice hard cast 44 mag revolvers far out perform the typical 10mm,
but realistically if your going to be shooting in a defensive confrontation,
you'll be lucky if you can get off more than 2-3 reasonably well aimed shots,
so magazine capacity .
while mentally it might be comforting its all but meaningless under real conditions.
as a defensive cartridge a 10mm is in my opinion close to ideal for a human opponent,
but it is certainly a bit less effective on a bear that might be significantly larger and much more heavily muscled.
I recently read of a fishing guide that carried a glock 10mm,
who was mauled and killed in ALASKA ,
they found he never got off a shot because,
he had never chambered a cartridge,

and he died with a full magazine.
witnesses stated he was attacked at very close range ,
unexpectedly , he drew his pistol but never got off a shot


 
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357mgs.jpg
suggested CAST bullet weights in
REVOLVERS & PISTOLS
357 mag= 158 grain-180 grain
10mm= 170-210 grain
41 mag= 220 grain-250 grain
44 mag= 270 grain-320 grain
45 caliber -300 grain-350 grain
480 caliber 350 grain-400 grain
50 caliber 400 grain-480 grain


either hard cast bullet design,
option below should work well, in a longer barrel 357 mag.
if loaded to near max velocity, if you shoot accurately
but Id vastly prefer to have and use,
a 445 dwsm or 500 S&W revolver if my butts on the line.

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=36-165MG
36-165MG.png


while either option works great on deer or hogs, for defensive use..
Id marginally prefer this option, as it has a third lube grove and a bit more bearing/bore contact area

but it would require a marginally faster twist rate.
36-168J.png



357 mag cast hunting bullet (link above) just a bit of info,
the hard cast gas check 357 mag bullet from my 8" revolver ,
has proven to be consistently lethal on hogs and deer
H110 or 2400 powder preferred

keep in mind jacketed bullets are filled with comparatively soft lead
thats designed to expand,
a hard cast bullet of a decent weight, for the caliber used, like a 165-170 grain 357 mag bullet\or
like a 300 -320 grain in a 44 mag or a 450-500 grain in a 500 mag will almost always ,
provide deeper penetration than jacketed ammo will in most targets,
as they expand a bit slower and to slightly less diameter on impact.
(being a harder alloy and generally marginally lower velocity due to increased weight.)
you frequently find jacketed bullets under the far side hide on larger hogs , you will almost never see a hard cast bullet fail to exit.

two large leaks, in the hide, for more rapid blood loss, is always preferred over a single hole in dangerous game in my opinion,
realistically your chances of ever having to defend yourself from a bear charge is about as remote as getting hit by lightning.
but having the skill, having acquired that skill through constant, practice and use of decent equipment might save your life
hard cast bullets only expand slightly but tend to penetrate much further than softer jacketed bullets of similar weight,
every choice is a compromise in power, recoil , accurate shot placement and control.
your skill, speed, accuracy, dexterity and practice will matter
shot capacity is of very little concerned as you'll be very lucky
at the best of times, to have the time to get off more than one or two shots,
in a real charge at close range, but accuracy counts,
a well aimed 357 mag with a hard cast 170 grain bullet hitting center mass,
might be marginal
a 10mm, semi auto with a 15 shot capacity may sound impressive,
but if you only have time for one or two shots
, it may be a great choice but, a 44 mag with a bit more power ,
without the larger mag revolvers recoil, may be a better choice,
that /will easily out perform a 500 mag with 3 times the power with a grazing hit

precise shot placement under stress is critical to getting the desired results,
just punching hide randomly won't work,
,you can't miss punching through the vitals fast enough to make up for bad shot placement
it doesn't matter much if the bear dies a minute after reaching you, you'll
very likely be dead in under 15 seconds if he does!


http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...do-i-need-here-for-a-500-s-w-reloading.11917/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...let-mold-designs-ive-found-very-useful.15299/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...tance-to-use-hard-cast-lead-projectiles.9875/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-hunting-revolver-should-concentrate-on.3744/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...-hunting-revolver-should-concentrate-on.3744/
 
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https://www.underwoodammo.com/10mm-auto-220-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose.html

https://doubletapammo.com/products/10mm-230gr-hardcast-solid-a-20rds

Glock 20 - 30 Round Magazine - 10mm - GunShowMags



while a lot of people seem to view the 10mm glock with hard cast bullets as excellent bear
protection (and yes bears have been killed using a 10mm) I think its marginal, but its also very easy to carry
personally I think your likely to only get one or two shots off,
if your using a glock or any handgun for defensive use in the field from things that claw and bite!
so Id prefer a 44mag or larger caliber revolver
where the 10mm excels is in personal defensive use on two legged
predator's, and the better designed 150-180 grain 10mm projectiles provide adequate penetration,
but if you hunt deer and hogs a 10mm loaded with those heavy 200-220 grain bullets,
are extra insurance, that you get the intended penetration reaching the vitals from odd angles
personally Id prefer a magnum revolver of at t least 44 caliber , if charged by a bear,
as I doubt youll have time to get off more than two or three shots maximum

but theres been several recent bear charge incidents where a 10mm certainly worked out.
 
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Yes, chances for most folks to have an adverse encounter with a bear are remote, unless you are a guide in bear country. While he did not use use a pencil, ala John Wick, Phil Shoemaker used his 9mm with success. I have met Phil and he is a cool customer.

https://www.wideopenspaces.com/alaska-man-kills-charging-brown-bear-with-a-9mm-pistol/

for bear defensive use extra deep penetration is a huge advantage ,
so hard cast gas check and full metal jacket bullets are prefered
 
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keep in mind, that if you prefer a semi auto with a large capacity magazine,
the glock pistols in 10 mm have a 15 shot capacity and 30 shot glock mags are available,

https://gunmagwarehouse.com/sgm-tactical-glock-20-10mm-30-round-extended-magazine.html
a hard cast gas check bullet weight near 200 grains will provide both reasonably deep penetration
(mandatory for good results)(as is decent shot placement)..
and if you want reasonable velocity in a 10mm hand gun like a glock model 20 or 40
you'll need to hand load ammo in most cases, if you want to keep cost reasonable,
as commercial 10mm heavy bullet ammo can easily cost $1.00 a cartridge

a really cheap price if they can prevent a mauling and your being dismembered
obviously a 6" aftermarket 10mm barrel designed to use cast bullets helps :like:
with both better accuracy and added velocity for deeper penetration,
when using hard cast bullets that don't expand much but penetrate deeply in most cases if loaded properly
img_20180621_181026-jpg.517634

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/10mm-aftermarket-barrels.9379/

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=40-215G

https://www.accuratemolds.com/bullet_detail.php?bullet=40-225LG

https://www.lonewolfdist.com/PRODUCT/920324/aw-20l10/alphawolf-barrel-for-m-20l-40-10mm-6-



https://www.sagesoutdoors.com/40-bss-caliber-caliber-gator-gas-checks/
as always do the math and test your reloads,
for accuracy and flawless function,:rolleyes::rolleyes:

if you graph out velocity vs bullet weight and test penetration,
and calculate energy potentially delivered to the target,
you want something in the 180 grain-220 grain weight range


https://noebulletmolds.com/site/shop/401/403-198-wfn-y1/403-198-wfn-y1-4-cavity-gc/

commercial ammo
https://www.underwoodammo.com/10mm-auto-220-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose.html

https://doubletapammo.com/products/10mm-230gr-hardcast-solid-a-20rds
 
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9mm--4 cases, all successfully stopped the attacks.
.357 Mag--3 cases. 2 were successful, 1 was not.
.40 caliber--3 cases. All were successful.
10mm--1 cases. It was successful.
41 Mag--2 cases. Both were successful.
44 Mag--12 cases. All were successful.
45 caliber--4 cases. All were successful.
45 Super Pistol--1 case. It was successful.
454 Casull--1 case. It was successful.
 
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watch all videos,
interesting example of the huge difference a change in projectile type cam make in performance






 
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if you shoot a 44 mag or DAN WESSON 445 hard cast gas check 300-310 grain bullets pushed by 21 grains of h110 in a 44 mag,
or 29 grains of h110 in a dan wesson do a decent job on penetration and accuracy.
obviously shot placements critical to getting good rapid lethality, but heavy 44 caliber hard cast bullets are very effective,
keep in mind shots will be at very close range under stressful conditions


 
over several decades I've, used revolvers and pistols, generally with revolvers, 6"-10" barrel length,
and pistols shorter 4"-5" barrels
Ive used a 357 mag, 45 ACP , 10mm, 41 mag, 44 mag, 454 cassul, 445 DWSM and 500 S&W mag ,
now Ill grant you I rarely try shots over 70-80 yards and while that might be a limitation in many guys minds I can say ,
that generally as the bullet mass and energy increased with cartridge choice so did the effective and immediate noticeable results,
and generally depth of projectile penetration, a 41 mag and larger works very well on deer, a 44 mag is marginal, but still 100% lethal on elk.
I found the 445 DWSM and 44 mag work on everything, and the 500 mag is exceptionally effective,
but of course its heavy, loud , expensive and has to much recoil to be easy to use for many people
even a 45 acp, or 357 mag will kill deer and hogs,
but as always shot placement and a knowledge of game anatomy,is critical to getting fast results.
don't be surprised if game runs, after bullet impact, that does not indicate a bad hit,
handguns don't always drop game in their tracks very often, but they are lethal.
shot placement is critical to getting good results
 
with the test ammo used,
4.6"=1307 FPS, while with identical ammo the 6" version showed a 1387=FPS average or it gained 80 FPS with the added length
with a 10mm, your dealing with about 700-750 ft lbs of energy, certainly lethal if shots are precise to the vitals but its no 44 mag or 500 mag.





a 440-510 grain hard cast in the 500 mag,
can provide impressive and consistent results
but the larger diam of the 500 provides more shock effect on game,
simply due to its larger surface area destroyed.
Id also point out that you really don't need this power level,
but it never hurts, to use the most power you control well, if you have access and required skills
a good shot using a 44 mag with 310 grain hard cast bullets,
can shoot through an elk and have the bullets exit,
after destroying the games vitals. roughly 1350 ft lbs of muzzle energy
the dan wesson 445 super mag with a 10" barrel easily adds 200 fps velocity over a typical 44 mag

revolver
44 caliber
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com

Double Cavity Mold C430-310-RF

Double Cavity Mold C430-310-RF by LEE RELOADING PRODUCTS430 Grain 310 Grain Round with Flat Requires Gas Check handles and sprue plate are included with mold
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com


50 caliber


www.midsouthshooterssupply.com

Double Cavity Mold C501-440-RF

Double Cavity Mold C501-440-RF by LEE RELOADING PRODUCTS.501 Diameter 440 Grain Round with Flat Requires Gas Check Handles and sprue plate are included with mold. Produces a .501 diameter 440 grain round nose bullet suitable for a cartridge like 500 S&W.
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com
www.midsouthshooterssupply.com

https://www.midwayusa.com/product/2...um-501-diameter-440-grain-flat-nose-gas-check
S&W5007.5.jpg


gaschecknm1.png


gascheckmn3.png


006-90991.jpg


just a bit of info on these lee "440 grain" 500 S&W bullet molds ,
with the gas check and lube on these cast bullets,
at least using my 95% WW alloy and 5% tin, mix,
the projectiles actually weigh about 470 grains
they are quite accurate (WITH THE GAS CHECKS)
http://www.sagesoutdoors.com/500-s-w-caliber-gator-gas-checks
the best load for accuracy, after a great deal of testing.. 22 grains of blue dot
Its certainly not a max load
but its very accurate and it certainly hammers hogs

if you want a good 500 S&W plinking load that same lee 440 grain cast bullet over 12 grains of unique powder is at about 1000 fps

17708-DEFAULT-l.jpg





its a very good idea to NEVER LET YOURSELFE BE CAUGHT UNARMED EVEN FOR A MINUTE ...IN BEAR COUNTRY
and keeping your loaded rifle or magnum handgun in easy reach at all times makes a great deal of sense!
higher power levels are great but accurate shot placement under stress is critical to success
 
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rapidly expanding bullets like hollow points that are good for human opponents , and light game like deer,
would fail miserably in a bear defense gun
lacking near the mandatory required penetration
 
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Have been giving some thought to a semi-auto in 10mm versus my usual woods carry gun, Ruger Blackhawk in .45 Colt, hard cast 300’s. I don’t practice enough and my daily carry arms are semi-autos. I will be giving up a bunch in power, but believe my hit percentage could experience a quantum leap in a bear defense situation.
 
When you get close to one of these larger bears, any pistol most likely seems inadequate!
Id strongly you use a 44 mag with hard cast 280-310 grain bullets as a MINIMUM power level,
yeah a 357 mag or 10mm might work under ideal conditions,
but your cutting it too close with near zero safety margin
considering that under high stress, and on a rapidly charging angry bear, your accuracy tends to suffer
D8EE5386-E23F-4183-8C62-3DED5410091F.jpeg
 
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yes, most pistols ARE rather anemic , while I consider the 10mm near ideal for human predators, its not my first choice for hunting or bear protection, yes it works in skilled hands.
but I've shot and own both a 445 DWSM and a 500 S&W, rather frequently over the last few years.
and, in the years past, with proper hard cast handloads,
I've shot completely through an elks chest , with just a 44 mag, using a hard cast 310 grain lee bullet over 21 grains of h110 in a 10" barrel S&W revolver
both those handguns (445 DWSM and a 500 S&W) are considerably, more powerful handguns,

thus I have with the newer magnums a considerable increase in power/penetration ,
over the 44 mag 10" barrel ' revolver that hunted with for decades,
as it throws a 310 grain bullet at about 1379 fps (according to my now non-functional chronograph)

so I have no doubt they would prove perfectly adequate with good shot placement
the 445 dwsm throws a 330 grain hard cast at 1500 fps,(1640 ft lbs)
the 480 ruger easily throws a 400 grain cast bullet to 1400 fps,(1740 ft lbs)

the 500 mag throws a 480 grain at 1450 fps easily, (2240 ft lbs)
WHILE all three easily out perform a 44 mag ,
as it throws a 310 grain bullet at about 1379 fps (1300 ft lbs)
the 44 mag with proper loads listed and proper shot placement has repeatedly proven,
its up the the job on elk at ranges up to about 100 yards, in the hands of a decent shot!

a 454 casull, throws a 360 grain hard cast bullet at 1500 fps for (1800 ft lbs}

both shoot through a rather amazing amount of that ballistic Jello in videos, both easily shoot though more than 60 inches
yes a 10mm glock has a 15 shot capacity, but the ballistics look like
a 200 grain bullet at 1250 fps has about 700 ft lbs of muzzle energy

ruger makes a good quality revolver, but selecting a single action for close range defense has some Obvious potential flaws

1A809CBF-6631-44EA-AF60-7EF672B15EF7.jpeg




https://www.midwayusa.com/product/1010200848?pid=266944
https://www.midsouthshooterssupply.c.../006-90991.jpg

http://www.sagesoutdoors.com/500-s-w...tor-gas-checks
the best hunting load I found so far in my 500 mag revolver is the lee hard cast gas check bullet listed as weighting 440 grains,
but after lube and gas check are added they weight about 478 grains cast from 95% WW alloy and 5% pure tin.
is 22 grains of BLUE DOT POWDER, I have not chrono graphed them , but they are very consistent and accurate in my 7.5" revolver
and Ive yet to recover a projectile Ive shot hogs with.(even out at 60 plus yards)

480 ruger revolver
1685655955327.jpeg


006-90991.jpg


just a bit of info on these lee "440 grain" 500 S&W bullet molds ,
with the gas check and lube on these cast bullets,
at least using my 95% WW alloy and 5% tin, mix,
the projectiles actually weigh about 470 grains
they are quite accurate (WITH THE GAS CHECKS)
http://www.sagesoutdoors.com/500-s-w-caliber-gator-gas-checks
the best load for accuracy, after a great deal of testing.. 22 grains of blue dot
Its certainly not a max load
but its very accurate and it certainly hammers hogs

if you want a good 500 S&W plinking load that same lee 440 grain cast bullet over 12 grains of unique powder is at about 1000 fps

17708-DEFAULT-l.jpg



http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=50 AE&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Source=

http://www.handloads.com/loaddata/default.asp?Caliber=500 SqqqW Magnum&Weight=All&type=Handgun&Order=Powder&Source=


http://garage.grumpysperformance.co...ing-a-handgun-for-hunting-hogs-deer-elk.1864/

17708-DEFAULT-l.jpg

hardcastonly is online now
Report Post IP
as the video shows the 500 mag punched through 17 boards,with hard cast bullets
and the 450 marlin punched about 20 thus either firearm has plenty of penetration


1678320441745.jpeg
 
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Yes, hunting with the handgun is a whole different proposition when you are given enough time. I took a guy out around 1990 for a brown bear and he took one, although not a large one, with his Contender in .375 JDJ using the Hornady 270 SP. He hit it twice through the chest whilst it was on the move from a rest on a sand dune, game over.
 





\ I have many friends that carry a 10mm pistol for their carry handgun, choice and for personal defense.
While I think the 10mm in several pistol designs,
makes a decent choice if two legged predators are the most likely opponent you'll encounter,
if your talking BEARS, I suggest a heavy caliber revolver, in a minimum of 44 mag,
but a 480 ruger , 460 S&W OR 500 S&W has advantages,
YET, many people think the high capacity 10mm with 10-17 cartridge capacity,
has a big advantage,
I've shot enough hogs and deer with my 10mm pistols to know they are 100% lethal when the shooter does his part placing shots correctly , but they have been very obviously not hitting nearly as hard as my 44 mag, 445 DWSM or 500 S&W revolvers
I think its very dubious (use of a 10mm handgun when your life's on the line)
simply because if charged ,
your very unlikely to have the TIME to get off more than 2-4 shots,

before your at bayonet ranges, thus the hits you make in that 2-5 seconds,
you might have had, had better work to stop that bear charge,
and ideally kill the bear, breaking bone and punching deeply through the vitals from any angle.
thus my personal preference for a properly loaded 445 DWSM or the 500 S&W revolvers,
if facing a charging bear.:like: either revolver sure sounds like a better option than a 10mm glock with a 200 grain bullet and maybe 650 ft lbs of muzzle energy, even if you have a 14 shot magazine in the glock vs a 5-6 shot revolver.

either option can push a hard cast bullet to near 1500 FPS or more

something like this 320 grain hard cast gas check bullet over a stiff load of H110 in my 10" 445 DWSM
roughly 1600 ft lbs of muzzle energy


img_3929%20(large).jpg_thumbnail0.jpg

or something like one of these bullets in the 7.5" barrel S&W 500 mag revolver over a stiff load of a matching powder

roughly 2350 ft lbs of muzzle energy,
BUT ITS NOT MUZZLE ENERGY, ALONE that's critical,
BUT DEEP AND DEPENDABLE STRAIT LINE THROUGH BONE AND
MUSCLE PENETRATION,

YOU MUST CONSISTENTLY PUNCH THRU THE VITAL ORGANS AND BONE STRUCTURES THAT MATTERS
(AND IDEALLY EXIT SO
THERE'S LOTS OF BLOOD LOSS.)


this is where the heavy bullets in THE <MAGNUM REVOLVERS IN 44,45 and 50 calibers excel



H22021-L256804554_original.jpg

 
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power alone is not the answer,
it takes a knowledge of the animals anatomy,
deep penetration, proper bullet selection and accurate shot placement
that's why cartridges like the 44 mag up to the 500 mag, loaded with a 300grain-500 grain hard cast bullet

are required for the best and more consistent results, and ID suggest you use and extensively practice with a 6"-10" barrel prefered, in my opinion, shorter barrels are easier to pack & holster but most people won't get as good of consistent accuracy, keep in mind that holster must be easy to reach, fast to draw from and if your charged, you will only have a few seconds to place a couple of shots or maybe only one accurate shot.at a very rapidly closing bear.

the 44 mag silhouette with adjustable front site and 10 5/8" barrel is what I carried on most hunts, loaded with the LEE 310 grain hard cast bullet over 21 grains of H110 powder use 95% WW alloy and 5% pure tin by weight, and drop hot bullets out of the mold in a 5-7 gallon bucket of cold water size and lube .430-.431 ( check your 44 mags bore diam.) practice and find the best results and accuracy
006-90858.jpg

(I know from personal experience it will shoot through an elks chest at 50 yards and exit , with that bullet and load, providing a lethal one shot kill)
hard cast gas check bullets of heavy for caliber design and pushed to the upper safe pressure limits,
can almost always provide that deep penetration consistently, you can't wait for an attacking bear to bleed out
you need to bust bone, shred muscle and destroy organs, and break him down rapidly and reliably
[IMG]

YES IT REQUIRES a shoulder holster to use comfortably
[IMG]

I recently read a story about a guide who died from a bear attack,
with a fully loaded magazine in a 9mm handgun in his hand,he was bitten and torn apart, then partly eaten,
a guide who died from a bear attack, who did not have a chance to chamber a cartridge after he drew his handgun.
obviously I did not know all the details, but failing to even chamber a cartridge or get off a single shot,

seems like he was either very un-observant or well prepared.
while a 9mm is not ideal it beats having to resort too, fists and trying to kick a bear!
even a couple 9mm bullet impacts may have changed the bears meal plans.
this is one of many good examples showing why a large magazine capacity is not much of an advantage
compared to a larger bore revolver, you'll rarely get the opportunity to make more than a couple shots at very close range, and the damage done must be extensive to stop a bear before he reaches you, and
(revolvers don't require you remember to chamber a
cartridge before use!
(double action revolvers obviously have merits/advantages)
 
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