44 Special for Grizzly?

We ain't had this discussion in a while

CraigC, whatcha say?

How many grizzlies do you have in TX?

I ain't CraigC...but I am me...and I say NO. The 44 special has no bigger fan than me...but it ain't a dangerous game round.

By the same token, I don't think the 44mag or 45colt are dangerous game rounds, either...although, they would be more effective than the special due to heavier bullet weight that they will stabilize.

I agree with Jim Luke entirely. I would not feel properly armed with anything less than a hot, heavy bullet .454 Casull or equivalent.

Different story, but might fit in here.

Live in "burbs" where although not city,not country either ,1/2 to one acre properties.

{This was a dozen years ago....lol}

Local biker "GROUP" lived 2 properties away.
They decided livestock was a good idea...and goats,and chickens,and pea hens,etc....lol
Built a "barn" fenced off the yard, cattle showed up..

FEMALE cattle...bread for meat....not milk,not friendly, are those COWS?

They had 5 of them,got loose 2 times,bikers asked for my help rounding them up.

EVER BEEN CHARGED BY FREED,YET SCARED CATTLE, was not fun...
Bikers paid me for my efforts with their chicken eggs....

YUP trashed those eggs....lol

Getting to the point.....They bought a BREEDING BULL!!!
Every time I walked in my back yard... That BULL made F.U. sounds.....HATE in it's eyes.


It never got loose,,but this post reminded me ......
Screw a Grizzly...that bull, my .44 magnum was far from enough!
My Military shotgun...with 00 buckshot and Foster slugs would not save my ass!!!
WELL, maybe the shotgun would, but only cause a ton of trees to hide behind while shooting and STAINING MY PANTS!

"44 Special for Grizzly?"

Have you NOT watched the Grizzly scene in "The Revenant" YET.... :lol:

More people die from worrying about bear attacks then bear attacks!

Good point about the Revenant grizzly scene. The best movie attack scene so far, partly due to computer enhancement. But still fell a bit short of the real thing. In real life an actual attack is lightening fast and the victim almost always has his scalp ripped loose from the first bite on the head, including the real Hugh Glass who did as well.

The point is, once the bear makes contact, there's no possible chance of shooting it or defending against it any longer. The shot has to be a killing shot and be delivered while the bear is still several feet away. Even a killing shot will not prevent serious injury, only after that bear stops moving are you safe. Many have been mauled or killed by a "dead" bear that still reached them before going down.

So the issue is not just a load or caliber that can kill the bear, a .22 can do that. The issue is a cartridge that will kill the bear and STOP the bear ASAP and before it gets to you!

A grizzly bear can cover 100 feet in 3 seconds! Think about that the next time you try to see how many accurate shots you can get off on a moving target in 3 seconds with a heavy recoiling revolver. Recognize that when you're within a 100 feet of a charging grizzly, you are clearly in its killing zone. That's a lot different than the 21 feet killing zone rule for a human attacker that law enforcement are trained for!

My first choice will always be bear spray with a firearm back up. Start spraying if the bear is within 100 feet, but start shooting if already in full charge at 100 feet. Or both if you have someone with you!

Several times in this forum and others I have asked people who have actually survived a grizzly charge to explain to the rest of us what weapon they used. Surprisingly, no one has ever responded, which strikes me as odd since, given the frequency of the "what gun" discussion, grizzly charges must be going on every day in at least 38 states...

pisgah said:

Several times in this forum and others I have asked people who have actually survived a grizzly charge to explain to the rest of us what weapon they used. Surprisingly, no one has ever responded, which strikes me as odd since, given the frequency of the "what gun" discussion, grizzly charges must be going on every day in at least 38 states...

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You haven't "asked people who have actually survived a grizzly charge...", you have only asked forum members and shouldn't expect much more than opinions on forums. So you're especially not likely to get actual grizzly charge experiences on a specifically Ruger forum. And the frequency of discussions and opinions have no relationship to frequency of occurrences or experiences.

If you want facts, you need to go to the sources and read the non-fiction books. Then you too can learn about hundreds of documented attacks. Not many opinions in forums are based on those.

No grizzly's here in SE PA but I do see the occasional Black Bear, their pretty docile and skittish so I don't fear them as much as I respect them...but I do wonder if the .357 I have with me will be enough. Just don't get between mom and the little ones and they generally ignore you.

Imho, anything smaller than an RPG is a gamble with Grizz, Alaska Browns, & Polar bears. :wink:

Captain America said:

No grizzly's here in SE PA but I do see the occasional Black Bear, their pretty docile and skittish so I don't fear them as much as I respect them...but I do wonder if the .357 I have with me will be enough. Just don't get between mom and the little ones and they generally ignore you.

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If you see bears, you should have bear spray in addition to your 357 magnum. The 357 will probably work in your case with black bear, but you still may get hurt. And if you don't get hurt it'll go even worse for you. Because then you have no actual proof you were in peril. The hurt you experience will be financially in court, even if you win the case.

GunnyGene said:

Imho, anything smaller than an RPG is a gamble with Grizz, Alaska Browns, & Polar bears. :wink:

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LOL But that's not that far from the truth. It's a gamble at best.

I don't think a Griz could manipulate the hammer on a .44 special or charge the cylinder.

Hondo44 said:

GunnyGene said:

Imho, anything smaller than an RPG is a gamble with Grizz, Alaska Browns, & Polar bears. :wink:

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LOL But that's not that far from the truth. It's a gamble at best.

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Back in the mid 50's my late father and a couple of his buddies (Navy) went hunting polar bear during a ice breaker trip up north. They had 30-06 rifles. Took 6 rounds to stop the bear which ended up about 20 feet from them. All of the shots were in what we'd call the "vitals". Bears is tough critters. :shock:

Thumbcocker said:

I don't think a Griz could manipulate the hammer on a .44 special or charge the cylinder.

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NIce! :lol: :lol: :lol:

Hondo44 said:

pisgah said:

Several times in this forum and others I have asked people who have actually survived a grizzly charge to explain to the rest of us what weapon they used. Surprisingly, no one has ever responded, which strikes me as odd since, given the frequency of the "what gun" discussion, grizzly charges must be going on every day in at least 38 states...

Click to expand...

You haven't "asked people who have actually survived a grizzly charge...", you have only asked forum members and shouldn't expect much more than opinions on forums. So you're especially not likely to get actual grizzly charge experiences on a specifically Ruger forum. And the frequency of discussions and opinions have no relationship to frequency of occurrences or experiences.

If you want facts, you need to go to the sources and read the non-fiction books. Then you too can learn about hundreds of documented attacks. Not many opinions in forums are based on those.

Click to expand...

You make my point nicely, Hondo. Whenever this subject comes up, there are many who come forward with "expert" advice that is worth what you're paying for it -- nothing.

First of all, while grizzly attacks do happen they are quite rare, even in griz country. Second, those who venture opinions on what gun is best for such an encounter might as well be giving advice on how to converse with invading Venusians -- they haven't a clue.

If you are in bear country and feel the need to have a gun, go with what you have, but always behave in a manner that is appropriate in the presence of bears and the odds of needing that gun become vanishingly small, whatever it is

Actually, the question is so vague as to be useless:

What Bear? 350 lb inland griz sow,
450 lb inland boar==
600+ Coastal sow
700-900 Coastal boar
~1000 lb Kodiak (or other island brownie)
Pisgah and Hondo are right on.
What 44 spl?
Hot loaded in a 44 mag Super?
Factory loads in a BullDog
Colt SAA?
Super heavy load in a Blackhawk?

What bullet?
Hardcast, wide meplat"
Solid bronze?

Where I live Inland griz are present but very rare. i carry a custom Reeder 454 or a OM Blackhawk in 45 (wide meplat, 325gr @ ~ 1200-1300). However, my primary defense is Counter Assault!

Read the Lewis and Clark diaries if you want a good description of a grizzly bear encounter. They had 54 calibers if I recall correctly.

I'm guessing this guy reached his target heart rate while on this ride, listen for the gunshots at the end...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eK0pO79YkvY