What is the best bear gun?

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Thumbcocker

Blackhawk
Joined
Aug 8, 2010
Messages
696
Location
Sounthern Illinois
I can't think of any Ruger that would be a good gun for bears. How is a bear supposed to work a slide, cock a hammer, cycle a bolt, or drop a lever? then there is the whole issue of grip geometry, loading, holsters or slings. I just don't think bears have any business with any type of gun. : )
 

badge851

Single-Sixer
Joined
Aug 17, 2017
Messages
240
Location
Olympia, WA 98502
Pal Val said:
Opened the string fearing the often-repeated messages. Not this time. Good! The popcorn is gone and the beer is getting warm, so my message needs to be short:

The best gun for bear is the strongest handgun you feel comfortable shooting under extreme pressure.

That's it for me.
I wholeheartedly agree. For me, it is a Ruger® New Model Blackhawk® 4⅝" barrel 41 Remington® Magnum. I load it with these...
https://www.underwoodammo.com/collections/handgun-ammo/products/41-remington-magnum-265-grain-lead-wide-long-nose-gas-check?variant=18786989998137
 

mohavesam

Hawkeye
Joined
Jan 4, 2004
Messages
5,847
Location
Rugerville, AZ
*sigh* - I think the forum needs a "best bear defense handgun" sticky... or maybe just a whole new section dedicated to bear defense.

:roll: :roll: :roll: :lol:
 

grobin

Blackhawk
Joined
Mar 8, 2016
Messages
846
I'm afraid that a bare bear defence thread would be unbearable :lol:
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
9,810
Location
Woodbury, Tn
My father was a DI in WWll, and taught me AIMED Fire. Fast forward to my time in LE where they taught "speed rock", which is draw and fire from the side of your chest-unaimed essentially for that really close encounter. You should not use the " speed rock" if you are using a ported gun. I really enjoyed the Marksmanship Matters article, it basically re-enforced my thoughts on the subject.
gramps
 

jasper661

Bearcat
Joined
Apr 6, 2017
Messages
45
I live in the mountains of Eastern Oregon, every summer I have a number (12 last summer) of bears here on my property, I get on well with the bears, but occasionally have problem bears that need to be dealt with. Over the years I have killed bears with .45 Colt, Ruger Blackhawk, and with the .45 Redhawk, my GP100 .357 and just a couple of days ago with my Ruger 9mm.

My first handgun bear in Alaska was with a series 70 Colt .45ACP loaded with 240 gr. SWC bullets. Almost any handgun of .35 cal or better will work, as long as you can place the shot, use FMJ or hard cast bullets and stand your ground, if you run from a bear he will catch you and it will not be pleasant.
 

RSIno1

Hunter
Joined
Sep 17, 2013
Messages
2,858
Location
Southern California
They tout the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan as a backup gun for bears. I don't want a charging bear close enough I can accurately hit him with a 2 1/2" barreled handgun.
Have your son take a friend along........
 

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vlavalle

Single-Sixer
Joined
Apr 10, 2022
Messages
261
Location
Chandler, AZ
Ruger Blackhawk 45 Colt or Glock 20 or 40 10mm with proper loads.
The 10mm is a joke if you are talking about big bears, and your life is on the line. The 10mm max's out in power at 728 ft. lbs. (Buffalo Bore and Grizzly) and 749 (Underwood). This is quite low in the revolver world. For instance, the .357 max's out at 907 ft. lbs, the .41 Mag at 1,074 (Buffalo Bore0, the .44 Mag at 1,544 (Buffalo Bore), and the .45 LC at 1,344 (Buffalo Bore) (and at this .45LC power level, you need to have a Ruger or BFR). All of these have substantially more power than the 10mm. So, if your life depends on it, do you really think that the weakest of all of these is the best? And if you are thinking that having a much bigger magazine makes up for the power difference, when you are being attack by a big bear charging at 35-40 MPH, you will have only a few seconds to fire, and maybe that would come to only 3-5 shots at most! Any for you loyal pistol owners out there, you can shoot a revolver just as fast as a semi-auto pistol, especially double action revolvers. With single action revolvers, like with the old Western style guns, you can fan these to get rounds off very quickly as well, as you see in a lot of westerns.
 

RSIno1

Hunter
Joined
Sep 17, 2013
Messages
2,858
Location
Southern California
Somewhere I saw a M1 garand converted to .458 seems good to me.
You could go with an AR pistol in 458 SoCom - really bulky to carry though. At the muzzle, the 458 SOCOM bullet delivers a whopping 2,243 ft-lbs of kinetic energy
The S&W Governor could have the cylinder rebored to take 45-70 but I don't know about strength.
After pondering this whole idea I think the .500 S&W in a 3" would win the bear argument. Being a Performance Center gun they aren't cheap but we are talking life v death here. https://www.smith-wesson.com/product/x-frame-11623
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
9,810
Location
Woodbury, Tn
The 10mm is a joke if you are talking about big bears, and your life is on the line. The 10mm max's out in power at 728 ft. lbs. (Buffalo Bore and Grizzly) and 749 (Underwood). This is quite low in the revolver world. For instance, the .357 max's out at 907 ft. lbs, the .41 Mag at 1,074 (Buffalo Bore0, the .44 Mag at 1,544 (Buffalo Bore), and the .45 LC at 1,344 (Buffalo Bore) (and at this .45LC power level, you need to have a Ruger or BFR). All of these have substantially more power than the 10mm. So, if your life depends on it, do you really think that the weakest of all of these is the best? And if you are thinking that having a much bigger magazine makes up for the power difference, when you are being attack by a big bear charging at 35-40 MPH, you will have only a few seconds to fire, and maybe that would come to only 3-5 shots at most! Any for you loyal pistol owners out there, you can shoot a revolver just as fast as a semi-auto pistol, especially double action revolvers. With single action revolvers, like with the old Western style guns, you can fan these to get rounds off very quickly as well, as you see in a lot of westerns.
Ssshh, don't tell the Inupiat's. The 10mm is what I saw them packing around the Arctic Ocean, and around Kotzebue. It isn't the power of the cartridge, as is the proper PLACEMENT of said projectile.
gramps
 
Joined
Dec 5, 2011
Messages
524
Location
FL
Honestly, I'd rather have a high-capacity ultra-reliable polymer with Double Tap 10mm than any of my single-action revolvers as a backup to a rifle.
 

3manfan

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 18, 2018
Messages
309
If I will be in 'Bear territory' it's my 1895 45-70 with 405 grn JFP's over 50 grns of 3031.
Not willing to trust a handgun on dispatching a pissed off wood chipper that's running towards me.
 

Cal30 1906

Single-Sixer
Joined
Feb 2, 2023
Messages
254
Location
Elko Nevada
For me personally nothing less than a. 357 mag and from there I carry a 44 mag with cast bullets or my 45 Colt Redhawk loaded with 315 grain cast @1200 fps. I also have a 454 Casull but don't carry it much.
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
9,810
Location
Woodbury, Tn
When I was in Kotzebue, and Barrow, Alaska, I carried a 4.2" barreled Redhawk .44 magnum stuffed with 310 gr LFN over 19 gr H110. I shot it at the target range in Barrow. Never needed it for Bear.
gramps
 

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