Cool Hand Luke 22:36
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Would a SP101 in .357 be adequate for backcountry Alaska or would search teams later find it in a pile of Bear scat along with a recently digested hiker?
.357 for Grizzly Bear?
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P95Carry
Moderator Emeritus
As ever - some gun better than no gun ... and I am not an experienced bear hunter. But - I would feel quite seriously undergunned.
From choice, a minimum of a 4" in .44 mag .. or in a stout frame a strong 45LC. Shot placement is still gonna be a major issue.
From choice, a minimum of a 4" in .44 mag .. or in a stout frame a strong 45LC. Shot placement is still gonna be a major issue.
rock jock
Member
Grizzlies have a very thick mat of bristly fur, a thick layer of skin, and a fat layer beneath that. In order to do anything except piss them off, you would have to get past all of that and be lucky enough to hit an organ that would incapacitate them quickly. We're basically talking a heart shot. You hit a bone somewhere along the way, forget it. The other option is a head shot and I understand they have very thick skulls. You would be better off with a .22 so you can just kneecap a companion and run for the hills.
spacemanspiff
Senior Member
i think the grizzly would thank you for the thoughtful gift of a .357 magnum. though you may want to include a belt and holster as well, in case the bear doesnt have one of those tracking collars around its neck to tuck it under.
The replies to this should be interesting. I recently read somewhere that a .357 in a long gun approaches or exceeds the MV of a 30-30, with approximately the same bullet weight. There's also a recent article on this forum about a hiker in AK who killed a grizzly with a .44 mag-but barely.
Given the above, I don't think a short barrel .357 would be adequate.
Given the above, I don't think a short barrel .357 would be adequate.
Cool Hand Luke 22:36
member
Thanks, that's the funniest thing I have read on THR for a long while.
If I make it to Alaska next summer, I am thinking of a backup for my 18.5" Mossberg in case it jams, which it has with crappy shotshells, so whatever I go to in the event that the Mossberg fails is going to have to work at close range.
I guess I need a .44 magnum of some kind.
Jim Watson
Member
The only ".357" I would want for bear is the one they used to call the .350 G&H - .375 H&H necked down a bit.
Bigjake
Member
I have just the thing... 45-70 out of a revolver should level the playing field for ya.
Shootcraps
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This is another thread that won't die. IMHO, the minimum for bear is .44Magnum.
IMHO, the minimum for bear is .44Magnum.pcf
Member
If your planning on carrying a firearm to stop a bear, you have completed the first step to getting mauled.
Ways to avoid bears
1. Talk to Local Officials prior to setting off.
2. Avoid areas with recent bear activity.
3. Avoid food sources for bears.
4. Know what signs of bear activity are.
5. Make plenty of noise. (bear bells)
6. Travel in large groups (4 or more)
7. Keep your campsite clean, and food and garbage properly stored.
8. If you see a bear, STAY AWAY, and always make sure the bear has an escape route.
9. Know what to do during a bear attack.
10. STAY VIGILANT
Ways to avoid bears
1. Talk to Local Officials prior to setting off.
2. Avoid areas with recent bear activity.
3. Avoid food sources for bears.
4. Know what signs of bear activity are.
5. Make plenty of noise. (bear bells)
6. Travel in large groups (4 or more)
7. Keep your campsite clean, and food and garbage properly stored.
8. If you see a bear, STAY AWAY, and always make sure the bear has an escape route.
9. Know what to do during a bear attack.
10. STAY VIGILANT
steveno
Member
on whatever handgun you choose you see if you can have a welder attach a bayonet lug on the front of it. then find the longest bayonet at a gunshow and mount it. this would give you a little extra working distance with the handgun as you will need it if you are going to rely on it for protection against bears
back-up for bear? hmm goto wildwestguns.com and look at there custom Ruger .454 (Wolverine)..kinda ticked about the name...was gonna name a holster that and they beat me to it!!...That would be something that MIGHT drop a griz...I second the .22 for kneecapping...
IIRC Ruger is making a factory version of that gun, I dont know the price, but it would be better than a .357mag and wishful thinking..
IIRC Ruger is making a factory version of that gun, I dont know the price, but it would be better than a .357mag and wishful thinking..
spacemanspiff
Senior Member
you'd be better off hooting and hollering and raising holy hell than dangling a couple of bells off your mosquito net. a bears natural instinct does not equate bells with humans.
Cosmoline
Member
I humped a Super Redhawk around for a few months, but after awhile it started getting left at home. Now that I'm living right smack in the middle of brown bear country along the Susitna, I find I prefer the combination of a carbine or slug gun with plenty of knock-down power and an accurate, reliable sidearm that will ALWAYS be on me. I've settled for a .357 Magnum duty revolver as the sidearm. Last summer it was a Security Six, next summer it will be my new Model 13. With 180 or 200 grain hardcasts, you have more than enough power to penetrate through a brown bear's head and chest.
It's a backup firearm, of course. For use only in emergencies. The main defensive firearm should be a rifle or slug gun. Last summer I used a very well-worn Mossberg 500A. This next summer I'm switching to a Mosin-Nagant M-38 with 200 grain slugs. The key is to keep the firearms cheap, portable, and reliable. Power is not as important as having firearms you will have on your person as second nature. The .375 H&H back home is useless to you.
It's a backup firearm, of course. For use only in emergencies. The main defensive firearm should be a rifle or slug gun. Last summer I used a very well-worn Mossberg 500A. This next summer I'm switching to a Mosin-Nagant M-38 with 200 grain slugs. The key is to keep the firearms cheap, portable, and reliable. Power is not as important as having firearms you will have on your person as second nature. The .375 H&H back home is useless to you.
.357 for grizzlies
Only .357 incident that I know of was one I saw on TV. It was spectacular. A conservation officer of some sort was releasing a trapped griz from a trap after relocation. He was on top of the trap and opened the sliding end door. Bear promptly left the cage, climbed on top, and commenced to chew on the conservation guy. He was armed with a .357 revolver and managed to kill the grizzly. It was not a huge bear, but he did manage to save himself. Film was shot from some distance away, so I can't comment on location of hits. One other incident that I recall reading about was from one of Elmer Keith's books. He recounted that one of his hunting buddies killed a grizzly with a 9mm Luger.
Now I won't advocate either as a bear gun, but as stated, any gun is better than no gun. I have gone into bear country armed with a .45, and with .357 on that basis. Both times, the guns were the most powerful that I owned, and were for last resort occasions. Never happened thank goodness. I imagine that there have been people that found those calibers inadequate on occasion too. Nowadays, if I were to go, I would be armed with a .44 magnum at a minimum since I have one. That might prove to be inadequate also, but not as likely. Best not to engage a grizzly bear with any handgun caliber IMO.
Only .357 incident that I know of was one I saw on TV. It was spectacular. A conservation officer of some sort was releasing a trapped griz from a trap after relocation. He was on top of the trap and opened the sliding end door. Bear promptly left the cage, climbed on top, and commenced to chew on the conservation guy. He was armed with a .357 revolver and managed to kill the grizzly. It was not a huge bear, but he did manage to save himself. Film was shot from some distance away, so I can't comment on location of hits. One other incident that I recall reading about was from one of Elmer Keith's books. He recounted that one of his hunting buddies killed a grizzly with a 9mm Luger.
Now I won't advocate either as a bear gun, but as stated, any gun is better than no gun. I have gone into bear country armed with a .45, and with .357 on that basis. Both times, the guns were the most powerful that I owned, and were for last resort occasions. Never happened thank goodness. I imagine that there have been people that found those calibers inadequate on occasion too. Nowadays, if I were to go, I would be armed with a .44 magnum at a minimum since I have one. That might prove to be inadequate also, but not as likely. Best not to engage a grizzly bear with any handgun caliber IMO.Preacherman
Member
Using something like the Buffalo Bore 180gr. hard-cast round (see here for more info), I'd regard the .357 Magnum as the absolute minimum defensive handgun for bear. One could conceivably shoot through the skull, or through heavy bone, with this load, and still get decent penetration. However, I think it's less than optimum: even though it's a stomper load in .357, its 783 fpe (at the muzzle) is a lot less than the 1189 fpe available in BB's .44 Magnum 305gr. load (see here). That's 50% more energy in the .44 Magnum load, and the .44 is not considered optimal for grizzly defence by any means!
mtnbkr
Member
I gotta agree with Preacherman. I'm a 357mag fan and I handload it hot and heavy but wouldn't consider it for brown bear protection (I do carry it for Black Bear, but they're small around here). That said, if I had several months to save my money and prepare, I'd be shopping for a 454casull. Ruger's new Alaskan Guide looks perfect for the task and isn't too expensive.
Chris
Chris
happy old sailor
Member
handguns/bigbears. no way. i hear, dont know, that many bears are ambushers and charge at close quarters. .458 winmag/500 gr. sounds about right to me. ppl have survived bear attacks and killed them with a handgun, but, do you want to take a chance? my mama didnt raise a fool that would gamble his life. in my going on eight decades, i have shot many critters that did not drop immediatly. thankfully, none of these were particularly dangerous. i shot a jack rabbit thru n thru with a .38 spec. he ran ten feet before piling up. examination showed that it was a near perfect heart/lung shot. i have no answer, but, it is impossible to forget. and, i'm not putting my eggs in a handgun basket against a monstrous critter with claws that would turn me into bologna. JMHO, of course.
Marshall
Member
I wouldn't head into Grizz country with only a .357 Mag. I would be finding a 454 Casull and stoke it heavy or take a .45-70 or a .500 S&W. Minimum would be a .45 Colt with Heavy Mags. If a Grizz charges you, your going to look at any handgun and mentally go, oh sh*t! But those three calibers will penetrate well and would give a Grizz a bad day. So, take the baddest with you or, have a back country trapper style big bore rifle, preferably the latter.
But those three calibers will penetrate well and would give a Grizz a bad day. So, take the baddest with you or, have a back country trapper style big bore rifle, preferably the latter.
Gordon
Member
just don't put those deadly 110 grain or 125 grain or the uber deadly hydrofragmenting nuclear shock rounds in it! Although the hard castBuffalo bore 180 and nasty Corbon 200grain loads look good, I'd stick to Winchester 180 grain Nosler Partition loads to be sure of busting the skull!
.357 would IMO be MARGINAL on a small Black Bear.
And, that would be assuming a 6" or greater barrel. An SP 101 with 2.25" - 3.08" barrel would probably just irritate a Black Bear.
On a Grizzley, this round IMO is no where even close to being marginal. Even a .44 magnum isn't a good choice against a Grizzley.
And, that would be assuming a 6" or greater barrel. An SP 101 with 2.25" - 3.08" barrel would probably just irritate a Black Bear.
On a Grizzley, this round IMO is no where even close to being marginal. Even a .44 magnum isn't a good choice against a Grizzley.
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