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Handguns for Bear Defense: Will Any of Them Stop the Threat?

When I did my all day hike up on the ID/MT state-line backcountry ~2 weeks ago I carried my 12 ga Super Shockwave with slugs and 00 Buck, & my 10mm SA XDM Compact in a chest pack.

The area is known to have an occasional griz come thru, plus there's cats up there.
 
nothing that a well aimed .44 mag with proper ammo won't deal with. That being said, these years I'll go with .454 Casull or, if out in the deep high country, a .500 mag. Quicker to bring onto target and the .500 has similar specs to several .30 rifles at close range with the high end loads.
 
A hot-loaded 12 ga slug is better than a 44 mag.

Hot-loaded factory 12-gauge Brenneke ammunition typically refers to the Brenneke Black Magic Magnum, one of the heaviest and most powerful commercial slug options available for large or dangerous game.

Black Magic® Magnum

www.brennekeusa.com www.brennekeusa.com

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Key Specifications
  • Shell Length: 3-inch Magnum
  • Slug Weight: 1 3/8 ounces (602 grains)
  • Muzzle Velocity: 1,502 feet per second (fps)
  • Muzzle Energy: 3,014 foot-pounds (ft-lbs)
  • Special Features: Includes a black CleanSpeed® barrel-fouling reduction coating and a patented B.E.T.® wad system for stable flight.
Safety and Usage Considerations
  • Recoil: Generates severe felt recoil; recommended for use with sturdy shotguns equipped with a good recoil pad.
1785805457190.png

  • Choke Compatibility: Best used with cylinder bore or improved cylinder chokes.
  • Shotgun Condition: Safe only in modern, structurally sound 12-gauge shotguns chambered for 3-inch shells.
 
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Talyn said:
A hot-loaded 12 ga slug is better than a 44 mag.

Hot-loaded factory 12-gauge Brenneke ammunition typically refers to the Brenneke Black Magic Magnum, one of the heaviest and most powerful commercial slug options available for large or dangerous game.

Black Magic® Magnum

www.brennekeusa.com www.brennekeusa.com

View attachment 115772
Key Specifications
  • Shell Length: 3-inch Magnum
  • Slug Weight: 1 3/8 ounces (602 grains)
  • Muzzle Velocity: 1,502 feet per second (fps)
  • Muzzle Energy: 3,014 foot-pounds (ft-lbs)
  • Special Features: Includes a black CleanSpeed® barrel-fouling reduction coating and a patented B.E.T.® wad system for stable flight.
Safety and Usage Considerations
  • Recoil: Generates severe felt recoil; recommended for use with sturdy shotguns equipped with a good recoil pad.
View attachment 115773
  • Choke Compatibility: Best used with cylinder bore or improved cylinder chokes.
  • Shotgun Condition: Safe only in modern, structurally sound 12-gauge shotguns chambered for 3-inch shells.
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I do have two .45/70's...an 1873 Trapdoor, and Shiloh's 1874 Sharp's. My speed on reloading is poor...very poor, and could be fatal.
 
Tacoma236 said:
My biggest fear when doing ......... is more the 2 legged predators than the fuzzy ones.
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A true statement on its face .

That said , a couple decades ago reached my personal conclusion that l could better deal with clandestine pot growers or meth cookers with a .44 or .45 , than deal with Yogi with a .38 or 9mn .
 
Biggfoot44 said:
Only a small step , to name check the 250gr & up cast .45 Colt @ 900 fps .
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what I would use in the .45 LC is my (underwood) +P lead FNGC of 325 gr @ 1325 fps, rated around 1267 FPE which is a stout .44 mag equivalent. They are good quality and penetrate deep while providing punch. YMMV
 
trader said:
what I would use in the .45 LC is my (underwood) +P lead FNGC of 325 gr @ 1325 fps, rated around 1267 FPE which is a stout .44 mag equivalent. They are good quality and penetrate deep while providing punch. YMMV
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That would work!

Personally, I’d not want a heavy recoiling revolver to take on a bear that might want to eat me for lunch. I’d prefer something controllable under rapid fire, and for me, that balance point is around 1200fps, giving me ample penetration, shooter comfort and trajectory.
 
Anchorite said:
That would work!

Personally, I’d not want a heavy recoiling revolver to take on a bear that might want to eat me for lunch. I’d prefer something controllable under rapid fire, and for me, that balance point is around 1200fps, giving me ample penetration, shooter comfort and trajectory.
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I'm with you 100% on that. Deep penetration and getting back on target with a firearm that's more controllable is critical.
 
MontanaThom said:
I'm with you 100% on that. Deep penetration and getting back on target with a firearm that's more controllable is critical.
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Yep at my old age I can still get my old Long Colt to bark three times before the target reaches me.IMO what you are comfortable with and accurate with that's the choice you should make. Different strokes for different folks, could be that's why there are so many choices.
 
MontanaThom said:
I'm with you 100% on that. Deep penetration and getting back on target with a firearm that's more controllable is critical.
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(checks notes)
Yeah, a hit from either a 10 or a 45 (anything) is going to hurt and leave a mark.

I prefer a larger frontal area, and .451 bullets have more frontal area than either 10mm or .44 mag. I have loaded 275 grain bullets in .45 ACP, and 45 Super, at usable velocities, but tend to favor 255 grains in either RNFP, LFN-GC, or WFN-GC in the 45 ACP for a semi-auto.

I shot my first 10mm, a Colt Delta Elite, when one of my college roommates bought one. That was around 1992. I have been shooting them periodically since then, although I do not own one. I just prefer the 45ACP in a 1911 platform, and I have personally found the .45 to be a far more reliable platform with a different recoil impulse than the 10mm.

Bottom line is, either is a useful tool, it comes down to the application and more importantly, load selection.

One of my good friends who is a big 10mm fan likes to say, "No one says she's a "perfect 45."
He ain't all wrong!
 
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