Handgun for black bear

[tatters]

One of my co-workers will be hunting where there are black bears. What caliber and please recommend a revolver. I say revolver because he's not really a handgun guy.

 

[SamW]

As big as he can shoot accurately and quickly!

I'll go to the grave with my S&W 629 in 44mag w/ a full underlug.

 

[Cygnus]

I thought this was going to be about the righ to arm bears!

On a serious note I thought you should/could not hunt bears with a handgun.

I worked with some guys from Alaska and they said you should file the front sight off so it goes in smoother when the bear gets mad and puts it where the sun dont shine!
But maybe they were talking Grizzly's and Brown Bear???

 

[Shadow]

I agree with SamW,,,a 44 mag ,would be the best. While guilding for High Landing camps in Maine ,this was the caliber that we carried.

 

[SamW]

I thought this was going to be about the righ to arm bears!

On a serious note I thought you should/could not hunt bears with a handgun.

I worked with some guys from Alaska and they said you should file the front sight off so it goes in smoother when the bear gets mad and puts it where the sun dont shine!
But maybe they were talking Grizzly's and Brown Bear???

It sounds as though he is not specifically hunting bear, but that he runs the risk of running into a fuzzy tooth'er on his deer, elk, whatever hunt.

A .44 mag with a 5'7" bbl in a cross-the-chest holster works great. On the belt works as well as long as you have a GOOD weight suspending belt. I prefer the chest rig when I hunt WITH my pistol, as it's easy to grab and branches won't snag on it.

ETA: I like the 300gr. XTP's for killing scary stuff.

 

[nighthawk80]

I do believe S&W had a series of revolvers for that type of situation.
Product: Model S&W 500 Revolver - 4"

 

[rmcrob]

 

[tyler34]

I would say the MINIMUM would be .44 mag. he should just get this.

S&W M629ES 44M 3" EMER SURV Stainless for Sale at Buds Gun Shop $832.00

 

[RelicHound]

a 44mag would be about perfect...if he is not a handgun guy as you say then a 500 S&W may be a little much for him to handle{would be my choice though}
chances are he will want..if not need to put more than 1 round in the bear to put it down and a 44mag is easy enough to handle he can do it with no problem Im sure.

 

[henktermaat]

I'd think it would need a big grip and need to have a large trigger guard for those large paws.

 

[glockednlocked]

I love my 454 And in my 5in ported taurus its not bad to shoot even heavy loads

 

[david j]

I do believe S&W had a series of revolvers for that type of situation.
Product: Model S&W 500 Revolver - 4"

Even better...

Bear Attack Survival Kit Survival Digest

 

[gglass]

Would this be used for Yogi or Boo Boo?

.454 Casull for Yogi
.44 Magnum for Boo Boo

 

[dubsac]

My buddy lives in alaska and he has told me that the 454 is a popular cal. for people heading out in the woods either hiking or moose hunting to fend off those kodiak bears. There actually sold at there local Walmart.

 

[one more]

As big as he can shoot accurately and quickly!

I would say the MINIMUM would be .44 mag.

tatters, I would say everybody is giving you good advise here. But that is why we are here to give and get.

Do you have a local range your friend can go to? maybe some of our fellow shooters will have something in 44 or larger with a DA trigger that he can try? You two can also tell them about , because they need to be here too! Hope a range trip will be a good start for this hunting trip. Good luck and have fun!


one more

 

[eirish2001]

How about this?Airborne Combat Engineer: The Thunder .50 BMG handgun

 

[ChalupaCabras]

 

[buzzard pickins]

Also as important as the caliber, is the round itself. Check out BuffaloBore or Grizzlie,or Hornaday dangerouse game loads. Practice so you know felt recoil,and muzzle flop. A charging bail of black bear fur is not the time to worry about penatration issues...so to speak.

 

[Jack Ryan]

A 44 mag, a pair of track shoes and a big fat slow buddy.

If I really thought the odds were better than 1 in 10 I'd be having it out with a bear on a lonely trail when I left the house, I'd take a 12 gauge loaded with Federal 1 1/4 ounce super slugs.

 

[seamusalaska]

.44 is popular. A slug 12 gauge is better. Marlin 45-70 is good. If it has to be a revolver, go .41, .44 or larger. There have been blacks taken with .357 but I wouldn't try it. He should read up on bear anatomy. Seriously. Also he should read up on what bullets to use. "Alaska Bear Tales" is a good book to start with.