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Thread: 45-410 judge for bear protection

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    45-410 judge for bear protection

    I just got off the phone with friend with gold fever traveling through Western states doing some panning and dredging, right now in South Dakota with next planned stop in Wyoming. He was saying he's very concerned about brown bears and is bent on getting a Judge that shoots 45 colt and 410 for protection.
    Is that good enough protection with factory loads?
    I was thinking 44 mag to be sure but I'm no expert and the only place Ive ever seen a brown bear was on TV.

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    He would be much better off with a 12-ga. pump shotgun.

    The Judge is a sub-par performer in .45 Colt and a poor performer in .410.

    He would be better off carrying a rucksack full of Crispy-Creme doughnuts to throw at and distract the bear and then run away.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
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  3. #3
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    I know a 50 AE works

  4. #4
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    Texas by God's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Conditor22 View Post
    ↑↑↑↑↑↑↑↑

    I know a 50 AE works
    Yes, but the 12 gauge is lighter weight!
    Ditto on Outpost's opinion of the Judge. I know nothing about bears but I do know about 12 gauge.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

  5. #5
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    Chad5005's Avatar
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    if he bought a raging bull judge it would be a little better 45-454-.410

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
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    Really? A Judge? LOL!

    Your friend should buy some bear spray. He'll probably just end up hurting himself with a gun.

  7. #7
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    The judge will be just fine, wait till the bear swallows you then shoot him in the heart as you go by.
    grit yer teeth an pull the trigger

  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    tell him to file the sights off, so it wont hurt when the bear puts in the wrong place

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master Outpost75's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Texas by God View Post
    Yes, but the 12 gauge is lighter weight!
    Ditto on Outpost's opinion of the Judge. I know nothing about bears but I do know about 12 gauge.

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

    I can tell you from experience that the Crispy Creme doughnuts work.

    We used to trap nuisance bears to tag, put radio collars on and relocate them to the most remote part of the state. If they returned they would be shot. Doughnut waste from the Crispy-Creme bakery, especially the raw yeast dough, worked better than anything else, but fried apple pie and cinnamon rolls all goobered up with honey, molasses, Hershey's or maple syrup was also good if you had a washtub full or more.
    The ENEMY is listening.
    HE wants to know what YOU know.
    Keep it to yourself.

  10. #10
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    Brown Bears live in Alaska, Black bears in most of the US and Canada. If I was committed to using a Judge, I would use 410 shot and hope to blind the bear until I could get to a real gun. I would truthfully look for a Ruger in 45 or a 44 Mag. A home defense 12 gauge set up would work better. If he is making any noise at all the bears will leave long before he arrives. If he is being quiet and panning areas known to contain gold they are probably claimed and he is in far more danger than from a bear.
    [The Montana Gianni] Front sight and squeeze

  11. #11
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    Grizzlies are actually a subspecies of brown bear and they do range in the U.S., the grizzly bear can be found in Alaska, Montana, Washington, Wyoming, and a few in Idaho. The population of grizzly bears in North America is around 55,000 with 31,000 of those in Alaska alone. Approximately 21,000 are in Canada and anywhere from 1200-1500 in the lower 48 states. The majority of the bears in the lower states are in Montana and Wyoming with a few pockets in Idaho and Washington.

    https://whatstates.org/what-states-d...bears-live-in/

    Some actual usage here: https://www.ammoland.com/2020/03/upd...#axzz6UNdIcto1
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  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    I would go with almost anything but the judge! I played around with buying one after shooting skeet with one . Yes on a regulation field, worked fine on baseline, even doubles. Ok on 2 and 6, 3,4,and5 there was not enough pattern density to break, only an occasional chip. I borrowed that gun one day to try 45 colts. Would barely hold a cylinder in a washtub! Nope, don’t want one. For bear, 12 ha 870 with round ball loads.
    “You don’t practice until you get it right. You practice until you can’t get it wrong.” Jason Elam, All-Pro kicker, Denver Broncos

  13. #13
    Boolit Master Wag's Avatar
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    Judge is far too underpowered. A .44 magnum is about the minimum......

    --Wag--
    "Great genius will always encounter fierce opposition from mediocre minds." --Albert Einstein.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Outpost75 View Post
    I can tell you from experience that the Crispy Creme doughnuts work.

    We used to trap nuisance bears to tag, put radio collars on and relocate them to the most remote part of the state. If they returned they would be shot. Doughnut waste from the Crispy-Creme bakery, especially the raw yeast dough, worked better than anything else, but fried apple pie and cinnamon rolls all goobered up with honey, molasses, Hershey's or maple syrup was also good if you had a washtub full or more.
    I don't know about bears but I know one balding fat boolit caster that you could trap with that concoction.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    The Judge is great, for stopping a carjacking. Bears of either species, not so much. Look for the posting about handguns for bear, maybe in the hunting forum. Read the linked information.
    Last edited by Norske; 08-08-2020 at 02:12 PM.

  16. #16
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    I can think of darn few handguns less suited for the role of "bear protection" than the Judge or Governor. Inaccurate, under-performing, unsuited for use with the Ruger-only 45 Colt loads that would have some utility, there is nothing to recommend either of these guns for this purpose. My own thoughts are that other choices are far superior.

    Because I assume that while prospecting, my hands are going to be full of other stuff or doing other things, a rifle or shotgun would not be constantly available. Murphy says that the one time you need it it will be resting against a stump some place out of reach. Therefore, I'd want a handgun that I could carry with me continuously, even while busy with my pan or pick.

    The least powerful handgun that I would consider for defense against a 600 lb bear is a 4 inch 357 loaded to the gills with a 170-180 grain bullet. But, I would be much happier with a 44 magnum of at least 4 inch barrel length. Of the guns I currently own, I'd carry either my Taurus 44 mag tracker or my Ruger Redhawk 44 mag, loaded with stout hardcast 240-260 grain loads.

    Given that I now live in Virginia and have about the same chance of seeing a Grizzly as I do an honest Chicago politician this merely hypothetical, but in years gone by, I did carry my Redhawk while fly fishing in Idaho. It rode in a cross-draw holster, ostensibly accessible to either hand.
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  17. #17
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    The ideal bear defense handgun is one that can be deployed and fired quickly and fairly accurately and deliver enough energy to penetrate into vital organs. For larger Browns and Grizzlies, a short-barreled revolver in .454 Casull, hot .45 Colt, or 44 Magnum with hard cast boolits is ideal.

    Most black bears in the West are smaller than ones in the East and less aggressive. The average size of a black bear in Idaho is under 200lbs. I carry a Glock 29 in 10mm with 4.5" KKM barrel and fiber optic sights. I usually have an X-Grip adapter so I can utilize the Glock 20 15-round magazines loaded with 200 grain hard cast boolits. It will take care of any 4-legged or 2-legged threat I encounter in the woods. It will be on my hip in a military-issue flap holster tomorrow when I go camping in the Idaho wilderness.

    There was a guy on another forum who just last month was at a neighborhood barbecue when an injured and angry black bear burst from the bushes and attacked the neighbor's black lab. (black on black crime is a real problem...)

    The guy drew his 9mm semi-auto loaded with handloaded 124gr Hornady XTPs and shot the bear at 25 yards, stopping the attack, then followed up with a head shot at 15 yards, killing the bear instantly.

    It worked wonderfully, despite common knowledge that a 9mm is "just going to anger a bear". Uh, nope.
    "Luck don't live out here. Wolves don't kill the unlucky deer; they kill the weak ones..." Jeremy Renner in Wind River

  18. #18
    Boolit Master
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    We've been told by locals in our northwestern travels (from Libby, MT all the way to Denali National Park) that black bears are very aggressive when they share their space with grizzlies. We were warned not expect a "Minnesota bear experience" with blacks that have to compete.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Thumbcocker View Post
    I don't know about bears but I know one balding fat boolit caster that you could trap with that concoction.

    I thought the same thing ! If he set that up around here he would get sick of shooing me and my grandkids out of his trap

  20. #20
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    I have a Judge, it rides in the center console of the truck.
    I would not consider it for Bear protection, especially with Buckshot loads.
    Have your buddy get a 454 or 480.

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