Defensive Bear load for .44 Magnum

[Garand]

I have a Chiappa "Alaskan" lever action in .44 Magnum, with a 12" barrel (non restricted in Canada) and I'm looking for a defensive load for when I go camping. Currently I have a supply of Oregon Laser cast bullets, 300 grain TC BB along with both 2400 & IMR 4227. My research so far tells me I need to get at least 1,300 fps for bear defense loads. Any suggestions?

[fcvan]

I looked for loads tested in a 4" revolver, those will be a might faster from the longer barrel. I don't know the strength of the Chiappa action, but I imagine it would be strong enough. Lyman #49 lists 'Contender Only' loads, and compares 10" and 14" barrel lengths. Although the Contender not pressure tested, the same loads below were pressure tested for a 4" for much lower velocities.

The listed load for IMR 4227 (I like that powder) with a 300 gr boolit, starting at 16.5 gr for 10" at 1117 fps, 1185 fps from the 14" barrel. Max load was 19 gr was 1299 from the 10", 1356 fps from the 14" barrel. These same loads were pressure tested for the 4" barrel.

2400 has similar numbers, starting at 14 gr for 1110 fps from 10', 1188 fps from the 14" barrel. Max was 18 gr for 1229 fps from 10", 1299 fps from the 14" barrel. The 2400 loads for the 4" were lower, 15.7 gr, with much higher pressure than the 4227 loads above.

As with anything, start low and work your way up to the desired result. I'm pretty sure your short barreled rifle with be a handful!

[Three44s]

2400 is actually a fairly quick powder for a 300 gr slug in a 44 Mag gun.

4227 may be about ideal for a 12” barrel but in my revolver length hand guns, H110 is about tops.

Three44s

[megasupermagnum]

Does this one have the fast twist rate? If so, then it won't much matter, as they should shoot good at most velocities. If it has the 1:38" twist, then you will need all the speed you can get.

[bmortell]

me im hesitant to give you any kind of data advice because it looks like that design has a lot of the lead in the case taking up volume. which you kinda need to cycle in a lever well. id try to look for published data on a another 300gr that is seated relatively the same depth and go from there. if someone's making a 300gr load that fills up the cylinder in a super blackhawk for example would be able to have a decently higher charge and not be comparable.

[AlaskaMike]

You might look at Alliant 300MP or Accurate #11FS. Those are fairly new powders that seem to give better velocities than H110/296 at the same pressure. Data from both Alliant and Accurate are available online.

[knifemaker]

This load recipe for 4227 is from the Hodgdon reloading site that you can access from your computer.

18 gr. 4227-1318 fps, 30,600 psi Max is 20 gr. 4227 at 1452 fps and 38,600 psi.
This was for a 44 mag rifle with a 20 inch barrel.

[Ozark mike]

Case of 296 under a lee310

[reloader28]

I like 2400. Who cares what the twist is. If its a bear defense load as with people defense load it will be within 20yds. Even a bad shooting load will hit a bear.

As long as you have a 300+gr running 1100+ it will penatrate nose to tail of a bear

[Tripplebeards]

What ever you can shoot the most accurate and able to get several shots off as quick as possible will work. Just keep shooting the gun till it’s empty or the bear drops. The only way your going to stop a charging bear on its tracks is to hit it in the spine or brain. Just keep pulling the trigger till either one gets hit. Use what you have, load up, and go camping. The odds of having to use your load and gun to defend yourself on a bear will be about the same as getting hit by lightning. You still want to have your bases covered. I just pack my S&W 329NG 44 mag. The report of my pistol will scare a bear off even if I miss.

[Norske]

My SBH revolvers are very accurate with the Lee 310 gr cast bullet over 16gr 2400. It doesn't work in my Marlin 1894 because of the rifle's slow twist.

[derek45]

LEE 310

Note the 45ACP brass for size compatison :-)

https://i.imgur.com/RxHcPw0.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/AO4Ukfu.jpg

Loaded long, to make room for more magnum powder.

https://i.imgur.com/NBhDtC1.jpg

[white eagle]

Case of 296 under a lee310

Copy that
works well with Lee and Accurate Molds boolits
accurate as well in my 5.5"revo

[Garand]

thanks all for the advice.

[Tripplebeards]

Loaded long, to make room for more magnum powder.

https://i.imgur.com/NBhDtC1.jpg[/QUOTE]


I load mine long in my new vaquero. IMO It aids in accuracy.

https://i.imgur.com/kgiiOTi.jpg

[Pirate69]

I am having good luck with 20.5 grains of H110 behind a Lee 310 grain cast in a Marlin 1894. Stability holds to about 75 yards max; groups open up by 100 yards. Pressure running about 24,000 psi at approximately 1,400 fps. My 50 yard woods deer rifle.

[Hardcast]

Tripplebeards, what PC is that? Powder by the Pound has a fuchsia listed. Is this it?

[megasupermagnum]

I am having good luck with 20.5 grains of H110 behind a Lee 310 grain cast in a Marlin 1894. Stability holds to about 75 yards max; groups open up by 100 yards. Pressure running about 24,000 psi at approximately 1,400 fps. My 50 yard woods deer rifle.

Have you tried faster? My accuracy load was 21.5 gr H110 in my Redhawk. I tried higher, and they seem to shoot great, but I'm not man enough to do them real justice. Even if I don't flinch, I begin to tense my grip sooner or later.

[Three44s]

Both my Super Redhawk and Redhawk liked/likes 21.5 gr best as well.

(The SRH got traded for a SRH in 480)

Three44s

[Gray Fox]

It might be that the Super Redhawk has a twist rate more conducive to that velocity than the rifle does. GF

[Tripplebeards]

Tripplebeards, what PC is that? Powder by the Pound has a fuchsia listed. Is this it?

Smokes traffic purple.

[Tripplebeards]

Here’s the same traffic purple with a little black and blue mixed in. I was trying to get it to look like plum crazy purple like the old muscle cars. Didn’t get there yet. My pops likes purple and wanted purple boolits for his 35 Rem and New Vaquero so this is what I have colored up for him so far. He likes them.

https://i.imgur.com/twfMJCG.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/ed00HOU.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/bGUbXaL.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/fqZwck4.jpg


And traffic purple pure...

https://i.imgur.com/mxBhbqj.jpg



I even made hime a gangster necklace and matching keychain for Father’s Day. He wears the gold necklace all the time but his key chain doesn’t get much action.

https://i.imgur.com/xs6ITB4.jpg


I used a couple cracked neck casings and drilled out the primer pocket holes a little to help thread in an eyelet in the primer hole and JB welded them in place. They both turned our pretty nice but the necklace is the show piece. I have to polish the brass up with a little mothers now and then because he likes to handle them a lot.

He wants me to make him some colt 45’s next.

[.429&H110]

My wife wanted a rug and a necklace so four seasons we went looking for a grizz. Was like Martha Stewart goes bear hunting. Wife has her savage 30-06 me my marlin 450. She has her SBH me my SRH. She taught me to shoot.
All the bears we saw were running for their life. If you want bear protection, bring my wife. They see a Swede, they're gone.

Arctic Gunworks taught me, and he might be right, shoot a piece of spruce firewood endwise. Neat way to split firewood. If a hardcast will penetrate two feet of spruce, will likely do two feet of bear. Bears are tougher than firewood? Doubtful. My carry round was 270 grain loaded by the book chronographed at 1700 fps. I didn't think a Ruger would do that. Nasty to shoot.
Was also taught there are four bears:
One bear is eating blueberries lalala
30-06 behind the shoulder, dead.
You can see them a mile away,
and they see you, they don't care.
Old rubbed pelt, worn teeth.
Two bear is on a gut pile defending it
You can't kill it before it kills you.
Maybe Chuck Norris can. You can't.
Three bear is the one we were looking for
Three year old, like a bear teenager, not too smart,
beat up by the old man kicked out of the house hungry. Beautiful coat. Perfect teeth. Has never seen a Swede. He assumes we are dinner. You have 10 seconds, front midline, chin to belly. You do have to see him first, or you're dinner.
Four bear is a sow with cubs
You can't shoot her, and she probably? won't hurt you, she is just doing her mother thing. We saw a few. She will stop for bear spray, or a harsh word from a Swede, and isn't legal anyway.

You have to be the predator in their bush.
I would like to know how many bears we walked by. Oh no! a Swede! She's got a gun!! Hide hide hide! Shhh!quiet! Maybe she'll go away... Alaskan resident can take two in the Susitna and the bears know it... Good luck getting home smelling like blood. Never did get one...

Beware the brute that tore up the cabin every spring. In the roof, out the front, just shredded it every year. By the tracks, he lived there. We came to visit, he left. We left, he came back. Kind of a timeshare. I am sure he saw us, but we never saw him. Apex predator, lives on salmon, moose, caribou, and blueberries.

Just bring a Swede. Bears are afraid of Swedes.
Rightfully so. Professional courtesy.

[Hardcast]

Smokes traffic purple.

Thanks much.

[Lloyd Smale]

Ive shot a ton of animals with 45 colts and the 300 grain rcbs swcgc and a lbt 320 lfngc. Now unless your talking brown bear which i dont have a bit of experience with ill say this. Going from 1100 fps to 1300 fps buys you exactly nothing but recoil. Ive never seen were 200fps shocks an animal or kills it any quicker. With cast bullets its all about shot placement and penetration. In many cases 1100 fps with a heavy cast will out penetrate 13-1500 fps loads. If you want to use your 2400 try about 17 grains with a 300. Find a load that gives you the best accuracy and dont worry about velocity. Ive killed black bear, pigs, and deer with 45 colts using 255s at 900 fps and they did just fine. Ive killed bison with 300s at 1100 and to be honest never saw much of a difference between 44 mags and 45 colts loaded like that then the ones ive shot with the 475 and 500 linebaughs.

[rbuck351]

What Lloyd said. For some reason, penetration doesn't increase with cast fn boolits after around 1100 fps and may actually drop.