Bear Gun Shootout: 10mm vs .44 Mag.

[Three44s]

She knew what she was doing and I'd guess it wasn't the first bear she shot in the side of the head. You can drop 200 lb feeder pigs in a similar way but its from the top of the head with pigs.

Nerves of steel though, I'd have no problem doing what she says.

Well, that’s the trick!

At the last second, just jump to the side and stuff a twenty two slug in the side of a charging bear.

Best regards

Three44s

[MT Gianni]

I am still wondering if their next comparison is going to be a Kia and an F350.

[jonp]

IDK but a big bear is not something I'd rely on a handgun for. That said, I'll take more 10mm rounds loaded as hot as the gun will take so I can empty everything and pray. Pull the trigger faster more times and hope for the best.

[Radarsonwheels]

My only experience with bears is reading all of Elmer Keith’s books about guiding grizzly hunts. He definitely had plenty of experience. The most memorable story was a large sow that his customer gutshot, which was tearing it’s own loops of spilling guts in a 35mph attempt to kill the poor marksman Keith was protecting.

The takeaway from all his writing at least for me was that in the case of big angry bears the only reasonable option is to score devastating hits to it’s skeleton with full house hardcast. I would be seriously considering the S&W 500 unless I had miles & miles to lug it, with a 6” 44 a close second!

[Three44s]

If you can lug a S&W 500 then more power to ya!

At some point though a handgun that nearly out weighs a small framed larger bore levergun or sufficient shotgun is more advisable IMO.

My largest handgun is a Ruger SRH in 480. It’s definitely much more portable compared to a full size 500 Smith!

Three44s

[sixshot]

Used a Ruger SRH to take my Idaho bull moose, my Dentist buddy used my custom Alan Harton 480 bisley to take an even bigger Idaho bull moose. Two moose with 2 shots & 4 holes, 2 in & 2 out! No bear is going to stop a good 480 bullet from any angle.

Dick

[Three44s]

Used a Ruger SRH to take my Idaho bull moose, my Dentist buddy used my custom Alan Harton 480 bisley to take an even bigger Idaho bull moose. Two moose with 2 shots & 4 holes, 2 in & 2 out! No bear is going to stop a good 480 bullet from any angle.

Dick

Yes, my molds both throw almost an ounce of lead per cavity. At 1100 or 1200 FPS you ain’t gonna stop them babies easily!

Three44s

[Messy bear]

Still like Dicks Africa story. It’s good stuff
I have seen and been in on lots of bison killing. Just did a couple this last week. I can tell you that 22 in right place is effective if they don’t get too old. But seeing many that didn’t go down in corral as well as hunting situations has left me with a very strong conviction that bigger is always better. For instance when the brain is missed, the larger calibers will sometimes still put them down. Have a few skulls that tell that story. Then in the hunting senerio the bigger stuff always wins

[Messy bear]

In fact in hunting situations it seems no sane caliber can “knock” one down unless it’s hit in cns. That includes many 458 and even a few 505’s. You just can’t knock em off their feet without a cns

[Messy bear]

Having said all this I still see the thought process about shooting something easier to manage. Cause if you don’t practice and get familiar with firearm, well we all know the outcome of that.
So always bring a gun to the fight cause it’s better than a knife or fists

[ironhead7544]

Probably best to carry both. The 10mm in a chest holster and a snubby big bore on your belt. IF you get a chance to use the 10mm and it fails, you can use the snubby to push against the bear on top of you.

That is why the Ruger Alaskan was designed. Last resort.

JMHO.

[Tripplebeards]

And the S&W 329NG

[Idaho45guy]

Read the OP and had a pretty fair guess what 90% of the posts would be like. I was not disappointed.

I'll stick with my 10mms, two of which were used in the test.

[thadfz]

And this is why I don’t spend my money on pop culture gun rags anymore…

Wow, a 329 is what a “hunter” gets to carry?? Give me a break Snow…


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[Idaho45guy]

And this is why I don’t spend my money on pop culture gun rags anymore…

Wow, a 329 is what a “hunter” gets to carry?? Give me a break Snow…


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yep. Stupid choice for the .44 Magnum to compare. Should have used a 4" or 5.5" Redhawk or 2.5" Alaskan.

[sixshot]

Good discussion without a lot of nonsense! I've always been a revolver guy & a big revolver with big, heavy bullets doesn't need to be abusive to give you lots of penetration & controlability. I also have a Kimber Eclipse 10mm & it is a very nice gun & with a 200 gr WFN bullet that I make it would be very comforting in bear country with a mag full & one in the pipe.
The problem I've always wondered about after being in on many, many bears is, how anyone would get off very many shots with anything if a bear charged at close quarters because they are so dang fast! We've never been charged but we've been extremely close to a lot of bears & it can be a little nerve wracking sometimes.
This is our 26th or 27th bear, all spot & stalk, taken by my 14 year old grandson 3 days ago. His younger brother missed one in a bad wind. It's a nice big boar with a large head & great fur!

Dick

[Tripplebeards]

I have to say I really like my S&W 329NG. I can drill pop cans pretty quick at 30 yards with it. I can tell you getting off a quick second shot isn’t going to happen if needed. It takes a second or two to recover from the recoil with full throttle loads. I put a little over 600 rounds through it in a week last summer. About 250 or a little more in each session. Just make sure to wear gloves or you’ll have bleeding knuckles from the trigger guard biting them.

Here my NG next to my my anaconda



I picked up a glock 20 a few weeks ago. It’s a tac driver right out of the box! I can tell you I would have 3 or 4 rounds in a bear’s kisser with the Glock 20 before I’d get a 2nd shot of with the 329NG.

[white eagle]

Hey Dick whats that white stuff?
Rite now, where I am, it's 85° with 66% humidity
why get the bear madder at you by shooting it in the kisser
I've carried a Dan Wesson Razorback in Idaho as a back up on a elk hunt
only because I didn't have a 44 mag at the time

[sixshot]

White Eagle, we've been getting snow about every other day right here at my house! One day I see lots of Rock Chucks & the next day they are down all day snoozing!
Grandson Porter made a great shot on that bear at 302 yds, one shot. His 12 yr old brother Branson had chances at 2 other bears before they had to leave but the winds were really bad up high & his dad thought the shot was too risky, Branson didn't think so......... one bear was at 310 yds & the other was about 350 yds, my son said both were bigger than the bear in the photo, a Cinnamon phase & a big chocolate phase bear.
Dick