45 ACP on Brown Bear.????

[rustyshackleford]

Hi peezy with ball.

Alaska Man Shoots, Kills Aggressive Bear with Hi-Point Pistol | OutdoorHub

Jim Landess and his 17-year-old son woke early on the morning of July 7 to the sound of a brown bear attempting to break into their home in Sterling, Alaska. According to the Peninsula Clarion, Landess looked outside his window and found a nine-foot bear knocking on the walls of his home...

www.outdoorhub.com

 

[Pacecount]

watched recent videos on charging bear..... he used a 10mm....
wondered if anyone uses or has had or experience with a 45 acp for self protection...???

I carry a S&W 44 with bear load (300 GR cast bullet).

The only reason I carry it is so when they find my half eaten corpse they will see I died with a gun in my hand.

 

[Fatcatbuster]

Been there with a 44 mag. I wounded a Maine Black Bear and he turned on us. Two scared bow hunters with pistols about 20 feet away. The taxidermist laughed at all the holes. If I do it again it would be with a 12 guage

 

[59FLH]

Loaded to the same pressure as a 10mm in a modern hand gun, I think the 45acp performance would be superior in all regards except mag capacity and maybe recoil. I have never loaded a 45ACP to 37,500 psi, so just say'n.

 

[camperjo1]

My two buddies and I had to kill a cat last year that came in to camp and would not leave using 10 mm. I was not too impressed with the animal taking a couple shots to the body and running off not knowing if he was hit or not. We ended up finding him about 60 yards from camp waiting on us behind a log. One of us managed a spine shot that put him down and finished him with a head shot. Not sure on how many times he was hit but it was too many to feel confident on a charging bear.

Critical info is what ammo was used?

 

[rustyshackleford]

Been there with a 44 mag. I wounded a Maine Black Bear and he turned on us. Two scared bow hunters with pistols about 20 feet away. The taxidermist laughed at all the holes. If I do it again it would be with a 12 guage

You still hunt them with a bow?

 

[Papa762]

I used to pack a Glock 21 with heavier spring and guide rod installed to shoot the Buffalo bore 45 Super hard cast loads. Ballistics are pretty impressive on it. I now pack a 10mm just for the additional magazine capacity

Works well on human bears! 45ACP is my favorite recreational and defensive caliber. 10mm hot loads in a 1911 for hunting, but not much for bear.

 

[Ninering62]

watched recent videos on charging bear..... he used a 10mm....
wondered if anyone uses or has had or experience with a 45 acp for self protection...???

I've always been a huge fan of the .45 ACP for personal defense against humans, but for bears I'd 100% go with the 10mm

 

[Bill Peet]

The idea of a hand gun against a large brown bear is scary, and I dont
care what you have. You have to be close for most pistol rounds to do
any good and you have to have nerves of steel. Your heart rate will be
sky high and trying to aim a joke! I know people that carry a 10mm using
hard cast bullets , They carry that because of its power and high compacity
mag. The idea is to shoot and hit it enough times it turns away from you .
You might get lucky and hit a eye . The bullets will do damage and the bear
might die but you might get to walk away.

 

[Allen Lone wolf]

I carry a Dan Wesson RZ10 and I recommend Underwood AMMO although I do own several 45's they are not my first choice in bear country. I have also carried a 44mag.

 

[Revolting Peasant]

There is an Alaskan story out there somewhere about a jobsite, a Thompson .45, and a charging bear.

 

[Coyote Shadow Tracker]

And were they charging extra for that .45 since it had reportedly killed a big Brown Bear. HEY - i LOVE MY .45s - A 1911 Colt and a Glock - but they are not loaded for Bear. For those big Brown Bears especially - start with a .338 - or better yet a .375.

YES this 1911 was almost double price if for the same equal model 1911. It was in a Presentation Case with the Story Pictures & Bullets.
The Airman was not hunting he was I think walking home when the bear attacked him. Emptied 7 Ball rounds into the bear.
This was in the 50s.

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

Were there any survivors ?

Magnum Research / Desert Eagle makes some autos in .50AE, .429DE, 44 Mag, 357 Mag... with decent mag capacity. Never shot one myself though.

It was a simulated video if its the same one I'm thinking about. They attached a cardboard bear to a sled and tied a rope to a snowmobile and when the bear started moving (pretty quickly) he drew from a holstered handgun and shot at the bear. The 10mm semi auto he was able to get 4 shots off, with the 44 mag revolver he could only get 2 shots off and they weren't well placed. Watching this video and seeing what the 10mm can do with the right bullets it would be my choice even over the .44 or 454. I watched Razor Dobbs kill 2 cape buffalo with a 10 mm. I forget what ammo he was using.
As for the 45 ACP - have you ever seen a penetration test of the 45 ACP? not very impressive. I guess it would be better then nothing just, if possible, save one bullet for yourself!!!

 

[westexhunt]

I have zero bear experience, but I've shot two whitetail does with 230gr hollow point 45acp at 15-20 yds. Very unimpressed with the 45acp on deer. On my Alaska trip I carried a G40 with Underwood hard casts, was impressed by the availability of 10mm ammo in all the gun shops I visited in Kenai.