I've heard a report of a griz killed with a .22 lr, bear had it's mouth open and the .22 went in through the roof of the bear's mouth an into the brain. I wouldn't even think to tell anyone to carry a .22 because a grizzly was killed with one.
I wouldn't carry a pistol after a bear as a first choice but I do carry a Ruger Super Redhawk .454 with a barrel cut to 5" loaded with Cor-Bon 300 gr. flat nose when I don't have a rifle with me.
Gus
Well, comparing a .22 to a .357 Magnum is a bit of silly logic strawman, is it not? Could you tell me with a straight face that a .357 is more similar to a .22 than a .44?
You do realize that the .454 Casull is fairly new on the scene, and plenty of bear attacks were stopped before it was invented?
I think it stands to reason that any rifle is better than any handgun...and, consequently, the largest handgun you can control is better than anything smaller. I would rather have a .357 Magnum than an empty hand because the .454 I had on hand was too heavy or intimidating. Of course I'd rather have a 338 Magnum than a .454.
I was relating a real-life example....which, to me, is worth a lot more than rambling internet opinions.
That said, I chose a 41 Magnum as the smallest I was comfortable with.
It wasn't an internet tale, it was a real life tale and that doesn't make a 22 or a 357 a good choice for bear protection.
You do realize that plenty of bear attacks were stopped before firearms were invented.
If a 41 Magnum is the smallest you were comfortable with, what is the largest you were comfortable with?
Gus
Well, you can't put the performance of a .22 and a .357 Magnum in the same ballpark statement and expect to be taken seriously. This is why I referred to your post as a rambling internet opinion not to be taken seriously. Since I doubt anyone here has done a massive test of penetration and terminal performance on grizzly bears, anyone who is so authoritatively dismissive of a caliber which many do use....and of anyone's opinion on the matter...is immediately suspect.
The problem with uber-boomer 454, 460 and 500 handguns..besides weight...is that people tend to just not shoot them that much. The people I know who own 454s -- for bear protection -- don't put more than a couple cylinders of real 454 ammo through them per year, if that. I would rather be defending my life with a smaller magnum handgun that I put hundreds of rounds a year through, and knew I could hit with, than with a uber-magnum that was rarely shot with full-power loads, if at all.
Ever shoot a grizzly?
Gus
Ever shoot a grizzly with a .357 Magnum?
I've never been around anyone that shot a bear with something as inadequate as a .357 Magnum.
When I'm hunting bears or in an area where bear encounters are likely to occur at close range I've got a Model 700 .375 H&H. If I'm packing meat or doing anything where I don't have a rifle with me I carry the aforementioned ,454 that I do shoot frequently and I'm usually not alone in those situations.