Having made 3 solo backpacking trips to Colorado, I encountered my first bear last summer. Thank goodness, I just saw his backside as he hurried off up the mountain into the treeline. While I do carry bear spray, I am now contemplating also carrying my Model 29-2 (6 1/2"). Given the age of my gun (I acquired in 1974), I am concerned about the best load for the situation and the gun. Also, I will need to get reacquainted with my pistol (since getting my CHL, I have concentrated exclusively on my .40 cal autoloader) and would appreciated recommendations on practice ammo. If there are current threads on this subject, please refer me to them. Thanks all for your anticipated replys.

Defcoord

Garrett Cartridges Inc. 44 mag .45-70 .44 ammo ammunition bullets african hunting cartridges

Buffalo Bore Ammunition | Strictly Big Bore - Strictly Business

I buy from both suppliers. Good stuff. Good reading too. :-)

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JIM
NRA Pistol Instr

Thanks for the reply and the links... After reading, I think I will order the Garrett 44 Mag Defender 310 gr.

Given the vintage of the revolver, which is before they released the 'durability' package, just don't feed it a steady diet of the Garrett's and you be just fine.

and...we like bear threads here!!welcome to the forum!

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SWCA#2208
KK4EMO

Again, thanks to all... I definitely enjoyed browsing the posts to gain insight and info..

I to have a 29-2 6 1/2 BBL that I hunt with for big game. I use Hornady XTP's 300 grain over 18 grains of 2400. I find this load to be very accurate and recoil is pretty stiff. This is load I use only to hunt with and not to just to target shoot. Never had any signs of any excessive pressure. I can tell you though this round hits like a hammer.
Fred

The Federal 300gr Cast Core loads are great. Price is decent. Minimal recoil for that big of a bullet and less abusive to the gun. Will do everything ever needed from a .44 that you might want in all of the US against any animal, regardless of what you might hear from the "experts". More importantly, can you really shoot a big bore gun well? The Garrett and other loads are terrific IF you can handle them. I prefer my hand loads with Keith bullets but did carry the Cast Core loads at times when living in MT and ID.

+1 to what six250 said about the Federal Cast Core loads. This fella used a handload in his .41 that basicly duplicates the Federal loading to pole ax his elk. RugerForum.com :: View topic - ELK & THE 41 BISLEY

More great responses... really appreciate the enthusiasm evident in the posts! Kind of excited to get my hands on some of the loads and get the feel of the big bore again...

Garretts 310gr Defender ammo is just about identical to the Federal 300 CastCore ammo in pressure and velocity ( 1020fps from a 4" barrel ). Federal 300gr CoreCast is ( 1160fps ). You are right about the other two Garrett 44mag offerings as they are too hot for the S&W 29/629 with or without the enhancement package IMHO. The Garrett Defender ammo will be fine in your gun but not as cheap as the Federal but as for me I only want the best bear ammo I can get.

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44 Garrett Defender Ammo 4 me.

According to a man that shot hundreds of black bear with handguns, the 44 magnum is a premier black bear cartridge, however he didnt like the heavy non expanding bullets for the black bear. He said the bullet simply poked a small hole in the bear and exited, leaving the bear with a lot of fight left in him and this fight was turned against the hunter. He liked simple 240 grain soft point loads. He said they expanded well and made the bear stop its aggresive tendencies towards the hunter and instead turned its attention to the nasty wound it had just recieved. He said that both loads killed the bears its just that the soft points killed far quicker and turned the attention of the bear away from the hunter. He also claimed to helping develop the Hornaday XTP bullets from his experences. So from the recovered bullets I have seen I would assume the Hornaday XTP would be the cats meow for smaller animals like the black bear. Again this man killed not one or two bears but hundreds in his carrer as a control hunter.

Good grief... $100 for 50 rounds of the Garrett stuff? Wowza!

There are several companies that make very similar loads for half the money (or less). Here is just one example...

DoubleTap Ammunition

Colorado = black bears only, and not even that big. the spray is probably more effective than the gun, but I am a gun guy myself.

I would go with simple Winchester White Box 240gr JSP. It won't beat the gun up like the expensive Garrett stuff and will likely go T&T on a black bear. If you want a JHP, I would use either Winchester PTHP or the Winchester Partition loadings.