Big Bear, 44 carry.

[p8riot]

The world record black bear (by weight) was killed in North Carolina in 1998. It was taken in Craven County NC on a dog hunt. The bear weighed 880 pounds.

Craven County, Hyde County, and several others in the coastal region of NC are famous for very big black bears.

As we all know, where one walks-hunts-lives in the woods is a big determining factor on what to carry for protection.

My youngest son is a bear hunter with hounds and lives in the mountain region of Western NC. The bears there are much smaller than the ones in the Costal are of NC.

He carries either a Winchester 94.30-30 or a Win 94 .38-55 plus a Ruger Redhawk .44 magnum.

All counties in NC have bears and a hunting season for them.

Here's a link to an article and picture of a 784# NC bear.

Teen takes second-heaviest bear in N.C. records on first bear hunt - News - Wilmington Star News - Wilmington, NC

I remember that bear, my cousin was a magistrate in neighboring Jones County at the time. It was shot on a pig farm in Vanceboro. Turns out that the farmer had been setting out offal for the bear, and the bear was obliged to eat. When the bear was dressed it had over 300 lbs of fat. Still no slouch, but the circumstances around killing the bear were specious.

 

[fredj338]

...or bigger bears


YouTube

Neither of those bears looks very big. I am not sure at what weight a black bear cant climb a vertical tree, but i know it exists.

 

[fredj338]

First of all, Black Bear are the least aggressive of Bears, and will usually shy away from humans unless they're starving or defending their cubs, so the likelihood of one "thinking of sampling your leg" is relatively slim.
Furthermore, obviously you're free to carry whatever you want, that's your prerogative, I was merely stating my opinion that .44 Magnum is excessive because they can and have been stopped by less powerful cartridges, so .357 Magnum, .44 Special, or .45 Long Colt seem like better choices since they're typically easier to shoot, thus making them easier to train with, and hitting a bear that's charging straight at you at full speed is going to be difficult. The power of .44 Magnum is wasted on the dirt if you miss, and you aren't likely going to have time to fire off a second shot, so in my opinion since Black Bears can be reliably stopped by less powerful cartridges which are easier to shoot/train with, in my opinion, they are superior options.

Yet many fatal bear attacks are black bears. Maybe because they are in greater contact with people but to not consider them dangerous predators would be foolish. Obviously a 4" 44mag isnt for everyone, why I suggseted a 10mm load hot with a good flat point. I also dont feel you get a lot More from pushing a heavy 300-320gr bullet faster. You get a lot more recoil, but not much diff in penetration at 1200fos vs 1300fos, but a lot more recoil.

 

[beagleye]

Back to your original post, lots of people have it right. Bear spray and noise are a great deterrent, especially if we are mainly talking black bears. Yes, overwhelming they don't want anything to do with humans and if it's a mom and cubs, if she knows your coming she will take them and head off. So number one, try to constantly make some noise and if you can carry it, some spray is good for an encounter. Many times of you walk up on them they will try to figure out what you are and what they are going to. That is a great time to deter them before there would be a need to shoot them. Many times shouting, making yourself known will work.

That being said, although very rare there are times that they are hungry, or will be aggressive. This is both black and brown bears. In that case, I don't think you want to be questioning what you have decided to carry or worrying about the size of the bear.

Number one rule, bring enough gun! What many have said is very important, and correct. A 44 mag, 300gr hard-cast over a nice heavy load of 2400 is what you want to shoot or more if you can handle it. However in my experience this gun/load is about all the normal person can tolerate. It is right on the edge of uncomfortable.

What none one has said yet is out of what. This is very important. Those nice Smith and Wesson's, a Taurus or many others won't handel those loads. Get a Ruger Superblackhawk or Redhawk. They will work every time and built like a tank. There are others out there that will handle it but those guns are the most common. Also in my opinion I like the longer 7 1/2 in barell. You will get a significant increase in muzzle velocity, a bit less blast, and i think they point/aim better than the shorter barrel.

Very grounded advice, I appreciate that. Yes, I definitely understand that they are very rarely aggressive, this part I know from experience. I see em all the time and usually when I see them they are already running away. And I make noise, I yell frequently and often walk brusquely. But not always. I did once wander quietly between a mother and a cub. I became aware of the cub when he saw or smelled me and took off away from me. I turned and checked behind, momma was foraging about 50 yards behind me, hadn't caught wind, I was right between them completely unaware. I slunk away. I think the wind saved me that time. But I think it was too many experiences like that, happy lucky endings that have lulled me into danger. Seeing the big guy was a wake up call.

I live just a short distance from the smokies, and while there is a lot of bear hunting in the area, the piece of the Pisgah National Forest that my land is adjacent to is a bear sanctuary, so they are even more concentrate here. So while getting attacked is very unlikely, the odds have to stack up with so many encounters.

 

[Doug M.]

Black Bears are around here in FL but pretty shy but if I were seriously involved with them a short double barreled Shot Gun in a comfortable sling loaded with one slug and double 00 Buck. How about a Mossy Shock Wave?

The odds of buckshot penetrating well enough to be appropriate for this sort of problem are way too low for my taste. Good hard slugs, like the Brenneke are the answer in a shotgun.

In a handgun, .41 Magnum with some hot stoppers is the floor. (I actually have a box of 250 grain SWC hunting ammo I got a decade or so ago when it looked like I was going to do a teaching trip to Alaska. I've never shot it; I'm sure it sucks to shoot.) Stout .44 Magnum or .45 Colt in a Redhawk seem like good choices. Odds are, if I were regularly going to places where this was a potential issue, I'd have a Glock 20 in my old duty gear for my G21 (same size, with a trained draw) and some appropriate, likely boutique, ammo.

I have never known anyone who has been in a fight and defending themselves with a firearm who wished for a smaller, weaker one. It may well be that the .357 properly loaded will do all that is needed - but the penalty for being wrong is a bit harsh for my taste.

 

[Angus46]

Very grounded advice, I appreciate that. Yes, I definitely understand that they are very rarely aggressive, this part I know from experience. I see em all the time and usually when I see them they are already running away. And I make noise, I yell frequently and often walk brusquely. But not always. I did once wander quietly between a mother and a cub. I became aware of the cub when he saw or smelled me and took off away from me. I turned and checked behind, momma was foraging about 50 yards behind me, hadn't caught wind, I was right between them completely unaware. I slunk away. I think the wind saved me that time. But I think it was too many experiences like that, happy lucky endings that have lulled me into danger. Seeing the big guy was a wake up call.

I live just a short distance from the smokies, and while there is a lot of bear hunting in the area, the piece of the Pisgah National Forest that my land is adjacent to is a bear sanctuary, so they are even more concentrate here. So while getting attacked is very unlikely, the odds have to stack up with so many encounters.

Sounds like your frequency of encounters is a good reason to be prepared. And sounds like you have a great sense of how to try to avoid them but it does happen. I've only had three. One mountsin lion, 1 large male black bear and one mom with cubs. Never had to shoot, but I was very close with the mom and cubs. I would have hated to do it, but similar situation. The little ones ran up a tree and I was very close to them and she was further away. She did see me and was pretty upset. They were calling to her with kind of a cry and she was chomping her teeth huffing and did do one short charge and stopped after a few steps. I realized where I was headed was not nearly so important. Backed away facing her my old 44 super Blackhawk ready and went back the way I came from. As soon as I got a bit away, the cubs came down and she came over to them and they ran off. I wasn't comfortable until I got back to the cabin looking over my shoulder the whole time.

I'd suggest getting a 44 you like and start practicing. You said you have shot 44specials a lot. That is what is good about the 44magnum. You can shoot specials or if you load can make some lighter loads to get used to the gun. Then work your way up to practicing with the full power stuff.

Once you have the grip, trigger press and recoil control down, start working on speed with acceptable accuracy. A quick but deliberate draw with a good first shot. Then as many as you can get in 2 seconds following up with acceptable sight picture. Also suggest using earplugs and muffs. I found most people don't really have an issue with the actual recoil it's more the blast that gets them flinching. Having really good ear protection really helps with this.

It's a lot of fun, good practice and you will be amazed how accurate those big bore handguns are. If I had to do it over again, I'd probably buy a readhawk since it's double action. But had my Superblack hawk for almost 35 years. Just can't give that up. Been my constant companion at the cabin for a long time.

 

[RobertJ.]

First of all, Black Bear are the least aggressive of Bears, and will usually shy away from humans unless they're starving or defending their cubs, so the likelihood of one "thinking of sampling your leg" is relatively slim.

I agree completely!

I've always said that if you get attacked by a black bear, you should go out and buy a lottery ticket that same day.

Around here, the chances of meeting an unruly meth-head is far more likely than an unruly black bear.

I've always figured I could scare away a black bear long before having to shoot.

But, in the very unlikely event that one does get aggressive, I'm going to want as much gun as possible. And, since I've been shooting the .44 Magnum since I was 12, and my favorite "woods gun" is my stainless RSR, the .44 for me is a no-brainer.

But, just like CCW, one should carry whatever they're comfortable with.

 

[old 1911 fan]

As an avid Black Bear hunter I do like these handgun bear threads. I have been lucky and taken 2 large ones. The rug that lies now in front of my fireplace is 7'2" from nose to tail. Taken at 35 yards with a .375 H&H Mag. The 300 grain struck the right front shoulder and exited the left rear hip. The bear sat back on his rump and took off FAST! He didn't go far but he did go about 50 yards. If you have to hit a charging one with a little 44 you had better hit the brain. The big ones do not stop easy all the time.

old 1911 fan

 

[ParadiseRoad]

...I've scared a black bear off with a 12 gauge loaded with 00 buck...

...fired one round into the dirt bank below where he was standing...about 30 feet from our front door...

...the second round I put into the trees above him after he crossed the road...a pellet may have deflected and nicked him...as a neighbor said he was still running a half mile away...

...he didn't come back even though we think some idiot neighbors were feeding him...

 

[joeintexas]

You do realize you a man can not outrun a bear???? It is a stand & fight moment, unless you are next to a large climbable tree & even that wont save you from smaller bears.

You do realize I was joking don't you?

 

[Papaw]

Your Model 1926 with the heavy Keith hand loads should work as well as anything else on Black Bear.

 

[Papaw]

I would say your 1926 with heavy Keith hand loads would do the job as well as anything. It would also be more carry-able and shoot-able.

 

[fredj338]

You do realize I was joking don't you?

Sorry missed the humor. There are people that believe such things.

 

[Cocked & Locked]

It doesn't take much gun. I know because I saw it in an old advertisement.

So, I'm prepared and ready.

 

[keith44spl]

My Dad killed black bear with a 22LR.....
The hide hung over a beam in the barn loft....may still be there for all I know.


.


I've dealt with em runnin to me a whoofin and poppin their teeth,
I could see the pads of their hind feet at every bound. It was a very personal thing, it was.




Just try to think about it....would you want a 200 lb k-9 attack ya ???




.

 

[Mule Packer]

Lived in densely populated black bear country for 30 years. Beginning in the late spring through early fall, I was volunteering with the USFS packing supplies and equipment into their wilderness trail crews with my pack string.

I can't think of a time when I didn't see black bears on any of my forays. In fact, I could practically guarantee that we would run into at least one or two during each trip.

My constant companion on all of those trips, besides a good, yappy stock dog, was a Ruger Blackhawk, 4 5/8-inch barrel in .45 Colt. And like Dave (keith44spl), I too packed a lever-action short rifle also chambered in .45 Colt in a saddle scabbard.

My loads for both firearms were either 300-grain jacketed flat-nose traveling around 1350 fps or 360-grain wide, flat-nosed gas check hardcast traveling around 1250 fps.

Most of the ol' packers I worked with carried either .45's, .44 magnums, or .41 magnums. I remember one who carried a Ruger Redhawk in .357 magnum, but he had it loaded with some pretty stout handloads.

I'm not one who tries to decide what the minimum caliber is when facing a black bear who happens to "wake up on the wrong side of the bed." Heck no! I want to have a sufficient dose of the kind of medicine that's going to stop that son-of-a-gun as quickly as possible.

Also, I've heard that bear spray is effective. Maybe so, but I never carried it for a couple of reasons. One, I didn't want to run the risk of it accidentally blowing into the eyes of my horses or mules. And two, I've heard too many stories from very reliable sources who have seen sprayed bears, stop, shake their heads, start to walk away, then turn back again.

Again, that's just my two cents worth based on thirty plus years of experience.

 

[Protected One]

I've always said that if you get attacked by a black bear, you should go out and buy a lottery ticket that same day.

Around here, the chances of meeting an unruly meth-head is far more likely than an unruly black bear.

I've always figured I could scare away a black bear long before having to shoot.

Really? Think I'll be able to? LOL

But, just like CCW, one should carry whatever they're comfortable with.

Not if it's inadequate for a bear encounter!!!

 

[Echo40]

It doesn't take much gun. I know because I saw it in an old advertisement.

So, I'm prepared and ready.

I guess all you need for Bear Defense is a .25 ACP Pistol after all!

 

[shawn mccarver]

Jeff Cooper set forth the "Gunsite Bear Rules":

1. Be alert.
2. Take bears seriously. They are not cuddly.
3. Never enter bear country on foot without a powerful firearm and the skill to use it well. (If this is not permitted, do not go.)
4. Do not pitch your camp on a bear thoroughfare, most particularly along the banks of a stream full of fish.
5. Be alert. See Rule 1.

Uncle Jeff recommended a .357 Magnum snubbie with the hard, solid, heavy bullet to achieve deep penetration into the brain of the animal. I do not think there is much wrong with this advice today, although I might want a 44 (and a spare pair of shorts).

 

[RoyM52]

Personally for in my area, I would like to see some 44 mag poppers that explode at about 30 or 40 feet from muzzle. I think it would be better than Bear spray and work no matter where the wind was coming from. I don't want them to explode at too far a distance/beyond the bear and chase them at me. {like the handheld ones can} 30 or 40 feet would be just a bit before where a person would start on the deadly path. It would also allow for carrying spares for a second or third encounter if you are out for more than just a little time. Bear Spray is large to carry and once it's gone, you have to pack out the empty useless can. If you need it again....it's gone. I would gladly load a popper or two, and give up one or two rounds in order to have a deterrent for a distance before it turns into a have to kill situation. Your only ever likely to get to fire one or two rounds if it's from a justified killing distance anyway. The only reloading would be if you scared it off for a bit. {no reload for bear spray while on the trail}

The searchable name for what I have been calling poppers is Bear Bangers. I would like the option for in a 44 mag