Best .44 mag for bear defense

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I used to carry my 329pd for many years and was happy with it and its lightweight. Carry a M&P 10mm these days. I would consider a model 69 as a good carry piece.
 
This is what I carried when I was camping in grizzly country.

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Of course, i had backup, a 3" .44 mag in a OWB holster,

But if I were going to spend serious time in bear country, I'd SBR a Tac13, put a rifle stock on it, and load it with Brenneke slugs.

https://www.thefirearmblog.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/A1064407-25B0-4509-957F-3B2690FCEF9A-660x274.jpeg
 

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I am a 76 year old outdoorsman with property in Idaho that I am being told the Fish and Game folks are starting to find Grizzly signs. I typically carry a .357 in a chest holster when in the back country but it has been suggested that I consider at least a ,44mag. Since we spend quite a bit of time hiking, stream fishing and riding in the summertime, I am considering moving up to that .44 mag. My .357 has never failed me, so I want to stick with a revolver and S&W. Any advice on a model that this old fart might be able to carry and handle?

Yeah, you need to consider carrying a Glock 20 or G40 over the 357magnum.

A G20 holds 15+1 rounds.
Underwood 200 grain hardcast can be bought local in most places or mail order. It's loaded to 1,300 fps/750 fps. That's over 12,000fpe total kinetic energy if you had to pump round after round into a charging bear. That's also seven and one-half OUNCES of lead poisoning for whatever is headed your way!

The very best ANY 44magnum revolver can do is less than half the total "throw weight" of the 10mm and only about 100fpe more energy per shot than the 10mm, except the 44 revolver only holds SIX, versus SIXTEEN of the G20.

THAT is what my "old hands" would be holding.
 
Yeah, you need to consider carrying a Glock 20 or G40 over the 357magnum.

A G20 holds 15+1 rounds.
Underwood 200 grain hardcast can be bought local in most places or mail order. It's loaded to 1,300 fps/750 fps. That's over 12,000fpe total kinetic energy if you had to pump round after round into a charging bear. That's also seven and one-half OUNCES of lead poisoning for whatever is headed your way!

The very best ANY 44magnum revolver can do is less than half the total "throw weight" of the 10mm and only about 100fpe more energy per shot than the 10mm, except the 44 revolver only holds SIX, versus SIXTEEN of the G20.

THAT is what my "old hands" would be holding.

Ummm, No... Just No... We regularly shoot .44Mag loads that would break your G20's frame... So no... Stop talking!

ETA: I'm sorry... I'm grouchy today and apologize...

I've shot and shoot 300gr and 305gr "Keith's" from Underwood and Prvi-Partizan that lay down over 900ft-lbs of energy even from a 3" barrel at Silhouette Matches... They hit-HARD! I love a G20sf but getting "Real-ammo" that matches true 10mm Spec is hard to get too "if" you don't reload or go exclusively with SIG-Ammo's choices which are good but hard to procure. Both are nasty but when bank fishing in "AK" it's best to be armed-up with 12-Gauge Shotty Pills/Buck or Slugs...
 
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The wife and I spend every summer hiking National Parks. I love my revolvers, 90% S&W's, but with all hiking I also carry a 10mm. I know I might have went to the dark side but my choice was a Nighthawk Agent 2. A few more rounds for insurance before reloading.
 
Woo hoo! Bear thread!

This guy’s trusty .357 Smith worked for him.

Montana Grizzly Attack Caught on Camera | Field & Stream

Comment and question……..this video should be used for educational purposes. So many mistakes. Cage not secured? Bear no longer sedated? Standing on top of cage? I could go on and on.

My question is what do people mean when they say my gun has never failed me? Have you used it several times to fend off a bear? Or you carried it around and never needed it but hey it never failed.
 
I'm thinkin' the best 44mag would be S&W 500 ;)
I don't have one, but I have a bunch of 44's so I'm definitely not knockin' 'em...

I tend to agree - if one is welded to the notion of carrying a revolver, a 56 ounce M500 4 inch can be easily carried in a chest rig, with factory or hand loads exceeding 2,000 foot-pounds of energy per shot. The 500 has a K-frame grip size, extremely smooth DA pull and typically excellent SA let-off. Thanks to the effective muzzle brake, the big 500 recoils less than a M29 4 inch stoked with maximum loads, and is much more controllable than any lightweight 44 such as Mountain guns or the M69.
A M500 firing 440 grain slug is the basic equal of a 12 gauge slug in a lot more carriable package.

Surprisingly, the 500 is well complemented by several 5-Star billet aluminum speed loaders, that make for fast reloads because the components are larger than standard.
 

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OP posted four months ago and hasn't been back since then. Hope he didn't have to use his .357 in the wilds of Idaho. Thread closed.
 
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