S&W The Governor (.410 Slug) or .44 Mag in Bear country?

410 banned for deer

I think the 410 is banned for deer hunting in many places certainly would not like to take on a bear with a soft lead slug that would flatten out on his hide
 
If you're going to hunt bear, I'd go with the .44 but if you're just carrying it for protection from the bear you'd be better served with a good can of pepper spray. I know I would have a hard time hitting a charging bear with my .44 mag and drop it dead before it got to me. OTOH, I'm pretty sure I can get a dose of that pepper spray in it's face (and most likely mine too) before I become lunch. Just my thoughts. Most likely, if I'm in bear country, I'm carrying both.
 
If i remember correctly the guy heard some russling in his shed and went outside with the 410 shot gun. I believe the bear was right infront of him when he shot it in the eye into the brain. Quick thinking on his part. Your right it wasn't the smartest thing to do was to go outside with the 410 but i think he didn't expect it to be a bear. But if we think about we react sometimes without thinking about it and we just grab what ever is on hand and go out to see what it is.

I now have bears in the back part of my land in the water shed area. I found out one night by the 5 cats i have to control the rodent population. While letting them in one night there heads were turning amost 360 degrees looking in every direction while there ears where turning too. They were all hunched low to the ground while they came towards the door to come in. This told me something was wrong outside and i never seen then act like this before. The next day my neighbor came over and asked me if i seen the bear that was in her yard lastnight. I found bear scat near my corn field plus bear tracks. A few weeks later i hit some more scat with my mower in the field. I live in a country rural area, with horse farms, with many acres of water shed area too besides the forests. My point is we can read the body english of our pets, there not stupid. They can't talk but they can tell us in there own way that something is wrong. Just don't go running out there in the dark with a 410. We just never know whats out there. I do go out there with my 44. Its been reported that we also have a mountainlion in the water shed area too andi have seen a lynx not too long ago too. Besafe,becareful, godbless, Bill

I fish at night and find abandoned kittens all the time and i bring them home and take care of them. But thats another story.
 
Bomberman said:
If you're going to hunt bear, I'd go with the .44 but if you're just carrying it for protection from the bear you'd be better served with a good can of pepper spray. I know I would have a hard time hitting a charging bear with my .44 mag and drop it dead before it got to me. OTOH, I'm pretty sure I can get a dose of that pepper spray in it's face (and most likely mine too) before I become lunch. Just my thoughts. Most likely, if I'm in bear country, I'm carrying both.
Click to expand...

I've hunted bears for most of my hunting life. The only time a bear will charge us if it has cubs, its wounded or its cornered. Otherwise were safe sometimes but use caution always. I heard about a hunter who walked up on a bear den, right in front of it and stopped to look in it. When the bear charged out and ran him over and kept on going he went back to camp and changed his shorts, thats the truth.(local) When i'm on my land in VT in the heart of the best blackbear hunting in the state i always have my 357 snubbie with me. If we go on a hike with the kids i bring my 357 or my 44 with me. I don't want to alarm the kids or make them scared too. I do educate them about the dangers in the woods too and about what to do and what to avoid doing when encountered. My teaching them did pay off. Here in CT at my daughters condo while walking the dog there was a falling tree with a mountainlion spotted on the other side of the fallen tree busy eating something to stop and see them. My wife and daughter backed up and left the area. My son told all the others who live in the condo's about the mountainlion sighting and no one believed him. He even took them up there and actually showed them the tracks in the snow and they still didn't believe him. One morning the montainlion at 7am walked right thru the center of the condo area and they believed it then. Silly? I taught the kids to look, smell and listen and to be very alert when there in the woods it just may save there life someday.(bears smell really bad/fresh kills smell too) Educate your kids too. Bill
 
I read an article in I think Field and Stream many years ago about a man that killed a charging grizzly with a 22 auto. The story was him and his young son were walking a trail and when they rounded a corner, there was a grizzly standing there. The man sent his son packing down the trail as the bear turned and charged. The guy shot the grizzly 8 times in the head with his 22 and it died at his feet.

Just like the story with the 410 killing the bear from BigBill. I think both these individuals were extremely lucky with the shot placement. After all, shot placement is key for a kill shot regardless of how big the caliber.

That being said, I do not believe any of the 410 handguns out there are suitable for anything more than maybe snakes and small varmints. If you are conciously going in to bear country, do yourself a favor and carry a big bore shorter barrel revolver. I think the 500 is a little over the top unless you are hunting with a long barrel version, but a 454, 44 mag, or 45 colt with the right HEAVY loads in a 4 inch or less barrel is good. After all, you will not feel the recoil if you actually have to use it, and the adrenaline will slow the world down and make the whole incident feel like slow motion.

My last thought, that whatever you are going to carry, PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!! And Practice as real as you can! If you have a range with auto target retrievers or hand crank, and it is safe to do so, have someone staret the target back toward you and draw and fire your weapon to see if you can hit the target as it is coming toward you!

.44 over the .410 ALL DAY EVERYDAY!
 
I believe a handgun is for when your rifle runs outta ammo, that aside i'd take the 44 any day of the week that ends in y:)
 
You'll have an opportunity to examine that .410 slug - it will be in the first 3 inches of bear fat and you can dig it out with your fingers while he is preoccupied eating your leg.
 
Many years ago, I saw a guy kill a black bear with a 22 Colt Huntsman pistol. He was in a very bad situation and had no choice but to shoot and had no other weapon. He shot the bear three times the last shot being point blank in the head as the bear was coming at him from above on a steep hillside. The bear still ran over him as it tumbled down the mountain and then ran a ways before dying. I guess you use what you have available. I think that guy is really lucky to still be here today, and I know he carries a .44 magnum rifle when he goes out in the woods most times now.
 
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The .410 revolver is a supremely idiotic choice for use as a bear stopper.
Period.
Denis
 
I’m going to sound overly rude without meaning to be, BUT…

What is the deal with Smith makes a .410 revolver and suddenly people think it isn’t such a bad idea??? Bear protection??? Maybe at thumb wrestling distance. I swear it’s like I can hear people saying that if Smith makes it then maybe it wasn’t such a bad idea after all. And the worst thing is that I can just see this as a selling point to Taurus. S&W have legitimized this thing but at a terrible price point. People are going to go look at the Governor and buy the Judge. I foresee this after a year to be a huge debacle. Seriously, a 629 vs. a Governor??? FOR BEAR PROTECTION???
 
No matter what caliber is used its all about the shot placement. I took my neighbor with his 45/70 bear hunting once. I didn't know him that well but he told me he could put 4 shots of the 45/70 in the bear anywhere and stop it. I told my brother who was hunting with us if he needed backup after making such a foolish shot i'm going to wait while the bear is charging till he pisses his pants then i'll help him out. I never took him again. We have to make that first shot count or let it go if we have that choice. I know when were surprised we don't have much of a choice.

I hunt bear with my '94 remington 700 in 338win mag. it kills them dead on the spot. I've seen it pick them up and slam them down. The bears don't like it but i also look out for my sons when there hunting too. I'm there backup. God is always watching out for them. Bill

BTW; When it comes to bear hunting we have let may smaller bears go by for many years now. One year we let a mother and cub go by and we backed off from following it. We figured if we kill the mother we have to take out the cub too and we won't do that. This ruins the bear population. After we let that mother/cub go the following year we got a bear and harvested it. So being good hearted does pay off. For a few years we have tracked even bigger bears with paws the size of my 13" sorel boots. We just don't seem to be at the right place at the right time yet for a shot. Which i think is the best time of the hunt. I enjoy just being out there in the wilds. If it happens it happens if it doesn't there's always next season. We have a great time with my neighbors at my camp and family hunting and sharing food and good times too.
 
If your going to shoot a .410 bore then go with a .41 Mag/.41 GNR or .41 GNR2. I carry a Smith 58 in the bear woods.

CD
 
Depends on the bear, Black bear go with the 44 magnum, for Grizzly use a large caliber rifle or 12g slug gun.
 
Jst1mr said:
You'll have an opportunity to examine that .410 slug - it will be in the first 3 inches of bear fat and you can dig it out with your fingers while he is preoccupied eating your leg.
Click to expand...

You're being too nice. If you have noticed, when an animal approaches another animal or prey, they always use their nose and approach from the posterior. This is where the easiest access to whatever they are after is, whether it be for breeding or food. A predator grabs prey by the genitals and rips exposing soft tissue first, kidneys, liver and other entrails high in nourishment. If something is chewing on your leg the predator is either still hungry or it's a scavanger eating what's left. Use enough RIFLE to stop a bear attack or a serious handgun minimum of a heavy bullet load .357 magnum or larger and keep fighting until the fight is over for whatever reason. Pepper (spray) is a seasoning and Governor's and Judge's are elected politians that can't always be trusted!
 
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