Best .44 mag for bear defense

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cybersnow

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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?
 
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I fairly recently saw a bear attack story where the person attacked was using a semi-auto, 10mm pistol. He suggested that had he had only six shots, he wouldn't have survived. I've always been told that a 12 gauge with slugs is the best bear defense. They make some really compact ones these days.
 
BE Mike’s suggestion of a 10mm is sound advice. The Danish Sirius Patrols in Greenland carry the Glock model 20 in 10mm for defense against polar bears. 15 + 1 shots of Buffalo Bore or Underwood performance 10mm ammo is a serious deterrent for all manner of predators. If I could only have one handgun it would be a Glock #20. I turn 71 next week and don’t find the recoil uncomfortable in the G20.

Best Regards,
ADP3
 
I carry a Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan in 44 Magnum w/PPU 300gr. SJFP. I also have a S&W 629-6 Deluxe 3" bbl. The Ruger seems to have less recoil. I do change out my rotation of the two for really no reason, just to change handguns. These are my two favorite revolvers.
 
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ADP3 said:
BE Mike’s suggestion of a 10mm is sound advice. The Danish Sirius Patrols in Greenland carry the Glock model 20 in 10mm for defense against polar bears. 15 + 1 shots of Buffalo Bore or Underwood performance 10mm ammo is a serious deterrent for all manner of predators. If I could only have one handgun it would be a Glock #20. I turn 71 next week and don’t find the recoil uncomfortable in the G20.

Best Regards,
ADP3
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A good friend is a Tribal Fish and Game officer on the Blackfeet reservation in Montana. They routinely deal with nuisance grizzlies. They carry 10mm Glocks. During the Great Chicken Little Ammo Panic they couldn’t find ammo anywhere. I found enough of these to fill his mags and mailed them off.

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He did say they don’t get out of the truck on bear calls without the 12 gauge.
 

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I carry a 3" 629 loaded with Buffalo Bore "Lower Recoil .44 Magnum" rounds (Lower Recoil .44 Magnum). They are loaded with hard cast 255 grain Keith style gas checked semi-wadcutters and are still plenty stout, but safe to fire in S&W revolvers. If there was a high likelihood of meeting up with a coastal brown bear, however, I would be carrying my 870 loaded with Brenneke Black Magic slugs.
 

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ADP3 said:
The Danish Sirius Patrols in Greenland carry the Glock model 20 in 10mm for defense against polar bears....ADP3
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Muskox too. The DS Patrol have killed at least one polar bear with a pistol that I know of.
A lot of knowledgeable people in brown bear country have traded their heavy revolvers for 10mm pistols. I don't claim to be an expert but have made the same transition myself.
The advantage of fast, accurate and plentiful follow up shots is undeniable.
 
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Autonomous said:
Muskox too. The DS Patrol have killed at least one polar bear with a pistol that I know of.
A lot of knowledgeable people in brown bear country have traded their heavy revolvers for 10mm pistols. I don't claim to be an expert but have made the same transition myself.
The advantage of fast, accurate and plentiful follow up shots is undeniable.
Click to expand...

The other side of the equation is you are trading .44 Magnum ballistics for those that fall somewhere in between a .357 and .41 Magnum. In a grizzly charge scenario you are probably not going to get off six rounds, let alone 15. I suppose it all comes down to what you feel comfortable with.
 
I may the only guy on this forum who has never faced a grizzly charge, but I'll offer my opinion anyway, which is similar to my position on the 9mm vs. .45 and J-frame vs. 100 round snail drum mag debates.

Don't stop going to the woods because you "only" have a "puny" .357. If you have, or want, a .44 or a 10mm or a .500 and can shoot it as competently as you can your pea shooter, enjoy yourself. If you don't or can't, don't sweat it. If you have to shoot you'll do more damage with a well-placed .357 than a miss with a 105mm howitzer The more what-ifs you layer on an already unlikely situation the more likely the fear-mongers will either scare you out of going outside at all or you will be constantly upgrading until you're walking to the mail box with a .458 Lott while your wife covers you from the doorway with a LAWS.

Well, there goes the "no sarcasm" resolution. Happy New Year y'all!

(Seriously, I have been very pleased with my 629-2 Mountain Revolver. It is nimble, no heavier than an N-frame .357 and accurate as I can manage. They call them Mountain Guns now.)
 
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Grizzlies are bigger and tougher. It seems like the most important thing is to have immediate access to your firearm and use it without hesitation because most situations seem to be very quick and close up. If you go the .44 Mag. route, get the best ammo available. Underwood and Buffalo Bore have good reputations and I'm sure that there are others. I would pick a cartridge with really good penetration qualities. I personally would opt for a handgun that is quick to get into action. That would eliminate single action revolvers for me, but if you are highly skilled and experienced with single-action revolvers, you may find them best. Here are some interesting cases: Handgun or Pistol Defense Against Bear Attack: 73 cases, 96% Effective
 
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What type of 357 do you have? Getting a 44 the same frame size and barrel length as your 357 would a good option since you are used to the way it handles.

My 686 with a 4 inch barrel and 69 with a 4.25 inch barrel feel very similar and can use the same holster. The biggest difference is the 69 kicks harder with magnum loads than the 686 so I put a pair of Hogue grips on the 69 to make the recoil more manageable.

If I lived where grizzlies were a threat I would carry my S&W 69 loaded with hard cast bullets instead of a 10mm pistol. If you go over to the M&P sub-forum you will see some threads about how people are having a reliability issues with the 10mm M&P loaded with really hot ammo from Underwood or Buffalo Bore. And that problem is not unique to the M&P, I have seen a lot of similar complaints about other brands also not working well with that same ammo. A 44 revolver just works.
 
I'm 76 have lived in MT for over 30 yrs and my current go to 44 mag is a 2.75" M69. They make a 4.2" which I shot the snot out of before the 2.75" was introduced.

I wouldn't feel uncomfortable with a 357 Mag loaded with Buffalo Bore 180gr Outdoorsman ammo.

Refer to early poster above ref 98% effective on 126 bear encounters.

People tend to trivialize "bear" threads but bear encounters happen here in Montana every year with people mauled and even killed.

You are not likely to see a grizz. If you do, it probably won't be a threat. If a threat it better be at contact range or you will be in BIG TROUBLE for a long time. If on the ground fighting for your life a double action that can be used with either hand and rubber grips if hands are bloddy/slippery is preffered.

FWIW

Paul
 
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1) You need to know the signs of a bear.

2) If you see such signs, go a different direction.

3) If I had no choice and had to shoot a bear, a handgun would not be my preference. A 12 gauge with slugs would be my preference, but only because a 10 gauge with slugs would be too unpleasant for my aging body.
 
Our hosts in Alaska had a 629, 6in. with hot, hard cast bullets. That was used by whoever had the most moose meat to pack out. I assumed that someone else in the party would have a rifle. A pistol would not be my 1st. choice for Griz.
 
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