.44 mag bear load

[OmegaRed]

Anyone have a load for hard cast .44mag to be loaded Fer bear?

 

[RegionRat]

Elmer Keith liked 2400, but I run JHP bullets with H110 as well.

"Keith’s standard load for the .44 Magnum was his 250 to 260-gr. hard cast bullet over 22.5 grains of #2400 for around 1,400 fps or more. This was, and continues to be, a most excellent and powerful load."

https://americanhandgunner.com/gear/favored-modest-44-magnum-loads/#:~:text=Keith's%20standard%20load%20for%20the,most%20excellent%20and%20powerful%20load.

 

[CaptainMal]

I always liked 22 gr. of 2400 with a 250 cast bullet. For bears you want penetration so avoid the expanding bullets that would retard expansion.

For my Marlin 44 mag rifle I go 24 grs of 2400 with a hollow point bullet for deer. NOT good in the handgun. Too much oomph.

 

[C_Ackley]

I'd look for the widest-meplat, hard cast I can find with a weight between 250-300gr. H110, LilGun, 2400, and even IMR4227 will all propel it to sufficient velocities.

 

[Chappy]

I personally use 24 grs of H110 behind a Missouri Bullet 300 gr. WFN in my 4" Ruger Redhawk. I would imagine I could push the envelope a bit more but this is a solid load.

 

[Chappy]

I personally use 24 grs of H110 behind a Missouri Bullet 300 gr. WFN in my 4" Ruger Redhawk. I would imagine I could push the envelope a bit more but this is a solid load.

Edit: I probably wouldn't be too inclined to try this one in a Smith and Wesson.

 

[OmegaRed]

It'll be in a Super Redhawk

 

[Old Navy]

Anyone have a load for hard cast .44mag to be loaded Fer bear?

What kind of bear?

 

[JSH]

I like the 44 mag and have a lot of respect for the cartridge. However full tilt boogie loads, some folks can’t handle well for follow up shots.
I would say a 300 solid loaded to mid range or upper mid would be good medicine.
Platform and shooter will have different abilities.

 

[mongo chicago]

I used a 240 gr Speer jacketed magnum soft point with 18.5 grs Bluedot and magnum primers. For Rugers and Desert Eagles only. Would blast holes in steel objects. 6' drainage pipes and other objects. Never hunted wit it though.

 

[30378]

Hornady 240gr XTP with 23.5gr of W296.

 

[Park ranger]

I’m running 22.0 grains of 2400 with 240 Sierra or Nosler. Ruger RedHawk. 1470 fps. Bear load, ? you be the judge…

 

[Old Navy]

I’m running 22.0 grains of 2400 with 240 Sierra or Nosler. Ruger RedHawk. 1470 fps. Bear load, ? you be the judge…

For what kind of bear?

 

[OmegaRed]

What kind of bear?

Grizz. Elk hunt chest rig backup weapon

 

[Zeke 225]

Shot out of a Smith 629 Classic 6 inch 22.5 grains 2400, with a 250 gr RCBS Keith mold they run 1387 velocity, same load in a Marlin 1894 the running 1817 for velocity, they put the hurt on hogs and deer.

 

[Zeke 225]

Here a 250 gr RCBS that went from head to tail on a 300 lb hog, punching the skull, broke back side of it jaw traveling through and broke rear hip bone and stopped at the hide. Figured at least 3 foot of penetration flipped him out of his wallowing hole backwards. Shot from Marlin 1894 around 45 yds.

 

[clowdis]

I don't think I'd use a cast bullet on a PO'ed Grizzly bear. Probably get you killed. Black bear maybe OK, but not grizz.

 

[old codger]

I think you would want to use a non expanding bullet. Penetration should be the prime consideration in this case.

 

[OmegaRed]

I don't think I'd use a cast bullet on a PO'ed Grizzly bear. Probably get you killed. Black bear maybe OK, but not grizz.

Hard cast...not soft.

Penetration for a CNS hit would be your only option here to stop a charge. I have a personal friend that shot a Grizz (while hunting for Grizz) with a 375HH three times in the boiler room and it still closed the gap from 50 and died right in front of him. He has pictures of its heart disintegrated.

Being dead but not knowing it doesn't do a lot of good in this case.

 

[Minshooter]

One time, for fun (sort of), we rigged a paper bear head target on a slider track, pulled up and down about 12-16", by a string. Each prospective defender would have three seconds to fire his five or six hammer loads
from 15 yards, while the target was bounced up and down. Though doubtful a large bear would need three full seconds to close 15 yards, it was just an experiment with shooters having a fair amount of revolver skill,
but no one whose last name was Miculek. Shooting started with revolver in hand, at high ready.

The result: A few perimeter hits, which may or may not have bounced off the skull, and -zero brain hits.
Several shooters learned they could not fire even three aimed .44 Mag Revolver Max loads in three seconds.

Side note:
One shooter only fired three shots, total. He used this as his first opportunity to fire 300gr Hammer loads
in his 329Pd (25 oz. .44 Magnum). Three other shooters each fired one remaining shot, and decided
that was sufficient. While a charging bear would easily cancel such discomfort, and ignoring the feeling of getting hit in the palm by a major league baseball batter, the main difficulty was in pulling that revolver back down into position for the next shot.