.44 Bullets For Bear....Again......

[ISS]

Hmmmmmmmmm... I have lived in Idaho since the late 1970's. Used to visit Elmer Keith on a regular basis. I went with his 240gr SWC at 1400, until about twenty years ago. Then, I got a 320gr RFN mould and shot it around 1100fps. Screamer, and weekly use got me used to it. Six shots under 3" at 10 yards.
I would worry more about the wolf packs running out here more than a bear. We got the Canadian Lobo species now, and a big male might tip the scales at 180 pounds. Think a dozen, or maybe a few more.

ISS

 

[Tangent]

Interesting thread. We don't have these issues in sunny England but a few rewilding types have suggested reintroducing apex predators. The public here would have hysterics, no common sense, the sort that go up mountains in t-shirts and flipflops and then wonder why they get hypothermia! That said we get a lot of panther sightings and supposedly some DNA was found recently on a kill. It's possible as some were supposedly set free when the licencing changed in the 60's I think. Plenty to eat too as we have more deer now than the middle ages, no predators and most of the public don't seem to know what "a venison" is

 

[Stormbringer]

I would use a 240 JSP and not feel under gunned. Black bears are not all that large, or hard to kill. Been a part of several bear hunts in Idaho. Hunting over bait, 357, 44 mag, and bows have all been quite effective.

Nothing is quite as eerie as the death moan from a bear. Heard it many times!

 

[Tommie]

Best shark repellant: stay out of the water.

Bears? Yep.

I’m a pansy.

 

[Webster]

We're going camping in Idaho next month and I'll have my 329 PD as a belt gun, I've been looking at bullets suitable for bear and the preferred bullet is a heavy 300-ish gr hard cast bullet. I know Lehigh has a Xtreme Penetrator that is solid copper in 220 and 250 gr, has anybody compared the hard cast to either one of these for a bear application? Thanks

I read an article many years ago about shooting training for the CIA and FBI type people. The worst thing you can do if your life is on the line is to shoot one shot , then wait to see what affect it has. They train to shoot 2 quick shots and if the bad guy is still standing keep shooting until it falls to the ground. A person or animal only has to live a couple seconds to kill you.