.44 mag bear load

[JLT]

Yea thats what im wondering whats a good 3/4 throttle load for a s&w using 2400 and 300gr?

Dusty, I've used 18 gr. 2400 under a 300gr. cast from linotype and water-dropped, sized to bore +.001". Leading is not a problem, penetration is quite impressive and there is no doubt the revolver has gone off. Blue Dot and 296/H110 work well, too.

ETA 6" Mod. 29.

 

[JEFFPPC]

Have taken deer, bear and elk with Sierra's 240 JHC with 24gns. of 296. Used in S&W Mod. 29 but my favorite is my brass frame Ruger Super Blackhawk. Have not changed this load in either gun for about 40 years.

Nor have you faced an angry, charging bear, fortunately. I have one of your stocks on a 22br I built, it's a good stock and very easy to shoot small with. Glad a bear did not get you, lol.

 

[Laguna Freak]

Hard cast vs soft cast, meh… all things are relative.

I load 19.5 gr H110 behind 285 gr LSWC. It may not exit the poop chute if it hits a griz under the chin but its large flat meplat will crush the biggest bones and produce an ever widening wound channel all the way through the liver. 1 in the mouth and its game over for ol’ big stinky bad attitude.

 

[GotRDid]

Lehigh Defense Xtreme Penetrator Bullets 44 Cal (429 Diameter) 250

The Xtreme Penetrator (XP) product line, for both handgun and rifles. The progressive nose geometry allows for deep, straight penetration while creating...

www.midwayusa.com

 

[mac86951]

How did that 329 handle the 300?

Dusty, I'm shooting h110 behind a hand cast Elmer Keith SWC and my 329 is ok; but when I tried some.hot 300s that the marlin liked, the 329 ate them, but maybe it's me, im not sure I'd do that to my pistol a few times each year.

A set of X frame grips and it's a lot of fun to shoot the Elmer Keiths.

I'm in black bear and/or the very southern tip of Griz country If the stories are to be believed. From a little time spent in AK. Fishermen would say, best bear protection is to catch a fish. The 44mag was good for the mosquitos. Most would go 460/500 minimum but with Griz AND moose to think about, a rifle and good woodcraft quickly become necessary.

 

[cmysix]

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.

you want to shoot the shoulders and the chest, heavy FMJ or the hard cast would work. high velocity, you are hoping too break a shoulder/leg and the hydraulic effect of a heavy bullet at high velocity, the instant rise in BP from normal to off the charts is what blows the heart and brain out, skull is thick and angled not a good choice, The .44 mag was designed for this exact task. ME? I'd rather have a partner stand over me with a 12 GA.

 

[DGP4]

Short barreled shotgun and slugs. Taking on a Grizzly with a pistol is better than a stick, but not much better.

 

[jackieschmidt]

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.

I grew up reading about Elmer Keith’s escapades with the 44 magnum. His classic load of 22.5 grns of 2400 behind his 240 grn hard cast semi wadcutter would take down anything that you should b shooting at WTH a pistol.

 

[358WCF]

Only black bears where I've hunted & never had to shoot one, but have been carrying Lyman #429244s that an older fellow who I used to do gunshows with cast for me out of pure Linotype. These are gas checked with Alox lube in WW brass using WLPs with 24.5 gr of W296 which gives me 1420fps & very good accuracy with my particular lots of components from a 6" Model 29. The load is a bit on the warm side during July in the desert, but is problem free back east during deer season.

 

[big5ifty]

It's heartening to see that common sense prevails on at least one corner of the internet when it comes to a backup gun for bears. The key there is that there is already a primary weapon, the backup is just that.

It always puzzled me to read the forum discussions between people on what to use to defend against bears when hiking.

Bear spray seems to be a favorite. That is the first choice amongst people who do not realize that they are a walking protein source.

Then there's the semi auto pistol camp. The chance of a semi auto pistol round penetrating to the vitals is small. The likelyhood of a wounding is high. When a predator is wounded, it becomes a serious danger everyone else.

We don't have bears, we have cats - lions, the kind that hunt buffalo. The fact that they consider people to be food is the similarity to bears. A lion is physically smaller than a black bear, but no sane person would ever go walking alone where cats live with a can of spray. Neither would they go with just a pistol. In fact, when cats are around, a party of two is the minimum. And rifles, 375 H&H or bigger loaded with soft points.

When the creatures see you as food, you need big guns, really big guns.

 

[jackieschmidt]

It's heartening to see that common sense prevails on at least one corner of the internet when it comes to a backup gun for bears. The key there is that there is already a primary weapon, the backup is just that.

It always puzzled me to read the forum discussions between people on what to use to defend against bears when hiking.

Bear spray seems to be a favorite. That is the first choice amongst people who do not realize that they are a walking protein source.

Then there's the semi auto pistol camp. The chance of a semi auto pistol round penetrating to the vitals is small. The likelyhood of a wounding is high. When a predator is wounded, it becomes a serious danger everyone else.

We don't have bears, we have cats - lions, the kind that hunt buffalo. The fact that they consider people to be food is the similarity to bears. A lion is physically smaller than a black bear, but no sane person would ever go walking alone where cats live with a can of spray. Neither would they go with just a pistol. In fact, when cats are around, a party of two is the minimum. And rifles, 375 H&H or bigger loaded with soft points.

When the creatures see you as food, you need big guns, really big guns.

I was watching a show on Discovers Channel where the theme was animal attacks.

A woman was biking in California a a Mountain Lion, (Puma) attacked her, knocking her to the ground, and went for the standard grip at her head and throat.

her right hand was free, and she kept pounding the big cat with her fist, with little affect.

I kept thinking how different things would have been if she would have ha a 6 or 8 inch blade camp knife in a scabbard on her side. That free right hand would have become a lethal weapon.

She did survive, several other riders came by and helped scare the cat off. But she was terribly maimed.

I cannot fathom going out into a wilderness without some type of lethal weapon, and the fortitude to use it.

 

[cmysix]

It's heartening to see that common sense prevails on at least one corner of the internet when it comes to a backup gun for bears. The key there is that there is already a primary weapon, the backup is just that.

It always puzzled me to read the forum discussions between people on what to use to defend against bears when hiking.

Bear spray seems to be a favorite. That is the first choice amongst people who do not realize that they are a walking protein source.

Then there's the semi auto pistol camp. The chance of a semi auto pistol round penetrating to the vitals is small. The likelyhood of a wounding is high. When a predator is wounded, it becomes a serious danger everyone else.

We don't have bears, we have cats - lions, the kind that hunt buffalo. The fact that they consider people to be food is the similarity to bears. A lion is physically smaller than a black bear, but no sane person would ever go walking alone where cats live with a can of spray. Neither would they go with just a pistol. In fact, when cats are around, a party of two is the minimum. And rifles, 375 H&H or bigger loaded with soft points.

When the creatures see you as food, you need big guns, really big guns.

Not long ago, last year? a guide killed a griz with a 9mm 14 shots, fishing guide, got to be a complete idiot too have thought to bring that gun as bear protection, his client probably does not know how lucky they are.

 

[Tommie]

Years ago I saw a comparison to hot .44 Magnum loads versus a 30-30. At that moment I decided to steer clear of big bruin territory. Being in the food chain instead of on top of it holds no appeal. A man’s gotta know his limitations.

Kudos to all who choose otherwise.

 

[dfry]

What is a good safe load for 2400 and 300 hardcast from a 329pd or a 29?

Well not a 300 load but I shoot 19-20 grs of 2400 with a 250 gr Cast Performance WFN out of my 329PD. I use the 500 mag grips on mine. Also, with the light framed 329 bullet crimp jump can be a problem, use heavy crimp and test multiple times with a full cylinder of the loads you plan to use to be sure there is no creep. I usually stop at 5 shots when testing and inspect the last round for bullet creep, then I fire that round. I never save that round to carry because it has been subject to 5 shots of recoil. Also the 300 which I have shot want to creep also if you don’t use enough crimp.

Keep the velocity reasonable with the 329 so that you can get back on target. Taffin had his Magna Ported and seems to like it a lot. Here’s the link to his tests:

23. BIG BORE POWER LIGHTWEIGHT PACKAGE THE 329PD

Are there better guns for grizz, sure, but the one you have when you need it is what matters. Of course I don’t have to worry about grizz, only black bear and mountain lion. But the rare times I bow hunt in Grizz area I have either the 329PD with me or a snubby 41 Mag with hard cast.
Dave

 

[Rem06]

Update: Handgun or Pistol Against Bear Attack: 93 cases, 97% Effective

Three failures out of 93 cases where guns were used to defend against bears translate to a 97% success rate for the use of guns against bears.

www.ammoland.com

i have.44 310 lyman hard cast if i ever get the chance to go for the mighy griz
and a 375H&H 300 and 260NAB

 

[cmysix]

I was watching a show on Discovers Channel where the theme was animal attacks.

A woman was biking in California a a Mountain Lion, (Puma) attacked her, knocking her to the ground, and went for the standard grip at her head and throat.

her right hand was free, and she kept pounding the big cat with her fist, with little affect.

I kept thinking how different things would have been if she would have ha a 6 or 8 inch blade camp knife in a scabbard on her side. That free right hand would have become a lethal weapon.

She did survive, several other riders came by and helped scare the cat off. But she was terribly maimed.

I cannot fathom going out into a wilderness without some type of lethal weapon, and the fortitude to use it.

I am coming to the belief that I cannot go out in public without a lethal weapon.

 

[paperpuncher]

I have a mold for the SSK 310 grain 429 bullet. The one I have has 2 crimp grooves. When seated to the lower groove the cartridge takes up almost all the length in the super RedHawks cylinder. I would cast these out of straight Lino they came out about 312 grains I used heavy charges of 296 win powder the accuracy was quite good I don’t remember what the velocity was of the top of my head but I do remember being surprised by what I was able to get out of the combo. I recovered some of the bullets from the impact area and aside from some scratching and the rifling marks they looked unscathed I’m certain they would penetrate nicely

 

[Dusty Stevens]

I am coming to the belief that I cannot go out in public without a lethal weapon.

Big cities or the wilderness both have wild animal threats

 

[big5ifty]

Regarding penetration of lead bullets, I once asked Craig Clintworth on what he thought of subsonic lead bullets, and how hard they should be for hunting.

I asked him because he builds blackpowder hunting rifles, and is an avid blackpowder rifle hunter.

He said that from his experience, a big [ ~500 gr ] , soft, subsonic lead bullet penetrates blue wildebeest and eland on broadside shots.