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.357 Mag. for bear? PT.2

Fatstrat
Thanks for the replies. Rest assured that I no intention of hunting bear w/a .357. Mag of any kind. I don't hunt bear at all.
But I was just curious if the increased .357 Mag. velocity and energy out of a rifle, which puts it in a comparable category to the .44 Mag, made a difference.
Beantownshooter states that the .357 Mag from a rifle generates over 2000FPS velocity, which is more than the average .44 Mag round. And "WELL OVER" 1000 ft-lbs energy. Which is comparable.
So just in looking at the ballistic numbers, the rifle barrel should make the .357 Mag at least as viable as a .44 Mag from a handgun. Unless bullet size makes all the difference.
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6 comments

Date Votes
  • rufe-snow
    All these threads are just a waste of time. Don't matter if it's a 357 or a 458 Winchester. If you hit it in the butt all you got is a pissed off bear. What ever you use, make sure the shot is COM, and you keep shooting until Mr. Bruin is done for.
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  • beantownshootah
    Defense against bears and hunting bears are really two different things. In either case, there is more to it than just pure power.

    If you're talking about hunting, I maintain my position that since a a good .357 magnum from a rifle is ballistically similar to a 30/30, it adequate for black bear.

    Could other rounds work better? Maybe, but I think most of this comes down to the skill of the hunter, not the caliber of a rifle. Even if a .30-06 hits much harder, if you can't do it with a 30/30 are you really going to be able to do it with a .30/06?

    In practice, once you get to the realm of "adequate power" then power doesn't become your limiting factor. Instead its more about the skill of the hunter than the exact cartridge. IE, can you get inside your effective range and place your shot? What a true rifle round may give you (vs a handgun cartridge in a rifle) is more effective range.

    In terms of handgun vs rifle, that's a bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison. On paper the energy from a .357 rifle round and that of a .44 magnum handgun may be similar, but in practice, the two rounds are still relatively different. With similar energy, a .44 will put out a significantly heavier slug (up to 300 grains for .44 vs 180 from the .357) of larger diameter. So even with equal energy, the .44 still offers a good bit more momentum (or "power factor") and all else being equal, that would tend to make it a better choice on large animals like bears.

    There there is the issue of handgun vs rifle. Regardless of power difference, at distance, its just easier to connect precisely with a rifle, and again, once you get into the range of "adequate" power, IMO placing the bullet precisely is a LOT more important than how powerful it is.

    The rifle will be more intrinsically accurate, easier to shoot well, and will put out its bullet faster giving a flatter trajectory and making it easier to connect at distance. Also, the bullet will probably retain more energy at distance. So even if the .44 magnum round is more effective at the muzzle, that only matters at point blank range. At 100 yards, I think you'd rather have the rifle than the handgun.

    Note that like a .357, a .44 magnum is also greatly improved in a rifle over a handgun, and I think its clear a .44 magnum RIFLE is going to outperform a .357 magnum RIFLE.

    Now, as to defense, the reasons people like revolvers for this are because they're light to carry, easily accessible (no sling, you draw and fire, plus you can literally keep it on you at all times), quick to point, quick to fire (no safety, you just pull the trigger), powerful, reliable, and unlike a rifle, can be cycled repeatedly with one hand. If a bear is right on you, you're probably not going to be aiming anyway, you're just going to be pointing.

    So again, even if a .357 magnum rifle is more accurate at distance, or even more powerful (which is debatable), in the specific role of a defensive arm against bears, those advantages may not offset all the other advantages of a double-action revolver.
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  • Manoa-Fisherman
    If bear defense is the primary goal, you would be better served with a 12 gauge pump with an extended magazine. A Remington or Mossberg is adequate and that is what the Alaska Fish and Game folks carry when out in the bush. When they are tracking a wounded bear in the suburbs, they carry primarily the 12 gauge pumps alternating with slugs and 00 buckshot.
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  • nards444
    A rifle provides stand off, which with a bear is probably the best defense. Handguns are less accurate and most people are not crack shots with them. Depending on which kind of bear mainlly brown bear, if you do not hit its vitals its not going to matter. If your truely talking defense on a walking tour or something then a .357 is probably your best bet, as is accuracy and punch are hard to match, a .44 would better but less controlable. If carrying something is not an issue then a 12gauge would probably be the best. For hunting I wouldnt be using anything less than a 30,06
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  • nards444
    quote:Originally posted by Manoa-Fisherman
    If bear defense is the primary goal, you would be better served with a 12 gauge pump with an extended magazine. A Remington or Mossberg is adequate and that is what the Alaska Fish and Game folks carry when out in the bush. When they are tracking a wounded bear in the suburbs, they carry primarily the 12 gauge pumps alternating with slugs and 00 buckshot.


    Alaska probably does not have this issue but in some states like where I live its illegal to hunt with buck shot and a slug at the same time. Some states buckshot are illegal all together, and remember to use a smooth bore if using buck shot. So just be careful and know the laws.
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  • badchris
    I do a fair amount of camping in black bear country. The camp is known for encroachment day and night. I am more than comfortable walking around with my 357 revolver loaded with Buffalo Bore heavy loads. I also keep my 357 lever rifle loaded & accessible. But when I kick back around the camp fire or lay down to sleep for the night, I cuddle up to my 12 ga shotty loaded with slugs.
    Granted, there is a difference once you get into the bigger species of bears and I'd replace the 357 revolver & rifle with a 44 mag revolver and a 30/30...but the 12 ga slugs would still be my choice for a charging bear regardless of the color.
    Disclaimer: My opinion is just that. Take it for what it's worth, some anonymous person on an internet message board [:I] . A mad bear won't give two scats what I think!
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