Black Bear Load
Taking spring hunt for black bear. Going to use a Ruger Super Redhawk 44 mag 7.5" barrel. I hand load Hornaday XTP 240gr hp pushed by 21.4 grns of Accurate Arms #9 powder. Will this be a sufficient load to take one of these magestic animals humanely. I know it will take deer size animals with ease, but I'm wondering about the larger bruins.
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Sounds to Me, that You can take any Game Animal on the North American Continent with that load.......
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0 -
If you load your own bullets there might be no problem for bear that size. But any bigger bear could be a real challenge (I mean If the bear attacks you). If the bear is agressive towards you and stands on its hind feet you should have no problems with a chest shot. However I have heard reports of hunters being attacked by a grizzly, and fired a .44 magnum directly at the bear's skull and the bullet just bounced off. But even with extras hot loads you have, I still recommend a chest shot, or through the eye.
If you have to shoot a bear make sure you kill it. Cause a injured
bear will track you down and try to kill you.
" Those who give up a little freedom for temporary security, deserve neither freedom nor security "
- Benjamin Franklin0 -
You should have no problem with that load. Your velocities are going to be good out of the 7.5" barrel and the 240 Gr. HP should do enough damage to drop a black bear. 65gto389 makes it sound like your going on a grizzly bear hunt or something[:)]. Not sure where your hunting at, but black bear usually din't get real big around here(Wisconsin) and are far less aggressive than most other bear species. A good shot will drop him. Good Luck with your hunt!!! And please let me know how you did, I am hoping to get a tag one of these years so i can use my BFR 45/70 Revolver on it.[:)] 0 -
black bear are not that "tough" anything that wil drop a whitetail ( with proper bullet placement ) should easily dispatch a black bear
imay not know it all.....but at least I know that!0 -
BC, I am not a expert on bears by any strecth, but, I have often wondered the same thing (I carry my Super Redhawk in bear country also loaded with 26 gr. H-110 with 240 gr XTP's). Not to dispute anyones opinion here, I have been told a .44 Mag is not enough to take down a pissed off black bear. The guy with the .45-70 BFR should be fine. My taxidermist was mounting a 300 black bear and the story went that the hunter shot it 6 times with a .44 mag and it did not phase the bear. The first shot was broadside at 35 yards and the last 5 the bear was charging( he hit it every shot). At around 10 yards the bear was dispatched with a single head shot with a 12 ga. slug. by the guide . I guess it is all about bullet placement. I have just heard too many instances where the .44 was not enough firepower. My .02.
"They call me Don. Dr. Jason Donald Dalinger."0 -
B.C., You have enough Hand Canon to take any Black Bear You can scare up...! A Buddy of Mine took an Old Boar Bear last Year in Central Arizona...claimed that it was almost an over kill...Blew the ole bears innards outta the Hole on the otherside....Ate some of it last Month when in Arizona....Pretty Tasty believe it or not...Did'nt taste like Pork...More like Beef...
Captain Kirk, Tech Staff0 -
44 mag will be good enough. Have been hunting black bear for years and you should be good. Good luck and man they taste gooood.[:D] 0 -
The load sounds good but the bullet selection isn't right for my tastes. For any pistol or slow moving rifle hollow points are the wrong direction as far as bullet selection. Hollow points are great for shooting self defence and may work on deer but what you want on larger or more dangerous or tenacious animals is a non hollow point, something that may mushroom a little but will continue on for deeper penetration and the opportunity to break a shoulder too. Hollow points have great shock value but they will fall short of deep penetration. If it were me I would use a hardened cast lead bullet or a jacketed bullet with an exposed lead front. 0 -
Either move up to a 300 grain XTP or go with a hard cast lead bullet in the 300 grain weight. With bear of any size you want to break bones and take out both shoulders. Penetration is the key when it comes to bear with a handgun. The more penetration, the better. A lightweight hollow point such as the 240 grain XTP would not be my choice for bear.
AlleninAlaska
Delta Firearms & Supplies
http://www.galleryofguns.com
aglore@gci.net0 -
Snellstrom and Aglore have it right.I personally still use what the father of the 44mag.(Elmer Keith) used and it has never failed me on animals as large as an injured 2000lb + bull one time in a pasture. -- A hard cast 250 gr. lead bullet from the Lyman Keith type mold sized to bore diameter and cast no softer than 1 to 16 tin or antimony to lead over 22 grains of 2400 powder. -- It will pretty much blow thru anything that walks except maybe the very largest African game.............no kidding............good luck.......[8D] 0 -
Lead or jacketed soft point! I agree with the last few post's and would go so far as to say that a hollowpoint will have a tendency to become something akin to a frangible range bullet at that point! Bears are tough, and if you want to somewhat humanely take them down, make sure the recovered bullet weighs in the area of %85 of it's original weight. A hollowpoint will not stay in one piece while meeting that kind of hydraulic resistance and will not, as mentioned, have sufficient retained weight OR energy to punch deeply enough to do the trick. With a tougher, jacketed bullet or hard lead solid you will punch a deep hole AND break bones on your way there!
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