Bear load for 45lc

[Super Sneaky Steve]

Use the search function. There are two million bear threads on this forum.

[3Crows]

Assuming we are talking black bear then I would get the 45LC. I do not know why these threads all go south and immediately start questioning the OPs ability to hit the bear. Yet go up in the forum and go on about concealed carry and how much they practice. What, like the bad guy in the dark alley is going to give you a 10 second warning before he jumps you and slits your throat? And just saying, some people do not go down all that easy either.

I practice, I can darn sure hit the dang bear, or bad guy, or whatever the Hades it is I am shooting at. I would rather have my Marlin SBL with BB loads but I will take the Ruger Blackhawk with BB loads any day if it is what I have and I need an excuse to buy one.

And as to reloading, I reload for my 45LC, it is great fun but for life or death defense loads, I would go factory loads from a quality company like Buffalo Bore, Garret or HSM.The HSM stuff is not quite as hot but will stop Mr. Blackie and they shoot good and consistent and I can hit the dang bear with them. Good grief! I bet the OP can too.

3C

[buck460XVR]

Originally Posted by JLK

Mr. Buck Asking a question about a gun and a load doesn’t make one a bad shot. Go toot your horn on someone else’s post. I’ve gotten a lot of good information from the post. None from you.

Wasn't tootin' any horn. Iffin I was, I'd swear positively like MR Three Crows above, that I couldn't miss. You say you are after information and I gave you what I thought was the best suggestion yet. Get some bear spray. Studies have shown it to work better for the average person than any handgun, even with those very proficient with them, when we are talking about a legitimate attack. Lived around Black Bears most all my life. Knowing their habits, preferences and inclinations have a better chance of keeping you safe than any handgun. Unfortunately things like trash day (I assume this is what you meant when you wrote "specially on tras day) has acclimated bears to associate humans with easy food sources. This is why so many towns do not allow folks to put their trash out the day before pickup.

IOWs, I'm saying I don't think the legitimate threat of a bear attack is very high. Nothing making a little noise won't prevent. I'd suggest you look into why the bears are around human habitation that much for you to feel threatened, and try to remedy that first. If getting a new gun makes you feel safer than by all means go for it. But practice and make sure you are proficient enough to get the job done. Not just wound a bear that someone else has to track down and try to put down. Around here bears get shot occasionally by folks that think they are being attacked. Investigations generally show the bear was at a distance farther away than the shooter thought/stated and many times the bear has been shot at an angle that shows the bear was not coming at the shooter. Have you talked to the local authorities about the nuisance bears? Most of the time, their options are much better(for both the bear and you) than just getting a gun.

Again, if what I am saying is not what you want to hear, I apologize. But this is a forum open for discussion and this is what we are doing. I am not assuming you are a bad shot, I just know from experience how difficult it is, for even the best handgun shooters, to make the shot needed, under stress/duress, very quickly.

[lunger]

Bears do respect fire, but not firepower, until you hit them with it. Primitive man's best bear deterrent was probably a torch, and I do wonder why no one makes a small (gun sized) flamethrower for bear defense.

This might work
https://store.xm42.com/XM42-M-Flamet...42-m-black.htm

[Paul105]

They do -- also dual function -- 2 3/4" S&W .44 Mag

[Jim567]

I will never shoot a bear or own a pistol recomended to do so.
But - I am like a moth drawn to-a candle on these posts.
Lol!!!!!

[glenspen]

Best bear defense is a couple of brave dogs...they make noise and smells that will keep the bears well away so you don't even see them because they will avoid you

If you do have a bear attack with dogs then the dogs will engage and distract the bear while you get time to get off multiple shots. The bear will fight with the dogs while you take aim...they aren't smart enough to attack the human with the rifle first

My buddy who spends lots of time in bear country with mules and dogs told me that pearl of wisdom

[mete]

If you are attacked by a bear when you have a dog , the bear normally goes after the dog. You must consider the dog expendable ! ! If you don't you may end your life !

[buck460XVR]

Originally Posted by mete

If you are attacked by a bear when you have a dog , the bear normally goes after the dog. You must consider the dog expendable ! ! If you don't you may end your life !

Speaking of dogs......

You are 20 times more likely to be killed by your neighbors dog in the U.S. than you are by a Black bear, yet we never see any "What gun for my neighbor's dog?" threads on these forums.

[Bobshouse]

When in bear country it's better to wear small bells and carry pepper spray so the bears will be alerted to your presence and give them time to flee.

It always helps to have the ability to identify bears by their dung. Black bear dung often contains small animal fur and bones. Grizzly bear droppings usually consists of small bells and smells of pepper.

Go 45 long colt.

[disseminator]

You are 20 times more likely to be killed by your neighbors dog in the U.S. than you are by a Black bear, yet we never see any "What gun for my neighbor's dog?" threads on these forums.

Glock 20 for the neighbors dog. He's a fast mover and I might need the capacity to get him.

[DanLee]

Road flares don't take up much room if one goes the fire route. Nor do roman candles. Still, better to have a deadly force backup to the fire sticks.

[Stargater53]

Stopping a full grown bear is a tricky proposition. Bear spray may stop many bears and it's what I prefer for defense, but if you have to shoot a bear, it's best to shoot at the nose. That sends the bullet into the brain and causes instant death. It's important not to shoot at the head -- that will only send the bullet deflecting off the skull and make him very angry. If you're wanting defense against a black bear, a .357 is enough to do the job if you use a hard cast bullet or a jacketed soft point.

One reason bears are difficult to put down with body shots, regardless of caliber is because once those lungs take air into them, it powers the beast for a very long time. He can keel over and die after being shot, but he has more than enough time to end you before getting to that point. That's why an ounce of prevention beats a pound of cure.

The .45 LC can be used against bear if you know its limitations. My uncle knew a guy who killed bear (he pronounced it "bar") with a .22LR. (Of course, he had a second guy with him loaded for...bear who was there in case the first shot didn't work.)

Me, I want no trouble. I once read an account of a honeymoon couple who were talked by a black bear. The two were separated when the man attempted to lead off the bear, but the bear broke off the pursuit and doubled back for the woman. The husband and a park ranger found her partially eaten body later that day. In my view anyone who goes into the wilderness unarmed deserves what they get.

[Buckeye!]

https://www.underwoodammo.com/collec...=7865928810553

Underwoods 325gr HCLFN+P

[44 AMP]

Underwood also says this about their 325gr load...

These loads are safe in all large frame Ruger revolvers, TC Contender, and Colt Anaconda. These loads are safe in all modern Model 1892 leverguns as well as all Winchester & Marlin 1894's. These Heavy .45 Colt +P loads are NOT intended for the New Model Vaquero (small frame). DO NOT USE IN ANY OTHER FIREARM. THESE ARE NOT STANDARD PRESSURE CARTRIDGES!

They claim over 1300fps velocity. Ever actually shoot loads like that?? I have. If you are recommending a load, based only on its paper performance (any load) you aren't doing a useful service.

Now, I haven't shot any of the Underwood load, so I won't say anything about them, specifically, but I have shot similar bullet weights at similar speeds. Out of a 5lb(+) carbine, they are a bit of a thumper. Out of a 3.5lb (or less) handgun, recoil is on the heavy side of stout, or on the fierce side of heavy, depending on the gun. They are not loads conductive to rapid aimed fire. (and, at over a dollar a shot for the factory stuff, very few people are going to shoot enough of them to develop good rapid fire accuracy with them.)

NOTE Underwoods WARNING!! these are not loads for every gun, only a few specific models. (and I note that S&W's .45 Colt models are NOT on their list).

I'm sure Underwood's load is great stuff for some things. I have my doubts about how good a choice the ultra heavy bullets at top possible speeds are for DEFENSE. Now, I am a fan of big bullets, they do tend to work better. HOWEVER, there are situations where all the power possible is not as useful as enough power to do the job and do it repeatedly and rapidly.

Good advice about the bear skull, its shape makes it very good at deflecting bullets at certain angles. I personally witnessed 5 rounds of .30-30 bouncing off a black bear's skull at point blank range. It's not just about power, its also about shot placement and angles. In that case, the bear was not "stopped" it was "dissuaded". None of the head shots penetrated the skull or did fatal damage. That bear was dispatched with body shots by a second person.

Get a box of the Underwood stuff, get a box of anything you think might work, and shoot them in YOUR gun(s) in your hands, before you make any final decisions.

[zxcvbob]

The load I kinda hinted at earlier is a 255 grain flat-nosed bullet at about 1450 FPS. I only shoot about 6 at a time before I switch to something else, otherwise I start flinching. When this box is gone I won't load any more.

If that won't do it, nothing will. But in my armchair opinion (I've never shot a bear) any handgun should not be relied upon to stop a charging bear. You don't have enough time to make a perfectly placed shot unless you just get lucky. The previous advice about aiming for the nose looks right. That's a small target, and it's moving fast.
At least with the gun you have a chance at getting lucky, and these discussions are always fun.

[Airman Basic]

Originally Posted by Dufus

Make sure it is legal to shootem in your neighborhood.

It ain't in mine.

Not too long ago, a guy got fined for killing a rattlesnake. Turns out, it was a protected species.

Shoot, shovel, shutup

[Dufus]

Game wardens have an uncanny knack of putting puzzles together. You bury one, it better be far from home.

[stinkeypete]

Good points all made, here is my 2 cents:

1. I’ve seen many a Black Bear in my 59 years and backing slowly away, especially from cute little cubs, has served me well. If I was elk hunting, packing out hundreds of pounds of fresh meat in the mountains, I think I would pick a lever gun in something big like .45-70 because being painted in bloody bear frosting makes you natural bear food.

2. .454 Casull is a big level up from Ruger Only .45 Colt which is a big level up from .45 Colt. My experiences are with the huge 7.5 inch Freedom Arms revolver, 5.5 inch Stainless Ruger Bisley Blackhawk, Bowen custom 5.5 inch .44 magnum and a Brazilian lever action rifle in .454. Recoil is best tamed with very heavy guns!

While .454 Casull from a handy lever action rifle sounds great, the recoil jarred my teeth, made me smell a little blood in my sinuses, hurt my shoulder and knocked the lever open slightly. I simply hated shooting it until reloading down to .45 Colt levels and even then I regretted not getting a better quality rifle. Sold without regret.

The Freedom Arms Casull was beautifully made with custom shop level of craftsmanship. It was a huge heavy thing and I could control the enormous Casull blast. But once I learned I could do it, the challenge was over and all I had was an enormous wheel gun that was a bother to carry around.

To me, a 5.5 inch Blackhawk is about the right balance between being a bit heavy to carry, excellent balance in my hand, and ability to shoot great heavy bits of lead. I chose big momentum over kinetic energy.

While .45 Colt is what all the cool kids reload for, .44 magnum is the ammunition you are most likely to find at the store. And there is not one bit of practical difference for us Ruger guys.

Anything you field carry is going to be heavy and get in your way. Anything that gets you overconfident about a bear is a terrible thing. Any big bore revolver will work, but it’s a solution to a very unusual problem unless you are maybe an elk hunting guide.

Any semi-auto.. fellas recommend filing the sights off because it will hurt less when that bear shoves it up your keister.

[Dufus]

Good post, stinkeypete

[buck460XVR]

Originally Posted by Airman Basic

Shoot, shovel, shutup

Originally Posted by Dufus

Game wardens have an uncanny knack of putting puzzles together. You bury one, it better be far from home.

The three S's. The Poachers motto......

No reason to do any of that, unless you know for sure you are in the wrong. Shooting a bear in Self Defense is no different than shooting a human in SD. You better have a legitimate reason. If you do, then there's no reason to keep it quiet. Iffin' you just want to kill a bear, just for the sake of killing a bear, out of season or without a permit....than you are a poacher, and braggin' about SSS, is just being a dirtball.

[44 AMP]

I suggest we drop all discussion of SSS as it is most likely illegal conduct and promotion of illegal actions are not allowed on TFL.

So, just to be clear, shut up about it, or the mods will shovel you and maybe the thread with it...