Loading 44Mag for Bear

[Elk2901]

This year I want to take my 44Mag with me when scouting and hunting for elk. Seems to bemore bears in NW Colorado now. What bullet do you recommend. I have a box of hollow point Hornady 240s but I think I would like a heavier bullet, maybe 275 or 300 grain. What bullet do you use or recommend?

[HEAD0001]

Rifle or Pistol? Which model? It makes a big difference. Tom.

[James B]

I load the 300 grain Cast Gas checked bullet. I have also used the 300 Grain Hornady XTP. I have used that for Bear with the Contender and the Ruger SBH.

[Elk2901]

Sorry. Its a S&W 629 6.5 inch barrel.

[HEAD0001]

I like the 300 grainer's I cast out of WW. The problem I have had with my S&W, and my Marlin was that the cartridge was too long. I cast and load them for a friend who has a Ruger, and the 300 grainer works nice in it. If you are shooting factory then I like the 300 grain Federal's-all lead. There is a fellow on levergun.com that taught me something about the 44. He sets his bullets in a pan of water, and then puts the pan in the oven with the tips exposed. He said this hardens the tips without affecting the base. He said he sized the bullets before he did that. But he did not mention how he lubed the bullets. Or if he lubed the bullets.

I would cast a 265 for that S&W out of 1/2 WW and 1/2 Linotype and try to push her at 1600 fps. No need fo GC's IMO. That should do the trick. Tom.

[pahntr760]

a 270 gr gold dot. great bullet and the weight is enough to take care of those bears, but light enough for good speeds.

[the Razorhead]

Sierra used to make a 300 gr JFP that I thought worked real good on hogs & the like... haven't seen any for a while though... I'd be looking to max out penetration, rather than expansion.

You want to damage the nervous system on a bear to anchor it, and it's WAYYYYYyyyy inside the body.

[Retaks]

A good heavy cast or jacketed soft point will be the best choice. Hollow points just dont penetrate as much as they will and they have plenty of knockdown power. You can get more speed out of the jacketed soft points.

[eldeguello]

ORIGINAL: Elk2901

This year I want to take my 44Mag with me when scouting and hunting for elk. Seems to bemore bears in NW Colorado now. What bullet do you recommend. I have a box of hollow point Hornady 240s but I think I would like a heavier bullet, maybe 275 or 300 grain. What bullet do you use or recommend?

As a minimum, I would use a hard-cast Keith 429421 semiwadcutter. Although I realize that there are grizzlies in CO now and again, I am assuming you are talking about BLACK bears. If not, then definitely go with a heavier bullet, such as one of the Cast Performance LBT types. But use a hard-cast lead bullet, NOT a jacketed slug. The jacketed bullets, especially hollow-points, are a bit soft for big bears (andelk or moose too!) IMO, a good hard-cast lead slug will outperform jacketed ones on heavy game.

Any velocity in the 1200-up category is plenty.

But please note, no handgun can be recommended for shooting big bears unless it is a dire situation and you can't get out uninjured any other way! The best stopping spot, if they are coming toward you on all fours, is to shoot them on the end of the nose, so the bullet travels up the nasal cavity into the brain. Such shooting requires a pretty cool person! I have seen a couple of Alaskan grizzlies killed by suchshots from handguns as small as a .357 Magnum. But if the bullet hits a little too high with such a shot, it can skid right over the skull, leaving a flesh wound and making Senor OSO plenty mad!

[James B]

Excellent advice. I use the 300 WFN Gas checked cast bullets from Cabelas. They also make a 320 grain which I have not tried. I load these to about 1000-1100 fps for the Ultra Lite Taurus but use the Max load in the SBH Bisley Hunter.