454 Casull, big enough to stop a grizzley?
02-16-2010, 09:53 AM
#11
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 686
I totally agree that the most effective, short range weapon for a Grizzly is probably a shotgun slug but how likely is someone going to carry a shotgun to a trout stream or hiking through the mountains. I would think a 454 Casull pushing a 325 grain Swift A-Frame bullet at 1800 ft/second would make all but the most persistant Griz think twice about making me his or her meal. Just a thought......
02-16-2010, 12:09 PM
#12
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 1,408
The ONLY reason to rationally substitute ANY handgun for a long gun when bears are concerned is when the weight or size of a long gun precludes it from being carried, or when the handgun is stowed so that is a more quickly-accessible backup than a long gun which you may not get into play as quickly. PERIOD.
I've carried a 40S&W in bear country, but only because it was available at in some situations I MAY not have access to the rifle and I'd rather have an underpowered handgun than my fingernails.
02-16-2010, 12:23 PM
#13
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: S.W. Pa.-- Heart in North Central Pa. mountains-
Posts: 2,600
A full size 454 revolver isn't exactly a compact carry weapon in itself. Ruger does (or did) make a compact version of their super redhawk witn a 2 1/2" barrel, but you'r going to sacrifice a lot of velocity, and energy, when compared to a 7" barrel. Plus, I can only imagine the recoil on that compact beast with full power loads. If I was truely concerned about ragging grizzlies, a marlin guide gun in 45-70 loaded with 405 or 430 gr. buffalo bore ammo would be my choice. Personally, I believe one can get off more accurate shots under stressfull situations using a compact rifle over a handgun. When you're dealing with 900+ pounds of pi$$ed off teeth and claws, you want every shot to count.
..........Plus the fact that a rifle barrel is soooo much harder to swallow and digest than a little handgun......
02-16-2010, 02:14 PM
#14
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Shawnee, KS
Posts: 774
A full size 454 revolver isn't exactly a compact carry weapon in itself. Ruger does (or did) make a compact version of their super redhawk witn a 2 1/2" barrel, but you'r going to sacrifice a lot of velocity, and energy, when compared to a 7" barrel. Plus, I can only imagine the recoil on that compact beast with full power loads. If I was truely concerned about ragging grizzlies, a marlin guide gun in 45-70 loaded with 405 or 430 gr. buffalo bore ammo would be my choice. Personally, I believe one can get off more accurate shots under stressfull situations using a compact rifle over a handgun. When you're dealing with 900+ pounds of pi$$ed off teeth and claws, you want every shot to count.
http://www.ruger.com/products/m77Haw...an/models.html
BUT that's not what I was asking. I was seeing what people thought about the ability of a large caliber handgun in stopping a Grizzly. If I were to buy a .454 Casull and bring it into bear country, I would indeed practice with it enough to have the confidence (not to mention muscle memory) to get off a few well placed shots. Having said that, I don't know how I would personally deal with the situation of having a Grizzly bear down on me but I do know (from military rifle training) that the best way to prepare for war is to practice and practice until you can do it in your sleep and then rely on your instinct to take over when the situation presents itself.
02-16-2010, 04:30 PM
#15
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 686
If I was going to get a rifle to specifically deal with bears I'd get something like this in .416 Ruger:
http://www.ruger.com/products/m77Haw...an/models.html
BUT that's not what I was asking. I was seeing what people thought about the ability of a large caliber handgun in stopping a Grizzly. If I were to buy a .454 Casull and bring it into bear country, I would indeed practice with it enough to have the confidence (not to mention muscle memory) to get off a few well placed shots. Having said that, I don't know how I would personally deal with the situation of having a Grizzly bear down on me but I do know (from military rifle training) that the best way to prepare for war is to practice and practice until you can do it in your sleep and then rely on your instinct to take over when the situation presents itself.
http://www.ruger.com/products/m77Haw...an/models.html
BUT that's not what I was asking. I was seeing what people thought about the ability of a large caliber handgun in stopping a Grizzly. If I were to buy a .454 Casull and bring it into bear country, I would indeed practice with it enough to have the confidence (not to mention muscle memory) to get off a few well placed shots. Having said that, I don't know how I would personally deal with the situation of having a Grizzly bear down on me but I do know (from military rifle training) that the best way to prepare for war is to practice and practice until you can do it in your sleep and then rely on your instinct to take over when the situation presents itself.
02-16-2010, 07:12 PM
#16
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Baileysville, WV
Posts: 2,925
Anyone seen that little S&W revolver chambered for the 500 S&W? Be harder than hell to shoot it straight but Id imagine anything hit with that would be very very sorry..lol.
02-17-2010, 05:04 AM
#17
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location:
Posts: 1,408
BUT that's not what I was asking. I was seeing what people thought about the ability of a large caliber handgun in stopping a Grizzly. If I were to buy a .454 Casull and bring it into bear country, I would indeed practice with it enough to have the confidence (not to mention muscle memory) to get off a few well placed shots. Having said that, I don't know how I would personally deal with the situation of having a Grizzly bear down on me but I do know (from military rifle training) that the best way to prepare for war is to practice and practice until you can do it in your sleep and then rely on your instinct to take over when the situation presents itself.
People were protecting themselves from bears long before today's big bore handguns came along. The .44 used to be king but today it seems people think it is somehow less effective now that bigger options are available. It's all relative.
02-18-2010, 11:02 AM
#18
Typical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location:
Posts: 647
I would guess that with the right placement that it would kill a grizzly but honestly, I wouldn't get one for home protection. In a protection situation you want something that you have an intinmate knowledge of the weapon and how accurate it is going to be for you and that means time on the range. The bullet will do the job but whether or not you have gusto or cash for that matter that it would take to do it may be another question. Besides these factors, I say if your going to go big for grizz then go big. SW makes a nice 2" barrel model just for this in 500sw. Thats the caliber I'd go with.
02-19-2010, 02:18 PM
#19
Typical Buck
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Tennessee
Posts: 686
http://www.takdriver.com/showthread.php?t=723
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos...alaska?photo=1
Yes, a 454 casull will work. Notice that he used the short barrel redhawk alaskan to defend himself.
"Besides these factors, I say if your going to go big for grizz then go big. SW makes a nice 2" barrel model just for this in 500sw. Thats the caliber I'd go with."
I'd forgotten about the 500 S&W. Another big revolver round that would probably do well.
http://www.fieldandstream.com/photos...alaska?photo=1
Yes, a 454 casull will work. Notice that he used the short barrel redhawk alaskan to defend himself.
"Besides these factors, I say if your going to go big for grizz then go big. SW makes a nice 2" barrel model just for this in 500sw. Thats the caliber I'd go with."
I'd forgotten about the 500 S&W. Another big revolver round that would probably do well.
Last edited by Chris W.; 02-19-2010 at 02:25 PM.
02-19-2010, 07:22 PM
#20
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Shawnee, KS
Posts: 774
Last edited by MO-KS_hunter; 02-20-2010 at 06:20 AM.
