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Best .45 ACP round for black bear protection.

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Best .45 ACP round for black bear protection.

Old 03-30-2020, 06:24 PM
  #1  
Jpv
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Default Best .45 ACP round for black bear protection.

I live in Pecos NM in the wilderness, tons of black bear. I’m partial to 1911’s , the only handguns I own. Black bear here doesn’t get too big but what would you all think to be the best round just to keep chambered when out in the woods for black bear? We have cougar too but don’t See em. I lived in Alaska and have seen 45 ACPs piss brown bear off, just want a round where if it comes to it I know I’m shooting the 45Acp round with most stopping power. I’m would never shoot a bear unless my life depended on it and I’m familiar with brown bears charging, so I know how to stand my ground , but in Alaska at least, black bear were more unpredictable then Brown . I don’t know if these black bear here are same way ?
Id lug my 450 Marlin but she’s heavy
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Old 03-30-2020, 06:58 PM
  #2  
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well this is a topic I have seen posted and asked countless times on many forums, over the yrs
the .45 acp, VS Bears
and the majority of folks will say this, its NOT the best caliber to use on bears period!
your better off buying another gun, more suited IMO

that said, IMO< the deal comes down to this and it applies to larger calibers as well
its SHOT placement period to a degree
HOW great a shot are you when a animal is charging at you
think your precise and accurate?

as if not, then IMO< it comes down to two things,
1 you want a larger caliber that has some extra energy and shock values to MAYBE slow or stop a charge(and most charges are bluff charges too by the way)

2, a gun you can shoot MANY rounds REALLY FAST and mostly accurately!

everyone THINKS there a pro shooter till something BAD happens and then, maybe they realize there NOT as good as they brag about being or THINK they are
so its time to be really honest!

about every animal in the world has been killed with a .22
this doesn't make it a GOOD choice for big game, but YEs its killed a lot of it,
when conditions are right and all things line up, it will kill

but the point is, do you want to have extra power for when things DON"T go perfect

Bear spray is proven to work VERY well on bears too by the way, but few folks feel as tuff as they do holding a can of it over a gun!

NEXT< MY issue with a 1911 and GOOD Bear type ammo
is, well, its really Hard on your 1911 unless you changing springs to help save the gun from some extra power good bear round give off when being fired

are you also going to spend the $$ to buy a bunch of the ammo to practice with and get good at both ihtting what your aiming at, and handling the new recoil the rounds will give off, and knowing your gun will function well with them!

as for rounds to thin about, these get my vote

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...uct_list&c=161

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_list&c=163

https://www.underwoodammo.com/collections/handgun-ammo/products/45-acp-p-255-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose?variant=18785707622457


again, I would suggest a better bear like gun, if carrying a gun is in your plans in bear country, call it an investment
a cheap small shotgun loaded with good slugs is a cheap option too, can be had for what few boxes of good 45 acp ammo will run you too if you buy used!

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Old 03-31-2020, 04:02 AM
  #3  
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Originally Posted by Jpv
I live in Pecos NM in the wilderness, tons of black bear. I’m partial to 1911’s , the only handguns I own. Black bear here doesn’t get too big but what would you all think to be the best round just to keep chambered when out in the woods for black bear? We have cougar too but don’t See em. I lived in Alaska and have seen 45 ACPs piss brown bear off, just want a round where if it comes to it I know I’m shooting the 45Acp round with most stopping power. I’m would never shoot a bear unless my life depended on it and I’m familiar with brown bears charging, so I know how to stand my ground , but in Alaska at least, black bear were more unpredictable then Brown . I don’t know if these black bear here are same way ?
Id lug my 450 Marlin but she’s heavy

Leave ole slab sides at home and buy a .44 magnum revolver. That said, I own a .45 ACP and I like it for protection from humans, however not for bears.
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Old 03-31-2020, 08:48 AM
  #4  
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Great points thanks so much for the links. I think some shooting in stressful( moving) situations might be in order . I considered a snub 44 mag I like the Old SW , i do have a Thompson 1911 that is fairly new and I wouldn’t mind wearing out with stronger rounds. Good point on getting comfortable with a higher recoil round as well. Thanks a bunch. Much to consider!
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Old 03-31-2020, 12:33 PM
  #5  
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There is no documented account of .45 acp ever failing to stop a bear attack (of any kind). .45 ACP is 7 for 7 in actual use.

Federal .45 hydrshok deep is probably a really good all around choice for defense with a .45 acp. though honestly 230gr ball or any type of flat nose round would also probably work just as well.

https://www.federalpremium.com/handg...1-P45HSD1.html

Statisitcs of handguns vs actual documented bear attacks, as well as detailed accounts of EVERY documented defense vs a bear with a handgun at below link. Handguns of all types and calibers, against bears of all species and sizes, are 96% effective in actual real world cases:

https://www.ammoland.com/2019/08/han...#axzz6IIhseTLw

You can safely carry your .45 ACP with confidence.

Last edited by Valorius; 03-31-2020 at 12:39 PM.
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Old 03-31-2020, 01:25 PM
  #6  
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From your own post on statistics.""We have found twenty three cases where .44 magnum revolvers were used to defend against bears. All were successful. " Why mess with a may work when you have evidence of does work.

Last edited by Oldtimr; 03-31-2020 at 01:31 PM.
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Old 03-31-2020, 01:30 PM
  #7  
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thousands of bears are shot every yr with High power rifles and DON"T died RIGHT THERE ON IMPACT!
Yes smaller calibers can kill a bear, no doubt, the name of the game in a BEAR attack, is not to rely on LUCK IMO, but to have more gun in your hand that you can shoot well with,than less!
as stated above, a 22 has killed many bears since its creation, but that doesn;t mean its what you should carry in bear country!,
or certainly NOT what I would be carrying!

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Old 03-31-2020, 02:04 PM
  #8  
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I wouldn't intentionally carry a .22 rimfire in case of a coyote attack.
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Old 03-31-2020, 02:33 PM
  #9  
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Originally Posted by Oldtimr
From your own post on statistics.""We have found twenty three cases where .44 magnum revolvers were used to defend against bears. All were successful. " Why mess with a may work when you have evidence of does work.
Because a .45 holds more ammunition, can be fired faster (espcially if he is using a compact .44 magnum revolver) and is better against the far bigger threat in the real world- 2 legged predators....and both calibers have a 100% successful track record anyway. Also, he probably doesn't own a .44 magnum.

I would not fault someone for wanting to choose a .44 magnum because it gave them more piece of mind, but a .45 ACP is never the less a perfectly reasonable and rational choice for defense against bear attack. One that has never failed- ever- in any documented case of bear attack.

If he wants to be extra certain of his choice, several companies sell heavy weight .45 acp deep penetrating hard cast flat nose +P rounds specifically intended for stopping grizzly bear attacks.

Like this one:

https://www.buffalobore.com/index.ph...t_detail&p=381

Keep in mind people travel black bear and even brown bear country all the time with no weapons at all, and 99.9% of them are just fine. Carrying a gun of any kind gives you a huge step up on bob the tree hugging hippy.


Last edited by Valorius; 03-31-2020 at 02:39 PM.
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Old 03-31-2020, 02:37 PM
  #10  
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Originally Posted by Oldtimr
I wouldn't intentionally carry a .22 rimfire in case of a coyote attack.
I have not scanned through all the cases in the bear attack link in some time, but i believe one of the few failures involved a few very foolhardy lads in Norway who tried to stop a POLAR BEAR with a .22 revolver.

<--- Does not recommend that.

Another of the documented cases involved a guy emptying multiple magazines from a Ruger .22 autopistol into a bear, which eventually did the trick. I am no great expert, but having access to all the real world data as we do in 2020, I do not recommend a .22LR of any kind against bears (not to mention basic common sense), and for this reason I have always viewed ".22 survival rifles" with suspicion.

They're great until the die of fate rolls a bear attack into your destiny. And then they are not so great at all.

Last edited by Valorius; 03-31-2020 at 02:44 PM.
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