The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting Handgun Hunting Bear Load 44 MagGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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| One of Us |
I have a Taurus Tracker 44. Great lightweight gun for carry, but recoil is stout. I need recommendations for a good factory load for bear defense. It will be used as a backup when hunting black bear and grizzly over bait. Thanks. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | ||
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| one of us |
I have the same revolver. I only use hand loads in it. I think you are going to find factory loads all to be a bit stout. | |||
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| Moderator |
HMS has a 305 grain bear load. I would suggest going with cast bullets for penetration. I agree with p dog shooter, any of that type factory ammo is going to be a bear to shoot, pun intended. If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out. | |||
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| One of Us |
I’ve been shooting Winchester 240 gr at about 1100 FPS. Even with that load you need to hang on to your hat when squeezing off a shot. I figure if a bear is close enough I can smell his breath, I won’t even notice the recoil. I’ll look into the HSM loads. If their chamber pressure isn’t too high they might just be the ticket. BTW A friend who shoots competition with a S&W in 460 S&W says that my gun has quite a bit more recoil than his. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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One of Us |
I cast a 250 G. Keith style bullet out of Linotype over 22 G. of 2400 for 1250 M.V. It works. Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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| one of us |
Well you could always find the best 44spl. that works for you. Another is find a hand loader that well custom design a load for you. I have found factory ammo can be improved on by selecting powders used. Factory 44s seem to be formulated to give lots of flash and muzzle blast. Seems they want you to know your shooting a 44. | |||
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| Moderator |
Yes, under those circumstances, I agree completely. What recoil? Not surprising as the 460 is a heavier revolver. I’ve shot 30-06s that kick harder than my 416 Rigby. If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out. | |||
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One of Us |
As a professional bear control hunter, using a M29, my preferred round is the factory or hand loaded Remington .44mag, 240gr SJHP. | |||
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| Moderator |
Please elaborate, as a professional, I would like to hear more input from you. Barrel length on your 29, bullets recovered, what velocity ranges do you prefer, etc... If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out. | |||
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| One of Us |
Please share your experiences. Type of bears, how many were killed with the M29, number of shots, etc. We could learn a lot from you. My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost. | |||
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| one of us |
For sure we are always interested in experiences. I see several bears shot with 44 handguns and 240gr factory loads. One was one of biggest blacks I seen shot live weight was 585. That was shot in a corn field in front of the hounds at about 3 feet. It was circling in the corn and the shooter was standing in one row and the bear walked by him in the next row over. He gave it a 240 in the lungs and it died shortly there after. Yes they hauled it out whole and put it on a scale. | |||
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| One of Us |
+1 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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| One of Us |
Too much to cover here, but suffice to say (personally)adequate results fill the spectrum within the parameter for black bear. | |||
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| Moderator |
Well, that was a dud. If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out. | |||
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| One of Us |
Say what??? BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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One of Us |
The Gentleman means that he really doesn't want to or cannot tell us all the bear shootings stories but that his recommended bullet and load worked well on black bear. We should be courteous enough to accept that kindly. Him being a Control hunter, you can presume that he has shot a lot of bear of all sizes in about every situation. To the OP, the weight of your chosen weapon creates the recoil as you know. But your choice of a load for "backup" on bear needs to be the same as if you had a heavy 44 to soak that recoil up. If your shooting head on bear, you need penetration and to hit what your shooting at. 250 SW hardcast at anything over 950 fps would satisfy that. Or you can choose a premium, expanding bullet in some boutique factory load. Lot's of information on the web about 44 loads for your perusal. I have often coveted a 44 Tracker by the way. Good choice of a carry 44 I think. "The liberty enjoyed by the people of these states of worshiping Almighty God agreeably to their conscience, is not only among the choicest of their blessings, but also of their rights." ~George Washington - 1789 | |||
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Moderator |
Buffalo Bore's new Dangerous Game load for the .44 Magnum.... 265 grain LeHigh solid copper flat-nosed bullet. Big meplat, won't distort on bone, and will penetrate deep and straight. https://www.buffalobore.com/in...product_detail&p=561 "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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| One of Us |
These posts are very helpful. I really love that Tracker. It is a joy to carry. Especially for something you will probably never have to use. I currently use an Alaska Guide shoulder holster. It is secure, rides well, and easy to draw from. I actually bought some HSM bear loads Saturday, so that should help. I am figuring 2 rounds of the 240 gr Wins and 3 rounds of the HSM. Thanks again. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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| Moderator |
I’m not presuming anything. If he can’t talk about what he’s done, this would have been an excellent time to not broach the subject and just state his preference. If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out. | |||
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| One of Us |
^ Seems like he could just say “It works for me”. LOL Maybe American English is not his first language? BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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| One of Us |
Maybe he's just modest or doesn't want to write a chapter of war tales. It would be interesting though if he did so. Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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| Moderator |
Or not.....LOL!  "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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| Moderator |
I have trouble digesting the "all black bear are created equally" mantra so flippantly bandied about. I have hunted them (with handguns) in Maine where a 200 pounder is a good bear, and North Carolina where (where we hunt) the bears frequently exceed 500 pounds. In fact here is one from last year's take...not one I would use a 240 grain bullet out of a .44 Mag, but that's just me.  "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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| One of Us |
Don’t leave out Alaska. A huge blackie will square 6-7 foot and run about 300 pounds. Of course some may get bigger. But the vast majority of interior black bears will be lucky to break 200 pounds. My biggest fear is when I die my wife will sell my guns for what I told her they cost. | |||
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| One of Us |
This thread is about a back up, self defense weapon if your rifle gets knocked away and the bear is charging. Not as a primary weapon for hunting. I remember reading an article years ago (complete with pictures) of a game warden who killed a grizzly bear after it attacked him as they were trying to release it. Gun? A .38 Special if I remember correctly. At spitting distance a .44 Mag with 240 gr bullets moving over 1000 FPS can whack something pretty hard. Not that I would want to be put in that position. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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| Moderator |
Yes, but the point is that all bears are not created equally. To lump all black bears into one category is a mistake - with regards to bear protection. "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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| Moderator |
I refer you to the heading of this page. The guys who hunt with handguns, on purpose, know more about what works and what doesn’t than the occasional guy who has had to peal one off himself. If we followed Phil Shoemakers’ lead, we’d be carrying third gen S&W pistols chambered in 9mm. If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out. | |||
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| Moderator |
Ah yes, but had Phil’s bear charged him, the 9mm wouldn’t have been nearly as impressive.... "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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| One of Us |
OK, following dogs all night, over hills, thickest brush, pouring rain. Bear bayed, charges, shot at 3 feet with flashlight. 450lbs+ 240grn. Routine. Oh, have you heard about the one that took the gun away from me & fired it? | |||
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| Moderator |
I need one of those flashlights. Ever shoot one in your pajamas and wonder what he was doing wearing them? If ignorance is bliss; there are some blissful sonofaguns around here. We know who you are, so no reason to point yourselves out. | |||
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| Moderator |
Hey don’t come after me. You were the one being cryptic. Routine. Really? "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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| One of Us |
Your second sentence is the exact reason why I posted on this page (besides there is not a Handguns For Bear Defense page). But there is a big difference in hunting a bear with a handgun and using one for self defense. If I were hunting a bear with a handgun, I would definitely not be using a Tarus Tracker 44. LOL BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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| Moderator |
The difference I see is that the handgun hunter will probably handle his firearm better in a defensive situation, than the rifle or bow hunter, due to familiarity. That said, any bullet/load I choose to hunt with, I would be comfortable using in a defensive situation. I don't use frangible bullets that won't hold together under extreme conditions. "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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| One of Us |
To repeat myself; I load a linotype cast 250 G. Keith over 22 G. of 2400. It WILL cure what ails ya. Never mistake motion for action. | |||
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| Moderator |
Until it doesn't. I too was a believer in hardcast bullets for animal defense until I started to really test them on big, tough animals and the failure rate has been eye opening. Sometimes they work well, other times they don't. If I'm banking on something saving my hindquarters, I'm going monolithic solid or a Punch bullet. Not crapping on your suggestion, just sharing my experiences. Here are a few we pulled out of a water buffalo (I think). When the nose gets wiped off, they stop tracking straight and they don't maximize damage.  "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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| One of Us |
The "game warden" was Louis Kis in 1987. He used a .357 | |||
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| Moderator |
I remember the incident. When the truck moved, he fell right on top of the bear.... "Ignorance you can correct, you can't fix stupid." JWP If stupidity hurt, a lot of people would be walking around screaming. Semper Fidelis "Building Carpal Tunnel one round at a time" | |||
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| One of Us |
Thanks for the clarification. I remember the pictures clearer than the text. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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| one of us |
Mr. 63...I have the same gun in .41 Magnum...both titanium and stainless and find the "Specials" work much better than Magnums... The cylinders are shorter than most other Magnums and using Specials help both with ejection and using heavy cast bullets as some will not fit in the cylinder in Magnum cases. https://www.buffalobore.com/in...=product_detail&p=88 https://www.underwoodammo.com/...riant=18786990030905 Bob | |||
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| One of Us |
I have shot the 240gr many times without problems (except for excessive recoil). I’ll test fire the HSMs, to make sure there are no issues. Thanks for the advice. BH63 Hunting buff is better than sex! | |||
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