What handgun can stop a grizzly bear?

44 Magnum is the minimum for charging bears, many others have opted for a Glock 20 in 10mm Auto and, interestingly enough, passed right by the . 357 S&W Magnum. Several folks have even successfully killed bears with a 9mm. While a well-placed shot from a 10mm can no doubt do the trick, the .

What is the best handgun to stop a grizzly bear?

Big-bore revolvers are the classic backup gun in bear country, and one of the most popular options is Smith & Wesson's six-shot . 44 Magnums. The Model 29 and Model 629 are built on S&W's vaunted N-frame and pack enough punch that, with the right bullets, they'll stop even the largest bear.

Can a handgun stop a grizzly?

40 caliber pistols, all against black bears, all successful, all of the bears were killed. There was one use of a 10 mm pistol against a grizzly. 4 or 5 shots were fired. It was successful and the bear was killed.

What caliber handgun will take down a bear?

For a bear cartridge anything equal to or more powerful than a . 41 Magnum or . 44 Magnum will be fine. Oldtime black bear hunters say that any load that throws at least a 200-grain or bigger solid bullet at 1000 fps or more will take any bear in the woods.

Will a 9mm pistol stop a grizzly bear?

The 9mm can kill bears but is considered underpowered by experienced woodsmen. The 9mm has 350 to 450 ft/lbs. of energy, while 1,000 ft/lbs is considered the minimum for a bear hunting gun. Proper 9mm bullets yield sufficient penetration in soft tissue, but it may not stop a bear quickly enough to avoid being mauled.

Bears vs Handguns: Defending Yourself in Bear Country

Will a .45 stop a bear?

In general, the . 45 acp is a poor choice for bear defense. The round is slow, fat, and has fairly poor penetration on tough-skinned animals; however, some people carry . 45 acp with modern +P ammo and hardened bullets for bear defense.

What caliber is a grizzly bear?

One of the most useful cartridges ever developed by the hand of man, the . 338 will do it all. When I hunted caribou in grizzly country, I'd use 210-grain bullets for ungulates, and always have a couple of 250-grain Swift A-Frames at the bottom of the magazine in case a bear showed up to claim the caribou.

What is the best gun to carry in bear country?

Is 10mm better than 357 Magnum?

When it comes to muzzle velocity, there is a lot of overlap between different loads for 357 and 10mm. However, the 357 Magnum will typically have a slight velocity advantage over the 10mm as the 357 can fire lighter bullets.

Is a 10mm more powerful than a 45 ACP?

Both are popular choices for self-defense and both have a lot of stopping power. The 10mm is a bit more powerful than the . 45 ACP and it also has a higher capacity.

Will a 10mm stop a grizzly bear?

If you body-shoot an attacking bear front-on, those 10mm bullets must be chosen for extremely deep, straight-line penetration to compromise as many vital organs as possible, and they must shrug off any bone—no matter how massive and dense—encountered along the way.

What is the difference between a .357 Magnum and a .44 Magnum?

357 Mag is a much smaller diameter bullet than its . 44 Mag counterpart. While the case and overall length are similar, the . 44 Mag is much wider and voluminous cartridge that can hold more powder and withstand a higher amount of pressure when the powder is ignited.

What handgun is good for bear?

44 Magnum or other larger cartridge. With this in mind, a high-quality handgun chambered in . 357 Magnum, like the Ruger GP100, can be a very effective bear-defense gun.

What is the most powerful hand gun?

The Smith & Wesson Model 500 has held its rank as the world's most powerful handgun since it was first introduced in 2003.

Which is stronger 44 mag or 10mm?

10mm vs 44 Magnum: Stopping Power

The 44 Mag's 240 grain bullet consistently outpaces the 10mm's 180 grain bullet, even at 100 yards. And because it is so much heavier, it carries significantly more energy at all distances as well.

Is 38 special more powerful than 9mm?

Standard pressure . 38 Special only produces 264 foot-pounds of force (147-grain bullet at 900 feet per second out of a 4-inch barrel), while standard pressure 9mm can produce 365 foot-pounds of force (124-grain bullet at 1,150 feet per second). This is 38.25% more energy at the muzzle in favor of the 9mm.

Where do you aim at a bear?

Aiming towards the center-mass of the body cavity is important, I like to shoot about 4 to 5 inches back from the shoulder on a broadside bear. Bears have soft skins and the rib bones are fairly light. The biggest threat to penetration is the front shoulder—stay away from it.

Will a 30/30 stop a bear?

30/30 is not just a proven bear killer, it is probably the most-proven bear killer. Select a quick-expanding bullet for this kind of hunting.

Is a 45 ACP more powerful than a 9mm?

45 ACP comparison, the 9mm is smaller and more compact and has less power. The . 45 ACP is comparably larger, heavier, and wider. Therefore, it can hold more gunpowder and stopping power.

Whats better 9mm or 45 ACP?

Translated into English, it means “if you want peace, prepare for war.” As we can see from the chart above, 9mm bullets have a higher muzzle velocity than 45 ACP bullets do. Combined with the 9mm's smaller size than . 45 ACP, that translates into deeper bullet penetration.

Does a .45 have more stopping power than a 9mm?

Velocity & Penetration

Also, for you suppressor enthusiasts out there, the . 45 ACP is an inherently subsonic bullet. It fires slow and heavy bullets at a lower muzzle velocity than the 9mm and can be suppressed to near-whisper levels.

What caliber is best for bear hunting?

Best Pistol Caliber for Bear: .

44 Magnum. This pistol packs a powerful punch while still being small enough to fit in the hands, which makes it a popular choice for people who want a sidearm when they take to the field for a bear hunt.

What has more stopping power 45 or 357 Magnum?

The . 357 has more stopping power when aiming at targets further away, while the . 45 ACP provides higher stopping power when shooting targets at shorter ranges.

Whats stronger 357 or 44?

As for bullet energy, the 357 comes out at 566 ft-lbs while the 44 creates 832 & 904 ft-lbs. This indicates what we already knew: The 44 magnum is much more powerful than the 357 magnum. When he changes things up to compare the most commonly-used bullet weight for each cartridge, you can really see the difference.