Bears with a wheel gun

[Steve Petersen]

How many hunt bears close up with a revolver? I’m itching to get one with my .44 Redhawk. I had my scope rings break and it also trashed my scope recently so I took them off. I will not be able to replace them by May 1 and spring gun season. Its going to have to go naked this spring and maybe longer.
With that asked and said.....What factory ammo y’all use for your open sight hunting rig? I’m not in a position to reload anything right now, but in due time.
Having had it scoped my gun liked the Leverevolution ammo best and had a 75y zero. I just picked up some Federal Grizzly in 300gr Hard cast and want to test them out.
I’m planning to hunt over bait with it at 22y so I will be close.

Let me hear your .02 of advice and experience.

 

[ccc23454]

I use 300xtp handloads in .44 SuperBlackhawk. Open sights, used scope for few years and hated it, open sights are reliable and a lot easier to carry. Factory loadings i cant help you much but i avoid buffalobore, prefer hsm.

 

[Steve Petersen]

I use 300xtp handloads in .44 SuperBlackhawk. Open sights, used scope for few years and hated it, open sights are reliable and a lot easier to carry. Factory loadings i cant help you much but i avoid buffalobore, prefer hsm.

Thank you for your insight.

 

[BAKPAKR]

A long, long time ago, I shot a handful of black bears with 44s with barrels ranging from 3” to 6.5”. I used 240 gr soft points and hollow points for all of them. I used some reloads but I also used Federal factory JHPs, PMC Starfires, and Pro Load ammo. I don’t think the last two are available anymore.

I have used 245 gr hard cast SWCs on elk but not on bear. On bears, I was going for maximum damage to the heart and lungs. On elk, I was going for penetration. A potential advantage of using a hard cast bullet on a bear is the likelihood of getting an exit, which could be advantageous if tracking were involved.

I would avoid regular cup and core bullets of 200 gr or less on bear. I think they generally open too quickly.

If the bear I was after with a 44 had long claws and a hump, I would be using Swift A Frames or hard cast bullets.

 

[Dunning Kruger]

I shot one in the throat with a .44 mag shooting heavy hcfn buffalo bore rounds. It worked, but id rather shoot one in the boiler room. Going to try to use my .460 s&w this spring. I want to use a bullet thwt will cause more damage than a hcfn. Was thinking of using the underwood extreme hunters, but shooting them yesterday the brass was expanding bad after shooting to the point i could barely get the spent brass out of the cylinder. Had to use vice grips. So needless to say im not to keen on shooting that stuff anymore. I have bb hcfn which are shooting well but i just dont want to use them. I have one box of federal loaded swift a frames (freakin expensive) that im going to punch paper with a half a box and likely use them to hunt. Open sights, very close range only. Big revolver with a scope is just too much going on, id rather use a rifle at that point.

 

[Steve Petersen]

A long, long time ago, I shot a handful of black bears with 44s with barrels ranging from 3” to 6.5”. I used 240 gr soft points and hollow points for all of them. I used some reloads but I also used Federal factory JHPs, PMC Starfires, and Pro Load ammo. I don’t think the last two are available anymore.

I have used 245 gr hard cast SWCs on elk but not on bear. On bears, I was going for maximum damage to the heart and lungs. On elk, I was going for penetration. A potential advantage of using a hard cast bullet on a bear is the likelihood of getting an exit, which could be advantageous if tracking were involved.

I would avoid regular cup and core bullets of 200 gr or less on bear. I think they generally open too quickly.

If the bear I was after with a 44 had long claws and a hump, I would be using Swift A Frames or hard cast bullets.

Only black bear in this part of south central WY. But if one of the wolves that’s been pushed north from CO showed up I pop it as well.

Thank you for that info.

 

[Steve Petersen]

I shot one in the throat with a .44 mag shooting heavy hcfn buffalo bore rounds. It worked, but id rather shoot one in the boiler room. Going to try to use my .460 s&w this spring. I want to use a bullet thwt will cause more damage than a hcfn. Was thinking of using the underwood extreme hunters, but shooting them yesterday the brass was expanding bad after shooting to the point i could barely get the spent brass out of the cylinder. Had to use vice grips. So needless to say im not to keen on shooting that stuff anymore. I have bb hcfn which are shooting well but i just dont want to use them. I have one box of federal loaded swift a frames (freakin expensive) that im going to punch paper with a half a box and likely use them to hunt. Open sights, very close range only. Big revolver with a scope is just too much going on, id rather use a rifle at that point.

I almost picked me up a box of the Underwood extreme hunters. The reviews look good for them. I wonder if anyone else has had an expansion issue with them. I will certainly be mindful of that. Thank you for that info as well.

 

[Dunning Kruger]

I almost picked me up a box of the Underwood extreme hunters. The reviews look good for them. I wonder if anyone else has had an expansion issue with them. I will certainly be mindful of that. Thank you for that info as well.

Ive shot a lot of them in my .357s no problem. But the .460 is a different beast. If youre shooting a .44 i think it would be worth a try to buy a box.

 

[HandgunHunter]

The extreme hunters are a lehigh defense bullet. They work at high velocity up at personal defense distances. But as soon as you back down the velocity at common handgun hunting ranges they turn into a fmj for performance.

Any quality JHP will do the trick on a black bear.

I’ll be out chasing them again with a wheegun if I can’t punch my tag with the bow.

 

[HandgunHunter]

First pic I could find. This was a Barnes 225 handload that duplicated factory. 40 ish yards. This was recovered from a cow elk I took this past fall. I imbedded in the off side shoulder blade. The elk was bang...flop.

I have bounced all around the various bullets hunting with a handgun. What I have found is as follows:

cast/hard cast: no matter the bullet design damage is minimal. You will get straight line penetration but tracks more often than not are long.

cup and core jacketed: offer exceptional accuracy. Good wound channels and blood trail. Generally a short recovery. May have jacket separation on heavy bone.

bonded: generally less accurate than cup and core. Good wound channels. Generally short recover. More critical on minimum impact velocity.

lead free: extremely critical on minimum and maximum impact velocity. If impact is in the middle of their operating velocity wound channels are amazing and recovery’s are short. Either too fast or near the bottom 1/3 of impact velocity they act more like an fmj.

I generally hunt with all cup and core. They give me the widest range between min and max impact velocity. I also take game with a handgun out to 200 yards....with some calibers a touch farther so minimum impact velocity is important.

In the vast majority of calibers a Sierra is my go to.

you asked about factory ammo in a 44. If range is under 70 yards I’d run the BArnes factory ammo. Past that I’d look at HSM or PMC.

 

[buffybr]

I've only hunted 2 black bear's, both were spot and stalk with pistols. The first was with my gov't model 1911 .45 acp and a 220 grain cast bullet. The second was with a Ruger SBH. 44 mag with a 250 grain cast gas checked bullet.

Both pistols have factory iron sights, shots were about 20-25 yards, and neither bear ran more than about 30 yards after the shots.

Both bear's were shot just behind their shoulders and I recovered both bullets from their opposite shoulders.

Some times in grizzly country I'll carry one of my .44 mags or my 1911 .45 acp.

 

[belshawelk]

on my bucket list. I bought a .454 Casull many years ago to do just that and hogs. So far i have done neither. Dammit

 

[Steve Petersen]

on my bucket list. I bought a .454 Casull many years ago to do just that and hogs. So far i have done neither. Dammit

I got this .44 as a back up for hogs. I just needed to stop getting that close to warrant it’s use over my 7mm Mag. Fingers crossed I get my first bear with it this year.

 

[Steve Petersen]

Have a massive snow storm set to hit us this weekend so my spring bear may be delayed depending on melt off.
Ill look around and see what .44 I can find, if that’s even possible these days, especially in this small town. With my bait setups only being 20-22y I’m not worried about distance but rather bullet performance at close range.
When my Redhawk was scoped it was a ringer at 100y with the lever evolutions. 100y is a far cry from 20-22y for performance.
I mainly bow or muzzle loader hunt so actually pistol hunting is new to me. It’s a double bucket list tag team for me if successful (bear/ pistol).

 

[TriStar Hunt]

I’m planning to hunt over bait with it at 22y so I will be close.

Mind if I ask what type of bait you prefer? A buddy and I are hoping to hunt bear in Maine this fall, and we debated a hunt over bait (confirm it’s a male, more time fir the shot, increased odds of an encounter). Thoughts on what’s worked well? Very motivated to try DIY bear bait...even if that means serving up a few blueberry pies thank you in advance for your thoughts, and good luck this spring!

 

[archerynut21]

Mind if I ask what type of bait you prefer? A buddy and I are hoping to hunt bear in Maine this fall, and we debated a hunt over bait (confirm it’s a male, more time fir the shot, increased odds of an encounter). Thoughts on what’s worked well? Very motivated to try DIY bear bait...even if that means serving up a few blueberry pies thank you in advance for your thoughts, and good luck this spring!

We use popcorn, cookies, that sort of thing for fillers and then load it up with molasses and spread molasses and some filler all around the barrel.

 

[Corn king 60]

Way to destroy what was a fine Friday asshole

 

[archerynut21]

Way to destroy what was a fine Friday asshole

Hope you aren’t talking about me man.

 

[Corn king 60]

Hope you aren’t talking about me man.

no sorry I meant the asshole that seems very proud of his junk
im not real good with this posting yet sorry

 

[archerynut21]

no sorry I meant the asshole that seems very proud of his junk
im not real good with this posting yet sorry

I agree with you on that, I just ignore it. Just another jerk. I’m not to great at it either, I’m a fairly new member.