geetar
Well-known member
I need to buy a gun to tote in grizzly country and although I have shot a .44 magnum I find I shoot better with a semi auto pistol than a double action revolver. Have any of you guys had any experience with a 10mm for bears?
Opinions on 10mm in Grizzly country?
- Thread starter geetar
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D_Walt
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My .02 from only having hunted grizzly country once - I wouldn’t worry about accuracy so much, if you have to use your pistol on a grizzly it will be up close and personal. I would go with the more powerful 44 if you’re comfortable carrying it. My brother in law bought himself a new 44 mag for our Wyoming archery elk hunt this year - problem was it was so big and cumbersome he didn’t carry it half the time so it was pretty much worthless. I carried my 45 colt on a homemade chest rig attached to a Kuiu bino harness, it carried well.
The 10mm is the 6.5 creedmore of pistols...lmao
I carry a 329pd, 44 with penatrators as a everyday gun in grizzly country, i doubt anyone here any actual experiance other than just carrying a 10mm in bear country. Carry what your comfortable with, load with good ammo(i dislike buffalo bore, like hsm) but most ammo in my guns are handloads. Great excuse to buy new gun!
Good luck
I carry a 329pd, 44 with penatrators as a everyday gun in grizzly country, i doubt anyone here any actual experiance other than just carrying a 10mm in bear country. Carry what your comfortable with, load with good ammo(i dislike buffalo bore, like hsm) but most ammo in my guns are handloads. Great excuse to buy new gun!
Good luck
A hit with anything is better than a miss with even a big bore rifle. Carry whatever you’ll have on your person the most, and what you’re most comfortable with.
The handguns for bears topic is always interesting to debate.
10mm Auto is about 750ft/lbs muzzle energy.
44 Mag is about 1250ft/lbs muzzle energy.
So yes the 44 Mag is significantly more powerful.
But a 30-30 Win is about 2000ft/lbs muzzle energy. Would anyone carry a 30-30 Win to stop a charging grizzly? No.
The handguns for bears topic is always interesting to debate.
10mm Auto is about 750ft/lbs muzzle energy.
44 Mag is about 1250ft/lbs muzzle energy.
So yes the 44 Mag is significantly more powerful.
But a 30-30 Win is about 2000ft/lbs muzzle energy. Would anyone carry a 30-30 Win to stop a charging grizzly? No.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
There's always the 88 magnum . . .
Pretty pointed question. Doubt you'll get much real info. mtmuley
geetar
Well-known member
Fair enough. I was a little vague. Could have been that I was wrestling a toddler at the time
Let me rephrase that. Have any of you guys been impressed enough with with the ballistic performance a 10mm pistol to feel justified carrying it in bear country?
geetar
Well-known member
Good to know. If I buy one I’ll be sure to grow a man bun.
geetar
Well-known member
I was wrestling a toddler on the couch at the time I typed this question so my apologies for the vagueness of the question. The cumbersome side of the .44 is another reason I am considering going with a semi auto. I tested the buffalo bore .45+ p 255 hard cast in my 1911 and wasn’t impressed with its performance and reliability even after changing the spring to a Wolff that was heavier by a couple pounds.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
One of the better summaries on this issue I have seen:
https://www.ammoland.com/2020/03/update-handgun-or-pistol-against-bear-attack-93-cases-97-effective/
My gut reaction is a pistol you are comfortable shooting and are committed to carry loaded and in proximity for immediate access is better than a thunderstick you rarely shoot, and is too big to actually carry comfortably (meaning most won't). Hopefully, I am never asked to prove the efficacy of my 10mm Sig or my .357Mag Ruger, but if I am, my guess is that the cartridge choice will not be the decider - it will be if I had time to get the gun out of the holster and fired accurately in time to make a difference. Once, I had a black bear come out of nowhere and barrel past me 10 ft away. Don't know what it was doing, but if it was after me I would have been on the ground before I even realized I had a problem. I have the same concern with mountain lions - my 10mm is plenty of gun for that, but my guess is I won't see it coming if it does.
https://www.ammoland.com/2020/03/update-handgun-or-pistol-against-bear-attack-93-cases-97-effective/
My gut reaction is a pistol you are comfortable shooting and are committed to carry loaded and in proximity for immediate access is better than a thunderstick you rarely shoot, and is too big to actually carry comfortably (meaning most won't). Hopefully, I am never asked to prove the efficacy of my 10mm Sig or my .357Mag Ruger, but if I am, my guess is that the cartridge choice will not be the decider - it will be if I had time to get the gun out of the holster and fired accurately in time to make a difference. Once, I had a black bear come out of nowhere and barrel past me 10 ft away. Don't know what it was doing, but if it was after me I would have been on the ground before I even realized I had a problem. I have the same concern with mountain lions - my 10mm is plenty of gun for that, but my guess is I won't see it coming if it does.
geetar
Well-known member
I love a .30-30 I think it’s way underrated. Most whitetails I have seen with it are DRT. Just can’t find one with a 6 inch barrel lol.
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
Here ya go if you can live with 7" barrel https://shopkahrfirearmsgroup.com/firearms/magnum-research-3030-win-revolver-75-inch-barrel.asp
geetar
Well-known member
I’m hoping to run it on a Razco gear chest holster below my bino harness so a huge .44 mag is a little more than I want right there.
geetar
Well-known member
That’s bad to the bone. I was in elk camp with a guy who had the same gun in .454 Casull back in October.
My feelings also. We are just getting bears where I hunt, so I need to be prepared. I have a Ruger .357 revolver that I have been shooting for 30 years. It's stuffed with Buffalo Bore 180 hardcasts. I don't feel undergunned. mtmuley
That guy has a lot of stuff strapped on him. Wow. mtmuley
geetar
Well-known member
Yea it’s just an advertising photo I googled but yea he does.
geetar
Well-known member
Wait how did you even see him in all that Sitka camo?
VikingsGuy
Well-known member
And that's just his squirrel season load out - you should see him when high country elk is on the menu.
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