Best .45 ACP round for black bear protection

Try Double Tap ammo.

Carry bear spray for the bear.

Carry a handgun for the crazies who wander the woods and parking areas on two legs. Even 230 gr hardball works pretty well on them.

Red Leg said:

Carry bear spray for the bear.

Carry a handgun for the crazies who wander the woods and parking areas on two legs. Even 230 gr hardball works pretty well on them.

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I spent a lot of years dealing with both and that is sound advice!!

C.W. Richter said:

'Live amongst some of the biggest black bear in the country. 'In the yard regularly. Never an issue (other than the occasional cranky male wanting something from the grill or other food item in my pack-even while sitting in treestands.) You'll never have to draw that .45 on a bear, but if you do, any expanding bullet will do the trick. They are not hard to kill, and certainly not with a head shot at close range. 'More likely you'll be using it on the Chinese Army. I think NATO says FMJ for that? I tell people to think of black bear as big racoons. Sure, they very occasionally kill some defenseless person, but it's quite the rarity. They are NOT brown/grizzly/polar bears that want to eat you! Blackies are largely herbivores.

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I have to respectfully disagree. Black bears actually kill and eat more people that brown and grizzly bears. I live in Alaska and have killed “several” of each species with the exception of Polar Bears, though I’ve seen plenty. Most of my bear kills have been line of duty. Ask the other Alaskan cops on here.
anyway, no hand gun is a real bear protection gun.
when I’m hiking, I do carry a .45 with 230 grain “hard ball” just in case I have to perforate something. What ever you carry, as I’ve said before, practice. A bunch.

Red Leg said:

Carry bear spray for the bear.

Carry a handgun for the crazies who wander the woods and parking areas on two legs. Even 230 gr hardball works pretty well on them.

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Agreed

John Havard said:

Agreed

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I wish I could post a video on here. On 19 June I had the opportunity to use bear spray on a young bull moose. He was not impressed. I thought I’d have to give him a liberal application of 230 grain hard ball but he finally got the hint. We were on the Butte for the Alaskans on here.

John Havard said:

I do carry a .45 with 230 grain “hard ball” just in case I have to perforate something

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Although I don't usually hunt where bears live, I do hunt hogs quite a bit, and I carry a Glock 21 with Buffalo Bore 230 JHP +P ammo. I've also shot deer with this combo and it's devastating on shots under 50 yds.
However, when I did hunt bear in AK, we saw a few black bear, and they were very skidish. I never felt threatened by them at all. But of course I did have a 375 in my hands at the time.

Bear spray, because explaining a dead (potentially out of season) bear to a wildlife ranger is more of a pain in the ass than it’s worth. Not to mention you could be firing into an area without knowing what your backstop is.

Keep a pistol or revolver for personal protection from nefarious people, just like you would do anywhere else.

The other day I was sitting in my skivvies having a cool down at the cabin after doing a bunch of chores in the heat when a black bear walked out of the trees and was intent on checking out the barbecue on the deck.... as it is illegal in Canada to use a handgun for anything other than paper at a range I threw one of these at him.

I guess he didn't like my taste in beer, he hasn't been back. Anyway if we are out on the trails we carry bear spray.

ChrisG said:

Also, I personally only carry my super when hunting in case I wound a black bear and have to go finish it off in the honeysuckle. I worry about charging black bear about as much as I worry about being killed by a perfectly placed badminton shuttlecock.

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"as much as I worry about being killed by a perfectly placed badminton shuttlecock." Now that's funny. I wish I had written it. True too!

cls said:

The other day I was sitting in my skivvies having a cool down at the cabin after doing a bunch of chores in the heat when a black bear walked out of the trees and was intent on checking out the barbecue on the deck.... as it is illegal in Canada to use a handgun for anything other than paper at a range I threw one of these at him.
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I guess he didn't like my taste in beer, he hasn't been back. Anyway if we are out on the trails we carry bear spray.

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Well at least you didn't waste a can of good beer!

michael458 said:

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Run those CEBs out of .45 super brass at 1,250 fps in a fully supported .45 ACP pistol and they would punch most of the way through a decent size black bear end to end!

ChrisG said:

Run those CEBs out of .45 super brass at 1,250 fps in a fully supported .45 ACP pistol and they would punch most of the way through a decent size black bear end to end!

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Indeed. But my hand would not like the whipping of 1250 fps. Many years ago I put together a hot rod high velocity 1911, fired one magazine full, traded 500 pieces of brass and the barrel for something else. This bullet does react very positive to Velocity. Tested in 45 Colt and 454 Casul penetration doubled. However being .451 accuracy was just not up to par in .452 or better barrels.



As soon as I get time I have 1000 of the 200 gr Flat Nose CEB bullets to load. They will be going in new Starline brass I have on hand. I settled on a load of Power Pistol for all around 45 ACP use, 5" guns at 950 fps or so, and in the 3" guns 850 fps.

I would probably mix the magazine with a few of these as well.............



Between these two bullets one is covered on many possible scenarios...............Since this test with the Lehighs I have improved the load with Winchester WSF and the 5" gun velocity is now 1478 fps, 4" guns at 1392 fps and 3" guns at 1285 fps.

Back in the day I have carried an 3" Ultra in bear country loaded with the 230 Hornady FN. I believe the 200 CEB combined with the 120 Lehighs would be a better choice. But there is nothing at all wrong with the 230 FN Hornady's either.

Very nice. Love the Randall.

Probono said:

tons of black bear where i live. 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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cant go wrong with a 255 grain +p hardcast, have you considered a 10mm or a beefy 45 colt?

John Havard said:

I have to respectfully disagree. Black bears actually kill and eat more people that brown and grizzly bears. I live in Alaska and have killed “several” of each species with the exception of Polar Bears, though I’ve seen plenty. Most of my bear kills have been line of duty. Ask the other Alaskan cops on here.
anyway, no hand gun is a real bear protection gun.
when I’m hiking, I do carry a .45 with 230 grain “hard ball” just in case I have to perforate something. What ever you carry, as I’ve said before, practice. A bunch.

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I have to agree with John, Black Bears are very dangerous! If I had to carry a .45ACP I'd carry a 230gr flat point (after being sure it worked reliably in my gun) if you have to use it you want penetration not expansion! Living in Montana we have several bear attacks each year black & Grizz you want penetration!

All the bear hunters around here swear by HP rounds. There are a lot of bear baiters and hounders and they use mostly 44 mag. When they have to use a sidearm, a big, heavy slow moving round works the best on black bears.

How everybody thinks bear spray works:

The reality:

I had a nice sized black bear walk in front of my rifle last night at the range. I was prone and getting set up for my first shot of the evening at a steel target. The bear crossed about 40 yards in front of me. It was an amusing moment as I was the only person at the range here in northern MN. I had a brief moment of concern, then realized that a 7 mm mag is probably better than a pistol.
I carried a pistol in bear country in Montana for all of 2 days, then got tired of the weight. Bear spray is what I carry. During hunting season, a rifle
.