Best .45 ACP round for black bear protection

[Forrest Halley]

Bear spray mishap:

 

[fourfive8]

A junior Bidet trooper breakdown caught on camera! "Stop breaking my kayak!" Lord help us. Spray works but you have to hit them in the face!!! Which means you have to know the range limits.

 

[calling4life]

You can't expect that woman, child, or however it identifies to understand anything relating to reality, that's pretty clear by the hysterics and actions in that video.

She better get back to NY and her $3k/month 600 sq. ft. apartment. Lucky the whimpering doesn't get her killed, she's sounding a lot like prey, then again a guy can only stand so much of that before he goes and eats a kayak hoping it'll finally end his misery.

 

[F. Vaccaro]

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.

There is considerable difference between hunting & defense.
In hunting you pick your shots. Place one through the lungs/heart & bingo get set for hero pictures.
Be attacked by a bear, you need to stop the attack NOW! You do this by taking out the brain or breaking him down.
You need all the penitration you can get!
I'll stick with a wide, flat point bullet. Everyone is free to make their own choice.

 

[colorado]

You can't expect that woman, child, or however it identifies to understand anything relating to reality, that's pretty clear by the hysterics and actions in that video.

She better get back to NY and her $3k/month 600 sq. ft. apartment. Lucky the whimpering doesn't get her killed, she's sounding a lot like prey, then again a guy can only stand so much of that before he goes and eats a kayak hoping it'll finally end his misery.

lol!

 

[fsrmg1]

For factory loads, I'd use either the Buffalo Bore or Underwood 250 gr .45 ACP +P round. Both will give you the claimed velocity, but Underwood seem to be a tad hotter and will give you close to 1000 fps in a 5" barrel. Either should be fine for black bear.

 

[buffybr]

Years ago I killed this black bear with one 220 grain hard cast bullet from my 1911...

 

[calling4life]

Years ago I killed this black bear with one 220 grain hard cast bullet from my 1911... View attachment 425827

Where did you shoot the animal and how was the penetration?

Did it bust any bone?

 

[colorado]

Years ago I killed this black bear with one 220 grain hard cast bullet from my 1911...
View attachment 425827

That's not a bear! That's a bear ... (stolen from Crocodile Dundy)

 

[Gromo60]

If carrying a solid 1911, you can go 45 super. Buffalo bore makes a couple rounds I would look at. Something hard cast for sure.

This is what I would carry in a 1911: https://www.buffalobore.com/index.php?l=product_detail&p=397

I know this is an older post but I found it in a search for this subject of what .45 ACP ammo would be best to stop a black bear in the RARE event that it was needed. I appreciate all the posts. I bought a box of this ammo due to this response so thanks much for posting!

 

[ChrisG]

I know this is an older post but I found it in a search for this subject of what .45 ACP ammo would be best to stop a black bear in the RARE event that it was needed. I appreciate all the posts. I bought a box of this ammo due to this response so thanks much for posting!

Youre not running 45 super through a 1911 right? Or if you are, make sure you have a fully supported chamber. A 1911 with the original feed ramp in the barrel will almost ensure a case head rupture and damage to/ totalling of your firearm and potentially your hand.

 

[Gromo60]

Youre not running 45 super through a 1911 right? Or if you are, make sure you have a fully supported chamber. A 1911 with the original feed ramp in the barrel will almost ensure a case head rupture and damage to/ totalling of your firearm and potentially your hand.

I have a High Point .45 ACP and I verified it can handle this ammo

 

[colorado]

I have a High Point .45 ACP and I verified it can handle this ammo

My Springfield V16 1911 was designed for the 45 Super. I use normal 45 ACP 230g hardball for practice, Buffalo Bore 45 Super 255g hardcast for effect.

 

[Gromo60]

My Springfield V16 1911 was designed for the 45 Super. I use normal 45 ACP 230g hardball for practice, Buffalo Bore 45 Super 255g hardcast for effect.

View attachment 575180View attachment 575179

Same here, I just bought one box of the 255 gr, may buy another

 

[Alaska]

'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.

View attachment 407426View attachment 407427

More people in Alaska are killed and attacked by Black Bears. They are more Black Bears in Alaska than any other bear. My experience they are the most aggressive of all the bears except the Polar Bear. Remember Brown and Grizzlies maul you but Black Bears eat you ! Yes here in Alaska we Haze Bear but always carry a firearm for personal protection on the trail .

 

[dneaster3]

I’ll just leave these here for everyone to enjoy…

Feel free to talk amongst yourselves

 

[colorado]

10mm vs 45 Super shooting Buffalo Bore 255g hardcast at 1075 fps?

 

[Jack Stevens]

Best .45 ACP round for black bear protection

The best round for “bear protection,” across any species, whether black, brown, polar, or otherwise, is the most-awesome 10mm AUTO.

There’s a reason the 10mm Gen4 Glock 20 is the Mil-issue sidearm for Denmark’s Sirius Sledge Patrol soldiers operating in the arctic regions of Greenland.

The 10mm, properly loaded, will put the big bruins face-down on the tundra.

Your choice: a 200grn FMJ @ 1270fps or a 220grn hardcast WNFP @ 1200fps.

 

[BC.Pat]

They are not hard to kill, and certainly not with a head shot at close range. ' X2

I live on Vancouver Island lots & lots of black bears here about. In my yard regularly. I've dispatch them with very small calibers. Black bear skulls are not hard to penetrate. As other have mentioned the dangerous bear in one that has become habituated (used to man & his food) Any 45 will do. M2Cent.
Pat

 

[fsrmg1]

I would buy a box of each of the following 45 ACP +P, shoot them for reliability and accuracy, and go with what my pistol liked best, with reliability being foremost:

- Grizzly Cartridge; 230 gr FMJ & HP at 1000 fps
- Underwood; 230 gr FMJ & HP at 1000 fps
- Buffalo Bore; 255 gr Hard Cast at 925 fps
- Underwood; 255 gr Hard Cast at 925 fps

Hopefully you can source some, if not most of them. Any of those will provide good protection from any black bear, boar or mountain lion.