Handguns in Defense Against Bears by Caliber – Beyond .44 Magnum

AmmoLand ^ | August 28, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

[marktwain]

Here are all the cases that have been documented where calibers beyond .44 Magnum were used. There are 4 incidents where .454 Casull revolvers were fired. There was 1 incident where a .460 S&W Magnum revolver was fired. there were 2 incidents where a .500 S&W Magnum revolver was fired.  These cases do not include incidents where handguns were used with other lethal means or a mix of handgun calibers were used. The incident is included if more than one handgun of the same caliber was used.  Six incidents were against brown bears and one against a polar bear.  All were successful. The incidents are listed by caliber and chronologically within caliber.

We have found four cases where .454 Casull revolver was used to defend against a bear. They were successful.

November 1986, Kodiak Island, Zachar Bay, .454 Casull, Grizzly bear.

George Malekos was confronted with a large grizzly bear at 10 feet away on a gravel ridge, covered with snow. He had nowhere to turn. He aimed at the bear’s eye, and shot. He fired two more times as the bear whirled around, and disappeared.

Later, he and his hunting companion shot the same bear with their rifles. They found the .454 round had creased the skull above the eye, then another shot had penetrated one foot of the bear.

From More Bear Tales, p. 104-107.

About 1993, Alaska, Kenai Peninsula, .454 Casull, Craig Medred Grizzly Field & Stream February 2003 Letters. (numerous mentions in Medred’s columns)

And here I thought the Kenai Penisula brownie I shot off my foot with a .454 Casull about 10 years ago got the worst of it.

December 30, 2007, Kodiak Island, Alaska, brown bear, .454 Casull revolver.

A rabbit hunter had a .22 rifle for rabbits and a .454 Casull revolver for bear protection. The bear

[mabarker1]

WOW ! That’s awesome. I would love to have that kind of experience. Congratulations and I’m glad You’re on Our Side !!!

[riverrunner]

Time and money.

I have always had my own ranges. The property I live on now has a 50 yard handgun mainly and a 250 yard rifle range.

Just got done shooting 66 rounds through a 357 revolver.

Do that several times a weeks it adds up over 50 years

[riverrunner]

Here at Freerepublic know the your the best man here.