wilkup
Well-Known Member
I get suckered into all the "what handgun for bear" discussions and will likely continue to thinking about it until my dying breath.
Handgun protection from bears is just a fascinating topic, especially with the experiences I've had hunting bears with rifles!
I've read the story of Phil Shoemaker and his encounter with a coastal brown and the 9mm Buffalobore "Outdoorsman" round.
9mm appears to work.
I've also read many have begun flocking to the 10mm over the past decade as a viable bear defense round.
10mm also seems like a healthy choice.
This leaves me very curious about the 357 magnum. With the 120gr Extreme Hunter from Underwood, they're claiming 1700fps from a copper solid. That's wild! Buffalobore has a 180gr hardcast that's pushing 1400fps as well. When comparing these loads to the top end 10mm, it would seem the mighty 357 mag should easily be able to hang in the acceptable for bear defense crowd.
I'm curious to hear if anyone hunts bears with a handgun chambered for this round?
Handgun protection from bears is just a fascinating topic, especially with the experiences I've had hunting bears with rifles!
I've read the story of Phil Shoemaker and his encounter with a coastal brown and the 9mm Buffalobore "Outdoorsman" round.
9mm appears to work.
I've also read many have begun flocking to the 10mm over the past decade as a viable bear defense round.
10mm also seems like a healthy choice.
This leaves me very curious about the 357 magnum. With the 120gr Extreme Hunter from Underwood, they're claiming 1700fps from a copper solid. That's wild! Buffalobore has a 180gr hardcast that's pushing 1400fps as well. When comparing these loads to the top end 10mm, it would seem the mighty 357 mag should easily be able to hang in the acceptable for bear defense crowd.
I'm curious to hear if anyone hunts bears with a handgun chambered for this round?