Bear protection handguns?

Model 29 S&W 44 Mag 6" MagnaPort with Deer/Bear loads.
Magnaport did wonders to my Freedom Arms in 454. Recoil does not bother me but when I first fired it, I was surprised. It was worse than my 3" S&W 500. After porting its a pleasure to shoot.

If you go with a larger caliber consider Magnaport.
 
Buffalo Bore, Underwood and Double Tap are all great companies to look at for great Bear defense ammo. Not to say Lost river isn't but I have no reason to leave those three other companies to look for what I am currently getting from the ones I'm using today. Buffalo bore shoots the best in my pistols. Underwood is by far the least expensive offering equal performance to Buffalo Bore. Both of those appear to offer better ballistics than Lost river in 10mm. The Lost River 9mm 148s look interesting tho.
 
Buffalo Bore, Underwood and Double Tap are all great companies to look at for great Bear defense ammo. Not to say Lost river isn't but I have no reason to leave those three other companies to look for what I am currently getting from the ones I'm using today. Buffalo bore shoots the best in my pistols. Underwood is by far the least expensive offering equal performance to Buffalo Bore. Both of those appear to offer better ballistics than Lost river in 10mm. The Lost River 9mm 148s look interesting tho.
I find both the 9mm and 40S&W offerings very intriguing.
 
My goto is a S&W 329PD in 44mag, with Buffalo Bear cartridges designed for this revolver. It only weighs 26 oz so recoil is ferocious. It is an N frame revolver that will accept an X-frame one piece grip, which I strongly suggest you get. Practice with 44 Special ammo, for as S&W says, this is a revolver you hope you never have to shoot.
 
Finally, the effective application of bear deterrent packaged in a can. The negative being, you'ld need to wear a Bandolier stuffed with cans of bear spray. Bear spray belts! The new bear spray accessory kit.

Might even need to line your hat or head net with multiple cans, based on their fairly common practice of gnawing on skulls.

Pancho_Villa_bandolier_crop.jpg
 
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A little story maybe...I was deer hunting last Nov. Up North Fork of Shoshone River area. A friend had shot a nice buck 4 mi. up a canyon the weekend before. He packed the head, hind qrtrs. and straps out. Next day he got the rest. I went in a few days later and found griz tracks over his . The tracks were coming out. I was going in. The mud was frozen. I figured they were a couple days old and the bear found his kill site, ate and left. It still gave me the creeps and had me on high alert. I had a rifle and bear spray. I was wishing I had a pistol the whole day. I swore to myself to never go without one again. I sat down about a mile up. Did a little glassing and ate something. Fed and watered dog. I was sitting at the base of the Mtn. with thick pines . I kept thinking a griz would be on me in seconds . It was cold 32° and I'd be in the shade for another couple hrs. I got the creeps and moved down trail in the sun. (I told this story in another thread) I got up and walked about 50 yrds. and the dog locked on something near base of Mtn. in the trees, which was about 25 yds. from me. I unshoulderd rifle. I didn't see anything. Put my binos up and I saw brown hair thru a small opening in trees. I thought ok, here we go😳The dog just stood there staring at it. It wasn't moving. I waited a min. I moved a little left and saw dark hair ? Moved a little more and saw it was a horse and mule tied up inside the trees... My butt unpuckerd😬 There was a truck w/2 horse trailer at the trailhead when I got there in the dark. I even remembered seeing the horse/mule tracks going in. All the way back to truck I said never again without a pistol. If it was a bear and it charged I'd of had one shot with rifle. If it was a bear it wouldn't of stood there while I tried to figure it out. I kept thinking which pistol I'd carry. S&W 460 and Ruger Super Redhawk 454 to big and heavy but good bear cartridge. Super Blackhawk 44 mag. lighter and good round. Single action. Hmmm... Maybe. Dam, I wanted a 10mm. A guy I had just bought an English Lab pup from came in the store with a brand new Glock 20. 3 mags. Holster. I brought it. About a month later a new Springfield XDM 10mm came in store. Following day was my last day there so bought myself a parting gift. Why 2 - 10mm ? I don't know. But I do know I'm going to find out which I shoot best ! One thing about the Glock I don't like is the same thing I don't like about my Glock 21 (which I was thinking of carrying) is the grip is a little big for my liking. My hands aren't small by any means though. I like the grip on XDM better. Maybe the grip safety also. I've always liked the slide lock and grip safeties on my 1911's. That's my story be it long but I'm stickin to it 😉
Old thread I know. I also know your still around so check out the new Sig p320 XTen. Great strides better in hand than the G20/21/40/41. Can't say it's reliability is that of the Glocks because that counts more. I'll just say it's a much better pistol in most hands comfort wise.
 
Gotta practice with it. A lot. Clear and safe the pistol, get in your shooting stance, tuck the pistol into a compressed ready, keep your eyes focused on what you're "aiming" at, and slowly bring the dot to your eyes as you point the pistol at the target. Don't bring your eyes to the dot. Start at a snails pace and work up, it will take time but there is zero doubt a dot is both faster and more accurate.
I watched a video of a fella that is very, very proficient with a red dot on his semi pistols. He draws and shoots very fast and very accurate. It's something that definitely needs time to master. Work in progress for me for sure.
 
If you've never shot a pistol, Stick to Bear spray.
Well, I guess I have shot just enough pistols to know that there's practically no tangible correlation to how a gun feels to how it will perform in the field.

We have all walked by a gun counter, and someone is holding a pistol at their waistline talking about "this one feels better in the hand" or some other completely subjective comment. While holding the gun sideways and staring down at it, like it has some sort of bearing on performance.

No one does this for a can of bear spray. Or cell phone that will spend infinitely more time in their hands. But for pistols…. Omg the feel! 😂
Just ironic to me.
 
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