How many carry a 44 or similar when you are rifle hunting?

[Will Gray]

That's why I like my braked Glock .460. The recoil is snappy, but equivalent to my buddy's Glock 20 10mm. Shooting Underwood 255 hard cast @ 1340 and 230 hollow points @ 1420 it basically turns it into a quick(ish) firing, higher capacity and accurate .44 Mag. Well, a mid level .44 mag (matches or exceeds most factory ammo). Plus I can shoot .45 ACP and .45 Super if I want, or just swap back to the OEM barrel and spring.
Last season's elk hunt I walked into a remote spot at the bottom of a valley that had a depression filled with elk and deer carcasses and large cat tracks (and very thick vegetation going up the side of the mountain). I had my .338 RUM and found myself wanting something quicker and more maneuverable...left the Glock at camp.

Sounds like a great spot. Would be good to have someone there with a backup weapon.

 

[Bravo 4]

Looks like a lion/bear buffet! So I guess it is a good spot.

 

[Bruce Hall]

I carry my S&W 460 mag in a custom chest holster from Livingston Montana. It's a heavy pistol but will knock down anything in Montana, great for 4 wheeler on private property. 50 yard Elk killer in the trees with a hard, powder coated 300 gr.

 

[sea2summit]

I don't disagree, but Maybe easier said than done isn't it? If you think you are going to pull out your handgun and make a perfect first shot on a charging animal at 10 - 20 yards you are kidding yourself.

I am saying I can put 10 10mm bullets in a small circle faster than I can put 2 44mag bullets. I have tried this several times. I tried the big wheel gun and found i wasn't as proficient with it. Loved the idea of it, but it didn't work as well as a glock 10mm for me.

Challenge accepted. Name the place I will put 2x rounds of .44 anywhere before you can put 10x rounds of 10mm there. You are not that fast...I'm not a speed demon either.

ETA for ease in the challenge let's put a circle on paper (you decide the size), place it at a distance (you decide), use a shot timer or shot timer app, start from low ready, take a picture of the target, shot splits and gun. I'll post up mine as soon as you make the call.

Looks like muzzle energy is about 1.8 rounds of 10mm to one of .44 so if you get 5 off in the time I get two off we'd be "even" on energy on target. So there's a free handicap do you if you want to walk back from 10 rounds.

 

[sea2summit]

Maybe...but the truth is its a numbers game in a critical defense situation. How many of those 44mag rounds can you put on target in a couple seconds? Maybe one? How many with a glock 20 or an XDM? It would be significantly more.

How many seconds do you have is a good question...how many foot pounds of energy are you going to put on target in those seconds with a 9mm, 10mm, .41, .44, .460...

Probably only one or two shots max with any platform, that's why more is better IMHO.

 

[Will Gray]

I know the 45 LC will be faster than the pepper spray. One round in the CNS is required, otherwise the bear will be on you though he may bleed to death later.

 

[sea2summit]

I don't disagree, but Maybe easier said than done isn't it? If you think you are going to pull out your handgun and make a perfect first shot on a charging animal at 10 - 20 yards you are kidding yourself.

I am saying I can put 10 10mm bullets in a small circle faster than I can put 2 44mag bullets. I have tried this several times. I tried the big wheel gun and found i wasn't as proficient with it. Loved the idea of it, but it didn't work as well as a glock 10mm for me.

You took to long and I had to go some repaired steel at the berm.

Took my 3-gun go to (Sig 320-X5) and the S&W 629 performance center. 4.5" circle at 21 ft from the low ready. I surprised myself that first round splits were identical at 1.4-1.7...like I said I'm not fast. Only counted "all hits" times and out of eight strings with the .44 I discarded one, with the X5 out of 8 strings I discarded three...because I'm not that good and ten shots is a lot in a string.

For the .44 I was 2.3-2.6 for two rounds and my fastest four was 3.6...shooting more than two got pretty unpleasant so I only did it three times.

For the X5 my fastest times for 10 was 4.75. This is a 9mm built to go fast and my third rounds barely beat the .44's second round.

So my humble opinion is you'll never match the power in 2.3-2.6 seconds of .44 with a 10mm. Best case you'll put about 1 1/4 of the horse power on target and that trusts that a semi auto that's been out in the elements is going to function 100%.

Ohh, and if you let me shoot four times in 3.6 you'd need to hit your 10 rounds of 10mm in the same 4.5" circle I did...if you can do that in 3.6 I'm impressed because it was hard for me to keep 9mm in there even a second slower than that.

 

[Will Gray]

You took to long and I had to go some repaired steel at the berm.

Took my 3-gun go to (Sig 320-X5) and the S&W 629 performance center. 4.5" circle at 21 ft from the low ready. I surprised myself that first round splits were identical at 1.4-1.7...like I said I'm not fast. Only counted "all hits" times and out of eight strings with the .44 I discarded one, with the X5 out of 8 strings I discarded three...because I'm not that good and ten shots is a lot in a string.

For the .44 I was 2.3-2.6 for two rounds and my fastest four was 3.6...shooting more than two got pretty unpleasant so I only did it three times.

For the X5 my fastest times for 10 was 4.75. This is a 9mm built to go fast and my third rounds barely beat the .44's second round.

So my humble opinion is you'll never match the power in 2.3-2.6 seconds of .44 with a 10mm. Best case you'll put about 1 1/4 of the horse power on target and that trusts that a semi auto that's been out in the elements is going to function 100%.

Ohh, and if you let me shoot four times in 3.6 you'd need to hit your 10 rounds of 10mm in the same 4.5" circle I did...if you can do that in 3.6 I'm impressed because it was hard for me to keep 9mm in there even a second slower than that.

I'LL back you up with my 45 LC but only if I have to put down my camera to help: does not sound like the bear will get to us so I will get good snaps of a bear dropping dead 10' from us. Would be exciting for sure.

 

[sea2summit]

I'LL back you up with my 45 LC but only if I have to put down my camera to help: does not sound like the bear will get to us so I will get good snaps of a bear dropping dead 10' from us. Would be exciting for sure.

I have a story about people with cameras behind me and bears

That was the last time I ever left my gun in the boat "because it was too heavy". I would have gladly shot them and fed them to the bear

 

[Will Gray]

I have a story about people with cameras behind me and bears

That was the last time I ever left my gun in the boat "because it was too heavy". I would have gladly shot them and fed them to the bear

Yes but I will have the camera, my rifle and the 44 LC. I am good with all of those. I am an old combat pilot so I learned to respond to fear with action.

 

[Bravo 4]

I am an old combat pilot so I learned to respond to fear with action.

So your "fight or flight" reflex is really "fight in flight." I like it!

 

[e1harris]

I don't carry a sidearm unless it's a Brown Bear / Grizzly area.

 

[Ranchdog]

In my personal opinion from growing up around guys that have hunted in bear country their whole lives and can attest to what is most important in an unfortunate circumstance of an attack, the most important thing to remember in such a situation is getting as many shots on target in the quickest amount of time. Yes the larger 44mags will certainly have more immediate stopping power however having 10 additional rounds at my resource gives me significantly more confidence in what i carry. More shots on target, and quick draw capability equals a better yet not certain chances for survival in an attack.

Holster of choice is a Kenai chest holster: https://gunfightersinc.com/kenai-chest-holster/

 

[Will Gray]

I carry a 45 Colt for snakes, critters and illegal immigrants