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would a 45 stop/kill a bear? or do u have to be a marksman to do it?i am going to buy a 44 mag in the future for sure but just courious if this will do for know when camping???
power of 45 acp?
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Bear? What kind of bear? Alaskan brown (Grizzley)? There is no pistol made including the new 500 S&W that is adequate for stopping a Griz. Guides in Alaska typically carry rifles with over 3000 ft pounds of muzzle energy and heavy strong bullets (450 Marlin, 375 H&H or 12ga Brenneke slug) for Mr. Griz. Back to your question about a 45acp for bear, I'd prefer a 10mm, 41 or 44 magnum thank you. The 45 acp was designed as an anti personnel short range last ditch weapon and was never intended to deal with large dangerous game.
If that sucker is bearing down on you; shoot it hard and fast with whatever you got! Seriously though, if you even think you may run into Mr. Bear, take the most potent round you have in a pistol size as a BACKUP to your favorite trusty rifle. I personally have not read/heard about any encounters with a bear & a .45 acp so I do not know the realistic answer.
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Forty-five acp will not penetrate the tough hide of a bear to kill it with any degree of confidence. Most folks who know, outfitters 'n such, recommend .44 magnum as minimum bear repellent.
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Florida has Black Bears. They are the smaller variety, generally only weighing up to 300 lbs. A few males have been known to become larger, maybe 600 lbs.
I, sometimes drive through a remote area of U.S. 19 posted "Bear Area Next 12 Miles". I worry that if the car breaks, or something ,I might encounter a female with cubs. I always have my .357 magnum with me. I would switch loads to JSPs if if I needed to, and wish I owned a .44 mag. LOL
Here is a link about Florida black bears. http://www.beachtobay.org/html/florida_black_bear.htm And one about black bears, in general. http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/black_bear.php
I, sometimes drive through a remote area of U.S. 19 posted "Bear Area Next 12 Miles". I worry that if the car breaks, or something ,I might encounter a female with cubs. I always have my .357 magnum with me. I would switch loads to JSPs if if I needed to, and wish I owned a .44 mag. LOL
Here is a link about Florida black bears. http://www.beachtobay.org/html/florida_black_bear.htm And one about black bears, in general. http://www.defenders.org/wildlife_and_habitat/wildlife/black_bear.php
If you are in bear country, make sure you are hiking around with an ex-wife or a mother-in-law... when the bear starts coming push the ex or mother-in-law towards the bear and run really, really fast! If the bear doesn't finish the job, then I would say your .45 will be sufficient... just wait for the bear to leave before you clean up.
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fltrucker73,
Are you referring to black bear or brown bear? As some of the others have noted, I'd not feel particularly well-armed with a .45 ACP if I were to encounter either, particularly the latter.
I agree with pioneer461 in regards to a .44 Magnum as a minimum, and with hardcast slugs to penetrate the dense muscle and bone to reach the vital organs. Hopefully though the bear would be more wary of you than you would be of it. From accounts given from others, they tend to usually disregard humans, unless hungry, startled or provoked. However those are the exceptions to that rule -- however we don't want you to be that exception so please err on the side of caution.
defensive shooting of bears with the revolver:
http://www.garrettcartridges.com/031000.asp
Are you referring to black bear or brown bear? As some of the others have noted, I'd not feel particularly well-armed with a .45 ACP if I were to encounter either, particularly the latter.
I agree with pioneer461 in regards to a .44 Magnum as a minimum, and with hardcast slugs to penetrate the dense muscle and bone to reach the vital organs. Hopefully though the bear would be more wary of you than you would be of it. From accounts given from others, they tend to usually disregard humans, unless hungry, startled or provoked. However those are the exceptions to that rule -- however we don't want you to be that exception so please err on the side of caution.
defensive shooting of bears with the revolver:
http://www.garrettcartridges.com/031000.asp
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IF I was to use a 45 automatic for bear defense I'd pick one that could be converted to safely handle 45 Super, which is a 45acp on steroids. The advantage is that the gun can still run 45acp without any issues. I know as I converted my Kimber to handle them. I shot 57 rds total of Super ammo, all Buffalo Bore 230gr FMJ.
The decision to convert and how you wish to make the conversion is up to you. Yes, it is harder on the gun than standard ammo. Those BB rounds are spec'd to leave the 5" barrel 1000fps and I had 7 more in the mag just in case.
I'm not sure the Taurus's 1911 would be a good choice for the conversion but I know that neither the 24/7 or the Mill Pro will handle it.
Another item on this to be cautious of is that if you have some 45 Super ammo around be very sure that it does not make its way into a normal 45 acp gun. If you only have 1 45 around and its the one that has been converted, well, then its not a big deal.
If you would like more into, I'd suggest http://www.acecustom45s.com/gunsmith.htm for into. FYI, I didn't pay for their conversion either.
Steelheart
The decision to convert and how you wish to make the conversion is up to you. Yes, it is harder on the gun than standard ammo. Those BB rounds are spec'd to leave the 5" barrel 1000fps and I had 7 more in the mag just in case.
I'm not sure the Taurus's 1911 would be a good choice for the conversion but I know that neither the 24/7 or the Mill Pro will handle it.
Another item on this to be cautious of is that if you have some 45 Super ammo around be very sure that it does not make its way into a normal 45 acp gun. If you only have 1 45 around and its the one that has been converted, well, then its not a big deal.
If you would like more into, I'd suggest http://www.acecustom45s.com/gunsmith.htm for into. FYI, I didn't pay for their conversion either.
Steelheart
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why would you convert doubletap's std pressure 45acp 230grn run 1010fps from a 5" gun.
http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/product_info.php?cPath=21_34&products_id=156
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I'm not sure that its a standard pressure load, more likely its a hot +P but I could be wrong. I checked on Buffalo Bore & Corbon's sites and they both list a 45acp +P at 950 fps so the 1010 from DT is in the realm. The 45 Super uses a reinforced case to safely contain the higher pressure's that are generated during its firing sequence.mavracer said:
Remember, you don't get something for nothing.
:-[ Oh, and my memory was wrong. Its 1100fps (618 ft-lbs) with the 230gr FMJ out of the 5" barrel. Thats what I get for not double checking the spec' before I post. http://www.buffalobore.com/ammunition/default.htm#45s :bang:
Steelheart
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I am no expert, but I am a pistol hunter. I can tell you that .45 acp is an insufficient round for hunting hog or deer. Therefore, I would extrapolate that .45 acp is insufficient for bear. It may be enough for a cub, but its mommy will eat you for lunch.....and you are probably unlikely to find a cub w/o the momma nearby. For hogs, 44mag is the starting point for hunting with a pistol (unless you happen to hunt in an area with particularly small hogs). I use a Ruger Super Redhawk .454 casull with a Leupold EER scope.
For bear, I would consider 44mag the minimum.....best to go bigger for insurance. A .45 is better than nothing, but I don't know how much better. The only semi-auto pistol that I would consider for this is a desert eagle 50 cal, but considering its weight & size, you might as well carry a rifle.
For bear, I would consider 44mag the minimum.....best to go bigger for insurance. A .45 is better than nothing, but I don't know how much better. The only semi-auto pistol that I would consider for this is a desert eagle 50 cal, but considering its weight & size, you might as well carry a rifle.
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thks all for info i live in florida so i dont know that bears we have but there not really BIG but i guess its time to go to the gun shop again asap........as they say have the right gun for the job
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"Yes, Florida does have bears. The Florida black bear is a subspecies of the American black bear (Ursus americanus), although you probably couldn't tell the difference between the 2 -- except the Florida black bear is typically smaller. It is listed as threatened -- but with 1,500 to 2,000 of these bears left, many people think it should be considered endangered. (If anyone is interested, the summer 2000 issue of EcoFlorida featured an article on Florida black bears; you can order a back issue.) One interesting thing about them that probably won't surprise you is that it's believed not all of them hibernate -- Florida's winters are so mild.
If I were a betting person, I'd bet that where you were in northwestern Florida was near Fort Walton Beach or Apalachicola National Forest. These are 2 prime areas for the Florida black bear because of their forested lands. (Fort Walton Beach's Eglin Air Force Base manages quite a bit of forest.) Other areas Florida black bears like to live in are Osceola National Forest near Lake City and the Ocala National Forest area north of Orlando. Of course, bears roam freely and could be found just about anywhere." *
*Quoted from an online source
If I were a betting person, I'd bet that where you were in northwestern Florida was near Fort Walton Beach or Apalachicola National Forest. These are 2 prime areas for the Florida black bear because of their forested lands. (Fort Walton Beach's Eglin Air Force Base manages quite a bit of forest.) Other areas Florida black bears like to live in are Osceola National Forest near Lake City and the Ocala National Forest area north of Orlando. Of course, bears roam freely and could be found just about anywhere." *
*Quoted from an online source
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Now that does sound like a good idea!fltrucker73 said:
Steelheart
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