I always read how some people carry a handgun a 44 for a backup or to hunt with a 44 hunting for Grizzly bear .Has anyone killed a grizzly with a 44 on this board ?That seems like a mighty task .
Has anyone ever killed a grizzly bear with a handgun ?
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rocco
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There was also a gentlemen by the name of Al Goreing who
shot and killed a grizzley bear in alaska (so it was a pretty big bear) he actually hunted it intentually and killed it with his own special loads in hus customized Ruger blackhawk in 44 magnum using special bullets with a brass screw in the hollowpoint to promote penatration and slow expansion. Folks have been hunting both griz and black bears with handguns and the 44 magnum for over 30 years it has been done enough that id does not qualify as a stunt but simply a different method of hunting its called handgun hunting for thoise who havent heard of it. And Larry Kelly killed a 9ft kodiak grizzley with 1 shot on his alaska trip. the gun uses was a protptype custom version of the magnaport stalker 44 magnum. There is no animal on this planet that has not been stalked and hunted delibertly with a handgun including the big 5 of africia. A 13 yoar old boy was the youngest person to ever kill all of the big 5 with a handgun. He used a Thompson Center Contender with a SSK custom barrel in 375 JDJ. This is susposed to be the handgun hunting forum why would ridicule people who do just that. If JD Jones could take a Bull Elephant with a 44 magnum than a kodiak bear should not be a problem.
Do you have the ca'jones to try it?
Jim L
shot and killed a grizzley bear in alaska (so it was a pretty big bear) he actually hunted it intentually and killed it with his own special loads in hus customized Ruger blackhawk in 44 magnum using special bullets with a brass screw in the hollowpoint to promote penatration and slow expansion. Folks have been hunting both griz and black bears with handguns and the 44 magnum for over 30 years it has been done enough that id does not qualify as a stunt but simply a different method of hunting its called handgun hunting for thoise who havent heard of it. And Larry Kelly killed a 9ft kodiak grizzley with 1 shot on his alaska trip. the gun uses was a protptype custom version of the magnaport stalker 44 magnum. There is no animal on this planet that has not been stalked and hunted delibertly with a handgun including the big 5 of africia. A 13 yoar old boy was the youngest person to ever kill all of the big 5 with a handgun. He used a Thompson Center Contender with a SSK custom barrel in 375 JDJ. This is susposed to be the handgun hunting forum why would ridicule people who do just that. If JD Jones could take a Bull Elephant with a 44 magnum than a kodiak bear should not be a problem.
Do you have the ca'jones to try it?
Jim L
Deaf Smith
I think it is a matter of ca'jones, especially if that translates to having the confidence in yourself and your hunting firearm to be able to do the job.
BTW, you mentioned the use of a brass screw in a hollow-point to attain greater penetration - that's an old trick. The first time I ever heard of it was when I met Paris Theodore, owner of Seventrees Holster Company when he had his shop in NYC in 1968. He made me the first inside the pants hoslter he had ever made for a 1911 just before I shipped out. The holster was still a bit wet when I first put it on, and he handed me a magazine full of 45s loaded with a 200 gn cast HP that he had stuffed steel BBs into and seated them with candlewax. He said he had tried them on a bunch of stacked 2x6s and they penetrated twice as far as the normal loads did. He said he hoped they would serve me well, and they did.
Following his example years later I loaded steel BBs into some 170 gn 40 caliber HPs and fired them from my wildcat 40 cal at some tire rims 50 yds distant - made a nice hole all way through.
They worked for me and worked for the bear hunter too, so the technology continues. It's a good thing. Thank you for your posts and your clarifications. Mikey.
I think it is a matter of ca'jones, especially if that translates to having the confidence in yourself and your hunting firearm to be able to do the job.
BTW, you mentioned the use of a brass screw in a hollow-point to attain greater penetration - that's an old trick. The first time I ever heard of it was when I met Paris Theodore, owner of Seventrees Holster Company when he had his shop in NYC in 1968. He made me the first inside the pants hoslter he had ever made for a 1911 just before I shipped out. The holster was still a bit wet when I first put it on, and he handed me a magazine full of 45s loaded with a 200 gn cast HP that he had stuffed steel BBs into and seated them with candlewax. He said he had tried them on a bunch of stacked 2x6s and they penetrated twice as far as the normal loads did. He said he hoped they would serve me well, and they did.
Following his example years later I loaded steel BBs into some 170 gn 40 caliber HPs and fired them from my wildcat 40 cal at some tire rims 50 yds distant - made a nice hole all way through.
They worked for me and worked for the bear hunter too, so the technology continues. It's a good thing. Thank you for your posts and your clarifications. Mikey.
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i shot 3 bison with 475s, 4 with 500 linebaughs and one with a 44 mag. all between 1000-1200 lbs. only one dropped on the spot and it was the one i shot with the 44. the rest ran 30-50 yards after the shot so plenty of time if it would have been a big bear for it to get to you if it wanted. would i hunt one with a handgun? absolutely. but it would be a 500 with 450-480s at 1200 fps and only if someone was backing me up with a rifle. at one of the linebaugh seminars there was a man who spent time culling elephants with his 475. but he said he brained all of them and knew exactly where to hit them and passed if he didnt have a perfect shot. dont remember how many he killed but it was around 50
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Found this on Facebook.
S&W 9mm was the handgun.
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I might have taken the challenge 50 years ago.
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An Official Journal Of The NRA | Alaska Outfitter Defends Fishermen from Raging Grizzly with 9mm Pistol
Two weeks ago, veteran outfitter Phil Shoemaker was guiding two fishing clients in the Alaska bush when the party came face to face with an enraged grizzly. Shoemaker, armed only with a 9mm semi-auto pistol, defended his clients and himself. Here’s his account …
This is Phil Shoemaker. He is an interview where this is discussed.
ba31566_v3_mb_vsquiz-quiz-30143V5-carbs_kemo-amha-rymc_vvjoca_vvdrpi-visa.mp4 (yIcarry aoutube.com)
Yeah that is Phil Shoemaker who is a bear guide out of King Salmon Alaska - He was taking some clients to a creek near his lodge and this bear got huffy - and then dead. Phil used a 9mm and is very very cool head under fire. He knows where to him them, the bear was spinning after the first shot and Phil kept pumping them in every time the right spot appeared. You should be able to search and find the story. Phil is a no BS guide.
I have a friend who was camped on the Nushagak River near Dillingham. Several years ago a brown bear came into camp, wouldn't leave and was ill mannered. I don't kow his load but first shot of his 44 magnum at very short distance hit the spine and the bear was down and out. Not a real big bear but often its the smaller ones that are the problems. We have a couple young ones and a sow w cubs prowling Dillingham right now - 8-15-24 and if they don't reform they won't be getting much older.
![Image]()
Quite a few years ago and again on the lower Nushagak River a local dentist and partner had shot a moose. A bear came in on them while they were breaking down the moose. The bear went after the guys and they separated and kind of tag teamed the bear until one reached a holstered 44 hanging on a bush, got out the gun and shot the bear thru the chest as it came after him ( by then he was sitting down and the bear nearly over him). I think they used 300 or 325 gr Corbon loads that time. The bullet found the spine and it was over at the dentist's feet. I may have posted the story and the photos in the Alaska Forum here. It got written up in several places but I had the dentist tell me the story face to face in our post office. The ruger blackhawk didn't belong to the dentist who shot the bear. That was a really wild one !! https://thegreatwhitehunter.wordpress.com/the-longest-minute-terrifying-bear-attack/
IN 2022 in nearly the same area another local guy got chewed pretty bad when he stumbled on a brownie guarding a moose gut pile. He carried a 270 and couldn't get a shot. His buddy shot the bear off him - don't recall the caliber but it was a rilfe. Medevac got the victim to help before blood loss was too bad and now I see the guy busy and walking around like he was never bit. I hear he lost a chunk out of leg tho. Nice guy.
IN 2022 in nearly the same area another local guy got chewed pretty bad when he stumbled on a brownie guarding a moose gut pile. He carried a 270 and couldn't get a shot. His buddy shot the bear off him - don't recall the caliber but it was a rilfe. Medevac got the victim to help before blood loss was too bad and now I see the guy busy and walking around like he was never bit. I hear he lost a chunk out of leg tho. Nice guy.
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guys using semi auto pistols for back up on browns and grizzly's succeeded in doing just what they craved. internet fame! Amazing some even cheer the stunt. Id feel pretty naked with a 44mag. ive never killed a griz or brown with anything but have probably killed more game with handguns than anyone here and any guide or person looking for security with ANY handgun when facing a big is an idiot. where the **** was his rifle??? ive shot 1200lb buffalo with a 500 linebaugh and watched it continue eating for about 10 seconds before dropping dead.
most animals even as small as whitetail have ran off at the shot from a 454 475 or 500 and easily traveled far enough to eat me if they ran toward me. I wouldnt want to be in the same state as someone who feels a 9mm or even a 10mm enough to stop a wounded 800lb bear let alone ay the idiot money to protect me with such an underpowered weapon that it made him about famous. ill take the guide with a 338, 375 or 458 thank you.
heck i shot a small 6 pointer out of my bow scaffold with my 500 using 480 grain cast at 1300fps and thought i missed because the deer just spun around and walked back the way it came in. i got down and walked down the path and found first blood at about 15 yards and the deer piled up at a bit more than a 100 yards. Use what you want. Believe these idiots are cool to feed their egos if you want but i pray that if ever your the hunter you pick a guide actually equipted to protect you.
they love their 10mms with 15 rounds of ammo figuing they will cut loose?? Ill tell you this. i used to go to cody every year for the linebaugh seminar. some of the best and famous handgun shooters in the country. one of the fun things there was the charging bear contest. bear was at 30 yards and they would sound a horn when it started toward you and you were suppose to put as many kill shots on it as you can with any gun you choose. most used a 45acp because of low recoil. best i ever saw someone do was 3 shots. my best was 2. lots never hit the vitals at all and id bet half never even hit the bear. keep in mind that the only pressure there was a bunch of people were watching you. Add the possibility of getting killed by a real bear and id bet very few would even get one vital hit. also keep in mind like i said these were some of the best handgun shooters in the country. Some guy in AK with his glock 20 loaded with factory ammo who id about beyt my house that he hasnt shot a 1000 rounds out of it is what i call a stunt idiot. he got dammed lucky.
most animals even as small as whitetail have ran off at the shot from a 454 475 or 500 and easily traveled far enough to eat me if they ran toward me. I wouldnt want to be in the same state as someone who feels a 9mm or even a 10mm enough to stop a wounded 800lb bear let alone ay the idiot money to protect me with such an underpowered weapon that it made him about famous. ill take the guide with a 338, 375 or 458 thank you.
heck i shot a small 6 pointer out of my bow scaffold with my 500 using 480 grain cast at 1300fps and thought i missed because the deer just spun around and walked back the way it came in. i got down and walked down the path and found first blood at about 15 yards and the deer piled up at a bit more than a 100 yards. Use what you want. Believe these idiots are cool to feed their egos if you want but i pray that if ever your the hunter you pick a guide actually equipted to protect you.
they love their 10mms with 15 rounds of ammo figuing they will cut loose?? Ill tell you this. i used to go to cody every year for the linebaugh seminar. some of the best and famous handgun shooters in the country. one of the fun things there was the charging bear contest. bear was at 30 yards and they would sound a horn when it started toward you and you were suppose to put as many kill shots on it as you can with any gun you choose. most used a 45acp because of low recoil. best i ever saw someone do was 3 shots. my best was 2. lots never hit the vitals at all and id bet half never even hit the bear. keep in mind that the only pressure there was a bunch of people were watching you. Add the possibility of getting killed by a real bear and id bet very few would even get one vital hit. also keep in mind like i said these were some of the best handgun shooters in the country. Some guy in AK with his glock 20 loaded with factory ammo who id about beyt my house that he hasnt shot a 1000 rounds out of it is what i call a stunt idiot. he got dammed lucky.
Never shot a grizzly with a hand gun, but helped take an Alaska brown bear. Takes more than power; also takes penetration. Guy with the liscence had a 7mm mag, I had a 30-40 Krag. The 7mm knocked the bear down about 6 times, but never made it mad. I shot it with the Krag and killed it. When we skinned it, the 7mm had blown up in the fat and the 220 gr silver tip entered behind the left shoulder and we found it under the right arm pit. The 7 had power but no penetration, the Krag had less power but had penetration.
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Once met a guy named Gene Moe in the Happy Valley Bar back in the early 1990s IIRC. He killed a brownie with a buck knife on Raspberry Island. Didn't have much choice in the matter. Think that made the cover of one of the outdoor mags.
Not something I would recommend trying.
Not something I would recommend trying.
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