Do you think a .357 would stop a brown bear attack ?

[grfox92]

I'm not sure why so many people are shooting down the .357. It is very close to velocities and energy of a 10mm..

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[waitforit]

More energy is better, but penetration / bullet construction matters. Hard cast or FMJ especially on the lower end of the energy scale

 

[Keith5579]

I'm in the 9mm boat as well. Glock 48 with a 20 round magazine loaded with 147 grain hard cast.

 

[DanimalW]

If that’s all I had I’d take it. But my .357 revolver weights a lot compared to other options. Pretty sure it would do as much damage as any other pistol at point blank range. If it makes their ears ring as bad as my own, that might be a deterrent as well.

 

[diamond10x]

Can a .357 kill a grizzly? Absolutely.

Check out this article:

Handgun Defenses Against Bear Attacks - 170 Documented Incidents, 98% Effective

There are now 170 documented cases, with 146 of those cases where handguns only are fired in defense against bear attacks. Handguns are effective 98% of the time.

www.ammoland.com

When comparing .357 vs 10mm both shooting heavy hard cast bullets, you get very similar numbers as far as energy goes. Difference between the two is one is in a revolver and one is in a high capacity semi auto platform. When SHTF you're not methodically and precisely shooting at a pissed off bear, you're getting as many rounds off in a target as possible.

I don't understand the poopoo-ing of a .357 as it is just as capable as the 10mm or .44. My reasoning to own and carry a 10 is because I can have fifteen rounds in one mag instead of five or six in a single cylinder.

Something I won't do is carry bear spray unless its the only option that I could possibly have.

 

[Rich M]

Love these posts!

There is a paper somewhere about folks killing grizzlies w handguns and 9 mm worked. 357 mag will work if you can put it in the right place and not miss. Post 20 is some guy writing about that paper, cliff notes if you will. Post 26 might be it - i didnt check.

Some historical guy, killed a bunch of diff critters w 357 mag. Notvsure if itvwas Keith.

 

[ReaptheHeat]

More energy is better, but penetration / bullet construction matters. Hard cast or FMJ especially on the lower end of the energy scale

Not a lot of people mention this. I'd rather take a hardcast 9 mm over a 44 mag, 357 mag, 10mm HP anyday.

 

[Deleted member 8-15-23]

No way. File down the front sight, won't hurt as bad when that grizz shove it up your winkie.

 

[FLATHEAD]

The all popular 10mm people rave about is basically a .357.

 

[insanelupus]

.357 Magnum will certainly do the job, it was quite the cartridge when it came out in the '30s. The better question might be is it ideal and will it stop a brown bar reliably? You'll have to answer that.

There are many cartridges that can be used to kill animals. Charging/ attacking animals can have a different drive that makes that more difficult.

That said, Bella Twin used a .22 LR for a close encounter with a grizzly and lived to tell about it, the bear didn't, that doesn't make a .22 LR ideal.

While I'm a huge .44 Magnum fan, the 10mm holds some interest. If you are a ballistic nerd and like cartridge history, take a look at the similarities of the .40 S&W and .38 WCF (the last fired from a revolver length barrel). Then take a look at the 10mm & .38 WCF (this time fired from a rifle length barrel). Very interesting the similarities in ballistics.

Find confidence in what you decide, not only the cartridge, but your capabilites with it, retain a healthy respect for the alpha predators in your area, recreate responsibly, accept the risks that exists, and enjoy your time out doors!

 

[msstate56]

“Energy” doesn’t matter, bullet construction does. Use a hard cast or solid copper penetrating bullet and it will effectively penetrate whatever you hit. The key being “hit,” misses don’t count and a non-vital hit won’t stop the charge no matter what you’re shooting. The primary appeal of the 10mm is that it gives adequate bullet weight and velocity- but with double or triple the number of shots vs a revolver. In my one and only bear encounter, I fired 8 rounds of 10mm in about 2 seconds.

 

[bummer7580]

Different but related question…

It seems to me that bear spray would be more effective than a pistol, for the simple reason that I am unlikely to hit a bear if I’m panicked. The spray can affect a large area so I don’t have to aim precisely. Am I wrong?

I tend to agree with your comment. I always carry fresh bear spray when hunting grizzly country because I doubt I'd hit it while under stress. Reminds me of the old saying "if you are going to take on a grizzly with a pistol save the last bullet for yourself". Lol

 

[Fire power]

A .357 would be a better defense weapon against a bear than throwing rocks at it... but wait, the last grizzly that woofed and clicked his teeth at me, I fired two shots over his head with my .44 magnum that didn't phase him, so I picked up a baseball size rock which I threw and hit him, and he then ran away.

 

[Fire power]

If your using bear spray be careful of the wind, or your just spicing the meal up. Also bear spray is good from 0-15 feet. Practice with it to find its effective range it spreads out very quickly. Having lived in the Fort Nelson region of BC I would trust a good rifle before I would use bear spray.

 

[eyeguy]

eventually but you might be pretty chewed up at that point:{

 

[Fetty Wapiti]

Just as good as the newly popular 10mm. In my opinion the 357 actually has several benefits that make it more practical as a bear defense firearm than a 10mm. Size, you can carry a much smaller and lighter pistol in 357 and the punch is about equal to a 10mm. The difference is negligible. Reliability, the wheel gun wins hands down. There is also no benefit to having more than 5-6 rounds at your disposal. If it is truly a life or death situation, you won't have time to accurately squeeze off any more than that. More rounds simply make your setup heavy with no added benefit in real life situations. Real men carry bear spray too. It will be far more effective in most situations. To be honest most bears that are shot in self defense situations never deserved to be shot. Give yourself options, be smart, and walk the woods with confidence. All will be fine... most of the time.

 

[lang]

Bear Spray or Bullets?

Unless you’re Wyatt Earp with a rocket launcher, holster your .44 and deploy bear spray when charged by a bear—unless of course you’d rather not [...]

www.rmef.org

 

[GodSpeed1]

I’ve been researching lately & from what I see the fps is relatively equal for 10 mm & 357 . I don’t know about relying on the spray in a situation where the bear is coming at me ears pinned back . Feel like they might just get irratated after the fact with the spray as opposed to bullet

 

[FCCDerek]

A 357 is more than ballistically capable of killing a brown bear with the proper load in it. When it was first released way back in the day they killed everything from elephants down with a 158 hard cast at 1500fps. So yes, a 357 with a good hard cast and a stout load will go through a brown bear skull without issue. It will reach its vitals without issue. Whether it stops it on the spot is up to where you place the bullet.

 

[Dos Perros]

“Energy” doesn’t matter, bullet construction does. Use a hard cast or solid copper penetrating bullet and it will effectively penetrate whatever you hit. The key being “hit,” misses don’t count and a non-vital hit won’t stop the charge no matter what you’re shooting. The primary appeal of the 10mm is that it gives adequate bullet weight and velocity- but with double or triple the number of shots vs a revolver. In my one and only bear encounter, I fired 8 rounds of 10mm in about 2 seconds.

What evidence do you have to substantiate this?