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If you live or adventure in bear country, you’ve likely thought of how to defend yourself in case of an attack. Bear attacks are rare, but you certainly need to be prepared if it happens to be your unlucky day. Some people choose bear spray while others prefer something more lethal.
For bear defense, like many others, I like a handgun, and a few years back, I found myself in a situation where I needed it. Thankfully, I had given a lot of thought to which cartridge I wanted to carry for bear defense.
The 10mm Auto cartridge is my top pick for bear defense. It has good ballistics, and the recoil is tame enough to allow for quick follow-up shots. There’s also a variety of ammunition available from tame practice loads to heavy-hitting full-power loads for bear defense.
Fortunately, I had been practicing with my 10mm pistol and was carrying it when I tracked a wounded phased black bear in eastern Washington. Crawling through the brush towards the bear, I saw it bedded down 15 feet away.
I fired the last shot from my rifle, but it was so close that it looked like a brown blob through the scope. After the shot, the bear stood up and started walking towards me. I drew my pistol and shot the bear in the head.
Hopefully, you never find yourself in a similar situation, but if you do, it’s good to know that you can trust the cartridge you’re carrying. Below, I discuss how to select the best cartridge for bear defense and what I believe are the best cartridges on the market today.
TLDR; The Best Bear Defense Cartridge: 10mm Auto
For the vast majority of individuals the 10mm Auto offers the most optimal combination of power, controllability, capacity and practicality for bear defense.
It has sufficient power to deliver the deep penetration required with the right loads, superior follow-up shot speed when compared to heavy revolvers, and a large variety of reliable semi-auto platforms that are owned and carried by a great many shooters with a corresponding level of training.
As for ammunition, something like the G9 Defense 145-grain Woodsman Copper Monoliths would be a top pick. Excellent straight-line penetration, barrier-blind performance, and reliable feeding is precisely what you’re looking for when engaging big bad animals in close-range gunfights.
Cartridge Vs Caliber Semantics
First, let’s briefly go over the difference between a cartridge and caliber. Many people confuse these two terms, so let’s get a couple of definitions down. The cartridge includes the case and bullet. The caliber simply refers to the diameter of the bullet.
For example, .44 caliber means that the bullet diameter is slightly less than .44 inches wide. If someone says they shoot a .44 caliber handgun, all it tells you is the diameter of the bullet.
There is a suite of .44 caliber cartridges, including .44 Magnum, .44 Colt, .44 AMP, and so on. Getting down to it, a .22 LR is the same caliber as a .223 Remington but the difference between the two are night and day.
So, we need to make sure we focus on the cartridge overall, and not just its bullet’s diameter. Now, let’s see what makes a cartridge good enough for bear defense.
Terminal Ballistics For Bear Cartridges
Terminal ballistics are one of the most important factors to consider when selecting a cartridge for bear defense, and the most crucial aspect is penetration and energy transfer to the target.
When trying to stop a bear with a handgun cartridge, you’ll need penetration, and energy. The only way to drop a bear on the spot is to hit the central nervous system, the brain, or the spine. These are relatively challenging targets to hit, especially when shooting under pressure and a moving target.
More importantly, a bear’s skull is thick and can be challenging to penetrate.
I remember reading an article in an outdoor magazine years ago. In the article, it talked about a hunter harvesting a black bear, skinning it, and finding a .45 caliber bullet lodged against the bear’s skull. The bullet didn’t kill it, and where the bear had been shot was fully healed.
The bullet didn’t penetrate the skull, and the bear survived; hopefully, the person who fired the bullet did too. The cartridge you choose must have sufficient power and fire the correct bullets to provide adequate penetration.
As a rule of thumb, you want something with at least 500 ft-lbs of muzzle energy (preferably higher) for a black bear defense round. If you are contending with grizzlies, you want 1,000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy at a minimum.
If you want to know more about ballistics and how it can effect a hunt or self defense, check out this article we wrote: Internal External & Terminal Ballistics [What Truly Matters]
How Accuracy & Recoil May Limit Your Options
Pretty much any cartridge can be accurate; however, not every person can shoot every cartridge accurately. You absolutely must ensure that you can be precise with the bear defense cartridge you choose. If it’s too big for you, you may start to flinch, which will throw off your shots.
Additionally, follow-up shots may be challenging for some individuals with larger cartridges, such as the .500 S&W Magnum. Some people may consider adding a compensator or brake to reduce recoil slightly.
Still, on handguns, it’s likely not going to be the easy shooter you’re looking for, and it may be better just to select a more manageable cartridge.
Firearm Size & Carry in Comfort
While the cartridge doesn’t directly affect the comfort of carrying the firearm, larger cartridges are often fired from larger guns. For example, the .500 S&W can only be fired from a revolver, usually weighing over 4.5 lbs. Not everyone can or wants to carry a gun this big.
Fortunately, there are smaller calibers with less recoil that can be fired more effectively from a lightweight gun. For instance, the compact Glock 29 chambered in 10mm Auto can be quite snappy and challenging to shoot. However, the same ammo in the full-size Glock 20 is much easier to control.
If the gun is too large, heavy, or uncomfortable for you to carry, you may not bring it with you or even just toss it in your pack. Doing either of these things will make the gun useless if you ever actually need it.
So, when selecting the proper cartridge, you should also take into consideration the firearm options that are chambered in the cartridge you’re interested in and ensure that you choose one that you can comfortably carry.
Sidearm Ammo Capacity
Before you buy, pay attention to the factory capacity. Magnum revolvers typically only carry five or six rounds, while smaller semi-automatics can carry up to 20 in the mag and 1 in the chamber.
Additionally, depending on where you live, you may be limited to which handgun you can purchase based on your state’s gun laws. For example, in Washington state, people can no longer buy a handgun with a magazine that holds more than 10 rounds.
If you want more information about state magazine capacity limits, we wrote an entire article on it here: States With Firearm Magazine Capacity Limits
Below, I’ve broken the top cartridges into two categories: cartridges typically found in semi-auto pistols and those in revolvers.
The Best Semi-Auto Cartridges for Bear Defense
Most people interested in carrying a handgun for bear defense are likely already familiar with shooting semi-automatic pistols. There are a few good choices, depending on what species of bears are in your area.
If black bears are the target, any of these rounds should suffice, with the edge going to either 10mm or 40 S&W for added power. However, if there are grizzlies, I’d stick with the 10mm as long as you can shoot it accurately.
10mm Auto: The Semi-Auto Choice for Bear Country
The 10mm Auto may be the most popular cartridge for bear defense. Outdoorsmen and women carry it in bear country, including in areas with black bears and grizzlies. It’s a hard-hitting round that’s commonly chambered in some of the most popular pistols from manufacturers such as Glock, Sig Sauer, and FN.
Firearms chambered for the 10mm Auto cartridge commonly hold 10 to 20 rounds, and with practice, these rounds can be fired rapidly and accurately. This cartridge will work if you do your part and put the bullet on target.
From experience, I know an FMJ will easily penetrate a black bear skull. However, I recommend practicing with affordable cartridges like the Armscor 180 Grain FMJs and carrying ammunition designed for deep penetration like the G9 Defense 145 Grain Woodsman Copper Monoliths for actual bear defense.
Those FMJs only come in at 406 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, so they will be “easy” shooting for a 10mm Auto. The G9s come in at a solid 677 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, making them a great contender for defense.
The difference in bullet weight has a big impact on that muzzle energy. If you want to learn more about it, check out this article we published recently: How Does Bullet Weight Actually Affect Performance?
Additionally, this gun can double for self-defense from two-legged predators when loaded with hollow points.
.40 S&W: A Compromise Cartridge for Bear Country
The .40 S&W is actually the natural successor to the 10mm Auto as a police cartridge. The 10mm delivered excellent performance, but was quickly found to be a bit too much for many officers to handle and control.
The .40 S&W was engineered to be a more practical, less punishing alternative with the best controllability, power and magazine capacity. The 10mm Auto is uncomfortable for many shooters and an overall difficult caliber to shoot accurately, so the .40 S&W is a good compromise for those who need to step down.
In hard-cast bullet profiles aimed at penetration, the .40 S&W will be plenty for black bears, although it is a little light for grizzly bears.
One caveat is that many hunters already have a .40 S&W pistol for self-defense, so it is a natural choice for those not wanting to buy another handgun for backcountry use.
My choice for when I am in the woods with a .40 S&W is the Hornady Critical Defense 165-grain FTX JHP. These are a proven performer for the full range of defensive scenarios, while providing over 500 ft-lbs of muzzle energy.
The critical defense rounds are super popular hollow points, but check out this article where we questioned that design: Do Hollow Points Actually Make a Difference in Self-Defense?
9mm: A Last-Resort Bear Defense Option
While still disputed by some, the 9mm Auto is capable of stopping a bear attack, especially black bears. However, there have even been reports of outdoorsmen stopping grizzly charges with this cartridge. While on the smaller side, it has and likely will again stop bear attacks.
Most people who own a pistol already have a 9mm handgun. Bulk 9mm practice ammo is cheap and readily available at most locations. When you’re in a life-threatening situation, it may be best to stick with the gun you are most comfortable with already.
A 9mm handgun can double as your home defense, concealed carry, and bear defense gun with the proper ammo. Try to stick with bullets designed for penetration, and I would opt for +P rounds if you can.
These Federal Law Enforcement 124 Grain +P JHPs are popular for defense, and would be a good option if you are set on using 9mm for bear defense. They come in at around 400 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, but they are deadly nonetheless.
If you like 9mm and want to carry it since you already own one, you would probably like this article we wrote: What is the Best 9mm Self Defense Cartridge for EDC?
The Best Revolver Cartridges
Moving on to the revolver cartridges, we have five good options listed below. Like the semi-autos above, ammunition designed for penetration is best for bear defense. Guns chambered in these rounds are typically larger and heavier than the semi-autos above, which helps tame the recoil, but can make them a bit more challenging to carry.
.357 Magnum: A Practical Middle Ground
The .357 Magnum was once a popular cartridge for law enforcement, but its use declined with the advent of semi-automatic pistols. Still, some officers carry them as backup guns or for off-duty use.
While not as popular today for self-defense, it remains a formidable cartridge and is sufficient for defense against black bears. Many black bears have been killed with a .357 Magnum, and there are a handful of recorded self-defense cases.
While considered a bit light for grizzly bears, it’s certainly better than nothing, and the ballistics are not too different from the popular 10mm Auto. Plus, it is not difficult to find a cartridge with over 500 ft-lbs of muzzle energy.
If you choose this cartridge, it’s essential to practice. You can get practice rounds for around 60 cents each if you go with something like the PMC Bronze 158 Grain Jacketed Soft Point.
Although, come game time, I would choose something like the Hornady Critical Defense 125 Grain FTX JHPs. These get you over 600 ft-lbs of muzzle energy and will do some definite damage.
.44 Magnum: The Classic Bear-Stopping Revolver
As one of the most popular defensive handgun cartridges for decades, the .44 Magnum has a long track record of real-world use for protection in bear country. It has a ton of power.
The trade-off is recoil, of course. The .44 Magnum, especially when loaded to its full strengths as a bear defense round, is a much more punishing round to shoot than 10mm Auto or .357 Magnum, particularly in a lightweight revolver.
However, the cartridge has so much flexibility in bullet weights, powder charges, and bullet designs that it allows shooters to use reduced-recoil .44 Magnum loads and .44 Special to train comfortably, maintain accuracy and practice volume, and get familiar with the feel and recoil of their revolver before moving up to heavy defensive loads for the field.
Couple this with wide ammunition availability and enough power for black bears and grizzlies alike, and the .44 Magnum is still one of the most well-rounded revolver cartridges available for use in bear country.
I would start with this bear-specific load, the HSM Bear Load 305 Grain Lead Wide Flat Nose Gas Check. These rounds produce over 1,000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy, and pack a hell of a punch.
It is not the easiest cartridge to shoot well, but for those willing to train and shoot it regularly, the .44 Magnum will give confidence, penetration, and proven stopping power when you need it most.
.454 Casull: The Nuclear Option in Bear Country
If you’ve ever heard anyone refer to the .454 Casull as a hand cannon, it’s for a very good reason. With a heavy, hard-cast bullet in the 335-grain range, the .454 Casull can put out close to 1,800 ft-lbs of muzzle energy.
The downside to this incredible power is an extremely punishing recoil in light-weight revolvers, which can exceed 40 ft-lbs of recoil energy in some full-power .454 Casull loads. That is nearly twice as much recoil energy as some of the most popular big-game rifle cartridges out there like the 30-06.
Controlling this kind of recoil in a life-or-death situation requires experience, a good foundation in the fundamentals, and plenty of practice at those fundamentals. This isn’t something that every gun owner will be willing or able to put in the time to master.
For this reason, the .454 Casull is generally only a good fit for the experienced shooter who needs and wants the absolute maximum penetration possible and can absolutely handle the recoil of a loaded big-bore handgun.
When wielded by a competent shooter, it is capable of stopping even the most dangerous big game, making it one of the most authoritative handgun cartridges available.
HSM also makes a bear load for the .454 Casull; the HSM “Bear Load” 325 Grain Lead Wide Flat Nose Gas Check produces 1,277 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. What a cartridge!
At the same time, most people are unlikely to need this much power for bear defense, but no one can argue that the .454 Casull can stop a large, charging animal in the right hands.
.460 S&W Magnum: Rifle-Level Power in a Revolver
Performance levels are cranked up to rifle-caliber territory with the .460 S&W Magnum. Optimized to be more powerful than the already extreme .454 Casull, the .460 S&W Magnum cartridge has exceptionally high velocity and deep penetration with extremely high muzzle energy.
Obviously, this level of performance does not come without a cost. Recoil is punishing, frequently worse than the .454 Casull, and .460 S&W Magnum revolvers tend to be large and heavy, making them a less-than-ideal option for extended carry in the backcountry.
Follow-up shots are slow, and it takes dedicated practice and control to get used to shooting the cartridge. It is not a cartridge for weekend gun owners or those unwilling to practice with a heavy-recoiling gun.
One advantage that keeps the .460 S&W Magnum in the bear-defense discussion is that it’s one of the few cartridges that is easily loaded in multiple configurations. Virtually all .460 S&W Magnum revolvers can also safely shoot .454 Casull and .45 Colt ammunition.
This allows the shooter to practice with much lighter and less-expensive ammunition when desired, but still have access to an extreme cartridge if needed. That makes the overall platform a bit more versatile than the raw performance numbers indicate.
HSM has us covered again, they produce the HSM Bear Load 235 Grain Lead Wide Flat Nose for the .460 S&W, and it produces a staggering 2,402 ft-lbs of muzzle energy.
In the hands of someone who can shoot it, the .460 S&W Magnum brings extraordinary handgun performance in terms of penetration and bullet authority, in a portable (but heavy) revolver package that approaches rifle territory.
.500 S&W Magnum: More Power Than Most Can Use
The .500 S&W Magnum is a big boy. Literally. It’s the largest and most powerful production revolver cartridge you can buy off the shelf. It’s a hand cannon, in the most literal sense of that phrase: it shoots .50-caliber bullets that are a full half-inch in diameter.
It packs massive amounts of energy and penetration when chambered in heavy bear-defense loads, and there’s no question whatsoever of its ability to stop.The problem, of course, is that it also packs that much recoil.
Full-power .500 S&W Magnum loads generate in excess of 50 ft-lbs or recoil energy, far more than the average shooter can comfortably and consistently handle. Mastering a heavy revolver like this is a challenge at the best of times.
For the insane among you, try out these CorBon Hunter 440 Grain Hard Cast Lead rounds that pack nearly 2,600 ft-lbs of muzzle energy.
Needless to say, it hits hard at both ends. This is the epitome of handgun power and can be challenging to shoot for most people, especially in stressful situations with only seconds to get a shot off.
However, for experienced big-bore revolver shooters, it can be the absolute best cartridge they can pick, and you’ll know one thing when you’re packing this cartridge around: you won’t be lacking stopping power.
Your Bear Defense Cartridge
Regardless of which cartridge you choose, practice will be essential. I recommend practicing with your preferred cartridge as much as possible. It’s also important to practice drawing and firing from the holster you will be carrying the handgun in.
Remember to start with an unloaded gun until you become comfortable with it. Additionally, handgun shooting classes are a fantastic option for those who are just learning how to shoot handguns.
If you can’t hit what you are shooting at, it won’t matter what cartridge you choose, so keep practicing until you are confident in your abilities.
Hopefully, you will never find yourself in a bear-defense situation, but if you do, you will be thankful that you practiced and confident that you can stop the bear before it reaches you.
Bear Defense Cartridge FAQs
What Is the Best Pistol Cartridge for Bear Defense?
There’s no one answer for the best bear defense cartridge in all situations, but the powerful cartridges like the .44 Magnum, 10mm Auto and .454 Casull have proven penetration with proper hard-cast loads.
What Do Alaskans Carry for Bear Defense?
Many Alaskans use 10mm pistols or large revolvers such as .44 Magnum, focusing on deep penetration, reliability, and familiarity over raw power. Oftentimes they carry rifles that pack even more power.
Is a .357 or .45 Better for Bears?
A .357 Magnum with hard-cast bullets will penetrate better and is generally more capable than .45 ACP. In general, .45 ACP is not recommended for bear defense.
Is 10mm or .45 Better for Bears?
10mm Auto is generally considered better because of higher velocity and deeper penetration, particularly with hard-cast loads intended for big game. 10mm Auto is the go-to bear cartridge and does the job well.
Is a .44 Magnum Better Than a 10mm for Bear?
A .44 Magnum has more raw power, but 10mm is faster to follow up and has higher capacity. The best choice depends on if you like a semi-auto pistol (go with 10mm) or if you prefer a reliably revolver in .44 Magnum.
