There are many guns out there that can easily kill a bear, you only need a perfect shot from these guns to do this. However, some other guns will merely cause more damage with just a less perfect shot.
When it comes to killing or defending against bears, the most important thing is penetration.
However, you should note that there are different types of bears. Therefore, some of these Glocks especially the medium and small calibers may be less potent when using it against bigger bears I.e brown bears.
So we shall be focusing on the .357 model and the best .357 ammo you can use against any type of bear in this article.
Can a .357 Kill a Bear?
The straight answer is yes. You can use the .357 Magnum to kill a bear but not all types of bear. The .357 is a decent choice for hunting bears or in self-defense situations.
It comes with a caliber of 9mm, which will make a shot at the bear penetrates deeply and can knock a bear immediately.
The .357 is a round pistol that was developed from the .38 special series. This pistol is commonly used to hunt deer but can also be potent against bears with a perfect shot. The .357 diameter is close to 9mm and a bit larger at 9.07mm.
The .357 Magnum has a larger case and a heavier bullet. This case will hold twice as much powder as a 9mm.
These bullets can penetrate cars, so they are in strong competition with cartridges with high penetrating power.
There are different opinions about the efficiency of the Magnum 357 cartridge when it comes to killing bears.
Whether you think it’s a powerful round or not, it doesn’t change the fact that some people don’t use it as a defense against bears and it worked out well.
The truth is that the 357 Magnum can work against the right type of bear. But only if you use the correct load or ammo.
The purpose of this article is to take a look at what we consider to be the best .357 ammunition for bear protection.
Performance of .357 Magnum
You must understand that the .357 Magnum is a low-velocity cartridge. The .357 relies somewhat on what you can call mechanical damage to ensure a quick kill.
These cartridges work best when you load them with a fast-expanding hollow tip cartridge. Heavy bullets are also very useful in .357 to maximize energy.
Thus, such projectiles require an appropriate weight to achieve acceptable armor penetration.
You must also understand that most of the .357 Magnum load is for anti-personnel purposes, not hunting.
Therefore, when choosing another cartridge for hunting, the weight and structure of the bullet must be suitable for the task at hand.
In general, the .357 can produce very good kills at 2000 fps velocity and which is faster than a hollow point projectile.
The Best 357 Ammo for Bear Defense
DoubleTap 200 grain hard cast
Grizzly Cartridge 180 grain hard cast
Buffalo Bore 180 grain Heavy 357
The common feature of the cartridges mentioned above is that they are heavy, hard bullets. Let’s take a closer look at them in detail.
1. Double Tap 200 Grain Hard Cast
The 357 Magnum rod is the only ammo in this list that contains over 180 grains. It is slightly slower as it is a larger projectile but still moves at a decent speed.
The company has rated it at 1,200 fps at the muzzle and delivers the energy of about 560 pounds when you fire it from a 4-inch barrel.
2. Grizzly Cartridge 180 Grain Hard Cast
This is a very good selection of the best Bear Defense 357 ammo. You should take this with you on your hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
But don’t be fooled by the name. It’s not made for grizzly bears, but it will do just fine in killing lesser bears.
The180 grain strikes a perfect balance of weight and speed, demonstrating the incredible power to kill black bears.
The wide, flat nose helps transfer energy on impact, and because it’s a stiff bullet, it holds its shape better than the regular FMJ cartridge on the body of a bear.
The velocity at the muzzle is estimated at 1350 fps, which equates to around 650 pounds of energy.
3. Buffalo Bore 180-Grain Heavy
The Buffalo Bore is widely used in the industry for protection against dangerous animals and can be used to kill black bears without any problem.
The problem is that the Buffalo Bore ammo is not as common at the store as the other ammo in this list.
The 180-grain flat lead body is great for inflicting deep wounds on muscular animals, allowing them to reach the top as much as possible.
What to Look For in a Bear Defense Round
Regardless of the caliber chosen to protect the bear, the cartridge must penetrate deep enough to cause the necessary internal damage.
For this reason, point-blank shots are not enough for self-defense against bears. Your regular hollow bullet will inflate long before it penetrates deep enough to do any real damage to the bear.
To kill the bear, it is best to carry a heavy, dense cast bullet designed to hold the bear after it penetrates the animal.
This provides the necessary energy transferred until the bear’s vital tissues, muscles and organs are torn apart.
What Not to Do With Your Bear Ammo
Many people put heavy ammo in their favorite revolver but don’t take advantage of the ammo. While it is understandable that this ammunition is expensive and it is hard to decide to shoot.
The problem, however, is that this ammunition behaves very differently on the pistol than standard 158-grain conduits or lighter reloads.
This load is hotter because for efficiency you need to load higher specs to get the speed you want. Don’t forget that you’re firing a much heavier projectile.
You still need to fire at least a few shots to get an effective shot and see what it’s like to have recoil in hand rather than standard ammo.
Wrapping Up
This concludes all you need to know about the .357 Magnum revolvers. While in general, the .357 may not be the best choice against bigger bears, it has proved to be lethal against smaller bears I.e black bears.
The .357 caliber lacks the lethal energy of most powerful rifle cartridges. To compensate for this, a wide hollow point can be used to create a wide, heavy, rapidly bleeding wound channel.
However, such a bullet design may have a limited penetrating power. However, if more powerful bullets are used, the .357 cannot deal the same amount of damage and can slow down kills.
In this case, it may be better to increase the weight of the bullet than to get a more powerful bullet.
However, there are situations when maximum penetration is required, and you must approach this with common sense.
Finally, as mentioned earlier, penetration is key in killing a bear. On this note, you must train constantly with your .357 ammo for precision.
