Would a cal 44 remington 1858 do the job?

[Crypt0manic]

A 22 works for me. I’m sure a 44 is over kill.

Well not sure what a 22 would do to a bear tho..i mean it sounds like it would be like scratching the bear most of people here say the 44 wouldn't be enough.

At same time i actually heard a interesting thing and i'm not sure if it can be true or not but i heard the largest bear ever shot was killed with a 22...but i'm kinda sceptical to that.

I guess i might just load 58's up and go out hoping they won't attack me sounds like it's pretty safe tho...i mean bear attacks. Sounds like that happens very rarely and almost no risk even tho you never know what happens!

 

[flntlokr]

Hey guys! I got a question. I got 2 of remington 1858's! Thinking on going out to forest and camping in mountains over night. So i'm NOT out after hunting anything even tho my post is here....but in case i run into a bear or something out in mountains would a remington 1858 do the job to at least scare away a bear? Would that be pointless and make a bear even more angry or would it actually help in a case like that? I know nothing about hunting etc so i leave this part to the ones who do

Buy some bear spray. It works if used correctly.

 

[Grumpa]

CryptO,
Your pistols were made to bring down a man, or the horse he was riding. Neither one is a bear. In your part of the World, the bears may not be as tenacious as those of Alaska. I am always more concerned with 2- legged predators. Likelihood of a bear attack is not high, but it is a concern.

In Alaska, I carried bear spray ( it works), and a 45 revolver. Happy I didn't have to use either.
Bottom line, I'd rather go down shooting than lying on the ground, hands clasped around my neck, knees pulled up to my chest, while getting disemboweled by Mr. Smokey.

Load your Remingtons heavy, use the Kaido bullet if you can, and try to avoid surprising any bears. Smile, and be wary, around other people.

Most of all, enjoy your adventure.

Richard/Grumpa

 

[Khufu]

I read Elmer Keith's book "Hell, I was There". specifically the part where he was discussing Cap and Ball revolvers with civil war veterans in Montana when he was a boy. (one of his first guns was a 51 navy) it was interesting to read what they said about the revolvers, and how effective they were.
they claimed round balls worked best, and the 36 was as effective on people as was the 44s, and they could carry more 36 balls. (5.56 vs 7.62 argument) having used a 50 cal pistol with a 9" barrel in the field with dismal results I would probably not use a Remington for anything but small game and 2 legged threats. you can get a conversion cylinder for it and shoot 45 colt out of it, loaded with 40 gr of holy black and a 255 gr bullet, I can get 1050 fps from one, but that's still pretty weak. its easy to switch out cylinders.

 

[Dale Lilly]

69 bear deaths in all of North America since 2000, as was reported here, amounts to 3.3 per year. Out of a North American population of more than 500 million that's a pretty insignificant number. That is less than we lose to murder in Tulsa each month. Don't fear the bears. Dale

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Hey guys! I got a question. I got 2 of remington 1858's! Thinking on going out to forest and camping in mountains over night. So i'm NOT out after hunting anything even tho my post is here....but in case i run into a bear or something out in mountains would a remington 1858 do the job to at least scare away a bear? Would that be pointless and make a bear even more angry or would it actually help in a case like that? I know nothing about hunting etc so i leave this part to the ones who do

At grave risk from getting flack from the almighty "experts" I will venture a response. First, almost any gun is better than none (with the exception of .25 and .32 ACP). Second, If you are in known bear country and they aren't shy, might consider a .44 mag or at a minimum a .357 loaded heavy. That said, when out in the desert prospecting/mining or on my SXS and camping I enjoy carrying a Remington .44 with 35gr of 3f or pyrodex P with a felt wad and round ball in a shoulder rig. Biggest problem animals are coyotes and burros. The Rem 44 will settle the hash of a problem coyote. It will deter a burro. Before anyone goes off about harming/killing a poor little innocent burro, the burros around here are large and can be very cranky with the possibility of injuring or even killing you. My two centavos.

 

[Woody Morgan]

69 bear deaths in all of North America since 2000, as was reported here, amounts to 3.3 per year. Out of a North American population of more than 500 million that's a pretty insignificant number. That is less than we lose to murder in Tulsa each month. Don't fear the bears. Dale

Uh huh. What percentage of those 500 million actually wind up in bear country where attacks can be of concern? Answer: A very small percentage of the population which certainly changes the numbers, doesn't it?
Do you work statistics for the CDC by any chance?

wm

 

[Britsmoothy]

A good dog would go a long way I think to distracting a bear, especially one that is ragged as a pup with bear hide!

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

69 bear deaths in all of North America since 2000, as was reported here, amounts to 3.3 per year. Out of a North American population of more than 500 million that's a pretty insignificant number. That is less than we lose to murder in Tulsa each month. Don't fear the bears. Dale

Of those 69 killed, one has to question how many of them were thinking before it went black that they wish they had a .44 mag.
It happens, be prepared.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Uh huh. What percentage of those 500 million actually wind up in bear country where attacks can be of concern? Answer: A very small percentage of the population which certainly changes the numbers, doesn't it?
Do you work statistics for the CDC by any chance?

wm

As I stated in another response:
Of those killed, one has to question how many of them were thinking before it went black that they wish they had a .44 mag.
It happens, be prepared.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

A good dog would go a long way I think to distracting a bear, especially one that is ragged as a pup with bear hide!

The best response yet. A dog or two are of infinite use in the hills. Bear bells also.

 

[Flintlock Whiskey]

Hey guys! I got a question. I got 2 of remington 1858's! Thinking on going out to forest and camping in mountains over night. So i'm NOT out after hunting anything even tho my post is here....but in case i run into a bear or something out in mountains would a remington 1858 do the job to at least scare away a bear? Would that be pointless and make a bear even more angry or would it actually help in a case like that? I know nothing about hunting etc so i leave this part to the ones who do

I forgot to mention in my last post, Bear bells are a good idea. A surprised bear is not a friendly bear.

 

[SOLANCO]

A 22 works for me. I’m sure a 44 is over kill.

Charging bear? May as well stick the .22 muzzle in your ear and make it a relatively easy death.

 

[Tenring]

They just cut the corn out back of my house you just might see a very scary wild Racon or two. Where’s my Pepper spray…

 

[Codger Craig Wilcox]

I'm 76 now, retired/retarded, all that.
For most of those many years, I made my living as a wildlife and wetlands biologist in both North and South America. Had my fun in SE Asia jungles, which is why I'm all stove up now. Agent Orange is persistent.
Met many Brother Bruins, bobcat, Lynx, Coyote, Wolf, Jaguar along the way, but the scariest and most threatening were the feral hogs. Even got paid to "remove" feral hogs from recreation areas.
Never a lick of trouble from the "predator species". I was always pretty quiet as I did my work, but also stayed aware of my surroundings. And yes, I have "walked around a corner" and met a bear or two pretty close. I tried to remain calm, and spoke to Brer Bear in a quiet voice, trying not to let my inner self yell and run. And in each instance, after looking at each other for what seemed a century or two, we each went our own ways. Respect for wildlife goes a long ways.
For the hogs? Shot them with all sorts of firearms. Used an arrow on a few. They are NOT a game animal! In most areas, you can hunt them every day and night of the year. And cooked properly, they taste pretty fine. The largest one was a sow, and we got over 350 pounds of meat off her.
Mention above of wild burros. A close relative is the donkey, and I used to breed and sell them. Most ranchers in cow country will pay fair for a donkey - they put them in the pastures with their cattle, because donkeys HATE the canine species, and will kill and pound into the dirt any coyotes they find. Could conceivably do the same to a two-footed predator too, so use caution around them.

 

[Dale Lilly]

Uh huh. What percentage of those 500 million actually wind up in bear country where attacks can be of concern? Answer: A very small percentage of the population which certainly changes the numbers, doesn't it?
Do you work statistics for the CDC by any chance?

wm

Uh no. I work for Mike Lindell I skipped a step. Statistically about 126 million, in the USA. participate in some form of outdoor recreation each year [fishing, hunting, camping, skiing, hiking, backpacking, etc]. So in that 21 years about 618.000,000 were doing some form of outdoor recreation. I was wrong. You can divide 618 million into 9 certified bear killings in the USA since 2000 to find the real miniscule risk. You are many times more likely to be killed by a 14 to 26 year old male American youth than by a bear. BTW: There are bears in 41 of the 50 states. I live in a housing development near Eufaula, Oklahoma and we have bears nearby. Additionally some of those 9 killings did not occur in forest settings. Example: Adelia Trujillo, 93 years old, in New Mexico, was killed by a bear that broke a window and killed her in her home. Have a great day all. Watching Oklahoma football get a lickin' so far. [whoa ... OK won] Polecat

 

[Bergmann]

To be honest it dosnt work quite like that.
Otherwise nothing short of a .70 ball would be recommended by now.
Your 44 sure beats a pointy stick and screaming!

The noise and flame might scare the bear away and the smoke might confuse it enough for you to get up a tree! A .44 ball or 2 in the nose would likely discourage a bear from climbing up to get you!

 

[SOLANCO]

Brer Bear is inscrutable. Difficult to know what his opinion will be on anything. But it is good to remember that, in North America, all bears are by definition apex predators.

 

[SOLANCO]

I am in south central Pennsylvania. I watch with amusement as various species make comebacks. Quarryville, PA population 2700+/-, has seen some interesting incidents in the last several years. On one occasion a wild turkey fought to kill his reflection in the window of the magistrate's office on the main drag.
A yearling black bear wandered into town, climbed a tree and looked into a friend's office.
Mama bear pushes yearlings out on their own. A bear wants a fair amount of home ground and it ain't always easy to find. The black bear is an omnivore. IMHO modern farming practices tend to reduce foods for him in places like this. Coyotes and raccoons thrive here and black bear is adaptable. He can also, except.........
A lot of farmers here now operate CAFOs. Coyote and coon can't break into those big barns. But a bear could, and if one learns how easily he can gorge on piglets and chickens the black bear will become public enemy #1 around here.

 

[Woody Morgan]

We have plenty of bear where I live. Just found a big pile of scat next to the fence about 20' from the house a couple of days ago. They've been making a nuisance of themselves getting into trash, opening car doors and busting chicken coops lately.
The mountain lions have been busy too. Neighbor had a goat taken while she watched out the kitchen window. We build fortresses for the chickens and lock vehicle doors at night...not for burglars (rare here) but for the bears. I'm not too worried about our black bears unless mama has cubs along. I do pack heavily while fishing Alaska rivers. Brownies just don't much tolerate sharing a good fishing hole.

wm