Which one for bear?

[madmurph]

This is not really a rifle question, but it didn't quite fit in at the reloading thread and due to lack of activity at the boars and bears thread, I posted it here.

I will be bowhunting for black bear. However, I will have my .444 Marlin along at camp, to use in the odd instance of having some type of mechanical failure with my bow. Shot distance will be extremely short over bait.

I have two bullets to choose from. 240 grain Remington soft point or 265 grain Hornady Leverevolution. Can I assume that the Remington would be a much better choice for bear because the Hornady has a polymer ballistic tip type bullet??

I really would like to use the .444, however if neither of these bullets would be good for bear I have plenty of other caliber choices with a much larger selection of ammo.

My question here is regarding the .444 bullets, not your caliber choice for bear. Thanks.

[madmurph]

After more research I have decided not to bring the .444. Neither of these bullets would be a good choice for bear.

Since none of the local shops have any other ammo in stock, I would have to order something else and take the chance of it not arriving in time.

I have decided to bring my 35 Whelen along in place of the .444.

[toxic111]

I think either of those bullets would be fine for bear at short range.. but nothing wrong with either caliber over bait.

[Jack]

I'd pick the 265 Hornady- it was designed for the 444. A lot of the 240 44's are designed for the 44 magnum, and proved a bit too soft when driven at 444 speeds.
Because a bullet has a polymer tip does not make it 'fast opening'. Some polymer tip bullets are fast opening- the early Nosler BT's in calibers under 30 were, for example. However, there are several bullets on the market with polymer tips that hold together very, very well.

[Bigwoods Hunter]

Hi Madmurh : As a bear outfitter in Manitoba, Canada, the 444 marlin is considered a great big woods,all round, one gun, and one load: deer , bear, and moose round in Canada with the factory Remington 240 gr soft nose . This is from experinced guides and hunters in Canada using the gun and not just reading about it. Most gun writers would have you believe big game animals are made of steel. The black bear is really a thin skin big game animal and the 444 marlin with Remington 240 gr soft nose is more than enough gun. It is a sure bear stopper right here, right now, type of gun, on all three animals. Consider that when I was young( raised in bear country ) the 30-30 and the 300 Savage where the most common bear guns at the time. The 444 Marlin is my favorite moose gun and will put a slug cean through both shoulders of the largest moose , with factory Remington 240 soft points . It has never falled me , even though most gun writters say it will. Me and the many moose in the freezer over the years, taken with one shot havests are still trying to figure out how this gun and bullet will fail ? Russ Popp bigwoodshunting.com

[Rapier]

I own a 444 and a 35 Whelen, no doubt in my mind which I would carry with me in the woods for hogs or black bear. It would be the 444. The gun and the cartridge were designed for the NE, SE and Midwest woods and short ranges. It is a pull the trigger and flop, kinda gun. The 44 mag is notorious for one thing, penetration, and the 444 just runs a bit faster through the critter. In my experience if you shoot a thin skinned critter at the side, behind the shoulder, with the 240 you will not need to empty the chest cavity, the contents will be sprayed out the back like a large red fan laid out on the ground.

Russ, I am with you, I have never seen or heard of anything walking away from a 444 in the boiler room.
Ed

[PJgunner]

Well, I don't hunt with a .444 so probably should keep my big mouth shut. :eek: Naw, that ain't gonna happen. Just because I don't have one doen't mean I don't have ideas that might be feasable. ;) Of the bullets mentioned, I would be inclined to go with the heavier of the two and is most likely the way I would go with Black Bear on the menu. However, if I may, there is one other bullet I would consider IF the rifle will feed it and it shoots accurately. That bullet would be the RCNS #44-300-FP or is it KT? I forget and I have that blankety-blank mold. Just too lazy to run out to the shed/shop to find out. I sold my .44 Mag. M94 Marlin well before I got that bullet. It wouldn't feet the Elmer Keith bullet so down the road it went. Accuracy was extremely poor anyway. I might look for another someday. That bullet from a Ruger 7.5" barreled Redhawk was accurate and seemed to hit quite hard. I was going to use it as a bear load on my hikes but it shoots about 6" high at 25 yards with the rear sight as low as I can bring it down. I'll have to contact Ruger and see if they still have higher replacement sights for the Redhawk. I have two of them, the 7.5" and a 5.5". Nice guns but doggone it they need wheels. I've thought about outfitting the longer barreled gun with a sling. :cool:
Paul B.

[Adam Helmer]

madmurph,

I handload both the 240 and 265 grain bullet for my scoped Marlin M444S. I have taken deer with the 240 and it was a fine load. I loaded 2 boxes of 265 grain Hornady bullets and lent my 444 to my son-in-law 3 years ago. He took a PA black bear at 75 yards with one shot. The bear was 405 pounds dressed. The 444 is a fine caliber in my view and I would use 265 grain bullets.

Adam