There has been a lot written over the years regarding ammunition selection and stopping power. There is a lot of science fiction out there about the stopping power of handguns. Also, a handgun cartridge that works well for self defense in the city could be a poor choice against an enraged animal.

Stopping power is not the same as killing power. Any bullet can kill but not all bullets can instantly stop a charging animal. Stopping is defined as injuring the animal enough to where it is incapable of continuing their attack. These wounds may or may not be lethal, it doesn’t matter. Killing power is just that - will the bullet kill the target? If it takes 10 minutes for the target to die and it gets to you before dropping, then clearly this is not a desirable option.

As indicated in the chapter on handgun choices for the outdoors, the choice of ammunition is dependent on the potential threat. First we will discuss threats from large predators like the great bears.

Again, a handgun against a large bear is the weapon of last resort. A powerful rifle is always a better choice in these circumstances. When encountering a large predator with a handgun, heavy and deep-penetrating bullets are necessary. The bullet must be able to go through thick fur and heavy bones to reach vital organs. Expanding bullets are the wrong choice in this application. Expanding bullets, by their nature, are not deep penetrating. Wounding an animal like this with a bullet that does not reach vital organs is likely to make the situation worse.

For the .44 magnum, the choice is a hard-cast bullet weighing 300-310 grains with a wide flat tip. For the .454. Casull and custom loadings of the .45 Long Colt bullets from 325 to 360 grains are in order. For the .480 Ruger and the .475 Linebaugh bullets in the 400-420 range works very well. Finally for the .500 S&W, bullets between 400 and 500 grains are ideal.

Several companies are now loading handgun ammunition with these types of bullets. Federal has a new .44 magnum, 300 grain, hard cast lead, flat-nose offering that is rated at 1250 fps. Buffalo Bore offers several loadings in all of the above listed calibers that meet these criteria. Corbon has ammunition for the .44 magnum, the .454 Casull and the .500 S&W in addition to special loadings of the .45 long Colt for use in modern guns. Finally, Garrett offers several .44 heavy magnum loadings.

For defense against thinner skinned animals in the wild, these heavy penetrating cartridges are not necessary. As indicated in the previous article, we feel the best overall choice for an outdoors firearm is the Glock 20 in 10mm automatic. The 10mm can be effective against animals from mountain lions to wolves and other small creatures. In a pinch, loaded with sixteen 200 grain bullets, it can be effective against larger predators. There are many loadings for the 10mm out there and most of them are loaded down to .40 S&W levels. From the major manufacturers only Winchester offers a near full power loading. This is the 175 grain, Silvertip, hollow point. This is an excellent off-the-shelf load for most purposes and is available at most retailers. Full power loadings of the 10mm are offered from smaller manufacturers such as Buffalo Bore, Cor-Bon and Double Tap. Their 180 grain bullets are an excellent all purpose choice for use in the woods. They also offer 200 grain, full metal jacket, hard cast lead and hollow point loads that offer deep penetration. The Hornady 200 grain XTP bullet loaded to full 10mm velocities is an excellent choice for a deep woods load.

For the .357 magnum we recommend the 158 or 180 grain jacketed soft point or hard cast lead as the best all around woods load. It has more penetration than the 125 grain self defense loading which seems to work better against animals. However, the 125 grain loading is still a good choice and would be extremely effective against wolves, wild dogs or other rabid small animals. The 180 grain, hard cast lead loading from Federal is also an excellent hunting choice where deep penetration is needed.

If you’re carrying a .44 magnum in areas where there are not large predators, then the correct bullet choice is the 240 grain jacketed hollow point as offered by all the major manufacturers. This is a very powerful load and can easily handle all situations, aside from large bears.

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