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Juneteenth – Emancipation Day N.S.F.W.
When it comes to recognizing and responding to a bear attack, few people have as much experience as Alaska’s Steve Nelson, a former research geologist for the U.S. Geological Survey who’s spent the last 41 years teaching bear defense courses in the Last Frontier. As a geologist, Nelson has killed four bears in defense of life and property (DLP), including two black bears and two grizzlies. Nelson continues to teach a bear defense course in Alaska, instructing geologists and representatives from other government agencies how to operate a wide variety of firearms platforms in a bear defense situation.
In terms of firearm selection, Nelson said it’s really about delivering a few well-placed shots on target in a short timeframe. The more energy and penetration the better, provided you don’t select a firearm that’s too powerful for you to adequately manage. As the bear charge drill in his course demonstrates, the average bear attack will happen at 50 yards or less with an 800-pound animal moving at 30 mph. At that distance, a shooter has roughly four seconds to make a charge-stopping shot, which requires a steady hand under intense pressure.
Among firearms platforms, a rifle delivers more energy and is effective to greater distances, making it the first choice. A 12-gauge shotgun and slug will deliver impressive energy and is effective to moderate ranges. A handgun is worn on your person, however, and is invaluable because it stays with you, whether you’re answering nature’s call or stopping to field dress a game animal. Like the Spartan’s xiphos blade, the handgun is a much shorter secondary weapon intended for up-close-and-personal encounters.
Over the decades, several cartridges have proved themselves as worthy against the nastiest bears North America has to offer. Here’s a look at the eight best charge-stopping bear cartridges ever made.
1. .45-70 Government
First adopted by the U.S. military in 1873, the .45-70 Government has been one of the longest-standing big-game cartridges of all time. It’s also been incredibly popular among Alaskan hunters and guides, especially in lever-actions like Marlin’s 1895 Guide Gun, which is compact, fairly lightweight and highly maneuverable in close quarters. It’s also capable of sending a massive projectile, like Buffalo Bore’s 430-grain hard-cast bullet, at roughly 2000 fps and 3,600 ft.-lbs. from the muzzle. Talk about stopping power.
2. .454 Casull
Developed by Dick Casull and Jack Fulmer in 1957, the .454 Casull is a dangerous game hunter’s dream come true. One of the more powerful handguns available today, the .454 is capable of pushing a 300-grain Buffalo Bore bullet at 1650 fps with 1,813 ft.-lbs. of energy at the muzzle. Nelson killed one of his charging grizzlies with a .454 Casull, which he says is one of his favorite choices for bear defense. Ruger chambers the .454 Casull in both the Super Redhawk with a 4-inch barrel and the Alaskan in a 3-inch variant, both of which are compact and easy to draw when things get up close and personal. Is it fun to shoot? Not at all. Nelson says after about 20 shots, his wrist starts to swell and he can no longer shoot. The beauty of the .454, however, is that you can practice with .45 Colt rounds and save yourself a bit of recoil trauma.
3. .44 Remington Magnum
Considered by many to be the minimum for big bear defense rounds, the .44 Remington Magnum was first introduced in 1955 for revolvers and gained widespread popularity in the 1970s thanks to Dirty Harry. While some may consider it the minimum, it’s plenty powerful enough to stop an onerous bear. A 240-grain +P Buffalo Bore projectile carries roughly 1,600 ft.-lbs. of energy at 1550 fps, which is more than double that of the 10mm and four times more energy than the 9mm. Available in shorter versions like the Smith & Wesson 629 with 4-inch barrel, the .44 Mag. has a well-deserved reputation as a charge-stopper.
4. .375 H&H Magnum
One of the original belted, rimless magnum rifle cartridges, Holland & Holland’s .375 is not only considered one of the best cartridges for hunting Africa, it also has a proven track record for lethality on large-bodied game in Canada and Alaska, including moose and bear. Popular among Alaskan guides and hunters, the .375 is capable of launching a 270-grain bullet at 4,300 ft.-lbs. and 2700 fps, thus delivering massive energy on target. As Nelson points out, the first shot may end the charge but doesn’t always kill the bear, which means it’s handy to have a rifle that can make the longer follow-up shot.
5. .50 Alaskan
Taking a .348 Winchester case and necking it out to accept a .510-inch, Alaskan Harold Johnson was able to successfully convert a Winchester Model 1886 rifle into a .50-caliber, bear-killing machine. The result, of course, was the .50 Alaskan. Buffalo Bore produces several loads for the .50 Alaskan, including a 450-grain bullet that delivers a whopping 4,400 ft.-lbs. of energy from the muzzle. As a wildcat cartridge, it hasn’t seen the widespread use of other rounds on this list, but that hasn’t stopped many guides and hunters, Nelson included, from converting Marlin lever guns for its very effective use.
6. 12-Gauge Slug
According to Nelson, the 12-gauge slug gun is by far one of the most popular choices for bear protection in the Alaskan bush. While it is extremely effective, the main reason it’s been so widely-used is because shotguns like the Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 are a fraction of the price of bolt-guns and, in turn, that’s what the government has provided to its employees. Based on ballistic testing and field use, Nelson recommends Brenneke’s Black Magic Magnum or DDupleks’ Monolit 32 solid steel slug. The Black Magic Magnum is a 602-grain slug that carries 3,000 ft.-lbs. of energy at 1500 fps, while the 495-grain DDupleks leaves the muzzle at 1410 fps with 2,180 ft.-lbs. of energy.
7. .338 Winchester Magnum
The favorite among Alaskan guides as a backup gun, the .338 Winchester Magnum was released in 1958 as belted, rimless cartridge. Based on the .375 H&H, the .338 will send a 300-grain Barnes bullet out the barrel at 2500 fps with a devastating 4,100 ft.-lbs. of energy. Considered by many to be the most versatile North American big-game cartridge, the .338 Win. Mag. has killed its fair share of charging bears. It’s chambered in nearly every major manufacturer’s rifle and has a plethora of ammunition choices as well.
8. .357 S&W Magnum
While some folks claim the .44 Magnum is the minimum for charging bears, many others have opted for a Glock 20 in 10mm Auto and, interestingly enough, passed right by the .357 S&W Magnum. Several folks have even successfully killed bears with a 9mm. While a well-placed shot from a 10mm can no doubt do the trick, the .357 Mag. has 780 ft.-lbs. of energy, while the 10mm has about 728 ft.-lbs., both with a 180-grain Buffalo Bore bullet. As Nelson has seen in bear defense training, many shooters have cycling issues with the 10mm due to the “limp-wrist syndrome,” something that isn’t an issue with a revolver and is the last thing you want to happen during a bear charge. The .357 is also available in smaller-framed revolvers that fit smaller hands, making it ideal for women and less experienced shooters. Any way you slice it, the .357 has proven itself as a worthy close-range bear stopper.
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Colt’s Officers Model Match
In America, the building of firearms is big business. It was thus in the republic’s earliest years and remains so today. Many companies have offered gun products, but continued success over the decades requires quality. Americans shoot their guns a great deal and won’t buy guns, ammo or accessories that don’t measure up.
In the long run, a handful of manufacturers persist in their dominance. It’s a situation that is particularly true in the case of the handgun makers. For many years, the competition pitted the revolvers of Colt firearms against those of Smith & Wesson. Bill Ruger came along after WWII, started small and got big fast. This was also the era of imports—a great assortment of pistols from all over the world, but mostly from Europe.
In short, we have enjoyed a wide range of types and makers. The demand is high, but some have nonetheless vanished from the pages of the latest gun magazine. Sometimes it’s product issues, but more often it is a question of management or finances. Unhappily, some very nice guns are therefore gone—but not forgotten.
High Standard is likely best known for its line of .22-cal. semi-automatic target pistols, which were staples in its lineup. This example can be seen at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Va.
So it is with guns of High Standard, a Gun Valley firm that made a variety of different handguns. At times, it appeared that High Standard was trying for what several modern companies are presently doing—aiming at a niche in a multi-faceted market.
Founded in the mid-1930s when Gus Swebelius bought the assets of a small arms company in Hartford, Conn., High Standard began production of a basic .22 semi-automatic pistol. Styled much like the very popular Woodsman, the High Standard was a lower-priced but nonetheless viable option to the revered Colt product.
It was well-established by the time that WWII began in December 1941, and the armed services bought tens of thousands of them for basic handgun training. It was also in the latter months of the war that the company undertook another project—a suppressed version of the basic .22.
This High Standard .22-cal. semi-automatic is marked as being the property of the United States Marine Corps, one of thousands purchased during World War II for marksmanship training. This gun is on display at the NRA National Firearms Museum in Fairfax, Va.
They did do at the behest of OSS for certain activities that were best kept quiet. I believe that it was one of these semi-autos that rode with Gary Powers on his historic flight over Russia in 1960. High Standard’s war service also included the initial work on a .380 semi-auto for the government. The gun went unheeded when the conflict came to a halt in ’45. Some of the .380 blowbacks were offered on the civilian market in the late 1940s but were not sufficiently popular to stay in production.
In the fiercely competitive post-war handgun market, High Standard offered several guns that were advanced and durable designs. For a time, the firm had legendary designer Harry Sefreid on their staff. This was a man who designed winning guns from one end of Gun Valley to the other.
One of his gems was the Sentinel, a compact .22 revolver that came in several finishes, barrel lengths and variations. With an aluminum frame—but steel barrel and cylinder—this inexpensive DA/SA wheelgun drew praise for its superior ergonomics and performance. Informed wheelgunners from Chic Gaylord of the 1960s to today’s internet “The Revolver Guy” have positively endorsed this almost-forgotten little rimfire.
This High Standard 1966 catalog page displays the Sentinel revolver models offered by the company at that time.
And speaking of rimfires, High Standard also offered (1962 to 1984) a unique two-shot derringer that was eminently successful. The Double Derringer was an over-and-under two-barrel design that came in both .22 Long Rifle and .22 Winchester Magnum Rimfire. It had an enclosed hammer, DAO lockwork and a partial trigger guard that protected the trigger from accidental firing.
The Fitz Special trigger guard is unquestionably quicker to get to, but speed is not necessarily a virtue in an outdoorsman’s utility gun. If a gun was intended for the fisherman’s vest—and this one was—the public never heard of it. They bought the little twin banger and slipped it into pocket (or purse).
Even guys who knew that such small bores and low power should not be relied upon in this role carried them anyway. I recall a long ago afternoon of trying to figure out what the close-range zero of one of them really was. There were two—one for each barrel. I never really got this completely resolved, but I was hard after a compact pistol that could pop a desert rattlesnake in the head.
But I have a definite image pop into my mind when I hear “High Standard.” It’s always some variation of the original .22-cal. automatic pistol. From pre-war times to the WWII days of beginner’s basics to Olympic gold medals, High Standards got it done.
The High Standard derringer was another defensive option offered by the company in the mid-1960s.
Using the same basic foundation, High Standard crafted everything from Montgomery Ward low end plinkers to high class competition semi-autos. When outdoor pistol was the game to play, a full third of the rounds for record were .22s. A guy on a budget could use one of the many High Standard models and be competitive. They were fine guns, and they got finer when the maker announced an improved frame profile.
Bullseye shooters had to shoot a third of their their course with .45s and most chose to use so-called “accurized” 1911s. Another third was “any center fire” handgun. This was where the revolver lingered longest, but a strong majority of shooters chose to use their 1911s for this stage, too.
The remaining third was .22 and it should be obvious that a gun in this caliber that was shaped like a 1911 would be appealing to a great many shooters. The abruptly angled grip was commonly used on the early High Standards, as well as Colts and Brownings.
Supposedly, the angled grip made the gun point better. Actually, the angled grip was there because it facilitated feeding in the magazine. When S&W made its match .22, it had the 1911 grip contour. In the face of all this, High Standard responded with its own 1911-shaped receiver.
I believe the Military Model .22s from High standard were the best guns that ever came out of this great little gun company. Solidly built and sensibly priced, the guns were the answer to a great many shooting needs. The company name said it all.
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Belgian Browning Hi Power: YES!
