So I just learned that the area of MT I will be black bear hunting in has a healthy population of grizzlies (guy I am hunting with was charged by one last fall).
I am not confident in the .44 SBHH stopping one (ya know in case the bear spray fails)...and I was thinking about stepping up to a heavier caliber.

.454, .475, .480, any recommendations?
What is recoil like compared to .44 buffalo bore 305 grn @ 1325 out of the SBHH?

Bullet frontal area is your friend, but recoil may hinder if you are unable to shoot your choice accurately. The likelihood of getting more than one aimed shot off is minimal if a brownie is indeed bearing down on you with the intent of making contact. That said, you don't need lots of velocity to drive a big bullet deep. All of the choices you cited are good, but I would be inclined to go with the .45 Colt as another option. The .44 will work if you place your shot(s) -- as will any of the other calibers cited, the key being the ability to place your first shot under duress.

SBHunter if you don't mind me asking ,what area are you hunting?

I am trying to remember but I think he said Lincoln.

As would I, with a real hard bullet. Right there is the 480R as well, not too much recoil relative to diameter, just in case you need 2 or 3.....

what about the 480 Alaskan, good back up piece, double action, big bullets.

Also, if you are worried about not being able to handle a higher powered handgun as well in a pinch, maybe a long gun suited to stopping grizz?

Being new to big bores my self, I would opt for the long gun option in grizz country, at leats tell I have another year or two under my built with heavy recoiling hand guns

I would think the 44 would work.

A good 300 WFN out of the 44 would be fine I would think. I'd rather four of those than one of the big boys. I would think you could probably get more shots off quicker and more accurately with the 44 and it will penetrate end to end without much trouble.

A .430 that draws blood is much more effective than. .512 in a tree

Indeed, but if you make contact with the .512, it will draw a lot more blood -- LOL!

As I said, a well aimed shot is first and foremost the greatest concern. But if you can shoot the big boys as well as the little girl's calibers, go big.....

LOL!

Seriously, your .44 will do the job properly loaded as long as you do your part.

I like my little girl guns

Not against the bigger ones but I just use the others more often

Set of Missouri guns from John Linebaugh. 500 has patridge blade and 475 has ramp. Nice guns but the 44 and 45s are my true workhorses and have been for years. Like Whit said, whatever you can shoot well is what you should use. I was just saying that the 44 would work since that is what you have. BUT. I do understand the "need" for another for this specific purpose........did that help justify the purchase???

Those are gorgeous, Glenn!!

Very sexy pair Glenn!!

I'd go with a BFR in 475 or 500jrh, the 475 will shoot the 480's if you can't handle full house and the JRH will handle 500special loads. As was stated there is no substitute for diameter. That said I'd feel fairly comfortable with a 44 loaded with big bullets in the 300gr range. Although I generally prefer jacketed, as a backup for grizz I'd probably go with the 300gr CP or a punch bullet.

Thanks! I just wanted to remind Whit all my guns aren't pink with tassels

If i were picking out of my guns which covers the calibers mentioned id take my 4 3/4" fa 83 454 with a federal,buffalo bore or double tap barnes 250 gr xbp load. If theres no substitute for diameter then how about a bullet that will take out brain spine or the chest cavity from frontal angles and expand to an inch. Now thats a big hole and lots of blood. Im more convinced of this after our oryx hunt helping stop a few of them after being wounded. Got to ise several types of bullets on several oryx. Difference in damage was impressive

All good thoughts guys. Some of my responding thoughts:

If the .44 is sufficient I am ok with that. Just seems that I would need to place it more precisely.

Long gun: I currently have a .308 that I would sell to get a 45-70 which would certainly do the job.

480: This seems like an attractive option. Not sure i could come up with the $2k for a FA, how is the BFA? And what are the chances of me picking one up soon and learning to shoot it well by April.

454: I feel as though the 480 would be advantageous over this because of diameter.

Your thoughts on the .480 are right on. The BFR is a .475 Linebaugh, but you don't need to run it hard and you can keep it at .480 levels and still have a really effective piece. I have seen them in the $800.00 range, new.

I think there is a 475 on the cast bullet forum for sale now......

You have a link? Better looking for a used FA or at a BFA? My range is about $1,400

bfr is a good option if ya can find one and if ya get one with a good trigger, some of ours have needed some work some have been good. the 480's diameter might me an advantage if ya just run slow cast bullets, if ya run fast and use a premium jacketed or something like a barnes buster that you can push harder or a beartooth heavyweight it ceases to be an advantage rapidly. this is why i like the barnes. if 2 1/100's of an inch is an advantage, then .5" is a huge advantage and the 454 can run it fast enough to get plenty of penetration that said, a 475 is my other favorite option. also if youre looking at a hip gun for bear protection i can tell ya what i use most and it's my srh 454 with meprolight night sights.

A side benefit to a BFR in 475L is you also end up with a new hunting piece

We have found FA 475s recently as low as $1200 so they are out there. They are incredible guns but the BFRs that I've seen, everyone seems to be very happy with at sometimes much lower prices than the FA. The FA is of course a much nicer finished gun and I prefer the gripframe of the FA way more than the BFR but everyone is different......

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?184774-Magnum-Research-BFRs-for-sale-454-amp-475-480

Found a ruger super red hawk in 480 for $745. Gun is used but shows little use. Thoughts?

Great revolver, but priced a bit high in my estimation.

Quite a bit...

And it would be better to get a 475 because of the versatility?

I personally like the .475 in all of its glory -- 420s at 1,350 fps +. It's got no flies on it and hammers game as well as the shooter. That said, you really don't need to push it that fast for it to level even the largest game on this planet. At .480 levels, loaded with the right bullets, it won't leave you wanting or needing more in my humble opinion.

Any of the mentioned cartridges will work fine, the 44 with a heavy 300gr+ solid will go through a bear a defense ranges from most any angle with plenty of penetration. The 45LC is the same just a little larger and the 454 does it with more authority. The big bores very simply make bigger holes and with the right bullet will penetrate more than enough even when run slow. That's why it becomes a personal choice and also depends on what your recoil tolerances are. You won't even feel the recoil when shooting at a bear but if you shoot too much gun at the range muscle memory will cause a flinch you'll have to fight to get rid of.

You are right about noticing the recoil, but I like to be proficient with any firearm I carry, and that means lots of practice.
Any way to compare the 44 load I mentioned with the 454, 475, 480?

I really think I would jump to the 475/480 before the 454 because of the increase in bullet size.
Forget who mentioned it but I love the thought of putting night sights on a defense revolver.

it makes all the difference in a mountain camp with something rumbling around outside the tent or behind ya at a campfire. this happened this last fall and i didn't have to shoot but it was nice to get my sights aligned on the likely bear/cougar whatever it was. it is my camp/survival gun, the srh that is.

the lil increase in bullet size might matter a touch if ya just use cast, but i promise ya i'll take the 1" hole of a barnes any day of the week in that situation.

I agree, but does he really need two revolvers that looks so much alike? What if he was to get confused and pick up the wrong ammo for the gun at hand? I can see where there could be major issue, so to make things much simpler; Glenn should just send one my way...

Heck...what are friends for?

if ya use a .475 then use an a frame or a barnes. but it's about the same size hole once it expands. if ya get a 50 cal i'd stick with a solid, haven't found an expandable that runs deep in that caliber yet on the big stuff

I tried to this afternoon but I couldn't find your address. Don't know when I'll have a chance to get back to FEDEX buddy......

I'll text you the address and I'm real patient....

on the recoil question it's perceived differently by everyone but the 454 is snappy like the 44 just quite a bit more. It seems it's like shotguns the bigger the bore the more the recoil goes from really snappy to more of a big push, not to say they don't snap back too. I think most people that have mastered the 44 and are not bothered by it's recoil can master the 454. The others just take getting used too but the same thing if your not sensitive to the hottest 44 loads you should be able to work into the bigger guns. The biggest mistake I've made and seen others is to run too many shots at once. Don't go out and run a whole box of ammo through it, let your body tell you when it's time to quit. Normally your shooting will start to fall off when you've gone to far and the normal instinct is to keep going and "fix it" but that is the worst thing you can do. If you keep going past that point you'll develop a flinch that will be a bear to get rid of. I didn't have anyone around that shot these big guns and HHM wasn't around so I learned alot of this the hard way as many guys on here did. You new guys have it made because of technology you can draw off the experience of those that have done it the wrong way and the hard way.

Good advice rod. It was tough to fid resources in the 80's and early 90's.

You guys are a huge blessing. You have saved me time, pain, and plus you make me laugh as much as the old Sunday morning comics (new ones aren't the same).
I point anyone I know that is interested in handgun hunting to the EXPERTS here.

I think your 44 would do fine. If you are in need for a packing gun maybe look a 4" Redhawk in 45 colt or a Super Blackhawk 4 5/8 in 45 colt. That allows you a larger bullet frontal area without breaking the bank. Also recoil levels sould still be manageable to enjoy shooting= you shoot it more= you are a better shot with it

I will agree with most regarding the caliber selections, bigger is better as long as you can handle the recoil. 480/475 would be my first choice.

One thing you didn't mention is what you are going to be using this gun for. I know you mentioned grizzly protection, but are you planning on hunting with this gun or carrying it as a SHTF prevention device?

If the latter, I think I might opt for a double action over a single. I love my SAs but if I need to draw and fire, cocking the hammer between shots is not something that I want to have to worry about. In this case my first choice would be a SRH alaskan or a SRH with a shorter barrel in 480 ruger. Followed by a 454 then to a 44.

This video has been posted before but is worth a watch anyway.
Skip to 1:50 and watch till 2:10