I am going to Maine in Sept. on a bear hunt. I had every intention of using my bow, but a back injury while working has made my decision for me.

I have a Ruger SRH in 480 7.5"bbl with a 2-6 scope. I will be hunting over bait, and the shot will be anywhere from 10-20 yards. I'm thinking that I should leave the scope back in WV when I go on the hunt. Since, more than likely, the action will occur right before dark and be at close range.

I'm not really sure what ammo I should use. I have some Hornady 325gr. xtp's that i have used on a doe with good results. (60 yd shot while the deer was laying down, broke her neck.)

Should I just go with what i have or would a heavier bullet do me better?

Also, should I just hold for a lung shot like I would if I were using a bow?

Your ammo will do fine. You may want to take the scope with you. Iron sights can be hard to pick up in low light. The nice thing about the Ruger is you can dismount and remount without losing zero, at least my SBH stays on. Another option would be to pick up a fiber optic front from Marbles to help in the evening light.
http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=334505&t=11082005

Or you could get a red dot sight, they work great in low light.
When a bear walks out, you are going to be more excited then you have ever been in your life and the red dot will help make sure you are on target while you get your excitement under control. Just my 2 cents. I love hunting bear even though I have only killed one so far, I'm hooked on them. They really get my blood pumping.

I second what Rod said.
Ruger's integral mounts are perfect for switching back and forth.
Good luck on your hunt.

I agree with everything said so far, the only thing you might think about for extra insurance would be a heavier load like the Grizzly ammo with a 400gr Hawk soft point or Hornady 400gr XTP. If the bears are running in the 200-250 pound range the 325 is plenty but if there is a chance of running into a bruiser, especially leaning on the 400lb+ range I'd go for the heavier bullet for more penetration but that is my personal preference.

Agreed, for BIG bears use a BIG load. Buffalo Bore or Grizzly, if you don't roll your own, make some stout stuff. Spendy yes, but a small price to pay in the end. Besides, you only need one right ;-)

So you would recommend XTPs and the like for bear? I thought 300+gr hard cast bullets were de rigeur for bear hunting.

The hard cast are good but you will get zero expansions so even a hit in the vitals could lead to a lengthy tracking job, you really need to anchor them with a shoulder shot using a hardcast. The standard xtp I would not use but the xtp mag is an entirely different animal, and will act like a solid if you don't have enough velocity but at a reasonable range out of the 480 there should be a good combination of penetration and expansion. The problem with 475 caliber stuff is you are limited to the XTP, Gold Dot, or a custom bullet like Hawk. I personally didn't care for the accuracy or performance of the Gold Dot so I load XTP Mags and Hard cast. The other option is Barnes, but I despise light for caliber bullets which are what they have. Big Bores were meant to throw big heavy chunks of lead at low to moderate velocities and smash like a hammer not try and turn them into a "express" cartridge by shooting a bullet thats length and diameter are almost equal.

That's my plan...

bear are not hard to kill if they are hit right but a bad hit can mean more excitment than most people want.I have seen many bear killed with bet up 30/30s that have been betting around behind the pickup seat for month but every time one was shot careful aim was taken. Because when there was a bad shot dogs always where hurt.But there is no rush like a well done bear hunt.

I bow hunted up there last year, and there are some really nice bears in the area. I took one that weighed around 180 I guess, but saw 2 more bears that were larger than the one i got. The biggest one would never come in... it just teased me.

The trouble with a bear is that he will run until he's dead or keep going if he isn't. A deer will run and lay down after a bit. You had better have a good blood trail with a bear.

So Nosler doesn't make a Partition for the .480? That's to bad, that is what I would say would be the right pill for Mr. Bear. Like I have said before on here that is the bullet I used on my 325lbs. bear out of my .454 and it took out 6" to 8" of his spine and traveled down and out his chest never to be seen again. I think the Nosler Partition is a great bullet. If I couldn't use it, then I would use a big flat pointed hard cast and shoot him in the shoulder then shoot him again in the chest.

nope, no parttion that big, and none for the .41 either. I used to bug the hell out of those guys about big bore handgun and rifle bullets because all they had was up to the 260 in .451 and in rifles they had a 416 cal bullet and a 300gr 45-70 bullet. They have finally started making some more big bore rifle bullets so hopefully the handgun line will expand also.

As for red dot sights, I had one on my 629 Classic. I eventually took it off in favor of a scope. In low light even with the power turned down all the way, you get a red glare in the scope. It is a little hard to see the deer with the glare. On the other hand you just put the red dot on the deer and pull the trigger.You have a trade off with a red dot sight.

I really appreciate all of the advice I have been given. It is nice to find a place where a person can ask questions and gain from the experiences of others.

I believe that this is an excellent forum, even for extreme rookies such as myself.

Would a .44 mag be too little gun for black bear? If not, what bullets would be the best? I thought that a .44 300gr+ hard cast would be the best, but black bears are not that big after all. Any experiences with .44 mag 300 XTPs on bear?

The 44 is plenty out to around a 100yds, a hardcast is a good choice but again the shot has to be good. I would probably lean toward the partition or a good 240-300gr soft point. In some areas the bears get big and they can be tough to bring down, like Gary said they run until they die. The areas I hunt here in Oregon regulary see bruins over 300lbs and every season there is normally a couple you hear about or see in the 400-500lb range and a couple of years ago a guy got one that went 600+ so they can get large. I also spent some time living up in the Sierras about 75 miles south of Yosemite and we regularly had 300-400lb bears in town, I even watched one walk through the parking lot of the cable company and he was definitely a 400lb+.

The 325 gr Gold Dots are very accurate out of my 7.5" SRH Ruger .480. The factory loads shoot great, and AA #9 and Lil Gun have been the best accuracy powders out of handloads. The 400 gr Gold Dot will not expand at .480 Ruger velocities (per Speer info. sheet), and are intended for the .475 Linebaugh.

Flare from a red dot sight is often caused when using eyeglasses. Take your glasses off and see of the flare goes away.

I shoot with glass's on and I didn't have the glare. My red dot adjusted way down to just a about the size of a period. So maybe that's why I didn't see it. If I turned it way up it turn the whole tube redish. Needless to say I never had it that high and normal had it adjust about # 5 out of 10 adjustments.

44 is plenty good for blackies. The XTPs are great for bears. Cast bullets are great when you are on the ground with the bear and you need to stop them when they charge but not so good from a hunting stand point. The XTPs or partitions are a hunting bullet that expand and thats what you want.

After hunting spring bear over bait in Alaska I promised myself that if I ever had the chance to do it again I would have a 2X or
1-4X scope on my handgun.A red dot is also good to have. your choice if ammo is just fine. Good luck, James

When hunting bear you never know just how big of a bear you will come up on. Super hard cast through the shoulder is the way to go (imo, but subject to change as I learn more of course). I like the super hard cast ammo from Garrett but it is very pricey and they only offer 44 (sorry no 480). I have also read about Punch Bullets from Belt Mountain but not sure if they have 480. Buffalo bore has 480 but I have no experience with them either. I listed a few nice links to some articles and websites to check on prior to making your choice. I have not yet had the opportunity to take a bear during my whitetail hunts but have been interested in going on a bear specific hunt soon, so I have been doing my homework.
http://www.gunsandammomag.com/ammunition/make_111405/index1.html
http://www.gunblast.com/BeltMtn_PunchBullet.htm http://www.beltmountain.com http://www.garrettcartridges.com/products.asp

In respect to the .44 magnum, what about #2 alloy cast bullets in 300, 310, 325 or 370 or LaserCast's truncated cone 300 grain bullet? The 300 is a gas checked wadcutter, the 310 & 325 are WFNGC (310 has dual grooves) and the 370 is LFN. I'm in Maine and set my bait out this week in preperation for my first handgun bear hunt in ME, also looking forward to some coyote hopefully with the 22 magnum. I have been working up loads with what I have on hand, which is listed above, and right now I'm leaning toward the 310 with 24 grains of H110. Any thoughts?

So far, I've only been testing the Oregon Trail 310gr gas check bullet with 21grs H110. This is a very fast load. I've tried 20grs of Vihtavuori N110 as well and that is even faster. But another 3grs of H110 won't make it slower...

But I've never tried it on game so I will eagerly await your report from the Maine bear woods...

I have no experince in black bear hunting, but I do use fiber optic sights exclusively and if you go that route the green sights show up longer "better" than the red.

Bullets cast of #2 alloy should be just fine at any "normal" velocity. Should be fine as far as "on game" performance, too. Good Luck.