The Hornady XTP in .44 magnum is a fantastic cartridge with very good accuracy and stopping power. My personal favorite.

 

man, I've come a long way from what i was originally lookin hard at (.45 acp automatic), no matter what the title says. Thanks reconranger and all others for the input. I think I'll stay with a 44 mag cartridge. If I thought I really might need a 454 I'd get it. The 454 is almost the size of a AA battery. Even the 44 mag looks huge compared to what I thought i wanted/needed. But I have to be realistic. Buffalo Bore makes a 44 mag +P+ for guns like the Ruger Super RedHawk. At 340 gr and 1478/fps that should be plenty for anything I might run into. And there are a few manufacturers that sell good 44 mag cartridges in quantities of 500/1000 at .60 - .75 cents a cartridge. Even a few 50 count boxes at that price. Double Tap makes a 300gr XTP or 320gr wide flat nose at 1300+/fps for $45/50 count box. I found no 454's in large quantities. Only a few sell 50 count boxes. I have to consider accuracy too. Bears aren't the only predators in the woods. they might come smaller and in multiples. Hope its available somewhere next month at a reasonable price. I think its GunImpact has a 454 for $769. But no 44mags. I saw a few links to holsters but thought I'd ask for some input here? Thanks.

 

The last Cabella's catalog I got, had a holster for the Alaskan.

Bears are getting to be a serious deal in my local mountains! A kid got killed a few years ago, dragged out of his sleeping bag in the middle of the night (probably had been eating goodies in his tent!). Several campgrounds were closed most of this summer, because of bear problems.

For the .44, I run Fedral Cast Core 300 Grain which has a muzzle velocity/energy of 1250 fps/1040ft-lbs (that's going to be from a longish barrel I assume). I went with a cast lead bullet because I want to be able to bust through bone and penetrate deeply, while facing a bear head-on in a defensive shot. I'm not looking for bullet expansion, like a hunter would want on a lung shot. Sometimes for convenience out on the trail I will carry the .357, and here again I load Federal Cast Core, 180 Grain, 1250 fsp/625 ft-lbs. (Seems wimpy compared to the big magnums available today.) In camp, these back up combat shotguns loaded with Breneke slugs.

 

A few guys on the Ruger forum thought a 44 mag was too much for a first time handgun owner. I can understand thier concerns though.

 

Start out with the .44 Special, and that will help. The Alaskan is a heavy gun, so recoil should be manageable. The Ruger has kind of a sharp angle on the grip, and some folks feel like it recoils straight back. I never have felt like this was the case, but it is true that the short barreled Alaskan isn't going to have as much muzzle flip (sending recoil up rather than straight back) compared to a long barreled gun.

 

so it will have more flip recoil than straight back. even with relatively large hands i think i will need to develop more strength in my hands and forearms if i really want to control my shots with this gun. i don't plan on shooting with the magnum calibers that much right now anhywyas. just to taste the power. i will definately practice in incremental steps to the more powerful loads. and then practice some more.

 

As much as I would love to have the 2 1/2" Alaskan in 454 casull/45 colt I'd rather stay with the longer barrel for more velosity with less expense. I really think the 4" Redhawk would be better suited for me and my needs. It's a little cannon though!





I haven't decided for sure whether the 44 mag or the 45 colt yet. These Ruger revolvers especially in 44 mags are hard to find. But I got my eye one of these. The top one is the 44 mag.




These Ruger revolvers look to be just what I needed. Thanks for pointing me in the right direction!

 

There is something that I have never liked about the Redhawk. I don't quite know what it is, grip angle maybe???? Be sure you can live with it before you spend your money. ...

As for caliber, I wouldn't want to face a bear in a defensive situation with a .44 full house load, much less a .45 Colt. From what I recall, the .45 cannot be loaded up to higher pressures like some calibers can (thin cases????).

 

A good set of Hogue grips does wonders for a revolver. I have a set on my S+W .44 Mag. and they help me control it a lot better. I had an older Herters with a rounded grip that I hated. It would tip back and kill my hand after a while (and these are hands that survived 3 decades of carpentry). I have the Hogues on the new pistol and it makes it just that much better for taking a few shots.

 

A 300gr bullet at 1200 fps from a 44 mag (Ruger Four-Inch .44 Magnum Stainless Redhawk) or a 325gr bullet at 1250 fps from a 45 colt (Ruger Four-Inch .45 Colt Redhawk Revolver) has just as much velocity if not more than the .454 Alaskan (Ruger’s Super Redhawk Alaskan .454 Casull) with the 2 1/2" barrel. I've handled a few in the last couple weeks. The Hogue grips fit my large hands very well. There are plenty of loads to choose from in the 44mag from 180gr to 320 gr bullets. And the ability to shoot 44 specials for home defense.