Can a 357 SIG take down a bear?

Yes, a .357 SIG can be used for bear defense, especially against black bears, with proper heavy, hard-cast ammunition and good shot placement, but it's considered marginal and many experts prefer more powerful options like the 10mm, .44 Magnum, or bear spray for better stopping power and margin of safety, particularly against larger bears or charging situations.
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Is 357 sig good for bears?

357 Magnum, noted as the killer of great engine blocks, as it was once advertised, back when it was our most potent handgun cartridge. It's immensely popular today, even as a deer cartridge. With a broadside lung shot out to, say, fifty or so yards, it is adequate for a deer, and likely the average bear as well.
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What is the point of 357 sig?

Because of its relatively high velocity for a handgun round, the . 357 SIG has an unusually flat trajectory, extending the effective range.
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Is a 357 big enough for a bear?

44 Special or . 45 Colt handload in the right gun should work fine and has. As for my favorite whitetail . 357 Magnum or other similar-caliber load, a well-placed shot with a good bullet will certainly kill a bear, but it's not recommended.
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Is 357 or 44 better for bear?

For bear defense, the .44 Magnum is significantly better than the .357 Magnum, offering much more stopping power with heavier bullets and greater energy, making it a safer bet for both black bears (where .357 might be marginal) and essential for grizzlies, though rifles/shotguns are preferred for large bears; the .357 Magnum can work for black bears with proper shot placement and heavy loads but is often considered underpowered, especially against larger or aggressive bears.
 
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Bear Creek Arsenal 357 Sig Barrel Test

What do Alaskans carry for bear defense?

300-Magnum rifle or a 12-gauge shotgun with rifled slugs are appropriate weapons if you have to shoot a bear.
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Is a 357 more powerful than a 45?

Yes, the .357 Magnum is significantly more powerful than the .45 ACP (or .45 Colt in revolvers) in terms of muzzle energy, velocity, and penetration, due to more gunpowder and higher pressures, though the large, heavy .45 bullet offers substantial impact and less recoil in semi-autos like the 1911. While a hot .45 load (+P) can compete, the .357 Magnum generally leaves it far behind, especially for hunting or stopping power, but the .45 offers better capacity and easier carry. 
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What is the smallest caliber that will stop a bear?

While some consider a . 44 Magnum revolver to be the minimum for a bear protection handgun, the 10mm G20 has proven itself as not only a capable attack stopper, but a standard for backcountry carry.
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Is a 357 more powerful than a 10mm?

The .357 Magnum is generally more powerful than the 10mm Auto, especially with hot loads, offering more muzzle energy and velocity due to its larger case, but the 10mm closes the gap significantly with premium defensive rounds, making both excellent, powerful cartridges for hunting and defense, with the .357 having an edge in raw power and the 10mm offering higher capacity in semi-autos, according to sources like Ammo.com and Berry's Bullets.
 
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What can a 357 mag take down?

357 Magnum shines brightly when it comes to medium game, providing hunters with energy and precision suitable for the following: Deer: Many hunters may question whether a . 357 rifle can take down deer. The answer, when using the proper ammunition and shot placement, is affirmative.
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What are the cons of 357 Sig?

Cost: Ammunition is generally more expensive compared to more common calibers like 9mm. Availability: . 357 SIG ammo can be harder to find in stores, leading to potential supply issues. Recoil: While moderate, the recoil is still more pronounced than that of 9mm, which may affect accuracy for some shooters.
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Will 357 Sig penetrate body armor?

44 Magnum and . 45 ACP travel at slower speeds, which allows the body armor to stop them. However, . 357 SIG and 9mm rounds could travel at much higher velocities so the ballistic panel cannot stop them as easily.
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What is a 357 Sig comparable to?

357 Sig ranges from 580 to 620 foot-pounds (ft-lbs), depending on bullet weight and load pressure. For context, this places it above standard pressure 9mm (typically around 350–400 ft-lbs) and . 40 S&W (typically 400–500 ft-lbs), and very close to . 357 Magnum loads fired from 4-inch revolver barrels.
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How powerful is a 357 sig?

The .357 SIG is a powerful, high-velocity handgun cartridge known for its flat trajectory and significant energy, often exceeding standard 9mm and .40 S&W loads, delivering around 500-600+ ft-lbs of energy with common bullet weights, placing it near .357 Magnum revolver performance but in a semi-automatic platform. It's favored for its speed, penetration potential (especially with FMJ), and ability to perform well with compensators, making it a potent choice for law enforcement and defense.
 
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What is the best gun to stop a charging bear?

1. Glock 20 – Best Overall Bear Defense Handgun. If you're used to toting around a 9mm Glock 19, you might be more comfortable with that. However, an upgrade to a Glock 20 chambered in 10mm and loaded with hard-cast FNs will provide far more stopping power than the relatively paltry 9mm.
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What caliber is a 10 mm equal to?

10mm is the metric measurement for a handgun cartridge whose bullet diameter is effectively .40 caliber, meaning 10mm (.400 inches) is almost identical in diameter to the .40 S&W, just with a longer case, making it a powerful, larger cousin to the 9mm, offering more punch than standard rounds like 9mm or .45 ACP but with more recoil.
 
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Can a .357 stop a grizzly bear?

357 Magnum has the penetration to reach vital organs in the bear, but what are the chances of making that shot in an emergency? In this observers humble opinion, the . 357 Magnum is marginal at best for protection against bears.
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Is a 357 sig more powerful than a 9 mm?

Neither .357 SIG nor 9mm is universally "better"; it depends on priorities, with 9mm offering lower cost, higher capacity, and less recoil for general use, while .357 SIG provides superior velocity, energy, and barrier penetration for specific tasks like law enforcement or defense against barriers, though at higher cost and with more recoil, according to sources 2, 3, 5. 9mm is more practical for most, while .357 SIG offers greater ballistic punch, with both capable for self-defense if used well, notes sources 2, 3, 5.
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Will 10mm stop a grizzly bear?

The 10mm may be the perfect sidearm when a grizzly charges you. Three of the most practical bear back-up handgun cartridges available are: (from left) Buffalo Bore's 10mm Auto 220-grain hard-cast load, Garrett's . 44 Magnum 310-grain hard-cast load, and Buffalo Bore's .
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How far away can a bear smell?

A bear's sense of smell is incredibly powerful, allowing them to detect food and other scents from over a mile away, with some estimates suggesting they can smell sources from up to 18-20 miles away, significantly better than bloodhounds, helping them find food, mates, or threats. For specific items like candy or toiletries, they can often smell them from 1-5 miles out, while polar bears can find seals under ice from a mile away, says a Reddit post on Awwducational and a Facebook post from the Grizzly & Wolf Discovery Center. 
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Is a 357 better than a 45 ACP for bears?

For bear defense, the .357 Magnum generally offers superior power and velocity, making it a better choice than the .45 ACP, especially with heavy, hard-cast loads for larger bears, while the .45 ACP's advantage lies in its massive bullet diameter and good energy dump at close range, but it often lacks the overall power for serious defense against larger or charging bears compared to the .357. Most experts suggest the .357 Mag or .44 Mag as minimums, with the .45 ACP being borderline for black bears and often insufficient for grizzlies.
 
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Where to shoot a grizzly bear with a handgun?

A high shoulder hit will drop a bear, but I'd still suggest a double lung hit. If you've got a big caliber gun, a frontal shot square in the sternum is deadly, but requires precision. If you've got the time, my advice is to wait for a broadside shot with firearm and bow. Bears are notoriously hard to blood trail.
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What is the strongest 357 round?

The most lethal 357 round is a 180 grain hard-cast flat nose, most often used for protection against bears.
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Is 44 Magnum or 357 stronger?

The 44 Magnum ammo often has higher muzzle velocity, more propellant, and a heavier bullet than 357 Mag. These factors grant the 44 Mag significantly stronger recoil, even though revolvers chambered for it are typically heavier.
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What is the most powerful Colt revolver?

The black powder Colt Walker is regarded as the most powerful commercially manufactured repeating handgun from 1847 until the introduction of the . 357 Magnum in 1935, having a muzzle energy nearly exactly the same as a 4-inch-barreled (10 cm) handgun firing a . 357 Magnum.
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