Bear gun

[elmo_iscariot]

When it comes to dealing with dangerous bears on the trail, there are two and a half schools of thought

Comments

[philmophlegm]

You don't need a gun, but you should be careful always to go out with someone who isn't a very fast runner...

[elmo_iscariot]

Did you read the linked post?

[philmophlegm]

Sorry no.

(Shame faced...)

Ah yes, now I see what you mean. I feel pretty stupid now...

[elmo_iscariot]

No worries. I'll just assume that my prose is so engaging, it made you forget the very possibility of going elsewhere. ;)

[knirirr]

I wonder how the manly Colt Walker might perform against such a predator, although it is highly likely that no-one will ever find out.

[elmo_iscariot]

Muzzle energy isn't the whole story by a long shot, but it gives us a basis for some broad comparisons:

At a quick googling, the consensus seems to be that if you load the Walker to its maximum capacity, its muzzle energy can push 500 foot pounds. For comparison, that's better than 45 ACP, which (according to Wikipedia) gets .414fp in its most common loading. Standard-pressure 9mm loads get 382-420fp. So the Walker can really run with the big boys in modern mainstream self defense guns.

Unfortunately, it's notably gentler than even the lightest .357 Magnum cartridges, which get anywhere from 574-774fp depending on load, and nowhere near the same ballpark as .44 Magnum, which pulls 760 to 1533fp.

The Walker is easily the only pre-smokeless revolver I'd trust in bear country if BP arms were my only option, but, well... You know. ;)

[knirirr]

I put 50 grains of FFFg in mine as it's a bit easier to load and leaves room for a wad under the ball and plenty of grease over it. So it's probably not quite that powerful, although I expect it should still be reasonably respectable and certainly better than nothing.

[elmo_iscariot]

The anecdotal energy measurements I'm seeing are:

180gr bullet with 40gr powder: 342fp

141gr bullet with 55gr powder: 455fp

The consensus seems to be that "maximum capacity" is about 60 grains, and the "pushing 500fp" estimate is speculation.

So I'm guessing you're still getting some damned respectable energy out of that warhorse. If I was a betting man, I'd say you're probably narrowly edging out my 1911. You know--for the first six shots. ;)