What is your choice: Follow up shots vs. powerful cartridges?

[4949shooter]

A member over on another forum s few years ago spoke about a black bear hunt that went wrong.

He shot the bear with a 44 mag but it kept coming at him. He emptied the revolver and then found himself clicking on am empty chamber. He says his son stepped in with a rifle and finished the bear off before it could do any damage. I can't verify his story other than a picture he posted with the bear.

The guy gave up on his 44 mag revolver (I believe it was a Smith) and purchased a Glock 20.

FWIW...

[Mike_Fontenot]

I bought my S&W69 4-1/4" .44mag right after I had an eye-to-eye encounter with a mama black bear and her two 2nd-year cubs.  My 10mm Kimber Eclipse normally feels like a LOT of gun, but it didn't feel that way then.  But with only 5 rounds in the 69, you've got to be able to put them where you want them.  I suspect that was the problem in the above story.

[spaniel]

It's always a balance.  If I'm shooting a small concealment gun (Shield), it's 40SW.  I can shoot that as fast as a 9mm in that size and spin the plates on my dueling tree with equivalent speed/accuracy.  Perhaps I'm an anomaly but that's my results.

I would never carry a 10mm in a small, light gun.  I love the cartridge but I would not be comfortable controlling it.  Now if I am in a condition that I can conceal a 1911, I will carry 10mm.  I've timed it and I can run it as fast as the smaller 40SW.

[gandog56]

For shorts and a tee shirt, it almost has to be my Ruger .380, but in winter I can do my Sig in either .40 cal or 357 SIG.

[Patriot]

A member over on another forum s few years ago spoke about a black bear hunt that went wrong.

He shot the bear with a 44 mag but it kept coming at him. He emptied the revolver and then found himself clicking on am empty chamber. He says his son stepped in with a rifle and finished the bear off before it could do any damage. I can't verify his story other than a picture he posted with the bear.

The guy gave up on his 44 mag revolver (I believe it was a Smith) and purchased a Glock 20.

FWIW...

Not sure if the story is true...but I agree with the idea. I'll take a 15 round mag of 10mm over 6 rounds of .44 anywhere in the lower 49 states. In Alaska, probably the .44.

[45BBH]

My take is that you want both but shot placement trumps power.  A well placed 9mm will beat a poorly placed 10mm. 

My concern with people wanting to carry around the hottest loading they can find is that your recoil and report are going to increase a good bit, and if you haven't practiced that much with said loading then the recoil characteristic can cause follow up shots to be very poor.  Even if you have practiced, something with less recoil will be better.   

I prefer a blend of power and control and if possible couple that with a premium bullet and you're set.  Honestly I don't use my 10mm much for self defense purposes either in carry mode or home defense, at times yes but mostly I leave that to the .40 and 357 SIG (even 380 and 9mm at times as those are my pocket pistols).