best 40 cal bullet for black bear sidearm

[AZsniper]

I will be hunting in Northern Arizona for the first time this fall. There are black bears and mt lions in the area and I will be carrying a 40 cal for a sidearm. I am looking at Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman hard cast and Double Tap Hunter hard cast, both 200gr. I have also heard people just use standard round nose fmj. Not looking to debate if 40 is the best round, looking for people with experience using 40 as I will be. The black bears in Arizona are not very big and I am very comfortable with that round. Any suggestions based on experience are appreciated.

 

[Tmac]

My two cents. Stick to the large flat meplat loads, the are designed and tested for straight line penetration. Most .40 fmj’s do have a smaller flat meplat. The testing I’ve seen concluded the larger meplat worked better and I question the jacket thickness of a std fmj against bone. Odds are either will work for your situation, but I get the purpose made stuff. The two loads you mention are good ones. Your .40 is plenty imo.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I like Buffalo Bore but their pricing is double comparable bullets and their freight is crazy high. Can get equal performance for a fraction of the price.

If .40 S&W: https://www.underwoodammo.com/products/40-s-w-200-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose?variant=18785705295929

If .40 Super: https://www.underwoodammo.com/products/40-super-220-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose?variant=18785708212281

Buffalo Bore's .40 hardcast is on backorder. No inventory available.

 

[AZsniper]

I like Buffalo Bore but their pricing is double comparable bullets and their freight is crazy high. Can get equal performance for a fraction of the price.

If .40 S&W: https://www.underwoodammo.com/products/40-s-w-200-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose?variant=18785705295929

If .40 Super: https://www.underwoodammo.com/products/40-super-220-grain-hard-cast-flat-nose?variant=18785708212281

Thanks for the info. I will look into Underwood.

 

[npm352]

My .40 Glock has killed 5 or 6 mountain lions over my hounds between myself and friends I hunt with. I would suggest a non-expanding round of some sort. I use FMJ but as long as it does not expand and lose energy it will do ok. It took trial and error to reach my opinion. I have shot, or been present on two lions getting shot with expandable, soft-nosed or hollow-point .40s and they simple do not penetrate and are not reliable, so I stopped using them. A bear is bigger and tougher than a lion. A .40 is not a huge, powerful weapon. And in self defense it won't be broadside, so penetration is key. Best bet for maximum penetration with a solid.

 

[AZsniper]

My .40 Glock has killed 5 or 6 mountain lions over my hounds between myself and friends I hunt with. I would suggest a non-expanding round of some sort. I use FMJ but as long as it does not expand and lose energy it will do ok. It took trial and error to reach my opinion. I have shot, or been present on two lions getting shot with expandable, soft-nosed or hollow-point .40s and they simple do not penetrate and are not reliable, so I stopped using them. A bear is bigger and tougher than a lion. A .40 is not a huge, powerful weapon. And in self defense it won't be broadside, so penetration is key. Best bet for maximum penetration with a solid.

Good feedback npm352. Thank you