Will a 357 magnum stop a bear?

Answer 1

It depends on a lot of things. The longer the barrel is the more powerful and accurate the round is going to be. Secondly, the construction of the bullet counts as well. If you are shooting with a hollow-point, that probably isn't as good as a solid round because the hollow-point will break up instead of penetrate. A hollow-point is more likely to break up before reaching vital areas of anatomy that can stop a bear.

So the bottom line is can you stop a bear with a 357 magnum? With a hollow-point light 110grain 357 cartridge and an 2 inch barrel I would not count on it. If you have a solid point 357 180 grain cartridge and an 8 inch barrel you would be a lot more likely to stop a bear. If you really want to stop a bear you are better off with a shot gun loaded with slugs or a rifle rather than a 357 magnum. Killing a bear with a 357 magnum is a real crap-shoot, especially with shorter barrels and less powerful hollow-point cartridges.

That's my best answer.