ammo recommendation XD-45c

[10mm Sonny]

For my XD-45 ACP compact.

I will be spending a lot of time this summer with my border collie hiking and camping in the Colorado rocky mountains.

Last summer I crossed paths with a feeding mountain lion. I drew my Walther 9mm and backed away. Nothing happened, but I did lose confidence my 9mm in such a situation. Now that I have a young dog with me, I did purchase a XD-45c for protection in the wilderness. I'm worried about coyotes, mountain lions and black bears.

What's a good ammo choice for such critters and doesn't have a FTF reputation with XDs?

Thanks

[jtkratzer]

There are quite a few threads around about ammo for bears, etc...no personal experience, but the general consensus seems to be FMJs...or something bigger than .45 Auto...

[Myk9noseknows]

The only thing a .45 is going to do to a large black bear is piss him off. For the other critters, a heavy 230g round will suffice. I'd carry Hornaday TAP, CorBon DPX, Speer GD, or a formulation from Double Tap Ammo.

If a bear is of real concern, get a good quality OC spray/foam that has a good distance on it and start practicing sprinting. Actually the LifeForce that Kimber makes would be good as it has a long distance LE stream.

[rogerxd45]

get heavy FMJ do not get JHP they lack the penetration you need for a bear i cary FMJ and JHP alternated in my magazine. but get BEAR SPRAY its your best defence for a large animal. i would also recomend getting +p ammo since the 45 is low pressure im not sure if they make it in FMJ. i would recomend going to cabelas or some other large sporting goods store and they will give you the best ammo for your needs. where i live they are rreally knoledgeable about sporting/defence ammo

[ForneyRider]

When I lived in Alaska, .454 Casull and shotgun were most popular bear protection. But a 1911 .45ACP was not uncommon for bear protection.

Now keep in mind, Grizzlies and Kodiaks are much larger than a black bear.

.454 Casull has larger bullet-size capacity and nearly twice the velocity of a .45ACP.

I'd take some +P rounds and be prepared to empty a couple magazines into one.

[jtkratzer]

i wouldn't carry anything in .45 ACP for bear protection that wasn't a double stack. A 1911? For bears? that's only 8 rounds max without changing magazines?

[Myk9noseknows]

A bear can run FAST, especially when you're frightened. There is NO way someone is going to be able to fire off 8 'good' shots and reload a new mag. The bear is either running the other way, or you're dead and a bloody bear is feasting off your carcas.

[IndyMatt]

I would take Bear Spray and then 45 +p for anything else. The 45 should be fine for mountain lions.

[mgregg85]

I'm always amazed at the lack of confidence in the .45 acp round when it is reputed by many to be such a "one shot stopper". I carry a mix of DPX and hydrashok right now with a spare magazine of all FMJ's for the best penetration and what not. The simple fact is I cannot afford to buy a large bore revolver and I'm not willing to carry a 12 gauge around with me in the woods. I believe that with my xd I could probably stop anything that walks here in Michigan(not kill but hopefully stop the approach). I think the lack of confidence results primarily from the "magnumitus" that is so prevalent these days. I've heard of magazine articles that called the .44 magnum marginal for north American big game. The most important factors are reliable ammo and shot placement and a quick trigger finger.

That being said I would recommend the cz-52 with surplus fmj ammunition for someone in my situation(poor) who is still not confident with his xd45 around bears. If it can penetrate the current US military PASGT helmet(box o'truth tests) then I've gotta believe that it will penetrate a bears skull. At $130 its also a fun little gun to shoot and cheap ammunition is currently available(72 rounds for under $9).

[Myk9noseknows]

The Box-O-Truth is a fun web site to read and get some limited information from.

That being said, it's a BOX, not a LIVE BEAR! Quite a large difference between shooting at a box for fun, and shooting at a killer bear while trying not to be mauled while running on uneven ground with weight on your back.

Simple physics can tell you that a 230g round traveling at only 800fps is not going to do catastrophic damage to an animal like a bear.
Of course, hundreds win the Darwin Award every year for just such reasons.

Oh yeah, what's the famous military slogan...Be PREPARED! Get some Bear Mace as primary, .45 for your last efforts.