As hunting seasons begin to open across the West, the perennial topic of bear defense again comes to the fore. Luckily, our options for both ammunition and firearms for use in the field have never been better. Our only hurdle, though admittedly large, is finding which combination suits our needs in both pursuit of, and defense from, the animals we may encounter. Many who read this article likely spend very little time in the company of big bruins, me included. Therefore, research done by others along with the experiences of those in the field will inform our choices.
Exhaustive efforts have been undertaken to analyze and quantify the efficacy of handguns for defense against bears. Two sources have helped inform my personal feelings that powerful semi-automatic guns are a very good option for this purpose along with being highly effective in the woods for game east of the Mississippi.
Semi-Auto use Bear Defense
Dean Weingarten’s extensive reporting and ongoing study published on AmmoLand is an impressive database tracking real-world defensive firearm use against bears. Across over 200 documented cases, handguns show a 98% success rate in stopping bear attacks. This data highlights several factors in that success. First is that fast accessibility is key. Many bear encounters happen very unexpectedly and at close range. Having a handgun carried in a chest rig or hip holster enables immediate response. This first point alone lends to the usefulness of carry sized semi-auto’s.
One of Weingarten’s most notable findings is that large magnum revolvers, while effective, are not the only effective tools for the job. Cartridges commonly used in daily carry such as the 9mm, .40 S&W, and .45 ACP repeatedly stopped charges in Weingarten’s analysis with the 10mm auto emerging as particularly popular and effective. The key finding in this, however, is that bullet selection and placement matter most. Throughout his case analysis, Weingarten emphasizes the need for deep straight-line penetration and the efficacy of hard-cast lead and solid monolithic bullets over jacketed hollow points. He also repeatedly noted that avoidance and deterrence is paramount with lethal force being a last resort.
.45 Autos: A Little Background
All this research brings me to the 45 ACP. Developed in 1905, it is one of the best-known military and personal defense cartridges ever devised. Paired with John Browning’s legendary 1911A1 semi-automatic pistol, many have argued this combination helped win a couple of world wars. Certainly, high praise for the 120 plus year old duo and this performance record has spawned a dizzying array of advancements in both the cartridge and platforms designed to use it.
Standard pressure .45 ACP has a maximum operating pressure of 21,000 PSI. With proper brass .45 ACP+P increases the operating pressure to 23,000 PSI along with a general increase in velocity using the same weight of bullet. Loadings for these are commonly available and while Mr. Weingarten’s analysis did indicate effectiveness of these cartridges; I prefer a little more power. Enter the 450 SMC (Short Magnum Cartridge) from DoubleTap Ammunition.
The 450 SMC is designed to run at high pressure (32,000 PSI) enabled by a strengthened case design. Thanks to this case design, the round can be fired in any factory semi-auto capable of firing .45 ACP+P ammunition without modification. DoubleTap does explicitly recommend that if you’re firing more than 500 rounds of 450 SMC a month to upgrade to a heavier recoil spring to mitigate potential damage to your firearm caused by increased slide velocity. If your plan is to use this cartridge in defense of your life, I recommend extensive practice and the associated spring upgrade.
Range Testing DoubleTap Ammunition
Earlier this year I reached out to DoubleTap looking for a variety of ammunition to be evaluated for a number of uses including hunting and bear defense. The platform chosen for the test is an FN Firearms FNX-45 Tactical converted to 460 Rowland by the folks at 460rowland.com. This conversion enables shooters to use .45 ACP, .45 ACP +P, 450 SMC, .45 Super, and 460 Rowland all in one package due to the upgraded barrel and muzzle brake (required for the Rowland), along with upgraded recoil springs that come with the package. More on the Rowland in future articles. This gun features a 5.3” barrel and 15 round capacity. Topped with a C&H precision EDC-XL red dot optic it makes a fast handling and potent gun for both hunting and defense.
More power that the 45 ACP
Given my need for a bit more power over the .45 ACP, I wanted to look at velocity differences over standard ball ammo as my baseline and then work through the four varieties of ammunition supplied by DoubleTap to see which performed best in this platform. Firing ten round strings using my Garmin Xero chronograph yielded some interesting results.
A point I’d like to touch on before going over the ammunition is that reliable function of your gun is paramount when thinking of defense. Users should take note that they must tune their load to the spring in their gun to ensure positive extraction and reliable feeding from the magazine. My testing highlighted this throughout and changes to the recoil springs were required to enable proper function when changing between ammunition.
Recoil
Firing with the lighter spring in place, 45 ACP ball ammunition yielded light recoil though barely positive extraction of spent cases. They kind of just dribble out of the ejection port. Expectedly, this ammunition yielded the lowest muzzle velocity as well. Stepping up to the DoubleTap .45 ACP+P load, the 160gr DT Lead Free SC-HP significantly increased velocity and energy though ejection, feeding, and recoil impulse was very similar to standard .45 ACP. Accuracy was also quite good.
450 SMC
Moving to 450 SMC, I changed to the heavier recoil spring and fired the 255 gr Hard Cast Solids which are coated. Recoil was significantly more pronounced with excellent positive ejection and feeding from the magazine. Given the cast bullet, this load was smokier than others though accuracy was not as good, showing the preference of this gun.
The DoubleTap 230gr Controlled Expansion load had lighter recoil and muzzle flash than the 255 gr Hard Cast loading. Ejection was positive though not as pronounced as the 255 gr load. This load showed the best accuracy of all loadings in this evaluation.
Moving to the lightest of the 450 SMC loadings yielded interesting results. Recoil was very light, which caused extraction and feeding issues. I switched back to the lighter recoil spring and the issues cleared up. The ejection pattern mirrored that seen in the .45 ACP and .45 ACP+P loadings and this loading actually showed lower average velocity than that seen in the .45 ACP +P loading. Accuracy was quite good.
| FN FNX-45 Tactical, 5.3″ Threaded Barrel (25 YDS) | ||||
| Cartridge | Listed Velocity (FPS) | Velocity (FPS) | Energy (ft/lbs) | Group Size (in.) |
| Magtech .45 ACP 230 gr FMJ | N/A | 790 | 319 | N/A |
| DT .45 ACP+P 160 gr DT Lead Free SC-HP | 1200 | 1139 | 461 | 5″ (3″ excluding fliers) |
| DT 450 SMC 255 gr Hard Cast Solid | 1030 | 1050 | 625 | 5.5″ |
| DT 450 SMC 230 gr Controlled Expansion JHP | 1130 | 1115 | 635 | 2″ |
| DT 450 SMC 160 gr DT Lead Free SC-HP | 1375 | 1122 | 448 | 2″ |
Closing Thoughts
The ammunition tested from DoubleTap certainly provides increased velocity and energy over standard pressure .45 ACP. This increase in power, combined with the capacity and packability of duty sized semi-automatics makes the combination viable for many uses in the field. For a bear defense load, I was hoping the accuracy of the 255 gr Hard Cast Solid would’ve been a little better in my setup but each gun has its own personality and it may work well in your setup. The performance of both the 230 gr. Controlled Expansion JHP and 160 gr DT Lead Free SC-HP in my gun make them very viable hunting options for whitetails or other medium game at reasonable ranges. All told, if you’re looking to get your EDC .45 out in the field, ammunition options from DoubleTap may be just the ticket. For more information about the 450 SMC visit https://doubletapammo.com/.
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