Choice

The otherday I had a black bear cut through my backyard. The .45 is readilly accessable but I'm thinking about keeping something with a lot more firepower readily acessable downstairs.

My two best choices are the Garand or the .375 H&H Magnum. The .375 Magnum delivers an incredible amount of energy with each shot. The energy each delivers can be seen below:

ENERGY (ft-lbs)
Cartridge Type	Bullet	Muzzle	100	200	300	400	500
Remington Express	168 BTHP Match	2678	2318	1998	1713	1460	1239
Remington Express	270 SP	4337	3510	2812	2228	1747	1361

I can deliver more energy with two shots out of the Garand than I can with one shot from the Magnum. Since the Garand is semi-auto I'm sure I can deliver more than twice the volume of shots from it.

I've shot the Garand competitively and have put thousands of rounds through it. I love it. I know it like a part of my own body. There have been times, after shooting it, that it was hard to put it out of my sight. I am not impartial to it and do not want this impartiality to drive me to make a poor judgement, especially where the safety of my family is concerned.

I'll use the Garand for bear protection.

This Garand was rebuilt by the gentleman who builds all of Springfield Armories National Match M1-A's to National Match standards. Barrel, trigger assembly, and sights are all National Match. Have I mentioned that I love it?

Yes, I only feed reload with the right powder and loads so there is no risk of bending the op-rod.