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What's your ideal bear cartridge?

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Replies

  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,416 Senior Member
    snake284 wrote: »
    You can call me chicken.......

    Chicken.
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • woodsrunnerwoodsrunner Posts: 2,725 Senior Member
    I've busted a few, but all with my .50cal flintlock, and I'm not sure about where the ballistics/strength would correlate with a modern firearm. But I do offer this suggestion though others may differ: Don't trust a brain shot. Too small and too difficult to place the round exactly right. Double-lung has been my best option. And one other suggestion! Bust him somewhere close to a road--like 10 or 15 yards--where you can drive up to him to load! I will never again drag a damn bear down off a lead through laurel thickets and across creeks :yikes:
  • earlyearly Posts: 4,950 Senior Member
    I've busted a few, but all with my .50cal flintlock, and I'm not sure about where the ballistics/strength would correlate with a modern firearm. But I do offer this suggestion though others may differ: Don't trust a brain shot. Too small and too difficult to place the round exactly right. Double-lung has been my best option. And one other suggestion! Bust him somewhere close to a road--like 10 or 15 yards--where you can drive up to him to load! I will never again drag a damn bear down off a lead through laurel thickets and across creeks :yikes:

    Dont expect them to be impressed by brandishing. I've had my .50 pointed at two well giving verbal warning. Neither one seemed all that frightened.
    My thoughts are generally clear. My typing, not so much.
  • BigslugBigslug Posts: 9,868 Senior Member
    I didn't mean not A 30-06, I meant MY 30-06, which has already drawn blood. I've been using a muzzleloader the last 3 years, so I've got several rifles that have never even been pointed at fur.

    What 130gr are you going to be using for the 308? Curious about that one. I've got several boxes of 130gr TSX I plan to try out if me and Calebib figure out the stock on my 308

    Barnes 130 TTSX on top of a pretty full case of Varget.
    WWJMBD?

    "Nothing is safe from stupid." - Zee
  • snake284snake284 Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    I've busted a few, but all with my .50cal flintlock, and I'm not sure about where the ballistics/strength would correlate with a modern firearm. But I do offer this suggestion though others may differ: Don't trust a brain shot. Too small and too difficult to place the round exactly right. Double-lung has been my best option. And one other suggestion! Bust him somewhere close to a road--like 10 or 15 yards--where you can drive up to him to load! I will never again drag a damn bear down off a lead through laurel thickets and across creeks :yikes:

    I've never killed a bear, but that's what the bayonet is for.....:tooth:
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
  • JermanatorJermanator Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
    Don't brain them regardless. The skulls are awesome! Heart/lung is where it is at.
    Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
    -Thomas Paine
  • JermanatorJermanator Posts: 16,244 Senior Member
    Oh... and black bear is good eats! Think beef, but with a coarser grain, a tad sweeter and more earthy.
    Reason obeys itself; and ignorance submits to whatever is dictated to it.
    -Thomas Paine
  • snake284snake284 Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    Zee wrote: »
    Chicken.

    I don't care!!! Cluck Cluck!!!
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
  • snake284snake284 Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    Jermanator wrote: »
    Don't brain them regardless. The skulls are awesome! Heart/lung is where it is at.

    OK, like I said I never killed or hunted bear. But regardless the anatomy I take aim at, anything I shoot at it with, I want to do it with some big artillery. Anything that can and will eat me I want a Big Stick to deal with it. 9.3x62 minimum! And make that a 270 grain Speer Hot Core!!! And I don't care if Grandpa killed 40 of 'em with a 22 hornet, I want to make BIG HOLES in it.
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
  • Johnny rebJohnny reb Posts: 715 Senior Member
    There not bullet proof. A bear is like everything else hit them where it counts and they will be done. Whatever you use just make sure too use the proper ammunition. I know some on here like the a-max but that would not be my choice. I have used them on deer with good results. If I'm spot and stalking or still hunting I want a bullet that I can rely on too break bone. If you don't have a perfect broadside shot I want a bullet tough enough too break that shoulder bone and break that bear down. My .02
  • WeatherbyWeatherby Posts: 4,953 Senior Member
    Wambli Ska wrote: »
    Weatherby has a few under his belt, hope he comes along shortly.

    Thanks Enzo you guys have it pretty well covered.
    All I'll add is
    I've found " Black bears" go down both easier and quicker than a deer would.
    The Crux being you just don't know how big a bear you will run into and in some cases what you are carrying may feel a bit inadequate as Mike said.
    Here in Mass most taken fall into the lower two slots
    Being the 150 pound slot....Then the 250 pound one.
    Next it would jump to the bigger boys in the 400 pound class..... That's where you start thinking about the adequate part.
    Occasionally one will show up like this.
    He visited grizz1229's house a few times.
    He is a true 8 footer.
    Scott couldn't reach up to fill that bird feeder.
    His head is above it.....
    Funny story of it popping it's teeth at him from 8 feet away with a screen door in between them.
    Well I thought it was funny.
  • snake284snake284 Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    I find this very interesting. I got real interested in hunting a Grizzly several years ago and looked into suitable cartridges. I read all kinds of "wisdom" espousing bigger and bigger cartlridges. Lots of people on lots of forums claiming a 375 h and h being minimum, and all that. I finally found my way to an Alaska forum where locals posted all the time, and they would make fun of all of that kind of stuff they would read. Plenty of guys on that board hunting grizzlys with .308s, and a few with .243s. Some of the Native Alaskans regularly hunted Grizzlys with 30/30s, and even .223s. I learned a lot during that little research phase. One of the things I learned was to Find people who regularly hunt what you are interested in hunting, and get your info from them.

    Please note I am not telling you to hunt a coastal grizzly with a .223 bolt gun or a .243, just a point of interest is all.

    I've heard tell some Eskimos hunt them with .222 Remingtons too. But I've never run a survey on it to see how many eskimos would do this.

    I myself would not hunt an animal that could be and is construed by many to be dangerous game on internet hearsay with a relatively light rifle.

    I've never hunted any color bear but I've heard enough that black bear can be aggressive in certain situations and they have killed AND eaten Human Beings, maybe not regularly, but they are capable and have done so before.

    I err on the side of caution. Since I have no experience with bear hunting, knowing what I've read and heard from people that have hunted them I would over gun, at first. Maybe through experience I'd back off that a bit. Being a bit cautious "ain't no thang" to me. I don't worry about my penis size so much while hunting. I'm not the type to beat on my chest and run out in front of a charging cape buffalo. Jus' sayin'!
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
  • orchidmanorchidman Posts: 8,438 Senior Member
    snake284 wrote: »
    I've heard tell many Eskimos hunt them with .222 Remingtons too.

    My kinda guys. The only reason they used a 222 was that the 204 hadnt been invented yet...............
    Still enjoying the trip of a lifetime and making the best of what I have.....
  • JerryBobCoJerryBobCo Posts: 8,227 Senior Member
    I remember reading/hearing somewhere that the largest Alaskan brown bear ever taken was killed by an Indian woman with a .22 rimfire. As the story goes, she was walking up a trail, toting her 22, when she spotted the bear heading her way. Apparently, it did not see, hear or smell her. She hid by the side of the trail and popped it in the head (behind the ear, I think) with a single shot.

    I have no idea if this is true, but I'll stick to something a bit larger.

    There was also a story circulating about 10-12 years ago of an Alaskan game warden killing a very large coastal brown bear with a 7 mag. I think he had to shoot it about 10-15 times. The bear supposedly stood about 13 ft. tall.
    Jerry

    Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
  • JerryBobCoJerryBobCo Posts: 8,227 Senior Member

    “So I started getting in the zone,” Winnen said. “When I am going to take an animal, I am really concentrating. We racked shells into our guns and took off our packs and left them by the tree.”

    Really? Someone's hunting for bear, and decides to WAIT until they see one to chamber a round? Someone's been watching too many hunting shows.

    As for the .22 rimfire rifle shown in the picture, it sort of looks like my Winchester Model 58. Maybe it's the same rifle. Yeah, that has to be it. I have the rifle that was used by Bella Twin to kill a world record Grizzly Bear in 1953.

    Would it be best to use gunbroker or gunsamerica to sell this rare and very desirable collector piece?
    Jerry

    Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
  • NNNN Posts: 25,236 Senior Member
    JerryBobCo wrote: »
    I remember reading/hearing somewhere that the largest Alaskan brown bear ever taken was killed by an Indian woman with a .22 rimfire. As the story goes, she was walking up a trail, toting her 22, when she spotted the bear heading her way. Apparently, it did not see, hear or smell her. She hid by the side of the trail and popped it in the head (behind the ear, I think) with a single shot.

    I have no idea if this is true, but I'll stick to something a bit larger.

    There was also a story circulating about 10-12 years ago of an Alaskan game warden killing a very large coastal brown bear with a 7 mag. I think he had to shoot it about 10-15 times. The bear supposedly stood about 13 ft. tall.
    I heard the Indian girl was hiding in a blow down and shot the bear trying to get at her.
  • snake284snake284 Posts: 22,429 Senior Member
    Zee wrote: »
    Chicken.

    I love you Zee!!!
    Daddy, what's an enabler?
    Son that's somebody with nothing to do with his time but keep me in trouble with mom.
  • RimfireRimfire Posts: 849 Senior Member
    I'm planning to use my .308 Win as it is the only hunting caliber I have.
    G&A Forum Member since: October 2000; Life Member: GOA, IWLA, NRA, & Escapees.
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,416 Senior Member
    Rimfire wrote: »
    I'm planning to use my .308 Win as it is the only hunting caliber I have.

    Going out on a limb, I'm going to say you'll survive. Might even kill a Black Bear in the process. Before he kills you and all of mankind.
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,416 Senior Member
    snake284 wrote: »
    I love you Zee!!!

    I know. :wink:
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • JerryBobCoJerryBobCo Posts: 8,227 Senior Member
    Zee wrote: »
    I know. :wink:

    Maybe you two should get a room.
    Jerry

    Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
  • tubabucknuttubabucknut Posts: 3,520 Senior Member
    JerryBobCo wrote: »
    Maybe you two should get a room.

    If they do, watch out for the Texas heart shot. This would be one instance where I do not want to know the weapon used, and certainly want no pictures.
  • Six-GunSix-Gun Posts: 8,155 Senior Member
    If they do, watch out for the Texas heart shot. This would be one instance where I do not want to know the weapon used, and certainly want no pictures.

    :rotflmao:

    Care to know who the shooter was?
    Accuracy: because white space between bullet holes drives me insane.
  • JerryBobCoJerryBobCo Posts: 8,227 Senior Member
    Six-Gun wrote: »
    :rotflmao:

    Care to know who the shooter was?

    I don't want to know what length barrel, either.
    Jerry

    Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
  • tubabucknuttubabucknut Posts: 3,520 Senior Member
    JerryBobCo wrote: »
    I don't want to know what length barrel, either.

    Or the caliber. Nope don't want to know.
  • ZeeZee Posts: 28,416 Senior Member
    I can shoot farther.
    "To Hell with efficiency, it's performance we want!" - Elmer Keith
  • VarmintmistVarmintmist Posts: 8,305 Senior Member
    Six-Gun wrote: »
    :rotflmao:

    Care to know who the shooter was?

    In team matches you normally pair fire, one then the other
    It's boring, and your lack of creativity knows no bounds.
  • MileHighShooterMileHighShooter Posts: 4,997 Senior Member
    In team matches you normally pair fire, one then the other

    It's only fair!
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