Author Topic: Your favorit Bear Caliber / rifle (Read 8597 times)

NYHunter · « **Reply #30 on:** September 11, 2006, 08:57:53 PM »

Only one black bear ... so far. One shot - .30-06 180 gr. Core-Lokt Soft Point. Bear was dead on his feet and only went 50 ft. I hunt over bait so for me the '06 with that load is all I need, .308 with that load would be fine as well.

big45 · « **Reply #31 on:** September 13, 2006, 03:19:06 AM »

i think my winchester 94 AE
.45 colt trapper, will do the job. loaded with sierra 240gr jhp with 11 grs. accurate no. 5
gonna find out this weekend ,cause i`m bringing it black bear hunting in the adirondack mountains in ny.

Country Boy · « **Reply #32 on:** September 13, 2006, 06:38:43 AM »

I've only hunted black bear used a lot of different cals. for me the .35 cals are very good especially the .358 win in a Browning blr.

hicntry · « **Reply #33 on:** September 17, 2006, 04:52:57 AM »

I am partial to the .44 Rem mag or the 45/70. Both get the job done close up.

Pie-bald · « **Reply #34 on:** September 20, 2006, 06:50:17 AM »

Killed 3 with a recurve and hunted the first time (for bear)with a gun last year. I used a 1895 Winchester in the old .405 with hand-loaded 300gr Hornady's. Did the number on him and would not hestatate to use it on lotz bigger bears in the future. Always wanted one since I was a kid and when I saw it at the gun shop I told myself I'm going to kill a bear with this. Loved carrying it and the only one with open sight's in camp.

jro45 · « **Reply #35 on:** November 03, 2006, 12:24:58 PM »

I shot my Black Bear with my 300 RUM shooting 200gr Nosler Partition. For Brown bear I'd use my 416 Rem. or my 338 RUM it would be up to the condition I'd be shooting in.

MCNETT · « **Reply #36 on:** November 03, 2006, 04:48:13 PM »

Favorite: 358 Norma
Great bear rifles:
8mm Mag
338WM
338Rum
340Weatherby
358 STA
35 Whelen
9.3X62
375Taylor
375HH
416Taylor
416 Rem Mag

manofthe45 · « **Reply #37 on:** November 04, 2006, 01:23:10 AM »

T/C 209x50 encore or a 50 cal. omega for eastern us bears which is probably all I ever get a chance at. T/C's 250 grain shockwave bullet over 110 grains of 777.

For bigger bear my gun choice would stay the same I would simply go to a heavier premium bullet.

nabob · « **Reply #38 on:** November 07, 2006, 10:12:43 AM »

I also used a 30-06 with 180 gr. soft points on a NY bear. No problems. Not the biggest bear in the woods, maybe, but he's just as dead as a big one.

waterrat · « **Reply #39 on:** November 10, 2006, 12:16:54 PM »

358 Norma mag
425 Express
300 Ackley Imp

On the other hand my wife has killed 2 brown bears with a 300 Savage using 165 Hornady SP at 2500 fps1

victorcharlie · « **Reply #40 on:** November 16, 2006, 12:19:55 AM »

There were about 15 of us in bear camp for the local 2 day hunt. All but one person had a lever action, that one person had a bolt action scoped .270. 11 of us carried a .35 Remington. one 30/30, one 45/70, and one 45 long colt. No one had a lever gun with a scope mounted, all iron sights.

This hunt was a hunt over dogs. Very steep, and rough county.

I didn't kill it, but there was one bear killed on Monday by our group. about a 150 lb boar. Tuesday, there was a sow with 3 cubs tree'd........needless to say, she got a free pass.

Buckskin · « **Reply #41 on:** November 16, 2006, 05:13:04 AM »

Maxima 300 w/ 100g slick trick magnum, at 290fps.

Dusty Miller · « **Reply #42 on:** November 16, 2006, 02:11:31 PM »

WHAT?!!! Nobody uses the venerable .223 on bear?

Gregory · « **Reply #43 on:** November 16, 2006, 04:35:46 PM »

Quote from: Dusty Miller on November 16, 2006, 02:11:31 PM

WHAT?!!! Nobody uses the venerable .223 on bear?

I was thinking of trying my 22 Hornet, do you recommend 50 gr or 40 gr bullets?

teddy12b · « **Reply #44 on:** December 07, 2006, 02:14:31 AM »

I went black bear hunting in Maine with my father in law. I had a 30-06, and he had a 30/30. We saw the weights of the bears at the checking station and the average weight was around 175lbs with the highest weight being around 300 pounds. I'm pretty convinced that a 30-06 or 30/30 will be ample firepower especially considering most shot are less than 50 yards over bait. That being said, I'd probably put a 338 or 450 marlin barrel on my encore if I was going after grizzlies/brown bear.

cetme · « **Reply #45 on:** December 24, 2006, 12:20:15 AM »

20" rem 870 with 2 3/4" buckhammers is the back-up and emergency gun

8" Dan Wesson 44 mag with remington 240 jhp's for handgun

1903 sprinfield sporter with 220 grain '06 handloads for a rifle

you don't get long shots in the northern MN woods so any of these are fine

Don Dick · « **Reply #46 on:** January 22, 2007, 03:50:54 PM »

416 Rigby.

Buckskin · « **Reply #47 on:** January 23, 2007, 03:45:56 AM »

Most bear hunting done in the states are either baited or hounded. So a 30/30 is plenty for black bear.

teddy12b · « **Reply #48 on:** February 27, 2007, 10:58:42 AM »

For you 30/30 bear hunters, do you have any particular ammo that you've had good experience with in the past? I'm kinda curious on what guys using the 30/30 are putting in them and how they've worked. My father in law carried my 30/30 in Maine with federal 170gr soft points. Never took a shot so who knows how they would have done.

BANG_OW · « **Reply #49 on:** March 13, 2007, 02:02:15 PM »

.35 Whelen, 225 gr Federal premium in a Remington 7600 (also know as the Amish machine gun in Pa)

theoldarcher · « **Reply #50 on:** March 16, 2007, 09:44:46 AM »

So far I've killed all my bears with a 60# recurve bow and 160 grain Snuffer broadheads.

Arch

Ratltrap · « **Reply #51 on:** March 16, 2007, 10:15:37 AM »

Quote from: teddy12b on February 27, 2007, 10:58:42 AM

For you 30/30 bear hunters, do you have any particular ammo that you've had good experience with in the past? I'm kinda curious on what guys using the 30/30 are putting in them and how they've worked. My father in law carried my 30/30 in Maine with federal 170gr soft points. Never took a shot so who knows how they would have done.

The Speer 170 bullets are my favorite for black bear. The now discontinued Speer-Nitrex ammo at 2300 fps load got me hooked, but my handloads will do 2225 and seem to get the job done if ranges are reasonable. I've also had good results with the Federal Premium load that uses 170 Partitions.

Ratltrap · « **Reply #52 on:** March 16, 2007, 10:30:07 AM »

Can't play favorites, so many rifles and so little time.

375 H&H with good 270-300 gr. bullets from a Zastava Mauser has been used to good effect on both black & brown bears.

For blacks I've also used 35 Whelen (225 & 250 gr.), 30-06 (180 & 200 gr.), .308 Win. (165 gr.), 30-30 (170 gr.), 7-08 (150 gr.). I'd have no qualms about using the first two choices listed on browns either. Rifles included 110 Savage, 600 & 700 Remington, and 336 Marlin. 19 and counting and no complaints with any of those choices. This spring it'll be a Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. and a 200 gr. Coreloct.

Spanky · « **Reply #53 on:** March 26, 2007, 06:39:09 PM »

My Ruger M77 in .35 Whelen, 250 grain Core Lokt's in the boiler room = dead bear!!

Would like to try it with my 12 gauge "shorty" and some good slugs up close, that would be fun too

Spanky

Demonical · « **Reply #54 on:** May 08, 2007, 07:22:08 AM »

Quote from: Country Boy on March 16, 2006, 08:18:31 AM

21 bears to date, 2 B&C many over 18" and several in the 500lb class. .Browning blr81 in .358 win. .250 speer bullets and leupold 2x7 with # 4 crosshair. 21 shots and no tracking all DOA on the spot. I've also used the 06,.308,.350 Rem. and 35 whelen a .357 mag handgun ,50 cal ml. and bow. on other bears. But, for me the .358 is it. Last bear was Manitoba 2004 champion 21 6/16 and 518lbs(spring )sq 7'1"

Were these guided hunts? Those sound like awesome bears though...

Edit:
Oh yeah, my favorite caliber would probably be .338WM, simply because where I hunt there are also (big) grizzlies.

FWIW, this year I am going to use my .458 Lott with 500gr Hornady IBs, 75.5grs H335 at approx. 2250 fps MV.

FourBee · « **Reply #55 on:** May 09, 2007, 05:24:51 PM »

nasem
I don't know about bear guns, but you gotta see this kid who killed a grizzly with 12 rounds from a 7mm Magnum. It was self defense, as he was intended to be the bears next meal. When they opened up the bear he had the 3 day old remains of 2 people, and four bullet wounds from a .38 revolver.

http://surecool.net/Big%20Teddy.htm

teddy12b · « **Reply #56 on:** May 10, 2007, 02:08:08 AM »

FourBee,
Just so you know, I've read about 4 or 5 different stories that have that guys picture with his monster bear. There are always rumors and people just making things up so always consider the source before you take someone elses information too seriously. It is a great photo though, no matter what the story is.

FourBee · « **Reply #57 on:** May 10, 2007, 10:17:11 AM »

teddy12b

Thanks for the info teddy. I thought it a little strange that the story wasn't dated..... I'm going to have to quit being so gullable.

teddy12b · « **Reply #58 on:** May 10, 2007, 05:10:54 PM »

It's not being gullable, you trusted something and there's nothing wrong with that at all.

James B · « **Reply #59 on:** May 14, 2007, 02:00:55 PM »

45-70 followed by the 35 Whelen followed buy the 30-06. For all bears. Except Pandas