Originally Posted by safariman
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbth...Bear_story_or_The_proper_way#Post8739123

I was glad for EVERY ONE of the 225 grains of solid copper bullet weight, and each and every one of my 3100fps muzzle velocity when I took the shot in the linked story above, which I just posted in the general campfire and general big game forums. The scene.... A VERY large, probably once in a lifetime for me, fat, bowlegged, male black bear. Quartering away and about to get away, 350 yards out.

I would not have tried this shot with a 223, 243, or any other sub 30 caliber bullet, and I was lovin my uberfast wildcat big 33 when the opportunity came along to poke this guy, and hard.

Ask yourselves after you look at my photos of this years bear and read my report if you would have made an attempted shot with a rifle that was much less than mine in power and capabilities.

What would YOU have wanted in your hands, with the always very real possibility of a less than ideal shot placement? And PA- LEEZE don't pipe up with that "I only take perfect shots" crap. Real hunting in the real woods, for really big and mature animals, does not allow that kind of selectivity.


I see absolutely no instance or indication of where or how the caliber, powder charge, or bullet weight had anything to do with performance here. Any cartridge loaded with a good bullet (TSX, TTSX, Partition, A-Frame, etc.) from about .26" up on either the .308Winchester or .30-06 case would have provided comparably bad results with a hit through both hips. The bear would have still been down and still not been dead. The original shot taken would still have been well within range of those cartridges, too, so trajectory or power at target would not have been an issue.

There are a host of cartridges that would have provided equal performance with the same shot placement.

As to whether the shot would have been attempted had I a "lesser" cartridge or rifle in hand, the answer is an unequivocal "yes", and I would have certainly strived for better shot placement.

Last edited by 4ager; 04/04/14.
Originally Posted by Mannlicher
America needs to understand that our troops are not 'disposable'. Each represents a family; Fathers, Mothers, Sons, Daughters, Cousins, Uncles, Aunts... Our Citizens are our most valuable treasure; we waste far too many.