Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Express Rifles and Big Bores Only Grizzly/Brown bear bullet choice, .375 H&H

I've taken three black bear with my .375 H&H, each with a 260 gr Nosler Accubond. Am happy with the performance of that bullet, and it is very accurate too.

Looks like I may have the opportunity to hunt grizzly/brown bear in the not-too-distant future.

I'm a handloader, and have accumulated quite a stash of .375" bullets. Trying to pick one for that hunt.

260 Nosler Accubonds - have a few left - and am happy with them
270 Nosler Partitions - the old screw machine bullets - have about 150
300 Nosler Partitions - some old, some new - have about 200

285 Speer Grand Slam - have fewer than 50

270 Hornady Round Nose - about 100
270 Hornady Spire Point - about 100
300 Hornady SPBT - about 200 (also very accurate from my rifle)
300 Hornady Round Nose - about 100

Any bad choices there?

Thanks, Guy

Guy, last fall 2014, I killed a moose and elk with the 260 gr. Accubond in my .375.. Did a great job.. I have shot quite a bit of big game with them from deer through moose.. Most in .30 cal. 338, and .375.. I just killed a cow elk with a 200 gr. from my .300 Wea. As near as I can tell, two bullets came apart after hitting the from shoulder.. Never had a problem before, but if I were going for big bear, no question I would take Nosler Partitions, probably the 300 grain...

300 gr Nosler Partition.

Choose which one shoots the best and put it in the vitals. Me personally would use a 300gr. or heavier bullet. Right now shooting 300gr. Accubonds,but loaded some Woodleigh 350gr.PP bullets.

I've used the old screw machine 270 Partition on one brown bear. It did a great job.I was more impressed by the 250 gr Bitterroot driven to over 2900 fps.Smashed bones and made good exits. Blood everywhere.They were the "best" at the time.

IME bears seem light boned, heavily muscled. They seem impressed by velocity and a tough bullet that expands to a good frontal area.Speed kills.

Have not used them,but among todays bullets I'd pick a 250 SAF,250 TTSX, or 250 NF in the 375 H&H.

I'm with Bob on this one. I've been there when a 300 Partition was recovered after a broadside shot on a 5' black bear. I've also been there when a couple brown bears were absolutely crushed with the 250gr TTSX, no bullets were recovered either time.

I've only shot one brown bear and used a handloaded Barnes 300 TSX. One shot did him in quickly. Although my rifle was a 375 Ruger the ballistics are so similar to the H&H the bullet performance will be very similar.

Although a number of bullets shot well in my rifle getting ready for the hunt, my outfitter mentioned that they had found insufficient penetration with the 300 Gr. Hornady factory load. That was soon after those loads were first released.

I decided on the Barnes because I wanted penetration and a bullet that would break the shoulder, as was the case with my bear, and yet penetrated a couple of feet. Just my experience, FWIW

bears can't read ballastics charts nor can they understand energy or velocity, i finally figured this out after around my 80th brown/grizzly bear....
they do however understand holes in their vitals. best kills for clients has been with .30-'06's or 300 winmag. larger calibers have been less than impressive, but still kill them just fine. i'd be less worried about which kinda bullet your choosing as where you stick the bullet you choose. this is one of those, don't over think it deals.
everything you said will work and when its all over with you'll never know if a different one woulda worked any better or worse. shoot straight, shoot often. have fun.

All of those will work but I would be happiest with someone using any of the Noslers.

I come from a long line of Alaskans and Montanans. The Alaskan side of the family have killed a lot of bears. They've always used Nosler Partition bullets. The 300 grain Partition in the .375 H&H being a favorite.

I've only taken one inland grizzly and it too fell to a Nosler Partition, but not from a .375. My father has taken a couple coastal bears now with a .338 Federal and 210 grain Partitions.

Now, to me that packs some weight...

DF

Red Rover, Red Rover, I'd choose John over Vernon or Joyce among your options as well... (I never heard another bullet lamented as much, by bear guides I know, as those 375 Partitions were - the 270 and 300- when they were no longer made for a while.)

Alrighty then. I know the 300 gr Partitions shoot well from my rifle. Need to try some of the 270 Partitions. I suspect they'll do well, as other 260 & 270 gr bullets have shot well.

Good input all - much appreciated!

Guy

Guy sounds like you have enough 270 gr screw machine Partitions to do your hunt.

But if perchance you find yourself in danger of running out,fear not.....I know where to lay my hands on some. If you need them...

They shoot well. Just don't baby the load.

Man... Your like the danged God Father of rare bullets....

A connoisseur...

DF

That's what I'd be loaded with...

DF

I've got plenty of those 300's and found out they shoot well with 75 grains of H4350, as recommended by John Barsness/Mule Deer.

But... They're kind of being held in reserve for Cape Buffalo... Beats me, I dunno, never shot anything bigger than a bull elk.

Guy

The 260 Accubonds have proven to be very accurate and tough bullets and i would not hesitate to use them on big bears. But my current favorite in the 375 is the 270 Barnes TSX. It opens well, holds together 100% and penetrates as well as the Noslers.

Thanks Phil.