Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Brown Bear with a 7 Rem Mag questions

OTOH I"ve shot close to 20 deer/pigs with 257 and 100 ttsx and NEVER had one DRT. I've had em fall awful quick generally.... but never on the spot. My buddy has probably more than that wiht his, and same load, and has yet to drop one on the spot also, though his for whatever reason rarely make 10 steps, save the one doe htat made about 120 yards...

Speed does somethings, but its also bullet choice and shot location.

I'll take a good bullet and precise placement ever time over speed. All 3 never hurts.

In this thread, we went from 270's 7x57's 7mm Rem Mags and 30-06s


.. and that it is all about shot placement and type of bullet...



To....







As for me, this is the REAL answer. If someone wants to HUNT bear he should be able to handle a bigger bore and be in shape to follow up all the way through.

The idea of "that I'll have my guide to back me up and put the killing shot in it" takes away from the the hunt. Guides can line their pockets every day with those types of people.

For me personally, I don't want any guide putting in bullet in MY bear. I want to kill it.

You don't know fear until you have one of these bastids coming after you.....


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Perhaps the most common mistake one can make when hunting bears or similar big creatures is thinking it isn't about where that hole is placed. (And no one is less impressed by the numbers on a barrel than are big animals.)

You might be surprised how many 3/8" holes a bear hide can have in it and still contain a live animal.

No, I would not be surprised.

I'm sure many brown bears have been killed in days of yore with a 30-30, but all I can say is I hope you "use enough gun" as a backup.

Seems to me the client has more money than common sense if he wants to use his .7 Rem Mag mainly because "he feels more comfortable with it".

I would buy a .338 or .416 and learn to be "comfortable with it", rather than risk wounding something as dangerous as a big brownie. I think it is possible the bullet could break up on its upper leg bone.


Perhaps he should go with solids (if they make them for a .7mm Rem Mag).

BH

That'll teach you to shot straight or climb trees faster.

That size goes good in a smoker or Cajun microwave.

If you use the rifle correctly in the first place there should be no need for a backup.

And while a big bore rifle can be more comforting to carry into the pucker brush and a little quicker at putting a wounded animal down, it doesn't mean they are a better tool for every hunter.

The 30-06 was the most common caliber used by Alaskan guides well after the 375 became available, even Hosea Sarber, the legendary Alaskan territorial warden and bear hunter preferred his 30-06 ( and sometimes even his .270) over his 375 H&H when stalking bears due to the fact that it handled quicker and he had absolute faith in it. And there are still Alaskan bear guides who feel the same.

Bore size is not a substitute for bullet placement and energy is no substitute for bullet performance.

I might argue the opposite. A couple of experienced folks have chimed in here stating they'd rather have the client with a gun/chambering he/she is comfortable and familiar with. To me, the guy wanting to use his 7mm mag shows he's a somewhat rationale and reasoning human being. There's no way of knowing if it's a financial based decision, or perhaps recoil tolerance or familiarity are the driver.
Would it be my pick? Nope - but it'll work.

The guys with more money than sense buy a 375 or .416 a month or two before the hunt. And it's all relative anyway - some of those folks will put down 15-25k on a hunt and beotch about the price of the factory ammo so they won't shoot it much. Or, if they do shoot it a bit, decide they've bitten off more than they can chew but will use it because they have to have it based on what they've read.

When I went on my first brown bear hunt, I didn't even bother posting about the anticipation leading up to the hunt because I knew there would be 6 pages of "there's no way I'd go with less than XXX chambering and I'd be shooting XX bullet if it were me". And 90% of the responses would have been from folks that had never been.

I used a 35 Whelen and anchored my bear on the spot and put a few more in him for good measure. The two hunters after me (in speaking with the guide a couple of weeks later) used a 375 Ruger and the other a 416 of some flavor. Both of those hunts led to a rodeo in the alders afterward - one bear was never located.

The particular outfitter/guide knows rifles/bullets quite well and shares Phil's mindset when it comes to hunters and rifles.

I know and talk with a lot of guides and a lot of experienced ones claim they really don't care what a client brings because if they can't shoot the guide will have to kill it anyway.

Which is why, when asked what rifle a client should bring, I always ask what they have and what is their favorite and then recommend they buy a box of premium bullets and bring it.

That was intended as a rather generic 'you', not directed specifically. (Plenty of folks have some unfounded, erroneous ideas, perhaps worse with bears than with many animals - at least in North America. I will venture that the average Alaska moose is more likely to trap and stop bullets than is the average Alaskan bear, yet people don't seem to have a lot of concern with 'how small' they can get by with on moose - and moose are often shot from greater distances and frequently moving.)

Sounds sensible enough, Phil.

But that makes me wonder about your choice of a 30-06 for your backup rifle... is that what you carry when you know your hunter can shoot well and you figure you won't need it? From your articles, I had assumed you always carried Old Ugly or one of your other big-bore rifles!

Anybody who wants an opinion from "an expert", here it is.

No kidding on the expert opinion. How anyone could possibly second guess Shoemaker is amazing.

Of course not sir, but given everything equal and providing (of course) your client can shoot what he brings well, what would you prefer him to have, an 06 or a 375? ANd I hope you took no offense Phil as my comment was obviously rhetorical

Yet - they keep asking......when he has answered very clearly.

Jerry

I just loaded my super cub and am headed out to camp and will have to see where this thread goes when I get back next week.

Oh, for what it is worth, in my wing strut scabbard there is a Ruger No 1 35 Whelen in case I go down and need to defend myself .

IMO - that answers several questions.

Thanks very much and have a GREAT hunt.

Jerry

Thanks, hatari, that kindasorta answers my question. Still wondering why sometimes a 30-06, and sometimes a 505 Gibbs, y' know? Not a burning desire for knowledge, just scratchin' my head a bit.