Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Opinions on .243 as a grizzly cartridge

The largest grizzly shot in the Peace Country of BC was with a 243.Terry's father was hunting moose over a lick and the grizzly was hunting him. He turned and got the grizzly in the neck.

Okay, the OP said he tossed the topic out because he was bored. I guess that does qualify as a troll. But there are a lot worse topics than bears and firearms. I don’t think I want to know someone who can’t get a lot of entertainment and maybe some enlightenment from a bear thread.

When I was a young man (I’m eighty now) a along time ago, I spent quite a bit of time working and living in sometimes very close proximity to brown bears out on the Alaskan Peninsula. Never shot one, never had any desire to shoot one, but always found them extremely interesting. Had the stuffing scared out of me a couple times to add to the interest/excitement.

Loved to hear the old-timers tell bear stories. They ranked right up there with scary bush plane stories for bunkhouse entertainment. Anyway, maybe it’s just me, but I found this old thread very entertaining. Always love discussions of bears and bear guns.

FWIW, from a guy whose never killed a bear, I would want a partner or guide backing me up if I only had a .243. And I wouldn’t want that light a cartridge for sloshing around on salmon streams or thick brush. I came to favor a Remington pump in ‘06 for when bears were expected up close. Grizzly’s may be a lot smaller than brown bear, but from what the more experienced say, probably more truculent. A .243 would be probably be just fine for an unsuspecting bear seen at a distance, but up close and personal, I’d want something with a bit more poop.

Great thread, great fun, glad to see it resurrected.

Often when I was stationed in Kodiak, I'd go afield hunting for Blacktails armed with nothing but a 243. It'd be stoked with 100 grain Partitions. I had confidence that they'd discourage a bear if needed. Glad I never had to find out.

With the right bullet, it’d be better than a pocket knife.

I worked/hunted with a guy that got in a deal, down in a gorge one time, bumping mama griz and 2 year old twin cubs. They were trying to post-haste exit the gorge, the only way out - a span of 20 feet or so. He was in it....

Had 10 rounds with him for his .243, and had to climb back up to the top of the hill to get more from his 3-wheeler to finish the last wounded bear still alive.

He was still pale 2 weeks later.

I helped butcher the meat, which proved inedible. They had been heavy into the wild leeks or onions. Not even my saltwater aquarium crab and starfish would eat it. The crab actively spit it out, the starfish worked it up an arm to it's mouth, dropped it, and crawled into the farthest away corner, which was rather funny.

I have never had any desire (nor been forced) to shoot a griz or brown bear in 55 years up here, but I'd certainly choose something a bit heavier than .243 if I had the choice.

This thread is a joke ====right?

Whoever started it must be a really good friend of OLE' Joey Biden!

Hip

I don't care who you are. That scheit's funny!

Dang, forgot I posted that!

Thanks for the memory....

In my opinion it's more effective than the 44 mag. Food for thought and my flame suit is on

Why? Does he hunt Grizz with a 243?

Right on. Thanks for the laugh!

GOTTA BE A "Classic" !!!

I wouldn't be scared to put a 100gr Power Point in a Grizz's ribs.

People shot grizzlies with muzzle loaders over a century ago..........

An uncle grew up in Alaska and was on Kodiak before Alaska was a state and one year went deer hunting in late November when the bears should’ve been denned up for the winter. He was carrying his 25-06 and his friend Niles was (thankfully) carrying the big gun…a .270Win. Long story short but Rick got 3 from his 25-06 and Niles got 1 .270 into the bear before Rick started running and shooting…running and reloading thru the thick alders. Luckily Niles’ shot hit the bear in the lower spine and paralyzed its hind legs which it was dragging behind itself faster than Rick could run. Every time the bear got hung up on a tree Rick said it snapped it off with its teeth…2-4” alders snapping like pencils as Rick turned to fire. Finally Rick said F&$# it and with his last 25-06 round he stood his ground and put it between the bears eyes. The bear literally fell at his feet.

The skull still sits proudly front and center in the entryway of his house with a nice clean 25 caliber hole almost dead center between the eyes.

Rick said that after that he started carrying his 30-06 for deer on Kodiak irregardless of the time of year.

...did Rick ever trip over his enormous balls...? Lol

That’s an old one! Really stirred some schitt with it. Nice going Mr. Mule Deer!! 😂😂😂

Somewhere in there I said heck ya. My partner and I actually chased a grizz up in the Brooks Range. Me with a gay .270 and my buddy with a .243. It had trashed another hunter’s camp & equipment so we ran him out of the area.

I think a 243 is fine for... eskimo's , women and children..... men need 375 H&H's

They shot them with muzzleloaders over 200 years ago. Lewis and Clark's military exploration of the West from 1804-1806 involved a number of grizzlies shot with .50 caliber muzzleloaders. You can find plenty of information on how well that worked just by Googling, of you don't have a copy of their journals.