Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles What's the perfect spot and stalk black bear cartridge?

Either my 338-06 or 270...They both seem to work great..

The 338-06 with 200 gr Hornady's does seem to kill them just a little bit deader..

Here is a 270 spot and stalk spring bear hunt from a couple years back..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2ZoALLeEnC8

That "kill them a bit deader" is some pretty good stuff!

Obliviously it works but a lightweight .338-06 - ouch. I thought my .358 Norma mag had recoil...........

I'll second that

I like your rifle buddy!! I really enjoyed packing mine around this year during elk season, even though we got rained out. I still packed her around

I like my 338-06

Thanks for all the replies! I'm a little surprized that .30+ cartridges seem to be out numbering the smaller stuff. I thought I'd get a lot more in the 260-270 range. Must be the bigger hole for tracking?

Also surprised how popular the 338-06 seems to be. Maybe more manufacturers should be chambering it???

I love mine!

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The problem with why the .338-06 didn't survive commercially is that A-Square commercialized it and Weatherby overcharged for it. If Weatherby had offered it in the Vanguard series and not charged $4 per round to shoot, then it might have survived. If they had introduced it as a working mans rifle then it might have lasted a few years longer.


I love my .338-06 as well!



As well as my first .338-06!

The good news is it's very easy to build one!

I'd definitely not use a 270 and I have one, but of my rifles, I'd use 358 Win, 350 Rem Mag, 338 Win Mag, and a 30-06. I'd prefer a 35 Whelen to the 30-06 though.
270's should be limited to varmints.

.308 if lots of walking, otherwise .30-06 or .35 Whelen

or the 30-06

I have no idea what would be perfect, but I think if one didn't want to track or liked plenty of clockwork without stupid recoil or blast, a 400 Whelen seems like it would work on bears like it works on hogs in the woods.

I had a friend who hunted Oregon last year that was told a 300 or 338 mag was the best.

But his Kimber 308 and the 150gr PT Golds I loaded for him didn't seem to cause any drama.

An 870 Remington slug gun with a low power scope, or even irons would make as much sense as any. Shots on a spot and stock should be short range - say 50 yards or less, and black bears are not hard to kill. I've killed quite a few with a smooth cylinder bore and rifled slugs and 00Buck, even.

I always thought that if i go out west on a spot n stalk i would bring my 6lb 7wsm with 160grain accubonds, or 160 partitions. I dont feel id be undergunned. I do have a very nice custom 358win but id prefer somethign that would handle cross canyon shots out to say 650 or so.

It sounds too simple to be true but most any CF hitting heart and lungs or CNS does the trick any time.I have shot them with everything from 30/30 to 338 winmag and only one was shot more than once.The longest shot was 60 yds.

Well it ain't that light. Really a well balanced shooter.

That's real close to what mine weighs, which is 7.4 lbs.