Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles 300 win mag vs brown bear

Would a 300 win mag stop an alaskan brown bear if I used 250 grain bullets. Has anybody shot a bear with 300 win mag?
I need some input.

When I lived in Alaska people regularly took bears with the .30/06 so the .300 Winnie will get 'er done. Does anyone even make the .30 cal 250 anymore? If it was me using the .300 Win I would load the 180 or 200 gr Barnes TSX and go have fun.

Never hunted bear...but if I did and wanted to use a 250gr bullet it would be in a .338 or .35 Whelen. Load you up some 180s or 200s in a premium design, and good luck.

It'd either stop him,or start him and placement would be the designator.

The 250's would not interest me and I'd be thinking X.....................

You might want to email Geoff McDonald and see if he recommends the 240. I know he has tested it in the Win Mag on buff and it has done quite well. Recommended impact up to 2400, a nice mild load around the 2500 mark would be a real up close thumper.

A 180 to 200 TSX will fit the bill nicely.Break the shoulder you won't be eating it.

I would and do shoot 180 TSX,no question

I have loaded up some these 240gr. Woodleighs PP in the .30 cal for both my Ruger Mk II 06 and my FN 98 30-338 and would not hesitate to use them on any bears. I have had not the opportunity to try them out on Interior Grizz but shortly I suspect to. Shot placement is always the key but so is the use of heavy bullets. Yes the 300 winnie is quite capable.

Thanks for all your input I'll have a chance this fall to go hunting and the biggest rifle I have is the 300 in a encore rifle single shot I have shot 165 in it and it groupsnicely I didn't think they would be big enough so I'm buying some 220 grain or the biggest ones i can get. If I get one i'll send some pics.

I don't know if a single shooter would be my first choice of rifle on a brown bear hunt regardless if it was a 577 Nitro. YOU are part of the food chain on a brownie hunt. And like Big Stick says, shot placement is way important. A 200 gr XFB at a reasonable speed would be my choice, and break the shoulders -- practice a quick reload if you insist on taking the single shot. I love singles and have a couple, but I would want back-up for a griz hunt, I think.

165X's dig amazingly well. I've shot lengthwise through some very nice critters with them,outta various Big 30's.

I'm of the anti-TC establishment.....................

I know of the ole saying one shot one kill but aren't you kind of tweaking that saying? Sure would be nice to have some extra boolits to follow up with the first shot them bears move pretty fast if you do not down them on the first shot or perhaps carry a big bore pistol as the last alternative.

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My guide will have a back up rifle I wish i had a browning auto in 338 that would be nice

I am thinking the samething. Or a 200 Partition or Accubond?

Wrong Thread.

Lemme move this Post.........................

bradley, them browning autos are built pretty tight. If for any reason some very small debris like buds of a branch or the like "just" happen to fall into the action it could easily cause the bolt to hang up one way or the other. A fella an his buddy were hunting over in Cantwell an the hunter that had the Browning auto 7mm Mag. got off one shot when he was jumped by a sow protecting her cub-the sow was all over him after the first shot. His buddy who heard the shot came to his aide and killed the sow with a .270 calibre. Guess it was close to a half yr. later when he got out of the hospital, gone home and took a look into his rifle and found that the action was still hung up and detected a very small part of a twig caused his demise. Bolt and lever guns for the better part are more reliable when in DG country. just my .02

Don't see how one can swing a guided hunt and not pony up for the right tool for the job?

On the other hand, perhaps the single shot for a client in a milder chambering is the better route. Plenty of clients that come up with a gun they can't shoot, and the guide has to finish things off.

180 gr on up of a contruction that'll exit on quartering shots would be my choice.

FWIW, I've seen some Encore shooters that can reload faster than some nitwits can cycle a bolt. The single shot action is not that big of a disadvantage with a little practice.

Anyway, if you�re worried about the caliber, this sounds like a great excuse to order up a new big barrel for the Encore. Isn�t that supposed to be the beauty of the thing? Two Benjamins and you're good to go.

Was it a new Event debut for the Special Olympics?

Dude..................