Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Minimum 'caliber' for Kodiak Brown Bear?

Seventeen or so paces, where he was standing on his hind legs and took an 8mm Rem slug right in the sternum. I wouldn't head out to hunt them with less than a 338.

How about less than 10 feet and with no weapon, sow and 2 cubs and yet I somehow managed to survive it.

Where were you hunting?

It do pucker one up, don't it? More so than watching the truck ahead of me getting blown to hell, as I remember.

If that's what you prefer!

taking the bet?

Hinchinbrook Island. May 79. A guy out of Valdez landed us on the south side of the island at low tide.

I didn't have much time to think about it, I just wanted to GTFO of there intact.

You don't think an '06 w/ a 200 gr. Partition or a 180X would have done the same thing?

You don't even need that, if the shot is placed correctly or you have plenty of ammo, but then you already knew that.

Compared to a 338? Probably. That is why I said 338 for starters. Barsness has written that you have to jump up to a 375 to really see a difference. I don't personally have the experience to vouch for that but I highly suspect he knows what he's talking about.

I did run into quite a few locals, mostly employees at Wainwright and several BLM smokejumpers, who lived at least part time in the bush. Everyone I remember carried a 30-06, most with 220gr Rem core-locs, 'cause that was the best over-the counter bullet available at the time.

I was stationed on Wainwright from 1990-1993. There were two gun shops in town as I recall, both recommended the .338 as a minumum for bear carry, and were pushing Mossberg 500 for general carry and protection on a budget.

Most of the locals I talked to were of the same opinion on calibers. Some carried the -06, but most were shooting something heavier if they could afford it. From what I recall, the -06 were bargain priced against anything with "Magnum" in the caliber title.

Pondering this a bit more, that would be EXACTLY what I'd carry in the interior. Griz and Brownies are both formidable but the size/power difference is there for sure. A cut-down O3A3 with that huge rear peep, or even an FR-8 in 308 with its robust sights would work.

Recently had a client show up for a Peninsula bear hunt with 168 bergers out of a 300. I must say the first shot stuffed his nose right in the tundra but I think it was the 300 grain TSX that diagonaled his torso and exited that kept it there.

It wasn't my rifle dickhead. It got the job done but the bear ran, in the other direction thankfully, 3-4 times the distance of the shot. I don't know how you could hit a bear more solid than to center punch one in the breastbone, standing on his hind legs. I was 19 at the time, my friend was in his early 20's. I've learned a thing or two since then about rifles and ballistics. Since you're reading this, GFY while you're at it.

What bullet were you using ace? What did the bear measure out at when you found him?

He was shooting Rem Corelocts, don't recall the weight. The bear squared 7'11". Not huge, but a decent boar.

I can't prove it but the .30-30 can't be far behind.

IIRC Hosea Sarber was a government hunter in Alaska and killed stacks of brown bears with his preferred caliber, the .270W.

I would venture to say that the .30 WCF has killed more big game (including big bears) than ANY other rifle caliber in history� but that does not mean that it is the best choice in today's age with all of the other caliber options available that weren't around 50, 100, 150 years ago� I've never hunted brown bear, but I've shot a lot of pretty big [bleep] over the years (moose, boo, elk, kudu, eland, big hogs and a few black bear (one B&C) and I can't imagine the .338 WM with a tried and true 250g Nosler partition not being enough for a quick and clean kill with a well placed shot in vitals or CNS� the .338 WM is a killer, and you can find ammo for it anywhere in Alaska.

True enough. However, more important than case headstamp or even caliber is the hands in which said rifle is borne. The 338 is one way to maximize power in a rather handy package. However, many, whether they�re willing to admit it or not, do not handle it near as well as something like a 30-06 in a similar size/weight package, or perhaps even a 375 in a heavier package. I suspect that�s a reason why the 338 sometimes gets a bum rap. Bears are often the proving victims of the fact that good shot placement trumps size, power, and bullet brand; not to say that they are not also important.

Based on how some people have performed when killing bears, one might draw the conclusion that 223 with 55 FMJs, 338 with 250 Partitions, and 30-378 with Barnes Xs are equally poor bear killers. Of course, that is comparing apples to pears to bananas.