Home Forums Reloading Big Game Rifles Recoil .375

I have a good friend who is a serious hunter, but, not a serious gun guy. He was happy with the same .30-06 for 40 years and was deadly with it. About 10 years ago he went on a black bear hunt in the same area with a well-known guide with a TV show and inline muzzleloader endorsements (hint, hint). That guide called him and refused to take him unless he bought a magnum. He said the '06 was inadequate, even with 220 grain bullets. My friend bought a .300 WSM and has been happy with it on everything from goats to musk ox.

Seems as soon as someone mentions "bears" everyone runs for bigger cartridges and the 30/06 class become marginal.Even if the bear is a black one.... I don't know why this happens(?)

Growing up here in New England everyone felt that if it killed a buck it would kill any black bear.Shot them with the 270, 280 and 30/06 and so have friends.Other cartridges used by pals on bears in Maine, NH and VT have been the 7RM,257 Roberts, 340 Weatherby,375H&H.

The 30/06 and a 165 Partition we found about letter perfect,always doing a great job exiting on them, even at close range and killing quickly.

This business of guides/outfitters recommending big cartridges is not that unusual among some; you bump into it here and there.It's because some take a dim view of the shooting abilities of a lot of hunters they book with any rifle,and figure(right or wrong) that they'd rather have an animal badly hit with a bigger cartridge than a smaller one.

I don't think they are right but it still pops up here and there.I have run into this with a couple of outfitters and largely ignored them, taking what I want.

So the guy is opinionated, doesn't like the 30-06 or Noslers. Makes sense

Those opinionated types are the least likely to listen to another point of view...

So, if I was hunting with this guy, I'd go with what he suggested, or I'd find another guide. Otherwise, I'm behind the eight ball from the onset, anything and everything not going perfectly would be all my fault from not listening to my all knowing guide...

I've hunted with guides I'd never hunt with again. If this guy seems up front like one of those, I'd probably look elsewhere.

Just saying.

DF

I love my 338WM and just bought a 375AI, but I see no reason why an 06 with a partition bullet or a swift bullet, 180 or 200 grain wouldn't work and work well.
Buying a new gun is always the right thing to do, but buying a new harder kicking rifle for such a hunt seems to me like buying new boots and putting them on the first day of a long journey.

Before I take that 375 AI hunting I'll have at least a hundred bullets sent down the bore. I'll be satisfied with what I can hit and at what ranges. I'll practice with the new safety, trigger etc.

If you do buy a new rifle, please buy the same model that you are used to unless you can completely familiarize yourselve with the function of that rifle including safety. That is, if your 06 is a Remington 700, go with another 700. If it is a 70 or a 77 or a Savage, buy the newer rifle in that same configuration.

I have to wonder if this guide has been a guide long??

If I took my .375 H&H bear hunting, you can rest assured a bunch of dillers and targets would have already been ventilated by that rig.

I would check that guide out, not unlike vetting a politician...

I don't like surprises when I'm in the middle of an expensive hunt...

DF

Doc,

Just me being practical. I always try to go with the guide's recommendations. In your case its not practical - If me, FWIW, I would take the 30-06.

Thanks for the input on the rifles guys.

I'm completely confident with the guide. All references didn't just say that they would go back with him they said "Hell yes I would go back with him in a heartbeat" so I'm not second guessing the choice of guide.

Seems we're all a little opinionated

As I've pointed out before, no one at the 'fire is opinionated; everyone deals solely in solid fact.

True dat.

Yep.

Absolutely true...

DF

It doesn't really matter what you use to piss off a bear. A pissed off bear is still and always going to be a pissed off bear. What you use, but especially where you use it is all that matters at that point. Of course, if you had been more focused on 'where' and less focused on 'what' in the first place, you probably wouldn't need to be dealing with a pissed-off animal.

* a 375 is no more a cannon which can vaporize bears like prairie dogs, or instantaneously paralyze them with its "tremendous power," than is a good, well-placed 30 caliber bullet insufficient.

Lets have a little test.

Everyone of you posters who has actually killed a Black bear over 300 pounds raise your hand.

Pages and pages wasted on a very simple question.

Either rifle would work just fine and that's all that's worth saying.

Phil knows more about big bears than anyone on this site, heed his advice.

If I ever wanted to kill a bear for "sport", I'd probably take 300 winmag my R1 with 200 gr TSXs.

As I live where I might have to kill a bear (Grizzly) in self defense, when out pleasure riding, a 10 bore BPS with slugs is in the scabbard and my S&W 329 with max loads of 310 gr hardcasts is in my tanker holster.

Have yet to see any bear close up (Black or Griz) and that's just fine with me.

MY 375 H&H is a pussycat to shoot compared to 2 ounce slugs in the BPS.

…..bore or gauge? 10 'bore' might be 1/100", since 410 bore is 41/100". Or it could be 10" I suppose, though I can't imagine what you might be pleasure riding that could haul that around.

LOL, I'd a told Shockey to take a flying phkk at a rolling donut hole, what a line of bullchit. When you start taking advice from people who think headstamps are more important than shot placement it's already going downhill before you have even left for the hunt. While I have all sorts of med bores I could use for that job I would not let my confidence be over rode in my 30-06 because of someone elses insecurities. Sh*t go to Walmart buy a 100 rds of 180 gr Corelokts and get some practice. Save enuf to go on the deer and bear hunt. Let your "guide" enjoy his ulcers. Magnum Man

There is much truth in this. The 10ga with slugs is downright wicked. I wouldn't want to have to maneuver my 26" BPS around quickly with peed-off bear in the neighborhood though. It is one ungainly piece of hardware in my experience.

Just a little update. Talked to the guide and bought a 375 Ruger. His reasoning is totally logical to me and I am now in his camp. What he said was that .30-06 is plenty to kill any bear, but these fall bears are at their fattest and the fat tends to plug any exit wound. This in addition to lush the rainforest of POW island in early Sept makes tracking very difficult after the shot. I really do want to have the best chance to recover my bear AND it was a good excuse to buy a new gun! Now to get it set up and start practicing with it.

Thanks for all the input. Can't wait to post the story of the hunt in the fall

Hell, why not carry thumper? Pics when its all said and done....

People can carry what they want. In this case the guide is full of BS which may people have tried to point out.

Phil Shoemaker in the 270 Win for caribou thread says this:

Which edition?

My Nosler #5 lists 54 gr RL22 as the accuracy load for only 2518 fps with 200 gr bullets, although the max load is 58 gr RL22 for 2688 (still a long way from 2800 fps). We are talking about the '06, aren't we?



Doc, since you have the 375 Ruger (not that I am saying the '06 wouldn't have gotten the job done with the right load and bullet), see if you can work up to this load in your rifle



It should be a real stopper without causing too much meat damage