Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska 300 RUM for Brown Bear hunt

If the first one lacks what it takes for whatever reason - even if it's from a 375 or whatever- then things can get real interesting...........

As Phil says over on the "bear stopper" thread, getting close and placing the shot(s) well are key. I would only add that it is not uncommon even for fellows who seem to have ice in their veins when it comes to killing deer, sheep or goats can get a good case of jitterbugs when it comes time to squeeze or jerk the trigger. It happens. A good reason to get so close you can't miss.

I woudn't hesitate to use my 300RUM on a brownie. Ruraldoc mentioned the 200 A-Frame, also add the 200 Partition, 200 TBBC and the TSX.

Tony

Personally I wouldn't use a 300. Yes it will do the job. But if you get buck fever and your shot isn't perfect you could have a hairy situation on your hands.

I am with Taylor on this one.

To me yes it's shot placement but knockdown power on big bears is critical. IF your near any alders or brush you want to break them down with your first shot. From the Brown Bear guides I know most wouldn't be thrilled with you showing up to hunt with a 300. Not saying all wouldn't but the majority of the guys I know would tell you .338 minimum.

Here is a chart direct from Remingtons sight with factory ammo of a 300 Ultra vs 375 Ultra and remember this is 100 grain more lead.

http://www.remington.com/products/ammunition/ballistics/printable_version.aspx?data=RS300UM2*PR375UM3


I shot a mountain griz 2 years ago on a moose hunt. I was by myself and it was getting dark. I had hiked in about a 1/2 mile from my 4 wheeler and was watching over a meadow we had seen 5 legal bulls 2 nights prior and my buddies son had shot his first moose. I was wearing the same clothes I had worn when we packed that animal out. I sat there watching until dark and didn't see moose number one which was weird as we always see moose in this spot. ALWAYS. As it is getting dark I put away my spotting scope and load up my pack. Put my headlamp on to walk out in the dark and I see some brown spot moving about 200 yards in front of me. The wind is blowing downhill from me right toward the brown spot. I put my binoculars up and see it's a decent griz coming right toward me. I find a little tree to rest on and squeeze off a round. The bear does a flip and drops in to some brush that is about waist high. I analyze my situation as I am losing daylight fast. I have 2 little ravines with a creek in the bottom of each one I have to cross and at the top of the next ravine should be my bear. I hike down the hill and cross the first one and go up and come down toward the bottom of the next ravine. I stand there with my headlight on analyzing jus where above me this bear should be laying. The brush is thick and over my waist. As I am sitting there looking in my light I see a little twig move in front of my by the creek. I think it is a bird maybe as it was just a flicker of a twig moving.

I am pretty nervous at this point to go the last 25 yards alone in the dark and about that time I see the bears head lift up from the same spot the twig was. I pulled up and squeezed off another round and see him fall again.

Remember I am alone and it is so dark I could barely see the bear in my scope at 3 power at 25 yards . Now the bear is down. I waited about 10 minutes and it got totally dark so I decided to walk out to the 4 wheeler and ride the 4 miles back to the truck and drive out to get a friend for help.

We rode back in the dark and at first light we walked over to the bear. I found that my first shot was perfect. I took out the back half of his front shouldar and lungs were destroyed. I put a whole the size of an orange in this thing. The 375 Ultra did serious damage like it should at 200 yards. But he was still kicking 15 minutes later. He didn't go more than 10 yards but was still kicking. Since I hunt alone alot I decided from that point on I now have my smallest bear gun I will hunt with.

If I had not hit him perfect I could have been in a bad situation.

Just my story and my reason I won't hunt with a 300 anymore.

I have taken a couple moose with a 300 but even on them I noticed a remarkable difference on knockdown on a moose with a 375 versus a 300.

I see this thing is still going....

It's a man's opinion however, that brown bears and grizzly have gotten tougher in recent years. They weren't quite so tuff in the 20's through the 70's. Must be the feed? Aurora? Writer's penchant to proffer hyperbole? Perhaps...

At the least, this thread is far more civil than the BS permeating the common sense on another board chatting about the same topic. Better "quality" and form here, no doubt!

Time to move on, bhtr...it's been fun (and a distraction.) You've a trapline to run...

bhtr

I had a Brown Bear hunter call yesterday and booked a hunt with me. He asked what rifle to bring and I answered as I always do with the question of what rifle he already owns and how much he shoots it. He said his largest rifle was a 300 Win and he had used it on elk and moose and really likes it. I told him that with today's bullets it was all he needed and to just buy a few extra boxes of ammo and to practice shooting with it before he comes up and he would have no problem killing any bear with it.

What will his guide be backing him up with?

Taylor

If my new rifle is done I will be backing him up with a 30-06 and 220 Nosler Partitions.

I am with Phil on this. The advent of the premium bullets that we have today makes the 30 Calibers much more effective...

The bears today are no larger or tougher than the bears of 50 years ago when the 30-06 was by far the most popular rifle carried by Alaskan guides. Andy Simms and Hosea Sarber and a hundred others found nothing wanting with the 30-06 then, and now, with the bullets we have today, the 30-06 is even better.

Contrary to some opinions, guides who recommend 30 calibers for bears do so to insure that they do not have to shoot their client's bears.

ANYONE WHO CLAIMS THE 30-06 IS INNEFFECTIVE HAS EITHER NOT TRIED ONE - OR IS UNINTENTIALLY COMMENTING ON THEIR MARKSMANSHIP.

Phil - I always appreciate good advice from those who have the credentials to know. Thanks, John

The 200 gr. Noslers work just fine in most magnums...Have not used them on bear but did shoot a cape buffalo with one in a 300 H&H, and it worked about like I expected.

Phil

Interested in what kind of new rifle! What kind of a load were you thinking for the 220's?

Who said that the 30-06 was not effective today or 50 years ago.