Originally Posted by HandgunHTR
If you don't mind building and also reload, can I interest you in a 7TCU? Loaded with 120 grain Nosler BTs I know for a fact it will hammer deer out to 300 yards, and if it does that for deer, it will do the same for black bears. I haven't had the occasion to shoot a BB with mine yet because for the past few years, I have had my bow in hand when the bears come through, but I am planning a dedicated bear hunt that will be over bait, and I can pretty much guarantee this rifle will be in hand for one or both of those bears.

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I too have a 7TCU I built on a 700 back when I was still gunsmithing. It is a lot of killing in a low recoil package for sure. But I haven’t really seen any difference in killing power over a 223 with 77s. They both work great. I built mine as an experiment really, had an action lying around and an almost free K&P 7mm blank.
The 120Btips work great, the 120 Sierra, the 120 Hornady HP, and the 110 Speer TNTs do too. BC sucks on all of them but I make do. Were I to live in some state with stupid caliber restrictions I’d probably pick the TCU for my knocking around rifle more often.
I haven’t shot any bears with my TCU but I’ve shot enough with other stuff and enough big pigs with the TCU to know that it’ll work.