Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters bear gun?

John or Phil,

What 9mm load was used? Was it a max load with a fairly heavy FMJ or possibly hard cast bullet? Was the approach to target the bear's head in order to shut down the CNS? It would be interesting to know the details.

Even though I shoot thousands of rounds of 9mm every year it sounds pretty challenging to me. But I realize Phil is an expert on bears and can deal with them confidently under pressure.

If I ever got the chance to go bear hunting with Phil I would like to take my dads pre-64 Model 70 Featherweight in 30-06 as long as he was there to back me up. Don't know if he would approve of the original K4 Weaver on it though, although it has never let me down. I am very comfortable with that rifle and can shoot it well. Those big bears scare the heck out of me though.

Link to AK side arms thread which links to Phil's deal.

Heavy hard cast, lots of Mojo, experience, big cajones...

DF

Dirtfarmer;
Evening sir, I trust this Palm Sunday treated you well.

As I happened to be reading said thread to refresh my memory of events, I brought the aforementioned link along.

http://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/11429811/5

Phil is definitely in a small group now I should imagine - perhaps a single member, I can only speculate. He's surely all you stated and then some in my view.

All the best to you all this Easter sir.

Dwayne

Thanks, Dwayne.

Phil's undoubtedly in a really small group as you mention.

I'm guessing a group of one.

This thread now open for nominees...

DF

Thanks Dwayne! The link answers my questions.

You've all hit on my Point. Phil is a cool professional. Not being a cool professional, I'd like to hear what he'd recommend for the average Joe. I know I can kill one with a clean aimed shot at 100 yards from my 30-06. That's not the question.

Yeah, thanks Dwayne.

I set up the post, just forgot to paste the link...

DF

Not a gun writer or bear guide, but, if it's what I had to use I'd stoke it with 140 gr partitions with a 1.5-5 Leopold up top and practice, practice, practice!

I don't care if the Virgin Mary herself were to tell me, given all things EQUAL when it comes to shot placement, I'll take a larger caliber over a 6.5 ANY DAY on a bear or any other Dangerous Game hunt.

Well, Jorge, guess that takes you (and me) out of the Fire "stunt shooters" club...

To me, a big bear hunt is too expensive and takes way too much time to find out the least round needed to kill a bear.

From what I've read, shots can be in a hurry (especially follow up shots), perfect shot placement sometimes a challenge. I'd rather have a round that'll bore thru, able to hit vitals from just about any angle.

If I'm gonna spend what it cost for such a hunt, I'll be toting my .375, probably stoked with 250 gr. TTSX's/RL-15. I can shoot it pretty well, but still would practice a bunch and then some more. Not too unlike my Cape Buff, Zim bound buddy who can shoot his full house .416 Rigby/Ruger 77 offhand, most landing in a 6" bull at a hundred, those outside the black, real close. He'll practice every chance he gets until he leaves at the end of May. That boy is serious...

I am too...

DF

gunner, someone who can afford such a hunt can afford at least a cheap 30-06 and stoke it with your favorite the 200 gr. NPT.

Or borrow one of your big boomers...

And promise not to scratch it up...

DF

I shot an "easy-to-kill" medium sized bull moose years ago...with my Swede..distance around 150 yards.. 2 140 A-Frames, 2 140 Partitions. The all four shots landed basically broadside catching the muscles of the legs as well as the lungs over a period of time that it took to reacquire the target among a small group of animals. The animal finally keeled over when a buddy snuck in and poked a 180 Core-lokt (30-06) which ventilated the lungs and both side of the animal. The best penetration I got was the Partitons, which were against the hide when they stopped; the A-Frames stuck in the muscle mass of the offside leg. Having had a much smaller animal, a small DLP bear 'catch' (and hold) a 12 gauge Brenneke slug , broadside, at under 30 yards, I'm not a big fan of playing bullet/rifle limbo. Not saying it can't be done....

If anyone cares to read the stories and advertisements of the old Alaskan bear guides; men like And Simons, Hal Waugh, Jay Williams, Slim Moore, Bill Pinnell, Morris Talifson and dozens and dozens of others with a lifetime of killing bears you will find out that I am in a rather large group of people who recommend rifles in the power class and capabilities of the 30-06 for bear hunters. The bears of today are no bigger and our bullets are better .

Some of those guides, just as I did after my first serious charge, eventually chose larger calibers with which to back up clients. As you take any advantage when you have to wrinkle a wounded bear out of the pucker brush when a client misplaces a shot, but many guides had enough faith in both their 30-06 and their shooting ability that they continued to use their 30-06's .
There were even a few guides who thought the .270 big enough !

Having read WAY to much Cactus Jack as a Young fella, and re-reading a certain Warden's take on that (...."a cool and deadly shot."), I went in that direction as well.

It worked.

GTC

Phil,

A question. A guy shows up at your place, equally skilled with .375 and '06, can shoot either one pretty well, is that a draw? Proper bullets, both guns, of course.

Curious.

DF

See now we are getting to what I wanna know

" a cool and deadly shot" is certainly a deciding factor. Or as Doug Kok, a Zimbabwean PH put it " I may not be a good shot, but I am an experienced shot"

As far as I am concerned it is their hunt and the rifle they use is entirely their choice. With the bullets available today if a hunter told me he wanted to use a 6.5 and told me he was using good bullets and had faith in it I would give him a chance. I have even had archery and handgun hunters.

If they wound it and it is in danger of getting away I will kill it as the law requires. And I have found that I am less likely to have to do that if they are using a familiar caliber than if they are using a new big Bore that they felt they "needed"

Thanks, Phil.

Hadn't considered archery and handgun hunters.

DF