Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Western Black Bear Spot & Stalk

Just curious, those of you who have experience with spot and stalk hunting, in the West, for Black Bear; which caliber, rifle, bullet and scope combination do you consider the best?

Hard to beat a 30-06 with a 180 NP and a 3.5-10x40......has done the trick several times for me....

Keez-I do a bit of bruin hunting and I like something off the 06 case be it a 24 to a 33 I don't care. I also like the big 7's and the big 30's not that I feel it is needed but so many folk have a mag they love and shoot well that I put it in there.

I'd grab a good bullet and a rifle that I had plenty of time talking with and get to it.

I've been in around them taken with anything from 22/250's up to 416's and they all work.

Even the biggest bruin out here is no match for a well placed slug from a 22/250 on up (OK I'll say from a 240 Wby on up so nobody forchecks me on this one...grins).

Good luck to ya, the hunting of a bruin on your own feet and on his terms can really get a hold of you and become an love.

Mark D

I�ll start off by confessing I have very limited experience with bagging Black Bear (2 exactly) my shots were under 25 yards and both times were taken with a 30-06 and 180 grain bullets. A houndsman, in Northern California, who guided with dogs swore that the absolute best round was a 30-30 with 150 grain bullets. This guy had been in on close to 500 Black Bear being taken so he wasn�t just shooting off at the lip. He was unhappy with me shooting a 30-06 with 180 grain Silvertips, said they would just poke holes without expanding, needed smaller, more fragile bullets or great big bullets: aka: 45/70. As it turns out my first shot was through the heart and the second broke his neck (I think he figured I was just lucky)

Granted, shootying bears out of trees at short range is a lot different type of hunting than spot & stalk but what it indicated to me is that the black bear is not a difficult animal to penetrate with light bullets. Reading Mark�s post would sorta indicate the same. Since I seem to be more accurate with lighter recoiling calibers, I was thinking of a 308, maybe Kimber Montana, 165 TSX bullets and a 2.5 X 8 Loopy scope. I can�t imagine that I would want to shoot at one at over 300 yards, or am I wrong, are shots in this type of hunting frequently at longer distances?

In almost any terrain in the west you can shoot under 300 yards on a black bear. I dont like shooting over 300 yards on them. They are thin skinned animals and not super tough to kill, but I like to limit shots at 250ish if possible, and the closer the better.

You're right...light bullets are fine and a 165TSX would do the trick nicely. Accuracy is more important than pushing a huge pill at monster speeds....

A Montana 308 would be el perfecto, and yes IME anyone taking shots and unwounded bruins at over 300 yds are just not very savvy in the way of bruins.

And yes shooting a bruin out of a tree and or over a bucket of bait is mucho diff from doing it on the ground one on one.

Some where on this forum I've got some pics of a some Montana bruins you may enjoy looking at them.

Mark D

Mark,

Have you been on the hill yet, scouting for Yogi???

Jeff

Yepper a bit.

I'll be in DL over the weekend, how's the crazy weather your way?

Thx

Dober

Keez
A lot of hound guys are concerned about total penetration in the event the bear is bayed on the ground. In that event a .30-30 with 150 gr is probably a good selection. For spot and stalk....see Mark. Personally, .270 to .338 suits me fine.

Keez-on page 2 for me there is a thread called "a few Montana bears" if you get bored take a look, you might find something that you like.

Mark D

Mark,

Weather has been great the last few days. Clear and sunny, about 65 for a high.

Shot the 223 a bit yesterday, like it more every time I shoot it.

I'm heading to Wi to visit Gram this w/e.

Jeff

Are you applying for lopes in Montana this year?

Dober

Nope, we are going to No Dak for pheasants and ducks. Also hoping to stick a whitey with the bow this fall.

How does MT do bonus points? Can I buy one for elk? If so, how?

Jeff

Jeff that I know of you can't just buy one, you need to apply and then you get one if you don't draw.

Mark D