Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles Bear Rifles? Let's see 'em!

I've had a few dedicated brown bear rifles. I carried a 358 Norma Mag for years with perfect results, then I had a hunter with a (then brand new) 425 Express and as part of his appreciation on a great moose took my 300 WM with him and he delivered it the following spring on his way to Kodiak. A real powerhouse and I settled on Barnes X 350gr @2300fps, great cartridge, I killed a brown bear here in the middle of the night at about6' away on his hind feet. And then a friend of mine and Phil's was here and announced his Old Ugly clone was for sale,, a quick trade for a Ruger 77 in 257 Bob with 300 loaded rounds was made. I killed (follow up's and tracking wounded) 7 brown bears the farthest being about 50'.
About this time the forums erupted with 400 Whelen glee, having impulsed before I did it again,, instead of waiting for a Springfield and buying a new reamer I bought a beater Enfield and had a fellow use a worn reamer, it shot fine and I used it on 3 brown bears with the 400 Woodleigh @2150fps. I decided it needed a facelift and as a whim I ISO on AR for 411KDF dies. I hit the jackpot!! Jim Weisner contacted me with dies and a reamer,, I got all the parts and pieces to my friend and gunsmith (Andy Hawk) and this is the end result.
Boyds,Shilen,Dayton,Timney, leupold,new bottom metal,etc.

Phtobucket kicking my ass tonight!!

35 Whelen.

Neither got a shot, but both accompanied me on a bear hunt. Thinking maybe next year to give it another shot for blackbear.

Wow! Where was the photo taken?

Guy

Tell us more buffybr. From the looks of the photo I'm guessing only FMJ RN was available back then. Where did you hit the bear? How many times?

Guy – Copper River.

That was back in 1973. I was taking the family fishing, and spotted that bear feeding in a small clearing not far from the road. I drove a couple hundred yards past the bear, then snuck back to within about 20 yards of him. One shot with a cast lead 220 grain SWC just behind his shoulder ended our fishing trip.

Is that an AHR CZ550? What caliber?

Could he sit back any farther?