Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Questions for Phil Shoemaker (or anyone else with experience): What caliber would you recommend for an Alaskan brown bear hunt and a Canadian black bear hunt?

My son has invited me on an Alaskan brown bear hunt and a Canadian black bear hunt next year.
I have a 30-06, a 45-70, and a 9.3x62.
1. Would I be correct in assuming that any of these 3 calibers are enough gun for even large Canadian black bears over bait?
2. Which, if any, of these 3 calibers are enough gun for Alaskan brown bears? If not enough gun, what would you recommend?

Take the one you shoot the best and carry most often,
the 9.3x62 is certainly "enough gun". cheers and good
hunting. NC

The term "stopping rifle" is subjective - which is why these forums never die - and someone can always dream up a scenario where there is no such thing as too big. As effective as my 458 is - and as much as I dearly love it - I would not feel under gunned if forced to continue my guiding with "only" a 9.3x62.
I have used my 9.3x62 as well as my 9.5x62 (aka 375 Scovill) on big bears and see very little difference between them and the 375 H&H. Which means they are virtually ideal for use on big bears.
_________________________
Phil Shoemaker

" The problem with the world is that fools & fanatics are always so certain of themselves, and wiser people so full of doubt" Bertrand Russell


Blue text a post from .458 Win. Note the calibers he mentions.
Use the search for last month on ask the gunwriters, will find two or three threads on your sought for information. Your other two calibers will also have info on these threads too.

Thanks ramseven, I get tired of repeating myself every other week.

Cole, any one of the rifles you mentioned will work but from your three choices I would recommend the 9.3.

But Phil, it shows how consistent you are. Not a bad thing, albeit tedious.

Thanks Phil, that is what I thought. I just got the 9.3x62 and I have not gotten to the range with it yet. If I can shoot it well this is the rifle I will take.

Careful with that 9.3... next thing you know all your friends will have one and there won't be a 338 Win Mag within twenty miles of your camp! It's a great cartridge.

I don't know if it is a lot of help. I have taken 2 black bears,, sorta average in size, one with with a 35-284 Wildcat,which pretty much a duplicates a 35 Whelen, just a shorter case and one with a 45-70 Ruger #1. They both went down just about the same. The 9.3 is very close to a .358 bore. I sure would take a .358 caliber just as soon as a 9.3. I think once you get past .30 caliber you will do as well or better with bigger bores.

I'd be comfortable with any of your three � most comfortable with whichever one I could shoot best.

On the basis of cartridge choice alone, I'd prefer the .45-70 to the 9.3x62mm, and the 9.3 to the '06 � assuming that there'd probably be no call for a shot beyond a couple of hundred yards.

Mr. Howell thanks for your reply.
I�m thinking of taking the 45-70 as a backup. With 300 to 350 grain bullets this rifle shoots 1� to 1.25� groups. I have ordered some 400 and 500 grain bullets and I�ll see how they will do. The trigger on this rifle could use a little work.
I took the 9.3x62 to the range this morning and I was impressed. Using Norma factory 286 grain ammo my best 3 shot group was 1.25� and the worst was 1.75�. The best group was the last group. Not bad for a new out of the box rifle.

Ever since I got my Iver Henriksen custom .458 Winchester Magnum (made 1956�1957), friends have asked whether it'd shoot inside an inch at a hundred yards. My answer has always been that I don't know, and I don't care.

I've always been a hundred percent certain that anything that I was likely to shoot with that rifle would be
lots bigger than an inch
and
lots closer than a hundred yards.

I'll wager that 458 either isn't scoped at all either, or has something that will work in the 2X or so range. Just a gut level feeling about folks who know what they're doing.

Wayne

Peep sight with classic Redfield "Sourdough" front sight. Not even D&T for scope mount. Who needs anything else?