Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska 500 Jeffery bullets for Brown Bear

Hi all, I am definitely not trying to start a religioius war here, but of the folks that have real world experience with the Barnes 570g TSX and Woodleigh 600g softs on Alaskan Brown Bear. What are your recommendations and why? DWG (Dangerous Water Jugs) and DWN (Dangerous Wet Newspapers) don't count lol.

I'm planning to load 535g Woodleigh soft points to 2150 fps just for the local game (deer, elk, and black bear), but eventually want to work up to a load for what the rifle is meant for. I plan to load the either 570g Barnes or 600g Woodleighs to around 2150 fps. I figure that should be more than enough on both ends.

Regards,

Chuck

I do sense a serious love for big bores from your question. I gather that you know, both bullets from the Jeffrey will do nice for BB. Hit in the right spot with 570 gr. Copper or 600 gr. at 2000 fps... what was the question again?

Do I have first hand, actual expirience with these bullets on Brown bear? No, because I thought 286 gr. TSX in 9,3 and 400 gr. Copper FlatNose in .45-70 sufficient for BB.

I do have,however field dressed and processed two 25 lbs roe deer taken with a classic "a left and a right" from a .500 Nitro 3" with 570 gr. Barnes XLC @ 2000 fps at under 25 yards.

What do you know, they opened up and, of all things, exited.

On a more serious side, I would be more concerned about betting my bear on a rig that would make longer shots difficult as a hunter or, should you be(come) a guide, with excess weight rather that the finer points of terminal performance from 570 gr. of copper vs. 600 gr. of copper/lead...

Sorry, tried. Just can't stay serious, I am in tears.

All the best for hunting.

Colorado....Sorry, I don't even really know but one person that has a .500 Jeff. I can tell you that you are fare over-gunned for Grizzly Bear! I can also tell you about using a .300 Win mag, .338 Win mag and .375-Wby on such a creature but I never used Barnes TSX bullets back in those days.

I think the harder question would be, What bullet in a .500 Jeffery won't kill and Alaskan brown bear? The easier answer would be, none that I know of? That would include cast bullets also.

Contrary to popular opinion, the largest bear on the planet, is not bullet proof.

You could have easily stopped at the .30-06 with good bullets and had the same answer. Of course you still need to do your part and put them where it counts.

I have hunted (or I should say finished off) a wounded grizzly a long time (30 some odd years ago) when I was wrangler/assistant guide with 150g Noslers from a 270. Client had shot it in the butt with a 300 Wby Mag he couldn't handle. They were the smalller Montana variety though. I thought I read an article where Phil Shoemaker(458Win) mentioned using a 525g Woodleigh out of a 505 Gibbs and though it "dropped the bear like a crane fell on it" he wasn't happy with the amount of penetration. That's why I was asking the question. I plan to sight the Jeffery 2.5" high at 100 yards, so it will be almost dead on at 25 yards and just a few inches low at 200 yards. Not much point in hunting dangerous game at long range is there?

Overgunned for brown bear? Hell I'm taking the Jeffery deer hunting this fall ...




Regards,

Chuck

Chuck: this means you are going lightly armed for deer? Use caution, a guy once wrote a great book, titled "Use Enough Gun"
Your just at that threshold point. Which one of your boys will you use for gun bearer. Take both, they can swap off and still have both fresh for the skinning and cape carrying.

You will be the most popular client your intended guide has ever had.

I'm the gun bearer lol, I figure if I can hoof it up and down the Colorado Rockiers with an 11 lb rifle, I should be fine for Alaska, Africa. Though if it's wet going, I've always found that harder than mountains. No guides for us, we hunt on public land in Colorado. Lots of elk around, you just have to work a bit harder for it. I'm looking forward to some nice guided hunts in Alaska and Africa. I know the PH's can work you hard, but at least you don't have to spend 16 hours packing out an elk quarter by quarter.

Regards,

Chuck

That 535 gr. Woodleigh will lay out the biggest meanest Brown Bear in Alaska like a fly swatter on a nat...as will any other reasonalbe 500 Jefferys load..I have only shot cape buffalo with the the 535 gr. bullet but it shook them to the core..Your over gunned enough as to not have any concerns as far as I'm concerned..I would hunt brown bear with a solid in the 500 Jefferys is thats all I had and not be concerned in the least.

Thanks Ray,

Chuck

My 505 Gibbs actually has a .510 barrel and I have used the 535 Woodleigh RN softs on brown bear. My load pushed them at 2150fps. They are effective but at 10 yards the bullets will literally turn inside out and only penetrate 16-18".
I now load the 570 TSX in my Gibbs and have yet to recover one.

Thanks Phil, that's exactly what I was wondering. I was hoping you would answer the post. I'm assuming the 570 TSXs also have the desired effect on the bears?



Chuck

I think the 570 TSX would have the desired effect on most anything and have seriously wondered if they might do the job of a solid as well.

I have first hand reports of PHs from Tanzania who just use 570 TSX in 500 Jeffrey and NE, be it buffalo or elephant.
Obliviates the need to switch between soft and solids for them.

Thanks again all, I bought two boxes of the Woodleigh 535g bullets to break the barrel in and to use on elk and deer this fall. If anyone has load data for them that will get them going at around 2150 fps with good load density, I'd really appreciate it. My two manuals only list 570g bullets and the 535g Barnes banded solid.



Chuck

Hi all, my converted 500 Jeffery came in today. Harlan sent my rear sight in a baggie, must be a problem with it, otherwise it looks awesome. So I need a rear sight put on and get some ammunition loaded as soon as my press is ready. It weighs 11lbs empty but the balance is much better so it actually feels lighter and points better ...



Regards,

Chuck

Good looking rifle.

QuickLoad says 125gr. IMR 4831 at CAOL 3.6" with the WL 535SN give 2300 fps from a 24" tube at 38000 psi. Should be a good starting load.

What is your usual powder?

Thanks, I've gotten some lighter loads to start with for the 535g Woodleighs getting them to 2100 fps from Geoff MacDonald at Woodleigh using H4895. I intend to move up to either the 570g Barnes or 600g Woodleighs at 2150 fps once my shoulder gets numb ...



Chuck