Home Forums Lever Action Central Big Bore Levers 300 grn Barns

Well last weekend my son and I surprised a big Grizzly Sow with two older cubs.....at 30 FT! I am hunting with a Marlin 45-70 GBL,I had 6 300 grn factory Barnes bullets in the gun and I'm very glad that I never had to use them. My question is, has anybody used this combo on a Grizz and if so what did you think of the performance?
Thanks,
KNS

Welcome to the fire. To answer your question, nope.

Welcome, and no I havent either. IMO there isnt a hunting rifle big enough to make me feel like I have enough gun for a pissed off charging Griz. That said, the gun and load you have will certainly kill just about anything, provided you have time to put it to work and make good hits. I think a marlin 45-70 is probably better than most in this senrerio, but good enough? Who knows?

Thanks.
That encounter with the Grizz was the first time I have been close to big bears and felt ok about the load. Although 458 win has good faith in the -06 with 220 partitions. Thats my other gun and load so I guess I should feel ok considering the source.
I would still like to hear from anyone that has shot a Grizzly with that barnes 300 grn load.
Cheers

I have used and have quite a few 300 grain Barnes XFN's.Shot one spike Elk with that load but I don't like how the old XFN fouls the barrel...But it is one tough bullet my wife calls the cement bullet after digging them out of the burm while I am reloading more on the spot.

A good friend shot a very large Black Bear with them out of a 450 Marlin.Broke both shoulders and exited.

Jayco

Thanks, sorta what I thought, but good to have some first hand results.
I would love to start to shoot cast bullets but I am one year into starting a nordic ski shop and time is kinda scarce for shooting right now.
First thing in the spring I'm starting work on a 450 grn Matrix bullet......I have high hopes for it.
Matrix makes a damn good bullet. Small canadian company that is making great gains with both his hunting bullets as well as his competition bullets......

I have never shot a Grizzly but have shot some nice black bears, and one 5 point bull with the 300gr tsx in my 450 Marlin. They penetrate well, I have never recovered one. Some of the bears just over a barrel length away, the elk was maybe 15yds. They are deadly and shoot small groups at 100yds. Out of my guide gun my load does 2300fps over 4198. I love this combo for parting the ferns... OVBAR