Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles favorite cartridge for black bear.

I like the 300 Win.No real reason.

The "Go Big or Stay At Home" option, huh?

270 Win.

I would use a 28.5 inch carbon stick with a Wac'Em on the end...



I want a beater rifle for when I am flying around the US... I am thinking a Savage 99 in 300 Savage would kill anything brown in the US.

I'd give the nod to just about anything in .30 and up, but for all around options on bigger stuff, I'd vote for a .338.

223
243
25-06
250 sav
270
30-30

Here is my "carbon stick"which is what I'm taking to Arizona in November 2013.

Glad to see you back posting on here Winnie 1300.

i've killed 10 with my ol 270win from 25yds to 200yds and none went over 75yds.main ting is try to double lung them and they won't go far. split a bear in half both up & down and nose to tail and shoot. i've seen bear get back up and run that have been neck shot. one gave friend a good mauling and almost killed him after a neck shot.

I have a friend who, back in the day, probably shot more black bears than most of us have seen (I recall he shot sixty eight in one year). His favorite combination, by far, was the 270 Winchester shooting 130 gr Winchester Silvertips. He also shot bears with every thing from the 22LR to the 458 but still liked the 270 best. The cartridge he had the the least regard for was the 7mm Mag.He did have considerable respect for the 338 Winchester and used one a lot. He definitely favored the 338 in grizzly country.
I always maintained my 30/06 was at least as good as his 270 but I didn't have the numbers to back it up. GD

I prefer my .358 Norma Mag but the 30.06 works...

The mag with a 250 grain bullet anchors them. I mostly hunt clear cuts and the shots a a little longer than what you have asked for. Any rifle throwing a bullet over 180 grains with a cup and core should get it done.

Over 180, wow...

180 grains equals about 3-4 kills on average -

I was hunting this year with a 54 cal ML with a 540gr conical (100 came with the rifle).

I did the math and that one bullet weighed more than my previous 6 kills added together.

Marlin 1895 GG in 45-70.

Rem 660 in 350 Rem Mag

Seriously. I would say anything over 80gr. When is it too much? Why would anybody hunt black bears with these canons? Is there some colt classic like JAWS that I missed that envolves monster man eating black bears? There is too much hype on these animals. I am all for a quick and humaine kill but speaking as a guy that has killed many with a model 700 .243, they are very easy to kill.
Bigger rifle means more meat damage, heavier rifle, more recoil, and more expensive ammo. Are there any pros to shooting one with a 375 h&h???

I know this is a "Rifle" forum....but...I have had super good luck with a H&R Ultra Slug 12ga shooting 3" Remington Buckhammers.(Rifled Barrel)lol! My gun has a 2x7x33 Leupold shotgun scope with a heavy duplex reticle. This gun is very short, albeit a might heavy, kicks like a damn retarded mule, and is absolutely lazer accurate. The first year I carried it, I got plenty of ribbing for my "cheap single shot...drain pipe", but after a weeks hunt, I got the last laugh. While I will agree a Black Bear is not that difficult to put down, I will say alot of that depends on the animals size. The smaller bears typically are quite easy to dispatch, but the larger variety 350-500lbs often can take a lickin'. We all agree shot placement is key, but the larger boars just seem to be able to absorb much more. The absolute last thing you want is a wounded bear in the thick bush...often at dusk/night. Baited hunts typically offer very close shots (20-50yds) and allow the hunter to typically pick the optimal shot. Where this changes is when you figure in late dusk/last shooting light, and the fact most of the dominant boars choose to feed at this time. Being able to properly identify your target and make the shot at this time is certainly crucial for success. The slug I shoot generates somewhere near 3200 ft lbs of energy, and weighs 602 grains (1 3/8oz) I have had a couple of bruisers take one in the vitals and manage to crash 50-75 yds into the brush. As far as sights, I love the idea of peeps/open sights, but they sure are a drawback as the bewitching hour arrives. Black on Black is tough even for the young fellows, with keen eyesight. Oh, I almost forgot..unless you wound a bear on your first shot at the bait...fat chance you will get off shot#2, as they can run faster than a cop to a doughnut shop. (I can say this since I be one) Whatever you choose...HAVE FUN....and WATCH THAT YOUNG BEAR ON THE BAIT....HE/SHE IS BETTER THAN AN ALARM CLOCK...AS SAD DADDY SHOWS UP!

hunting a bear over bait or shooting one out of a tree that dog have ran to death is not my thing. i wouldn't go bear hunting with a 243 either. i surely don't see the need for a huge caliber for black bear . i say any normal rifle caliber that will shoot from 140-200gn bullets will work great. i shot a 200plus bear i the head with a 22magnum a few years back at 30ft,i'm never trying that again either. he just about got up the tree i was in far enough before falling out ,he then vanished andd i never did find him.he may have died,but he never bled. i wanta use enough gun to make him bleed good enough to track him if he runs off.i also bow hunt bear and i do carry my glock as a backup. seeing a guy mauled up by a bear will change the way you hunt bear.

.30-06 and a 180 grain Core-Lokt.

Ruger No. 1H Tropical .375 H&H. Got one I'll sell you. You NEED a No. 1 when it's hammer time.