Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Griz Defense with Bergers

Swabbie's fallback position is to always bring male loins into the discussion, damn-near without fail.

No one has suggested a gun bearer to the OP, have they? UncleJesse could pack his 308 with the Bergers, and his gun bearer could stay in close proximity with a 'stopping' rifle. Maybe a 600NE or 4-bore double. Or a bolt gun in 500 Jeffery or 505 Gibbs. Sounds reasonable.

Hey! No cheating on your homework. You need to go back and read...skimming is cheating. This ain't bear defense 101. ,,,,, or perhaps it actually is.

Anyway, I'm glad we solved this debate, unanimously reaching the conclusion that Bergers, while not an ideal choice for fending off bears, are certainly adequate, if shot or shots are placed properly. Thanks to all who have tirelessly participated in a sincere effort to reach a factual conclusion.

good luck placing shots 'properly' while 'fending off bears'.

Good grief,the best way to stop a charging Grizzly bear.....




















Take away it's credit card!

Maybe this bullet is one everyone can agree on for stopping charging bears (sorry, couldn't make the pic appear, but here's a link):

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v57/edgeco1/BarnesX-Bullets45-70Government.bmp

45 cal, 300gr Barnes TSX. Here's a pic of a recovered/expanded one:




If the bullet is large enough to begin with, expansion is just icing on the cake. No?

Given all the discussion and advice given here, I'm still taking a bag of White Castles.

Or.....I pray I don't run into a Griz while making my next video.......but my production company guys are carrying proper guns just in case......

He'll just get another, darn charging bears.

The B**TARD!

If you are really worried about a Grizzly Attack while hunting other game then carry a rifle and cal designed to hunt Bear with at close range, starting with the 338 and 250 gr Partitions and go up from there . I would be willing to bet if a Grizzly actually charged at butt screwing range any rifle and load would feel puny in your hands and it would be a one shot deal before the bear was chewing on you. Regardless of the bullet and cal you had better do it right the first shot. I have always been in Elmer Keith corner, Big Bullets make Big Holes where they expand or not . I believe you would be better off with penetration rather than quick expansion if you want to survive a animal the size of any bear bend on hurting you . If you hunt in Bear country use what you feel comfortable with , it is your life and your decision. If you survive or if you don't. you will still make a good story for Outdoor Life Magazine .

I saw a smallish brown bear shot in the chest at a quartering angle with that 300gr barnes out of a .458 socom. The animal was pretty unimpressed. The onset of darkness finally made us give up a spotty blood trail for the night. The next morning you could see where the bear had turned, flanked his trail, and laid in wait about 30 yards from where we gave up the night before. Thankfully in the night he must have grown bored. There was no more sign of him after that.

I think that between the angle the bear was at, and the likely limited penetration of a low S.D. bullet, that only one lung was holed.

I realize this has little or nothing to do with this discussion, but I would opine that shape and size of frontal area of expanding/expanded projectile matter more (along with speed of moving projectile) than does the diameter of the original bullet. Of course the original diameter may affect those details.

I guess a fella could use Bergers on charging grizzlies a couple of times, and if they didn't work, he could change to something else.

I always thought this was true. Still do.



Royce, experience with charging grizzlies does not come cheap for most of us; nor frequently. But the issue sure does get a lot of ink

The thing is if and when one does get charged by a grizz at close range it is not a time for iffy bullets. My choice is most certainly one that has proven itself in action not simply in theory. If one fails to stop the charge quickly the damage is bad

Based on actual field experience, I'd say that "damage" is certainly the operative word in this whole equation of charging brown/grizzly bears and inadequate bullets.

I was talking to a reputable AK guide and looking at pics of hunts and noticed he was carrying a safari rifle. I asked if he hunted with that rifle and his response was no we have been running into a fair share of bears lately and its the largest cartridge I shoot well. It was a 416 Rem. He advised it penetrates deep an breaks stuff in its path.

JohnBurns is ready. I'll pitch in or even show up to film and help pack it out when he DRT's it

I'd bet that if they didn't work there wouldn't be a second time