My father-in-law is setting me up a black bear hunt near Gatlinburg. Will my 7mm08 be enough or should I use something bigger. This will be my first bear hunt.

Use a good bullet, like the TSX or partition, and it'll kill any black bear that walks.

A good friend of mine killed a 500 pounds black bear in East TN with a 30-30. The 7-08 will work just fine.

I've never shot a bear so take this for what its worth. If you make a good shot on that bear you will kill that bear 7-08 or 7mag. I would love to go over there on a bear hunt and would not care at all to take my 243 with 85gr. TSX.

+1

BMT

Fl - hey. I read your post about a blackbear hunt near Gatlinburg - I live in Maryville ~ 15 miles from Gatlinburg. I'm curious where your headed around Gatlinburg. I was in Cades Cove (Smoky Mtn NP) late last week hiking in the mountains. By the time we were done we'd seen 4 bears - 1 really nice bear.

I just moved here ~ a month ago and have seen more bears than deer.............

Good luck.

-- Bill

Can't imagine it not working, unless you can't shoot.

Sure it will work; however, you must make sure of bullet placement. Bears tend not to leave much of a blood trail since fat and hair plug the exit and they can travel 40 - 50 yards even with a fatal shot. That's why a lot of frequent bear hunters use a bigger caliber - to increase the chance of an exit and blood trail.

I would use a .30-06 as a minimum and like a 35 Whelen or 350 Rem Mag. Guides in Maine push some of the larger lever actions like a 44 or 45-70.

I'm pretty sure bullet placement factors in ALL the time, but call me Irish.

My past 2 bears have been killed with 25 calibers, here is the latest with a 250AI. The 7mm-08 is what we use for BACK-UP....

I've shot a lot of black bears with calibers like 7mm's, and even 25's.

In the 7mm, 140 grain or 160 grain TSX's would be my bullets of choice.

The only reason I'd prefer a bigger calibers (as black bear guide JJHack - see the ad at the bottom of the page - has written many times) is that fat fall bears have a lot of fat that sort of seals the wounds and hair that absorbs a lot of blood. Couple that with the fact that many prefer really dense habitat, that they are often most active just before dark - and the fact that they have no hooves to dig into the ground - combine all that and you realize that you have one of the hardest animals in the world to track - if you don't drop it near where you hit it.

So, a bigger caliber is always better - if you have access to one.

It's not that they are difficult to kill - only that they can be tough to track, with the thick habitat, lack of hooves and lack of visible blood - especially near dark.

So - with a 7mm08, stick to a real "penetrating" bullet, pick a shot that lets you shoot through both shoulders, and don't shoot in really thick stuff - at least if it's close to dark.

Other than those few shortcomings, 7mm-08's are fine black bear guns - with good bullets - and remembering these simple facts.

This one was killed (in really thick stuff) with a 25-06,the last shot was at about three yards (you can see the killing shot in the head) - in the total dark, with a flashlight in hand, (after I finally located it) - after tracking it, and after wounding it late in the evening. Talk about adrenaline! This picture was taken the next morning.



This brown was shot with a 7mm.



And this little *%#$ - (who actually came at me!) - out of one of my fruit trees - from less than ten yards away - with a 7mm-08. Out of the 360 degrees he could have ran - he had to come for me to proove how tough he was - so he ended up dying. Two year old, human-habituated, males, can be trouble!

The 7mm08 will do wonderfully. I just harvested a bear a couple of weeks ago in WV with a 284 Win that was loaded down a bit. I used a 139 gr Hornady bullet that went thru the shoulder and out the ribs on the other side.

I shot a bit over 200 yards. I could not have asked for better performance. I had a compact Leupold 2X7 scope on my gun. After it was over, I looked at the scope and it was between 3 and 4 on the power ring. The bear was going out across a slide area.

ya know BCBrian, you really should sell me that 7mm-08 Ti...

I know that I am piling on, especially after BCBrian's pictorial proof, but the 7mm-08 is a fine rifle for black bears. Shot placement is a key, and with a stout bullet through the shoulder to anchor the bear, you will probably not even require an additional shot.

After the 2 days of gunsmithing time it took to get it to shoot decent groups - I think I'll keep it now...

i've taken a few with a 270 win, so a 7/08 will do just fine.

A 500# black bear in East TN is an exception not the norm. Most average around 200-250#. A 7-08 and any factory 140gr bullet will work.

Brian: Nice dog. Breed?

I've shot them with the 270 and 280;I'd expect the 7/08 to do just fine with good bullets.

Yep, Very nice looking dog. Looks like an American Bulldog to me.

Lots of good help here...7mm-08 shoudl be jsut fine. Here is a shot placement chart that might help.

American Bulldog.

I loved him - until I had to shoot him - for nearly tearing my arm off. They are brave beyond belief - but they have no "off" switch. This one took offense to me one day for trying to force him away from a visiting terrier at our house - it was all downhill from there. I shared the whole story with the campfire - it's in the archives I'm sure.

Too bad about the dog,Brian. Heartbreak. I have a female pittbull..luv her to death.