What Rifle caliber do you recommend for Black Bear?

Your deer rifle would be good. I'd probably use my .308, 165 grain partition at 2650 to 2700 fps, or the TSX at max speed. I uouldn't (and haven't been) undergunned with my .30-30, 170 grain Hornady at 2180 fps. I rolled one HARD with that combo. It surprised me how quick the bear went down to that lowly, bounce-off-deer round.

Whatever you're using for deer.

FC

What he said, but I would add that if you have a choice then it is more a question of which rifle instead of which cartridge. Is the hunt bait, hounds, or spot and stalk?

Yep.

Stands over bait, So would a .25 caliber be ok?

If you know of the terrain and likely shot opportunities, choose the rifle you'd pick to hunt large deer or elk in that same kind of area.

For instance, the bear near my home live in high country meadows where they feed on berries and grubs found in clear-cut hill sides. Shots range from 150 to 400 or more yards. I don't shoot much past 400 yards, so I'd probably pick up a rifle I'd use on big deer or elk at those same ranges. On calibers 30 and up, I prefer medium to heavy for caliber bullets of medium construction. For the sub-30 caliber cartridges, I prefer a more stout bullet.

Use a rifle you are completely confident in, and study the anatomy. A few years back Montana's game agency, I don't know the name, had a good pictoral on line for where the vitals are.

So, you're not going to be shooting very far. If you're shooting a 25, I'd pick a heavier and/or stout bullet in that caliber. 100gr TSX, 110gr Accubond, 115gr Partition, 120gr Partition or maybe even a 120gr Roundnose. If using standard cup and core, the 117gr or 120gr bullets would be my only choice.

If it were me, I'd chose a caliber of at least 7mm at modest velocity. No need for a magnum.

Here are my choices, .257 Bee, .270 Win,30-06, 300 win,.300 Bee. I believe most shots would be under 100 yards.

30-06. What state you baiting in and what month?

Of the ones you have listed the .270 would be my choice. You couldn't go wrong with the .30-06 either.

Anything but a .270.....

HAHA Ingwe...guess they bounce off bears also?

It is in New Brunswick Canada.

Yep..they bounce off

It is a spring time hunt & they say bears range from 150-500 lbs.

But Ingwe us Canucks loooove the .270 GRF

Ruger270man enjoy your hunt in NB, one of the most beautiful places in Canada. GRF

Yeah...the Americans love it too...but they also voted Obama into office.....


Just sayin'.....

Thems fightin words bastid .....

Yeah...but Americans also voted Nixon, Carter, Ray-gun, Slick Willy, Dubba B into office, so what does that prove?

.30-06. What are .257 Bee & .300 Bee?

Spring bear, ~450lbs, .25-06 and 100gr TSX

Since Steelhead hasn't posted, I'll do it for him and hope he'll forgive me:



250 AI

That is WEATHER-bee .

Mr Smith, that certainly is a nice bear.

Thanks. I had horrible visions of a 218 Bee necked up.

From the rifles you listed, I'd pick between the 270 and 30-06.

.32 (As in, .32 Winchester Special).

The .257 110 gr accubonds work great on black bear up 500lbs I have seen this first hand. If they are treed buckshot and slugs are hell on them too!

Anything medium and up would be ideal. They are not made of steel, but I will say that bear muscle is the most dense muscle you can come across this side of the pond. Let your skill dictate the range. Ive used 300 Wby, 45-70, 30-06 all worked well with NPT, Speer Sp and Hornady BTSP respectively.

Joseph

Either one....the bears in New Brunswick are just like the one's across the border in Northern Maine, and years past we killed a lot of them;mostly with the 270 and 30/06.

I'd take the 270 myself,just to piss off the guys who hate it.....

Jordan that bear is a toad!

300 Savage!

Damn- I hate it when Ingwe "touche's" us. (Pardon my French....)

Didn't notice the black bears died or ate any different between the .243, .270. '06, or .30-30, myself...

Any of your available calibers would be fine with any number of reasonably constructed bullets. Of your choices listed I would opt whatever one you shoot best that will group a middle to upper weight partion or TSX.

For my bear hunting I use either my .300 WSM or .338 RUM and shoot shoulders as I shoot them well and they deliver when asked with extra to spare.

Under a hundred go big and slow! .338 fed, 35 Whelen!

I thought bear hunting was a great excuse to use my .375...

It worked.

Exactly why I got my .338 RUM. Had no real need but had about 20lbs of R25 on hand and a 210 TSX doing around 3350 fps sure do impress bears and elk. May have to shoot a deer with it just to be sure it doesn't bounce off em.

Of the cal. mentioned by the OP, .30-06 with a good bullet[ie: NP or TSX].


maddog

Black bear are not difficult to kill, at all. As a guide and hunter, I've seen over one hundred fifty black bears killed and they're pretty much a "push over" when hit properly. Truly, a .270 or .30-'06 is plenty enough gun for black bear.

In that case, the .32 Special is too much gun. Make it a .30 WCF.

Crimson Tide:

Hound hunting?

Maverick

Black Bears are more of a medium sized game animal, with the occasional toad. Occasionally we'll see pictures of bears that are more varmint sized (grin)

That being said, tracking a wounded black bear through a clear cut or thick beach scrub sucks, so I like to pound em.

'06 with a 180 NBT, AB, NPT, or Hornady IL would slay such beasts. Could maybe be done with a yellow or green box bullet too.

I once had a 15 year old client who was hunting with me in the Chugach Mountains and he whacked a huge black bear with an '06. The male bear was positioned in a small clearing among dense alder at about 300 yards and the hit sounded good but the bear didn't go down and instead, dove into the alder brush. I followed him up and found him to be very much alive when I came upon him and finished him off with one shot from the .375 H&H magnum.

On another hunt in the Chugach, I had a client who whacked another tremendous black bear with a .375 H&H magnum at a range of about 200 yards. The hit looked good and sounded good, yet that bear dove right into the alders as well. When I came upon that bear after following him up, he was very much alive and required another round from my .375 H&H to finish him off.

In both instances bullet construction was the "demon" in the equation. Otherwise, I think both of those bears would of been dead when I came upon them.

I always thought that hunting Black Bear over bait or in thick cover would be a great reason to buy a 35 Whelen.

I used a .325wsm Say what you want but that bear never knew what hit it. straight down in a heap. Saw a guy shoot one with a 30-06 and it did good. I have also shot one in Pennsylvania with a 7mm wsm. did the job but wouldn't be my first choice for bear.

I would use my .358 Win...perfect bruin medicine IMHO.

.300 Black Bear Savage

If ever a cartridge was specifically designed for lower 48 Black Bear hunting, the .300 Savage is it. Almost have to say it "must" be fired out of a Model 99!

BTW: Round nose Core Lokts recommended

Thats low...even for ingwe

I would choose one of your 30 calibers. For strictly close range I would go with the 3006, but for longer shots I would go with one of the magnums. Factor the handling of the individual rifles to match the hunt also.

I usually carry my 350 mag, but also carry my 300 wsm or 3006. If I drive this year I will carry a 44 mag rifle which should also work well over bait. I cannot and do not hunt over bait though.

I have seen 500 lb Black Bears cleanly killed by .243 Win...just have a gun you are comfortable with and a decent bullet.

I know several PA boys that have killed black bears with
35 Remingtons. Not hard to kill, just hard to find they tell me.

Im from Pa. and have killed 5 bear in the state. I have used 7 mm mag, 150 gr ballistic and 338 wm in the 210 gr. barnes. I would tell you to use a cal. that is close to these if you can shoot the cal. and not be afraid of the recoil. Bear need knock down power so as not to have a long trail to follow and also if the bear runs any distant someone else will have your trophy that you worked so hard and long fore.

Use your 270 Ruger. I've killed 2 black bears with my 30/06--using 180 grains round nose "core-lokts".

Your namesake with a 160 gn Partition

Gunner

Centerfire.



In reference to the required mantra of placement, boolit, cartridge

I offer this .gif. I don't recall from whence it came, but is pretty informative.

So there you have it; pretty much anything larger than a .22 rimfire will do the trick when it's coupled with the right pill, as long as that pill penetrates organs in the forward portion of the bruin and expands sufficiently enough when doing so.

Anybody that tells you any whitetail deer cartridge is good enough for a bear has never been close to a big bear. 350 pounds plus, dressed of course.

They are big with large dense skeletal structure.

I own an accurate 25-06 Model 70. It is accurate using 100 grain Barnes X and 115 grain Nosler Partitions. I really like the gun. I would never use it bear hunting. If it is all you own, hunting with hounds or over bait one could head/neck shoot with it.

My bear rifle is a Savage Model 99 in the 308 caliber. It is very accurate and offers a quick second or third shot. 165 grain Accubond factory loads. You have to be aware of pass through. That bullet will blow right through a smaller bear. You have to be aware of what is behind your target.

A 270 Winchester with a premium 150 grain bullet is a good starting place to start. 7mm-08 on the short action side.

If you get the chance at a truly large bear you will be glad your 30-30 is at the house.

Oh, Art!

You are an instigator! You want me to pull out the pictures of the 8'6" Kodiak bear with the see-through bones? Is that it? You are just looking for trouble!

It's ironic that your post was immediately following a post from a guy who has seen many large bears shot, and is recommending anything over .22LR. He is 100% correct. Bullet placement and performance are far more important than caliber or the size of the powder charge...

Why, yes I am!

I haven't seen those pics in a while and actually would like to see them again. For reference, mostly. To put things in perspective, so to speak.

translation: Dare ya!

Me TOO.

I used a 30-06 and 180gr NP's on mine.

A good deceased friend of mine put 5 .22 slugs into a big black bears head before he found the ear hole with the 6th. Point blank. The 6th collapsed the bear, first five showed little effect.

I put a JHP slug into the ribs of a 270 pound dressed bear at point blank range. 41 Remington mag, 210 gr JHP. Never broke a rib, never got inside the rib cage.

I have been around Black Bears way too long to read the BS repeated about how easy they are to kill. There are plenty of unrecovered dead bears that someone shot with a 243, or 257. If you cannot afford a rifle of sufficient size to humanely kill a black bear, head for Walmart and be a greeter until you have the 300 bucks for a new Stevens 200, I will lend you a scope.

Me three [wants to see "Sitka Deer's" coastal brown bear photos from Kodiak].

Go do a little reading about Nosler Partitions and Barnes TTSX bullets...

Didn't you get a disc with all the pictures of YOUR bear?!?

Lousy bullets used poorly is not evidence of bear invincibility.

Looking for the photo of the scapula of this bear:

another...

Entrance hole no exit 358 Win. 200 gr. Hornady SP 2500fps 70 yrds.
If I would have hit the scapula, probably would not have recovered the bear.

If you want penetration, hollow points ain't your huckleberry. That's rule #2 of the above mantra.


Not going to *make* you use what others do. Use what you like and works for you, and go hunt!

We also read in the Alaska forum about 8 months ago of a black bear that was "hit hard" with a 165 partition out of a 300 RUM. That bear shrugged it off and kept on going.

bigger is better.

Hard to believe when a 30-30 with core-lokts kills them deader than a door nail.

'tis hard to believe. Makes one wonder if the "hunter" plain missed.

Then again, maybe our bears are "boolit prufe".

Sitka Deer:

Congratulations on the coastal brown bear. That's a pretty bear.

Maverick

That is not one of mine... I was just taking pictures that day... Ol'Blue is in both pictures and he shot the bear.

And that's why I did build a .35 Whelen...except for the bait part, can't do that in Oregon.

Oh really?

The simple fact from this neck of the woods is that there are more bears lost from knuckleheads that think they need to "gun-up" to something they're afraid of rather than something they're both used to and comfortable shooting.

IMO, the bullet make all the difference. And, FWIW, one of the largest bears shot here in recent years was by a petite, 15 year-old girl shooting a .243. The BIG bear and huntress obviously missed your memo.

Hmmm. Really?

A good solid bullet with consideration of staying away from the shoulder unless carrying a stout caliber. Many of the previously mentioned calibers.

The bear my daughter killed with the 7mm-08 w/ 140g NP did the same bang flop as mine did with the 338 win w/225 gr.

Ruger270man: I have had good luck/results with my Remington 700 S/A with a lightweight McMillan stock - in caliber 308 Winchester.
I use the wonderful Nosler 165 grain Partition in this Rifle.
If you have a couple 270 Winchester Rifles around then that caliber works well on Black Bear as well in my experience.
The last 270 killed Black Bear I was in on took place in a high alpine Blueberry patch near the Diobsud Buttes of western Washingtons Cascade Range.
I was sitting right next to my long time friend Larry Franklin when a Blackie came out of the scrub brush and into the berry patch about 400 yards below us.
It was Larry's first Black Bear opportunity and I leaned over and began telling him the Bear was walking towards us and to let him come closer when he touched off one shot killing that Bear virtually in its tracks!
IIRC he was using the Nosler 150 grain Partitions that day.
Best of luck with whichever caliber you choose.
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

I shot my first black bear with a .32 Special and was amazed at how hard he was to take off his feet. I know I emptied my gun at twenty yards before he was dead. Since then I've normally carried a .30-06 or .45-70 for bear.

Depending on range, a revolver and/or pistol makes for a pretty poor bear hunting weapon. I once had a client who hunted interior mountain grizzly with me and he shot his record book grizzly bear with a .44 handgun (revolver). However, we were within bow range and that was all the difference we needed.

IMO, one reason to use A-1 bullets is to not only not worry about bone, but to directly target bones.

Often, it is mentioned to shoot a critter in the shoulder. This can be pretty nebulous. It can mean an area of muscle, it can mean scapula, and it can mean "shoulder joint" or the point of the shoulder.

For me, a quarter-towards is the ideal position for which to shoot a bear. Bang that shoulder joint and have the bullet track into the vitals. The bear hits the ground where it's standing and dies quickly.

The .gif I posted above is pretty accurate and is worth studying.

Depending on range, a revolver and/or pistol makes for the perfect bear hunting weapon.

Precisely. That's why I added the little tale about the grizzly bear client.

Of course, Craig Medred didn't do so well with a .454 pressed against a bear's head while it was on top of him and chewing on him. So, one never knows ......

Link?

Never read that story.

I don't have the Anchorage Daily News link pertaining to Craig's misadventure with the female brown bear, but you might find it on their website by typing in his name and the event; "Craig Medred Brown Bear Attack". It was back in the early 90's - fall of 1991 or 1992.

In a nutshell, what occurred was that he surprised a bear near Russian River while hunting moose in the fall and she grabbed him. She chewed a few holes in him. So, he unlimbered the .454 and put the muzzle against her skull and pulled the trigger. She dropped Craig and took off. Troopers never did find that bear.

Well if you are sitting on bait, like I did in Maine, a Marlin 30-30 with an Aimpoint, would work very very well, I know first hand on that, for spot and stalk, something a little flatter shooting might be in order, say a 7 x 57 or something along those lines. Just one thing spring bear hunting over bait, bring plenty of bug dope, and a head net.

8 year old Pennsylvania gal,hunting with her granddad,killed her 600 plus pounder with a 243.

Art,
You're right I do have a disc. Is this the one you're looking for. --- Mel

And very open country... New Brunswick isn't! There are exceptions but mostly it's heavy forest, especially in central and northern. Depends where. (I'm a native of N.B.)

I'd get that info from the outfitter. If a bear gets away even 100 yards (depending on conditions)on the edge of darkness, it could be lost. Does the outfitter have dogs for locating a downed bear? Very important in heavy brush.

If heavy brush, I'd use something like a .45-70 or .444 Marlin. Then again, I've seen more .300's and even .338 magnums in bear camps in my neck of the woods than most anything else. Been in Ontario for the past 25 years. 99.9% of those hunters are from south of the border (that's the Canadain border, not the American one )

Bob

www.bigbores.ca

I remember another picture with the bone a bit more cleaned up than that???

But you certainly can see the knife blade behind the bone...

Photoshop!!!









heh.

As the range of suggestions in this thread demonstrates, there's no shortage of good calibers for black bears if you follow two simple rules:

- Use a stout bullet
- Put it in the right spot

I'd wager that, over time, more black bears have probably been killed with the lowly 30-30 than with any other cartridge. I killed my first one with a 30-30, in fact. I killed my last one with a .338 RCM -- not because I had to, but because I chose to.

The more one hunts large, hairy animals, the more one tends to move toward heavier calibers/cartridges that improve the odds of anchoring an animal on the spot and permitting an easier recovery. Depending on the terrain you're hunting, that can be a significant consideration.

I would if I could but I don't know how. Lucky to get the computer on. --- Mel

There's a guy who lives near Bella Coola, British Columbia and who use to feed the swans that over-winter in that area, and he used a .30-30 when killing two grizzly bears that place in the Top-10 of the B&C record book. One of those bears - the largest o the two - was killed while in a full-blown charge. So, there you go.

Yep, this guy was shot on an open hillside while he was browsing for some spring munchies.

Regardless of how open the terrain is, the 100gr TSX bullets penetrated the bear lengthwise and exited. The finisher shot was placed in the front of the chest and exited by the tail. That shot was taken at about 35 yards. The little 100gr TSX caused a lot of internal damage, and did the job as well as I could have asked. I'm thinkin' it would still do the job at 35 yards, even if there were trees all around

I have killed one bear with a 338 Win Mag and one with a 44 magnum Ruger Redhawk 5.5 barrel. My daughters have both taken treed bears with a 7.62X39. The bear I killed with the 338 ran about 75 yards with huge exit hole. The bear I killed with the 44 took 5 shots to kill, but that one was fighting dogs on the ground and highly pissed. Both the bears my daughters shot fell dead from the tree with one shot and one of them was huge. My experience would indicate a 7.62X39 is a better bear gun than a 338 or a 44, but I know that is not true.

Perry

Use your regular deer rifle, with good bullets.

This is a 257wby, this is your black bear on 257wby, any questions?



In case you're too young to understand the above.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl5gBJGnaXs

nope. No questions.

Say, is that what some people call a bang-flop?

Nice tide-water blackie. That looks like a pretty darn good male. I'd whack him.

Loooking at your handle,the 270 Winchester is a fine Black Bear cartridge.I wouldn't change a thing.Just use a good bullet.

Jayco

Tundragriz - which bullet did you use and what was the range to that bear? Shot placement?

Dang he went down in a hurry! Very cool.

That works pretty good! --- Mel

A head shot from a custom bolt 450 Marlin is pretty effective for bang flops.

Bob

That's gotta wreak havoc on the trophy quality of the skull. Not a preferable placement, unless a bruin happens to be chewing on your face, I guess.

That .270 shooters shouldn't vote.

I would take whichever 30 caliber you shoot the best/like the best if I were in your shoes. As mentioned already, bears can and have been killed with about every caliber under the sun and I have witnessed or myself killed bears in a dozen of calibers from .22 to .450. But, I like big bores and heavy bullets for hunting in general and certainly don't find big bullets a handicap for bear hunts. I have seen a couple bears hit very well with good bullet performance that went quite some distance before being recovered. In thick cover or in bad weather this can become an issue. I think sometimes gun or bullet "failures" are a good excuse for poor shot placement.

Exactamundo..

+1

Too long of a thread to read. I pick the one that probably has more bear kills than any other. 30-30.

Grab a 170gr bullet and go forth and slay, or in your case. Sit and slay.

I'd use my 450 marlin with the 350 flat point @ around 2000 fps.Although I'm sure my 243 with a 95 gr Nosler BT would work if needed.

You guys kidding? We're the only ones that should vote

are you sure about that? hope she didn't shoot it here. Kinda against the law here in PA. I quote from the hunting digest......a mentored youth (hunter under the age of 12) can hunt ONLY squirrels, groundhogs, coyotes, antlered deer and turkeys (spring season only).

For bears over bait I would think something on the order of a .338 Federal, .35 Whelen would be the bees knees, and for spot and stalk mountain hunts anything from the .30-06 class on up would work.
The fat layer on bears can go a couple inches thick plus the heavy bone and muscle structure on big ones is impressive.
Im a fan of big heavy bullets to bust through all that so I wouldnt use less than a big 7 or .30-06.

Too much gun is better than the alternative IMHO.

I have repeatedly posted photos of a fleshed Kodiak bear scapula and an orange knife handle on a sunny day. You can see the knife handle outline clearly, through that "Impressive" bone...

I don't know why but black bears make me think .35 remington

"Normal" deer cartridges. I don't recommend the .22s and 6mms some people like on deer for use on black bears. Those can work under controlled circumstances with appropriate bullets, but if something goes wrong, elk rifles begin to look mighty fine.

Tom

And here it is again

I used a 35 Whelen on my first one wasn`t real impressed with the huge hole it left ! I have been using a 300 Savage 180gr. CoreLokts last years bear only went 20yds. My girlfriend uses a 300 Savage also her bear went 22yds. I personally don`t see why a 250 Savage or a 25/06 wouldn`t work just fine.

30

Regard to the picture, very interesting. The lower portion of the shoulder joint (not the blade) looks much heavier, is it? Also curious how thick the hide, fat layer and muscle before you get to the bone on that brownie?

That portion of the scapula (at least on deer and antelope) is fairly flexible also feels more like heavy cartiledge than bone. I havent killed a bear so Im basing my opinion on big black bears I have seen and what I have read by those who have killed them. I'm still impressed by bears. :shrug:

I dont think anyone "needs" a magnum .30, .338 etc to kill a blackie but I have seen some big ones and I wouldnt use some of the smaller deer cals like the 6mms or .25s on them out of personal preference.

Funny, those with a 6mm and smaller think it is enough... IF you pick a good bullet. Some have killed a lot of bears and find them easy to kill if hit in the right spot...

TakeEm
At quality bullet velocities and presentation there is little remarkable about bear construction. Put a good bullet in the right place and start skinning.

I agree with Art...have killed mine with a 270 or 280.They are not hard animals to kill if you hit them right.

Oh, I'm sure a 6mm cal with an 85 TSX or similar would do it when placed in the boiler room. I have a .243 and think it is a great caliber with the TSX especially. I didn't say it wasn't capable, just that it wouldn't be my first choice for bear.

Even the brown bear and Grizzly bear aren't built that tough? I have never seen either with the hide off. How thick is the average bear hide, fat layer on them compared to a large black bear? You hear so many guides up there carrying .375's, .416's etc as backup guns I am suprised to hear the big bears are not that put together. The one Alaskan guide I have ever talked to carried a 12ga with 00buck and slugs or a .375 H&H backing up archery hunters.

What do most up there use for the big bears?

I got two rifles chambered in 7mm WSM that I will be using for black bears this year and either my 300 RUM or 358 Norma Mag for brownies. I'm more worried about the snow pack and whether my snowshoes will suffice this spring with all this snow...

Bear hide is very thin compared to say moose... And fat is not much of an obstruction for a bullet. They can be very wide and that makes it interesting, but from the standpoint of a bullet, bears are not tough to get through. The bones I suspect are far more flexible than most, and that would explain why they are not terribly solid.

That would be a 25-20, which is a necked down 32-20.

Ted

Nice bear! Too bad he had to stick his tongue out for the picture. . .

Joe

Depends on what you have avaliable. Any caliber form .25 up thru .30 should do fine though I would lean to something .270 or bigger with a 150-180 gr bullet depending on caliber. Of my rifles I would probably take my 308 or my 270.

I've killed 4, I think, black bear with the .25-20. That doesn't mean I think it is ideal nor would I want to do it again. 3 were reasonably small. The big one took 13 rounds which ran the gun dry, then I had to go home and get another gun and come back. It took 4 more to finish the job. It was *not* pretty.

My great grandfather, who was supervising each time, killed literally hundreds of black bears with the .25-20 back in the days when we had a bounty on them. He also lost a lot of them. The sense of what is right and what is wrong were different in those days than these. When he really needed to kill one RIGHT NOW he switched to his .30-40 Winchester 95 slab-side. Despite the number of bears he killed with the .25-20, he didn't consider it a reliable bear killer, just inexpensive. Often his bounty bears were killed when he was out deer hunting "really early in the season" or "kind of late in the afternoon" when big rifle shots that carry might draw game warden attention.

I built a M70 Classic FWT in 358 Win for black bears and pigs.

That's more about attitude than construction.

No expert here but I have seen a few with the hides off....and the first carcass I laid eyes on was the remains that had been picked clean by eagles.It was something of a surprise to untrained eyes, and not at all what I expected.

Like Art says the bones looked more fragile,not as heavy as ungulates.Like other great predators they are light boned.

The muscles are big,ropey,thick,and the carcass looks like that of a human body builder;they look like they are built for power,speed and agility.

It isn't tough to imagine a stoutly constructed 270 or 30/06 bullet getting through them,and I know friends who have killed them with those.

My own amateur view is I'd rather blow a bigger hole in them A guy can't imagine how quickly they move through heavy cover with adrenalin up....it's sobering and my impression is they make a deer or elk look like a lumbering oaf in comparison.

Yep!



A single 100gr 243 Winchester Power Point factory load, and this bear was DRT. My friend's wife with first big game animal.

Ted

I or my wife have killed black bears with 243 win, 257 wby, 7mm rem mag, 300 wby and 375 h&h. Shot over barrels from a stand. They all work perfectly and no flies on the 243 win. Die just the same. I don't have a 223 but I would not hesitate to kill one with a tsx out of a 223. Not hard to kill.

AGREED! Guys go way to far with these 45-70s and .375s. Go with .270 or smaller and save some meat. I've seen a black bear drop from .22mag (MANY YEARS AGO). You need to catch them without being spooked. Once there adrenaline is pumping they can give you a long trail. I've seen a brown bear run 200 yards with 2 inch section of its skull missing and a 30-06 round in its lung.

what's the connection matt between using a smaller caliber and saving meat? I've never shot a bear but it has been my experience larger calibers often result in less meat damage, not more on smaller animals.

Very interesting reading. Lots of ideas on the best caliber. I have only shot a few but hit right, they really are not that tough. Good luck to you n your hunt!

WS

I have been using my 7mm-08 with great results. But I went out and bought a 45-70 guide gun. I just feel more at ease tracking a bear that has run off wounded if it happens with the 45-70 then my scoped 7mm-08. The woods up here is pretty damn thick.

Recommendation: Flip a 5-sided coin and call what ever you want. It will be fine If you want to eat more of it, load a 200 grainer at 2,450 in the 06 and enjoy. For "spectacular" results, use the 25 webee with a TSX and blast through both shoulders. I wouldn't think he would go far.

Black Bears are some of the easiest critters to put down. Have skun out a couple-three dozen and am still amazed how puny their skeletal system is. A three hundred pound Caribou is much tougher in the skeletal department. Bone mass is much larger and thicker. I find it curious (and humorous)that no one has ever claimed it was tough to kill a Caribou on the "inna-net." Go figure

Jordan and Steelhead's pics are classic good stuff! I cannot imagine it gets much better anywhere...

bhtr