One of the biggest griz/inland brown bears was killed by 2 Inuit woemen.
The story gose these two were out walking the pipe line in Alaska looking for a ptamigain or 2 for the soup pot.They happened to notice a 1100 lb+ grizz coming at them up the pipe line.They hid behind a brace and hoped the bear would just walk by.Well at 5 or so feet the big bear stopped.The one sister got scared and put one measly .22LR slug right down his ear.Killed the bear in his tracks.
Dose that make it a bear killer,just cause one got lucky.HEECK NO!!!
When you go after Dagerous game the rifle you chose is for you own saftey and the saftey of others.What you wan't is a gun to anchor the animal almost on the spot.
I have a freind who has a big bear in the books,he shot it up in BC back in the early 80's.He used a 7mm Rem Mag with 175 NP.He shot the bear from 150 yds,1/4 to angle.The bullet busted the shoulder travled trough a lung,the guts hitting the back leg and breaking it and the exiting.The bear ran more than100 yds to cover and cleard a alder patch to nothing but kinling in 20 yrd circle.They gave it about a hour and went in after him,when the found the bear he was backed into a hole with his nose facing down his back trail.
I know the 30-30,300 savage,30-06, 7mm rem Mag will work.But if you are going to be risking you life the life of your guide and anyone else have a little comon decentcy to shoot a gun big enough for the job.
The great Jack O'Connor once said the 35 rem with 200 gr core-loks was good Grizzly bear medecin.That was until he found the .338 win mag that replaced his 30-06 with 200 gr NP,he then stepped up to a 375 H&H.He thought very highly of the 375 H&H as bear stopper.
So to me the very start for big bears would be the .300 Magnums all the way to the top.For me personaly I have a sweet shooting 416 Rem Mag for the job if I ever get to go after them.
BBJ