Ive got to jump back in this again. I haven't yet had the chance to hunt bears, but soon enough, a trip to Kodiak AK is in the works.

I am certainly not an expert in hunting bears, though I do have a very good background in understanding ballistics. Much of the information below, i learned at a Sniper conference in florida from a guest speaker from one of the ammo companies, there to discuss Terminal Balistics. That is, everything that happens to a bullet after it hits your target. Look up some things on terminal ballistics, and it should help those who don't understand some of the advantages of the larger cartidges. keep in mind, I am not saying that it makes them better, because there are some disadvantages too. But I think those have been discussed pretty well in the last 7-8 pages here.

I have no doubt that there have been many more bears killed with the .308 caliber rifles than the .338's. I think that may have more to do with the fact that the .308 caliber is and has been a much more popular vaersitile cartridge for all these years. The .338 has been around since the 50's sure, but it has a more specific purpose that the average joe hunter does not need. The average joe is content to shoot deer and other common game, and make the occasional trip out west, or to canada, or Alaska, or wherever.There are more people I think that can't afford to buy all the cool guy calibers for every game than there are the guys who can buy that ideal rifle for that "big Hunt", or that get to make that hunt every year. That might be why there have been more killed with the .308 caliber. I wont say that proves that anything as far as that caliberbeing more superior. And the fact that less have been shot with .338 does not say that is less superior. There are just more of one out there than the other.

To answer somebody's question from earlier. A larger bullet with a higher ft-lbs will have a more devistating effect. THAT DOES NOT MEAN THAT IT WILL PENETRATE ANY FARTHER. See, when a bullet hits flesh, you get what is called a wound cavity. It is alot like a cavern in the side of a mountain, that isfor lack of better term, kind of football shaped.This is created temporarily when a bullet stikes flesh. The energy creates a "splash" of sorts on the flesh and internal organs, opening up a cavity. The ammount of energy, and bullet type will create larger or smaller cavities. Because Flesh is naturally elastic, it will come back to almost it's original shape and size, only the damage has been done. The shock that this can cause on the organs can cause them to fail, orjust might be enough to drop that bear, or whatever in the event that you just slightly missed that vital spot, or didn't hit it just right. Think of it this way, somebody can hit you hard enough on the chest, right near your heart and make it stop.nothing haspenetrated your heart, butYOU are still DEAD.Same principal with the wound cavity. You mght miss the heart, but the pressure created by the wound cavity can cause it to stop. This of course is in addition to the fact that a bullet has just ripped a hole through flesh, maybe an artery, and some organs too. Might be the difference between the charge, and the animal dropping.

now what does all this mean in the larger vs smaller caliber for hunting. It does not mean that you can't kill a bear with any of the smaller cartridges, because we all know you can. What this does show is: although the bigger hole does not really mean a guarunteed kill, the extra energy, might make the difference if you don't hit in just the right spot.


TO jdbowhunter:

if you think that your .300 RUm is enough, or that you are more comfortable with it take that, and be done with it. It s obvious that it is enough to kill bears with. There are guys here that have used more, and guys that have used less, so we now it is enough. I don't know enough about your rifle to really know. The guid may have a reason for asking you to bring something larger. I don't really know. Some guys would say, you really should, others say you don't have to, but they would, and others say they wouldn't at all. Whatever you decide, good luck on the hunt, I am no doubt jealous. I have to wait at least one more year before I go. Have fun and be safe.