ORIGINAL: EKM
I would recommend calling the guides and following their recommendations..... They arethe ones that have "been there and done that" on an ongoing, "hands on" basis, with a sample size greater than one (or zero).
Of course if you don't like what you hear, then you can always keep calling until you find one that give the "right" answer.... kind of like these forums.
Geee, i spent 25 seasons in the Alaskan bush, do i get to be a "stud" too??? lol lol
Anyway, i've found that most of the guides don't really know all that much about "bullets"... They know that bigger goes "slower" so it works, so they recomend them. When you start talking about bullet "construction", they kind ofget a blank stare on there face... I had more than one come into my shop and ask me what load/bullet "i" thought would work for them.
Another thing, they don't know what kind of shooter they are going to end up with. Here's an example: I got one guy within 50 yards of a really nice very dark color phase brown bear that from the knee down on all 4 legs was almost white. The bear looked like it had boots on... lol Anyway, we were in HEAVY brush over our heads, and when we got in the open isaid, "take him"! BOOM, and it was over!
I took another guy out, and i got him about 70 yards away from a really nice brown that was uphill and sitting on it's @$$ like a dog does. I told the guy, "shoot it high in the chest, EXACTLY between the front legs"... He stood there stiff as a board, so i repeated, and he just shook his head NO!
So, if you don't know what your getting, you just recomend something bigger! But, i've seen brown bear guides with everything from a 25-06 with 120 NP's, to many with 30-06's, 7 mags, 338 mags on up to 458's. Some had weak bullets loaded in there rifles thati would never use. Like 220's in a 300 mag... Now, that's a POS... I wouldn't even use them in a 30-06! Or 400 Speers in a .458!
Lastly, if you think posters should talk from experience, i have to ask. How many brown bears have YOU harvested? More than me?
DM