ORIGINAL: .243Heartshot
Hey guys, I might be going on a black bear hunt in the near future, and i was wondering about a good close range rifle. I was thinking a marlin model 1894 lever action 357 magnum. I do not want to go much bigger than that. It will be a baited hunt will this work under 30 yards or so.
Would a good shot on a bear be on the neck or a heart shot.
I say no even with a selective shot. When you consider the 30-30 Winchester has over double the KE of the 357 mag it is not enough cartridge for a larger bear. Here in Pennsylvaniablack bear can weight over 800 LBS and in nearly all their habitat 450-500 lbs is a mature male. A 44 MAG with a 300 + grain hardcast bullet from a rifle is still a minmum for a mature bear.
Beyond a 250 or 300 pound bear the 357 is a very bad choice. If you are really into the pistol cartrige thing I would choose a 45 Long Colt +p load with a 335 grain hardcast bullet from a Lever action riflelike inthe attached link.
http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_38
Our parts manager at work shot a 500 lbs bear in the chest with a 30-30 and 150 grain bullet and the bullet did not even get thru the chestwall much less damage the heart or lungs. The bear waskilled by another hunter in his groupwith an 06 and they found the 30-30 bullet when they skinned the bear flattened against the outside of the bears chest bone. For what is worth the 06 was a pass thru breaking both front shoulders with a 220 grainer.