brown bear caliber
 

If you were to go brown bear hunting what would be your minimum caliber you would use. I am bored so i thought i would post a new topic.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

.300 Wby. Mag. Good luck.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I love my .300 Win Mag. It's numbers on the balistics charts aren't quite what the .300 Weatherby Mag. show, but I don't roll my own and I can find a wider range of ammo at Wally World or other stores.

I'd go with at least a 180 grain partition too!

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I guess .300 Win Mag would be the "bear" minimum but I would at least go with a .338 Win Mag and a good friend who has a semi-auto or shotgun.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

anything from a .300 win,as stated, to one of the many good .338's. I would rather go with something larger than smaller when it comes to dangerous game. I would rather not follow a blood trail on this one... :-)

RE: brown bear caliber
 

30-06 or 300 win mag for me.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

.35 Whelen

RE: brown bear caliber
 

If I ever get to go on this dream hunt I would be using my .340 wby mag with nosler 250gr. and no less.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

How much does that 340 kick compared to a 300 weatherby mag. According to the weatherby website a 300 mag shooting a 180grain bullet is about 39lbs and the 340 shooting the 250grain bullet is about 44lbs of recoil. Is 5lbs of recoil noticeable

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I've never shot a 300 wby, but my 340 kicks a lot. I'm just a little guy to, 150lbs 5'7", so that 44lbs is about 1/3 my wieght. I don't have a muzzle brake either, but have thaught of putting one on. the most shots in a row i have fired is 9. I get about an 1 1/4" groups at 100 yds. and have shot out to 350.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

IMO a large bear cartridge starts with the .338 Win mag and goes up from there.

Of the guns I have my coice would be either my .338 ultra mag with 250 grain A-framesor 444 Marlin with Hornady 265 grain bullets.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

Any opinions on how well the .338 Federal might perform on Brownies? (And NO, I don't mean the kind selling cookies...)

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I can't believe none of the AK guys got on here and suggesteda 375 H&H, Ultra, or the favorite wildcat. There are many guys up here shooting 375's and for good reason. The375 (pick your caliber) is a great way to go for brown bear and all other dangerous game. With the 375's you getbig boreenergyplusextended range unlike many of the big bores that give good energy but lack long range capability.

I personally know a guy who dropped a 67" bull moose at 538 yards with a 375 Ultra loaded with A-frames. He said the shot wasn't that hard because he says "A moose has a kill zone the size of a Volkswagon." butno matter how you look atit the375mags are going to carry a lot of energya long ways.

I also know a guy whokilled a charging 8'3 interior grizzly with one shot from a .338 Win. so you make the call. With Grizzly "bigger is better" .338 Win.is the smallest I would go with any brown or Grizz.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I think you could argue that the 30-06 with premieum bullets would anchor a big bear,but thats for the sake of argument.
I would personaly like the .338 Win mag as min.,and take the high road like a .375 H&H,.375 Ruger,375 Ultra or a another goodie the .416 Rem mag.
BBJ

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I am thinking it really all depends on how fast your hunting partner can run lol. I think a 300 mag with a good bullet could work but i would personally feel better with a 338 mag as a starter caliber.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I use a 338 win mag.with Winchester Supremepartition gold 275 grain bullet. GO GETTEM!

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I would take my 45/70 with some 405 grain buffalo bore rounds. Those rounds in that calibur are devistating.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

Minimum .338 Mag

RE: brown bear caliber
 

375 H&H or the 416 Rem Mag. I would also be comfortable with the 35 Whelen 7600 Rem

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I am comfortable with the 30/06.
I myself would not go after one with less than a 30-30.
If anyone wants to argue, go find a stick and string shooter that has slayeda grizzly with a single cedar shaft.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

You need to ask yourself "WHAT WOULD DAVEY CROCKETT DO?":D

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I hunted Brown Bear in 1996, I used a 375 H&H with a 300 gr bullet 4 shots at about 125 yrds and Backed up by a 338 at 4 shots . Unless your are very lucky to put the bear on the ground with one shot Bigger is Better ,but the bullet must be placed where is is supposed to go in the vitals.
My buddy shot his at 110 paces 9' 3" 4 rounds from an 06 backed up buy 4 Lightfield slugs out of a TarHunt slug Gun. The bear is pictured on the Web site for Tarhunt.
I will do it again but with a 416 Rem mag with a 400 gr bullet.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

sounds like accuracy, not potency is your problem.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

Have you killed any mature griz or brown bears with a 30-30?

RE: brown bear caliber
 

No.
I ran into an indian fellow once in an old chevy 4x4 with hidesand an"OLD" Marlin with worn bluing and beatenwoodin his backglass.
I brought up the rifle and how I was worried about my '06 being "weak".
He said "that rifle waspassed down to me."Hecontinued on about how just about everyone in his family killed their first Brownwith itand even told of going into the Grizzly Lair with a couple 30-30s. In the Lair!!!
I saw several other 30-30s in service too.
The 30-30 would not be my first choice but it would be my minimum.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

Any griz should be a min. of 338 win mag which will work just fine.. Black bears some of the smaller calibers suggested would be perfect.. But a griz I'd say 338 or 375 would be ideal.

In fact a lot of guides require min. 338... check it out before you book your hunt.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

hmm i still think that anyone who is foolish to head out with a 30-30 or less deserves to be bear bait.
If some good old boy moutain man can do it, then good for him.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

Can't answer from experience since I've never killed a brown bear. But if I had the coin to book a hunt in AK, I'd stoke my Ruger No 1B .338 WIN MAG with 225 grain Barnes Triple Shock bullets, sight it indead on for 100 yds, practice once a week at the range in several shooting positions, and buy extra life insurance to give to my kids in case I shoot poorly!

If money were no object, I'd have a .50-110 a.k.a. .50 Alsakan built and take that on my hunt. The I'd have a lifesize mount done and while the taxidermist is taking his time, I'd have my game room rebuilt with 12ft ceilings so I could fit that bugger in there!

RE: brown bear caliber
 

good plan, i think i'll order all that at the same time.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

375. or 308

RE: brown bear caliber
 

i was watching a tV show about a couple guys hunting caostal browns with 30 30's,one was a new marling 336x,and the other, a HNR 3030,boht bears shot dropped within 80 yrds...

RE: brown bear caliber
 

A guy that I know well killed one with one shot from a 480 Ruger Redhawk. The one time world record grizzly was killed with a 30-30. One shot as well. Like others said, the 30-30 would not be my top choice but its certainly been done with the 30-30 and even less. Like the old 44-40.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

.50 cal muzzleloader with 300gr sabot and as much powder as I could safely get behind it.

That, or I'd carry my 30-30.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

Anyone Who hunts Brown Bear will find out if you are not shooting a Record bear with a bow, The Guide has a resposablity to back you up as in shoot until the bear stops. If you don't want the Guide to back you up , Well lets say we might read about you in an issue of a Magazine and not for the size of the bear.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

Minimum for me?? 30-06 with 200NP's.... or 7 Rem. Mag. with 175 NP's...

BUT, there's always lot's of guys around who haven't even seen a brown bear yet (let alone hunted them) that think you need one of these,



Any YES, i have harvested a mature brown bear... in fact more than one...

DM

RE: brown bear caliber
 

Well, i havent hunted brown bear, black bear yea. I prefer a shorter carbine for such things, I'm a big Marlin man and I dont believe i'd feel undergunned hunting with my .35 Marlin levergun. It's dropped everything else its hit in its tracks with one shot. Now if I where looking for just a bear gun...it'd be either the 45-70 guide gun or the Cowboy which holds 9 rounds. now if a bear charges you i doubt you'll get through that whole mag but it'd be there incase.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I would use a .338 minimum and feel better with a .375 H&H.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I wouldn't hesitate to use the new .338 Federal and 210gr Nosler Partition bullets on a brown bear hunt. That combo would smack 'em hard inside of 150 yards.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

Of the rifles currently in my safe, there are only three I would consider using to hunt brown bears - my .30-06, .338-06 or my .375 H&H. The biggest one is my first choice, of course, but I'm sure the others would do the job in the right conditions with proper ammo & shot placement.

RE: brown bear caliber
 

I seriously doubt it would have enough penetration to break one down "properly"... Yes a heart/lung shot would kill the bear... BUT, IMHO that's the wrong shot to take on big bears...

DM