The last bear I shot was with a 300 WSM and it dropped him in his tracks. I've also taken bear with a bow, muzzleloader, and 7mm Rem Mag. Shot placement is the key.

mines not the short mag. i was tossing up the idea of using a 200gr barns bullet but i figured the 180 partitions will do the job just fine.

Blacks are relatively easy to put down. Put it tight behind the shoulder, and get your skinning knife out. They aren't armor plated. You don't need a partition to drop them.

what would you consider a really thick skinned animal?

I have used the 140 grain boat tail Hornady for a lot of years on everything from gophers and yotes to elk and moose. I have a pile of partitions and have used them also on everything. I haven't seen any difference on the performance on game animals. Dead is dead. I use partitions when hunting the moose, only because there is a pile of grizzly in the areas that I go into. Same with some of the elk areas that I hunt. I used to carry a 375 H&H all of the time, but have never had a problem with the grizzly, so I am sticking to the 270 Bee. Once the 140's are done, all that I will be loading are the 150 grain Speer. They just plain work. If I was hunting Alaska, then it would be partitions all the way. The partition is an excellent bullet, but is not really needed for most game animals. Use whatever you are comfortable with and good luck. I used to knock blacks off the cedar rail fences around the orchard with a 22 250. Killed them quick. Don't be paranoid of the black bear. They are easy to flatten if you place your shot in the heart or lungs.

Neither would I, based on my experience hunting bears. Put a well made bullet from any of those cartridges into a bear's lungs and you can get the skinning knife ready. I've personally seen a treed cattle killing bear laid low with a single round through the brain from a .22 pistol. Now I'm not saying a .22 is a good bear round but it was the only gun on hand and it sure killed that one graveyard dead, which proves bullet placement is more important than bullet size.

when you say not needed would you say its just over kill? ive shot a few deer with 180 partitions out of my 300 and i love them. drops them where they stand. yes you could say its overkill but the end result is a good one.

Don't get me wrong. I love the Noslers, all that I am saying is that a bullet of that quality is not an absolute must for most of the game animals. If you are taking iffy angle shots, then the partition will perform better than a standard cup and core bullet. If you are planning on crushing a lot of bone, the partition rules. If you are putting it through the ribs, any quality made bullet will do what it is asked.

i agree. i look for more what works best for most so i dont have to keep re sighting in my rifle. i use my 300 for a lot of different game but its the most finicky rifle i own as far as bullets. it will group as far as 6 inches off from 180 to 150 gr partitions

If you look on a box of .243. It shows bear & deer, but not Elk.