.270 for bear
 

My son, his friend and myself are going on a black bear hunt this fall in Ontario. My son and I are using 300 win mags., hwever my son's friend does not have a rifle of his own and I offered my .270 to him to use.

Has anyone used a .270 for bear and with what results, or is it to light of a caliber.
Thanks in advance.

RE: .270 for bear
 

A .270, while certainly not my first choice for bears, is plenty of gun. I took a 418 lb. bear with 165 gr BTSP from my 30-06 and it did just fine. A good 150 gr bullet from the .270 will be good for any black bear you encounter with reasonable shot placement.

RE: .270 for bear
 

Get him on the range and find the load it shoots best...no worries it will get the job done if he does! I have only killed one bear using a CF and it happened to be a .270 using 130gr Hornady Interlock he rolled over and scampered a little ways before giving up the ghost. Equally the other bears I have harvested with either 50cal ML or most by way of bow/arrow, just put it in the lungs and tag your animal. You may want to consider trying a 150 Gr Nosler Part or similar bullet, just for a bit of insurance. I assume he is new to bear hunting and like many have hard time grasping where and when to pick their shots, a bit better constructed bullet will ensure if he hits the big shoulder blade of boar it will get through to his vitals. It would also be helpful to get him to research the bears anatomy so he can better understand what needs to be done, they are not hard to kill with a rifle but very different anatomy to that of a deer or such and the last thing you want to have to do is track a wounded boar!

RE: .270 for bear
 

The 270 is very capable of taking a bear - like anything, shot placement is important.

RE: .270 for bear
 

400+ lb. black bear ain't all that common. Chances are you won't see anything over 250, and for them a .270 is fine.

RE: .270 for bear
 

what ever happened to good old hunting calibers like the 270,308 and 30-06 that people think they need mag calibers to take big game. dont worry when he puts his sights behind the sholder of a black bear its lights out for that bear. good luck!!!

RE: .270 for bear
 

I bagged my bear with a Rem. 270 with 150 gr. bullet. Droped him in his tracks with a shot to the lungs. Also bagged my moose with a 300 mag. since your not hunting moose a 270 will work great.

RE: .270 for bear
 

I took a 415 pound boor with a .270 as well. He didn't even take a step, just dropped where he stood. i used winchester cxp2's and they did the job.

RE: .270 for bear
 

.140 or 150gr bullet...Why not?

RE: .270 for bear
 

People have been talking about if the 270 is big enough.. sure it is, Just educate the hunter on the bear as was noted in earlier posts. the most common mistake people make bear hunting is that they shoot too far back because of the thick fur, with a black you really need to look to find the back of the shoulder, know where it is don't guess. There is nothing I hate more as and outfitter than to track wounded bear that someone gut shot because they where in a hurry to shoot, or where uneducated as to where to shoot.
I would suggest that any new bear hunter going on a guided hunt should ask that the guide spend the first and maybe second night sitting with the hunter to help pick a bear, place the shot, and maybe calm his nerves. Any outfit that won't accomodate you in that regard, is not wrth dealing with, because they are not there for you. Alberta is nice for this reason.. I will take a first timer out if he requests the help, most want to do it on their own, but I will go, or one of my guides will go. The hunter can take a bear the first night with the guide, build some confidence, then hunt the second bear on his own. Most times guys will shoot the first bear they see, and it usually is a dink of a bear, second tag they can be more choosey.
The other part of the post said that you where using a 300, I hope with your 300 you use a light load. I have seen many hides almost destoyed buy 300 cal rifles.