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Is .308 enough gun

Old 01-09-2006, 10:39 AM
  #41  
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

Now that's not a fair compairson at all, For what it's worth I misread the original post and missed the "brown bear" part, so no I would not take a 308 after BIG BEARS how ever an arrow tipped with a cut on impact broad head will out penitrate a bullet every time unless there are big bones in the way but I wouldn't take a bow bear hunting anyway well to be honest I don't ever see me hunting bears just not my cup of tea I'll let others control the population.
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Old 01-09-2006, 12:11 PM
  #42  
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

The odds are when a guy is pursuing browns or grizzlys with a bow there is a guide with a BFG ready to kill the charging bear. Of all the videos, articles I've read on bowhunting big/dangerous game there is less likely to be a charge because of the lack of sound. In my experiencea fatally wounded animally usually runs towards the sound.
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Old 01-09-2006, 12:35 PM
  #43  
 
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

If I were to go for a big bear, I think I would choose a Model 70 in 35 Whelen. Be a damned good excuse to buy a new rifle. Would prolly top it with a 2x-8x Leupold. I would choose Nosler Partitions as my bullet. However, if I HAD to kill a bear with a rifle I already own, I know my 06 would do it.


Oh, and the .243 is NOT too small for deer.
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Old 01-09-2006, 04:34 PM
  #44  
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

If I didn't have a bigger rifle and got the chance to go after Big bears again, I would use the 308. Many of the big bears have been taken with the 30-30, 44-40, 30-40 Krag,303 British and the 7.62x54 as well as the 6.5x55. People think that if you huntnthe big bears that you are automaticly going to be attack if the shot does not drop the bear in its tracks. The truth is that it does not often happen. Most wounded animals including the big bears will try to escape when wounded. If you are hunting big bears with a smaller rifle, you may have to pick your shots more carefully. Ideally a bigger caliber would be a good choice but the 270 and 308 class rifles have taken more than their share of the biggest bears on earth. It is more the skill of the hunter than the size of the weapon.

You have to accept the fact that if you hunt dangerous game, you may become the hunted. The mountain men nearly wiped out the grizzly with their muzzle loaders. However Sometimes the bear won.
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Old 01-09-2006, 04:40 PM
  #45  
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

ORIGINAL: James B

The mountain men nearly wiped out the grizzly with their muzzle loaders. However Sometimes the bear won.

Yeah, with .54-58 and .60 cal!
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Old 01-09-2006, 06:48 PM
  #46  
 
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

For big brown bear go with a 338.
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Old 01-09-2006, 08:42 PM
  #47  
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

However Sometimes the bear won.
Need I say more?


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Old 01-10-2006, 12:02 AM
  #48  
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

The biggest rifle in the world won't stop a grizzly charge in colse quarters unless you hit the spine or brain. If you can hit that spot then any good sturdy bullet will do the job. Its been done many times with the 30-06. Before the 338 and 300 Mags ever came out, hunters took the big bears every season with the 30-40 krag, 30-30, 270, 30-06 and many with the 303 and 7x57 mauser. My grandpa killed several with his 44-40. Many more were killed with the 45-70 and many other black powder cartridges. The 308 with 180-190 grain bullets stack up pretty well against many of the old proven calibers. The fact that his rifle is a semi auto would concern me more than the caliber. Most grizzly country is not auto rifle friendly. Besides many hunters hunt dangerous game because its dangerous. If you do some checking around you will find that Grizzly and polar bears have been killed with rifles much smaller than the 308. Like the 22 Hornet and 218 Bee. I wouldn't try it but its been done. I have used the 30-6 and didn't feel undergunned at all. You got to hit them right. Thats far more important than the gun you use. Bears have eaten magnum totters too. Bears are not impressed by ballistics, only by good shot placement. If I go again it will be with the 45-70.
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Old 01-10-2006, 06:21 AM
  #49  
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

My best friend and I talked about it yesterday and he said he felt .338 was way too much gun and I should get a 30-06. I'm convinced by our discussions here that my .308 will not be enough but I'm stuck on what calibre to getJohnny (my best friend) swears by the 06' but I'm reading here that I need a .338 which also will the .338 knock off my shoulder with recoil? Also, price of ammo for the '06 is much less andeaiser obtained. For clarity I will say this bear hunt is in north Georgia mountians ona Wildlife Management Area. There are 5 of us going together. I read this article and decided to set it up.
http://www.georgiasportsmanmag.com/hunting/big-game-hunting/ga_aa101203a/#cont
What ever gun I get I don't want it to be a once a year hunt with gun. I want to be able to hunt deer and such with it too.

Thanks,

Chuck
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Old 01-10-2006, 07:28 AM
  #50  
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Default RE: Is .308 enough gun

You originally said you were going brown bear hunting and now you say that you are going bear hunting in North Georgia. There are no brown bears in Georgia, only black bears.

So basically this entire thread has nothing to do with the actual bear hunt you are going on. [&:]

For black bears the 308 or 30-06 will do just fine. There isn't a nickles worth of differance in the two. Especially at the close range you are likely to shoot one in Georgia.A big black bear in Georgia will weigh in about 300 pounds. Not the 1100 pound bears in Alaska.

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