I've shot bear that have had exit wounds, and I've shot bear that did not. The nasty part about bear is that there is usually so much fat on them that it tends to plug up the wound holes, making it difficult to follow at times. Often it is better to look for blood and fat on the bushes the wounded bear has gone thru than to look for blood on the ground. Sorry about getting off the thread...

I agree any sign on bushs groung etc.. I have had them walk on blow downs like bridges and sometimes go under them. And if their not leaking sometimes it was just the moss that didn't spring back 100% that gave faint trail to the next blood drop, smare, or even the bear. All post are good advise for a new bear hunter.

My own bears four of them all dropped within 30 yards one good sharp broadhead in the heart/lungs. But even a poorly shot bear with a arrow has a 1.25 inch holes in them. Thats poorly not bad shot huge differance.
I might do some more bear hunting and with a gun but will wait for at least a 400 plus pounder. I can watch alot of bears untill then once you pull the trigger its alot of work.And I will have to deside 35rem or 358win?

Seeing your going to also be in grizzly country a heavier jacketed bullet may be in order just in case......................Harold

winchester superX 12 gauge slug has more knock power then all those rifles . you just got to get a little closer

black bear will go down with most deer rounds. the shoulder especially on a big black bear is alot of mass and bone. i wouldnt play games especially in alaska. i would spend a little more and get a premium bullet. federal nosler partitions would be my first choice but barnes and swift a frames are tough bullets.

not that hard to kill?

I think black bear ala vancouver Island and Alaska are a entirely different story than say a black bear in the lower 48 for the most part.....even most of canada.....and I think they just reclassified them as "coastal bears" because of this, when 7' 400-600lbs is common, I think I even have heard of 8' in Alaska ......

again I'd use any premium 150gr bullet, controlled expansion, or if you handload 160gr...

Everyone nowadays seems to make a premium controlled expansion bullet.

10-4, Good Buddy!

While I agree bears aren't really tough to kill, my opinion is the best/easiest way totrack a bear isdon't or asshort as possible. Using a firearm the shoulder or shoulders should be square in your bullets path leading to less yards after the hit and therefor a slightly better bullet is my suggestion. I base this on many years of guiding bear hunters I am not sure how many bears I have been on but its in the triple digits for sure. I myself have only shot 2 black bears with a firearm (CF and ML) both of which I sent through the shoulders and didn't have to track either. The other bears (7)I havetaken with archery tackle where I needed some tracking. I personally want an exit hole if I ain't breaking bones. So far have always got one and never regretted havingit either!

I personally haven't found size to be a real factor for how fast a bear goes down, in fact some of the scrappiest of been immature boars. Shot placement is the key, no matter the bullet or tool used if you wing them they ain't a lot of fun to follow up on.

130 TSX aRockin' & a Rollin'....

'Nuff said.............

It's been said but for black bear any standard construction bullet will do the job. However, seeing as how your going to griz country I would feel more comfortable witha partition, triple shock or failsafe if you can still find them.