243 for bear?
 

hello hunters?

I' ve seen a variety of rifles work very effectively on black bears, from a 357 mag to a 45-70.

My question is, do you think that a 243, loaded with heavy, solid bullets, would be good for black bears out to 150 yds for lung shots?

Thanks in advance

RE: 243 for bear?
 

It' s not the best choice by any means, but it will work. I' d personally feel much more comfortable with, say, the .257 Roberts with 120gr bullets or the .260 Rem with 140gr bullets, both of the premium variety, such as the Nosler Partition. Both offer more penetration and killing power with little increase in felt recoil.

I have a buddy who has taken many blackies with his .257 Roberts, including one bruiser that weighed over 400 lbs. He gets close (under 200 yards) and only pulls the trigger when he is sure he can hit the vitals. It has worked like a charm every time. One other thing: He also owns a .243 Win and has never used it on black bear.

RE: 243 for bear?
 

The .243 IS considered adequate for black bear at reasonable ranges. BUT, I believe you need a controlled-expansion bullet, NOT a solid. In addition, solids are illegal in most states for shooting game. Use at least a Rem. Corelokt, preferably a Nosler Partition or a Barnes X in 100 grain weight, and place them very precisely!!

RE: 243 for bear?
 

I have to agree with the other guys. A 243 may not be the BEST choice, but if you get to 150 yards and use an expanding bullet it will work. If you shoot it well, then go for it. If you find yourself with a few extra bucks and plan to hunt black bears often, I' d upgrade to something a bit larger. I' m partial to the 30-06 myself, but there are many choices that are great black bear guns.

RE: 243 for bear?
 

Keep in mind also, this animal can and will hunt YOU.

Ron:D

RE: 243 for bear?
 

There' s another poster who seems to do just fine with killing Montana black bears with his 243 and mere 85 grain bullets. From what I can remember, his hunting partner has the same setup. One shot kills on each bear no less.

RE: 243 for bear?
 

I wouldn' t use a 243 on bears. If you have to use a 243 shoot a 100gr or heavier bullet like a Partition or X-bullet. Do not use any type of ballistic tip or hollow point design. You' ll still need and be very selective with your shot. Bears rarely drop where their shot and usually leave a very small blood trail. When it comes to bears I' m a firm believer that caliber, bullet weight and construction is far more important than velocity. The kill zone on a bear is generally a little farther forward in the body and protected by heavier bone than it is in a deer, just something to keep in mind when you get ready to make the shot.

RE: 243 for bear?
 

OK I' m just asking here, cause I' ve never hunted bears before. Can you shoot them in the neck? Or do you want to take chest shots? I know you can kill a deer pretty easy in the neck, are bears similar?

RE: 243 for bear?
 

I' ve been fortunate enough to kill several bears before, but with a 30-30, 30-06, 44 mag, and 45-70. I was just looking for a new deer rifle for hunting over fields, and was going to look at a 243. I know it is enough for deer, but sometimes I see bears, and was wondering if it could handle them as well. It sounds like a 120 gr. SP would be just fine out to 150 yds.

As for neck shots, yes they do work, but be sure to use a large caliber when doing so. You' ll need to hit the spine for an immediate kill, and if you happen to hit the jugulars, then the bigger the hole, the better. A list of acceptable callibers for shooting a bear in the neck would include 44 Mag, 444 Marlin, 45-70 Govt., 50 cal muzzleloader.

Oh, and thanks for the info. about the 243 guys.

RE: 243 for bear?
 

if i was going after bear too id opt for a 25-06 then. little more umph but not a killer weight or recoil. then again i love cartridges based of the 06

RE: 243 for bear?
 

You won' t find a 120 grain bullet in .243. The top end is about a 105 grain. If you want 120 you will have to move up to .257 caliber or 6.5mm. Hey, there is an idea for you. If you like the 243 for its short action and light recoil then why not try out a 260 Rem instead. Quite a bit more umph and better performance with heavier bullets while still maintaining low recoil.

RE: 243 for bear?
 

frizz ,
barnes offers a 6mm/.243 caliber bullet in a 115 gr. wieght round nose if he' s interested in handloading. it' s one of the ( o ) series or originals , it says it' s suppose to retain about 70% to 90% of it' s original wieght , and expands more than 200%
i' ve no experience with it but , i just wanted to add that little tidbit in

but in my opinion , i wouldn' t go after any type of bear with a small bore , where i hunt i get about 50 yards to take a shot in and if the first bullet doesn' t take it down , you might not get a second chance.

RE: 243 for bear?
 

I hear you. If I am going after anything with sharp teeth and claws I want a bigger piece of lead than 6mm. I' m thinking a 45-70 would do the trick.

RE: 243 for bear?
 

I wouldn' t hesitate in the least to use a .243 with 100 grain Swift A-Frame bullets on a black bear.......but if I had a .270 or .30-06, Id rather use that.

RE: 243 for bear?
 

I wouldn' t pick a 243 win as a bear gun but I have used a 30-30 quite a few times and the 243 win has more energy at 200 yards than the 30-30 does at a 100 yds. With that thought in mind I believe it would work fine the 30-30 always did .

RE: 243 for bear?
 

I' m not certain that a .243 is legal in all states where bears are hunted, you might check that out.

Most .243' s I' ve seen don' t handle very fat bullets well, but I don' t see any reason you need to try to feed it overly fat bullets anyway, just get a good controlled expansion bullet, maybe a partition or PG, and make sure you know where it' s hitting, then limit yourself to about 100-125yrds, I' d say 150, but it' d have to be on smaller bruins. It' ll do fine as long as you keep in mind that you are using a slightly " underpowered" arm, it' s not going to knock them in the dirt if you just put the x-hairs on them, you' ve got to put that little bullet in a little area, and you should probably expect to send a friend in after it.

For bruins, you really won' t have to worry about them hunting you, they' re more like coyotes, they' ll do as much as they can to avoid you if they know you' re there, so unless you sneek up WAY TOO CLOSE on one and surprise it, you probably don' t have to worry about it hunting back.

My advice truly would be to go ahead and get another rifle, but then again, I' m always looking for another excuse to get a new one! ;)