The Right Gun – Bear Hunting Tips
June 26th, 2008 at 9:48 pm (Rifles)
I recently read an article on a hunting site (Chifuti Safaris) by Craig Boddington about the choice in rifle caliber for a given animal. He mentioned the desire for owning another rifle as one of the motivating factors in rifle selection. For example, if you were hunting cape buffalo and wanted a BIG gun like say a .500 Jeffrey, Mr Boddington’s thought was to get it. You might ever only shoot one shot at an animal from the big .500 but it would work well on the buffalo and it would be your gun and souvenir of a wonderful hunt.
What about big coastal black bears like the ones we’ll be seeing in September on Prince of Wales Island, Alaska. Which gun is best? Should you get a special gun for the job or just take the old ’06?
I have my preferences and some experience. I don’t think bears are extremely hard to kill but they can be a nightmare to nail to the ground. Since bears can get lost in the thick undergrowth fast or turn hostil quickly I like big heavy bullets. Fast is pretty good but a 7mm or .280 remington, to me, is an elk gun. Elk never chew on you. I prefer the 30 caliber magnums or bigger.
Near Yakatat Alaska one fall my guide and I put eight .338 bullets in a big brown bear finally stopping him at 5-10 paces. Once that adrenaline gets going in a big bear, look out and keep shooting.
Some of the new short calibers are intriguing but I guess I’m still a .30 caliber magnum guy, for the big bears.
Micah, my daughter, shot a good black bear a few years ago and hit him fatal. However it was 4 shots later with him getting pretty close, that stopped him for good. She was using a .280 remington. That’s a great gun, just not beefy. zovirax ointment no prescription needed
I’m glad there are lots of choices out there because I like being a gun owner. Hopefully this fall I can try out my .338 Winchester Magnum on a huge black bear. When I do I hope the guy next to me has an equally lethal weapon.
Joe Oldford said,
November 21, 2008 at 9:58 am
I read your article on the experience of hunting brown bears with a .338 Winchester Magnum. As stated, “After shooting eight times, the bear finally dropped”, I was curious on what type of ammunition was being used. I have heard, from numerous of sources, that a .338WM with the “right” bullet will put down cape buffalo with one round. This was stated by Jim Carmichael, a writer employed by Outdoor Life magazine, in an article on how he killed two cape buffalo with “two” shots. So, it can be done!
Gene said,
January 20, 2009 at 3:28 pm
Would one even think of bear hunting in Quebec with a 25.06 rifle cartridge I am going to Quebec in June 09 and was wondering about the 25.06 being enough bullet
wayne mccann said,
August 18, 2009 at 1:26 pm
Is a 308 a good rifle for bear hunting in alaska.
thanks for your time: wayne
Jed said,
August 19, 2009 at 7:54 am
the 308 is a great caliber!! military invention, i believe. used a lot as a sniper rifle. if i were buying a gun to go to Alaska black bear hunting I’d get one with more beef, say a 338 or 375 H&H or the magnum 300′s. if i owned the 308 and loved it then don’t go borrow someone else’s bigger gun, just get good ammo and go. if you’re talking about grizzly or brown bear, do not use the 308. invest in the beefier calibers. as a side note–i think the 308 is my favorite caliber i don’t own. i don’t know why ’cause it’s a proven gun for most any of our common hunts—shiras moose to pigs. most black bear fall in there. good luck and let us know what’s up and how you do.
mike said,
August 23, 2009 at 8:55 am
I am going blackbear hunting over a bait site . I am about 40 yards away is my 7mm mag to fast or is it ok.
Jed said,
August 26, 2009 at 9:33 am
when i hunted in africa i shot several very small species of antelope. i worried that my 338 was too big. the trackers and professional guide often said there is now such thing as too big when it comes to killing an animal.
in your case a 30/30 may work as well but your 7mm will do a great job. if you have time use a heavy bullet and know where it shoots at close range. if you have any problem it would be with your optics. you sure don’t need magnification or at least low magnification.
shoot straight and let us know how it goes. i love bait hunting bears!
John said,
September 18, 2009 at 9:26 pm
I would like to try my Ruger 44 Mag. rifle or my Remington .35 cal. for a black bear hunt in Ontario next year. Has anyone shot a bear with one of these calibers? Any thoughts?
Pedro Kotzee said,
September 20, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Why risk it? a 7mm Rem will not put down a Big Brown Bear, their muscle tissue is too dense. If hunting dangerous game be it Bears or in Africa, start with a 375 H&H since it WILL STOP any animal. Don’t take chances, trust me I know, been guiding for over 30 years in RSA .
Cheers
Bill said,
November 20, 2009 at 11:07 am
I have shot black bears with my 30-06 no problem, one bullet, no problem. I now use my Browning .338 magnum A-bolt for both brown and blacks. Again, one well place shot will work, but I always keep shooting until the bear is down! A injured bear is dangerous and scary to track.
I prefer NO muzzle brake, because I like to have some hearing after shooting, and the muzzle blast is far worse than the recoil.
Bill said,
November 20, 2009 at 11:08 am
I forgot to say, I live in Alaska, go bear hunting 5-6 times a year, and usually shoot 2-3 bears year, bear hunting is my favorite by far.
mike said,
December 23, 2009 at 3:08 pm
I am going bear hunting for the first time, Can you use a shotgun or do you have to use a rifle.
Bill Capps said,
February 16, 2010 at 10:52 am
I am thinking of going bear hunting for the first time this year in east Tennessee. I was thinking of shooting my .50 caliber muzzleloader. Currently I shoot 100 grains of pyrodex and a 295gr. brass jacketed hollow point. Is this enough gun and is it enough load and shell?
Thanks for any comments
The Rookie
Jed said,
February 18, 2010 at 9:01 am
GREAT!!! if you’re hunting close, say a stand the muzzle loader is a bear killing machine. I us 90 grains of pyrodex in my 45 caliber (mostly because my Hawkins kicks me in the cheek bone) and i’ve hammers a couple bears. i thinks the problem with the muzzle loader is putting up with the weather and making sure you know your equipment. you won’t get a second chance at a close bear if you have a miss fire. I like your choice! do good and let us know.
Bill Capps said,
February 19, 2010 at 10:33 am
Thanks for the info. will let you know how it goes.
mike said,
February 19, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Thanks, I went and got a 30-06 and will use that. But one more question, were in virginia is good bear hunting.
Autumn said,
April 6, 2010 at 5:59 am
I love Bear Hunting, it is awesome
David said,
June 8, 2010 at 9:47 am
After reading much and, when reading, coming across some inconsistencies I did some research. This led to a comparison of the .338 Winchester Magnum with the .300 Weatherby Magnum. The results tell me that the .300 Weatherby Magnum is a better gun for brown bear. Please look at the data below and please give any opinions on it. Below is based on the use of 250 grain RN bullets. That for the .300 Weatherby is available from Hawk bullets and custom loaders.
.338 Winchester Magnum
MV 2660 fps
100 yds 2456 fps
200 yds 2261 fps
300 yds 2075 fps
ME 3927 ft lbs
100 yds 3348 ft lbs
200 yds 2837 ft lbs
300 yds 2075 ft lbs
Sectional Density .313
Ballistics Coefficient .291/.332
.300 Weatherby Magnum
MV 2650 fps
100 yds 2433 fps
200 yds 2229 fps
300 yds 2037 fps
ME 3898 ft lbs
100 yds 3256 ft lbs
200 yds 2757 ft lbs
300 yds 2037 ft lbs
Sectional Density .376
Ballistics Coefficient .417
At first, the .338 Winchester has a very slight edge with velocity and energy. But, when you take into consideration the killing factors of sectional density and ballistics coefficient the .338 Winchester Magnum is pale in comparison to the .300 Weatherby Magnum. So, why is the .338 Winchester Magnum recommended over the .300 Weatherby Magnum.
Jed said,
June 8, 2010 at 6:43 pm
Up front! I’m not going to answer your very valid question. If I could get the right answer from the right guy I’d choose Craig Boddington as the “answer giver”. I know one other guy I’d kind of trust, and I’ll ask him to zip you an answer.
I’ve killed brown bear only twice and got lucky both times. What a trophy! The second brown I got a fast 6-7 338 bullets in and he died not instantly, but with out excessive danger. The first bear I (we) shot, I think we used nine 338 bullets, most at 30-10 yards. The bear again lost, but I learned fear and less dignity. The outcome would have been different if I’d used a 300 weatherby or a 416 rigby, a 22-250 or a 500 jeffrys. Since the last bear, I’ve purchased smaller faster and larger slower, guns. Brown bears, grizzly bears, polar bears and yep the #1 bear killer of humans, the black bears, scare me. If I ever go after the big size bears, I’ll go bigger and it won’t be with a 300 weatherby or a 338 win mag. Maybe a 375H&H
See hear for the story on my first brown bear: http://www.bearbums.net/2010/03/19/fall-brown-bear-hunt-1994/
Gary Winterton said,
June 8, 2010 at 8:27 pm
.338 Win, or .300 WBY which is the best caliber for bear? In all of the discussions around this subject one of the most important elements of this equation is proper bullet selection! All the power available is for not if the bullet selected is incorrect for they type of animal being hunted. In my opinion bullet selection in this discussion is more important than splitting hairs between .338 and .300 caliber. Having said this, my personal choice would be the .300 WBY with a Barnes TSX 180gr bullet. I am a big believer that hydraulic shock, coupled with proper shot placement makes a tremendous difference when killing large powerful animals. Happy Hunting!
Billie said,
August 5, 2010 at 8:20 pm
Hello, I’m twelve years old and I’m going hunting black bear with my grandfather up in western washington. I know the good ol’ 30-06 is a nice gun for huntin’ but my grandfather said that his dad shot a beefy black bear 8 times with it before it whent down. I’m a little worried about this as I can’t squeez off more than four of those bullets without flinching. So I was wondering if I should just take the 06 or take a bigger gun like a .400 marlin? Thanks!
steve said,
August 9, 2010 at 3:43 am
It also depends on what you can shoot without flinching. I’ve hunted Buffalo in our Northern Territory in Australia. Some grow to be a big as Cape Buffalo, and ours are mean. If you only wound one look out. You’ll never outrun one.
I’ve seen them taken stone dead with a well placed shot with a 6.5×55. I’ve also seen them run off with a 338 lapua magnum that its muscle just absorbed. Its ok to argue hydrostatic shock from a 3000ft per sec screamer, but we all know that these sorts of animals, including the big five, can take a lot of rounds and they keep coming just on adrenalin. Its certainly the case with lion.
Ive shot the 300 win mag and the Weatherby mags and think they are viscious to shoot. I’d rather go a bit slower and heavier and use a 375 H&H or a 416 Rigby. In a 10 lb rifle I think the recoil is manageable…much more that the 300 mags in an 8lb rifle.
We load up with a medium weight softnose and the rest of the magazine has heavier Woodleigh weldcores. So if the animal is charging, as it will and your first shot is not fatal, the next four will be. You should also be able to get off four rounds in five seconds…That takes a sweet action. We use Mauser actions or the older Brno’s are nice. My mate has a Mauser in 9.3 x 54. One can vary the mix of rounds and thats a sweet rifle. To me, the 375 H&H is hard to beat if you want one to cover all you will face. Just be smart about what you stack in the mag. It might save your life.
Jed said,
August 9, 2010 at 8:40 am
Hi Billie,
Thanks for the comment and question. Hunting black bears is a rush. With the best, big rifle a black bear can still stand a heck of a wallop and keep coming or going. I’ve had the same experience your grandfather had and it amazes me.
Truthfully there’s nothing wrong with using the 30.06 for even the beefyist black bear. Use a 180 grain tough bullet, like the Barnes X and get used to shooting the .06 and you’ll do great.
Make that 1st shot count ’cause bears are sneaky and fast.
It sounds to me like you’ll have a riot. Let us know how it goes.