BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[fuzzybear]

What round or rounds do you residents carry when your hunting in country that has a population of the big bears. ie. Sheep hunt, Caribou hunt, Moose hunt, etc...

[NONYA]

Ive done quite a bit of elk hunting in the Bob Marshall and Scapegoat Wilderness areas of Montana and I carry my 7mag,I dont know anyone who carrys a different caliber due to Grizzly populations,they could be anywhere in western Montana and the southern regions of the state.

[MMichaelAK]

30-06 or .375H&H or .416 Rigby depending on how I feel and the possibility of brownies.

I feel pretty comfortable with any of the three. You just have to use your head for something other than a hat rack in bear country.

[fuzzybear]

One more question.
If there is such a thing. At what distances are the Brown usually taken?
If under 150 yds I don't see why a 30-06 wouldn't work. With a proper load. Say a 180 to 220 gr Partition or a bullet of similar construction. Maybe a heavy bonded core. Do you have a preference when you carry your '06?

[Rayfromalaska]

fuzzybear wrote: What round or rounds do you residents carry when your hunting in country that has a population of the big bears. ie. Sheep hunt, Caribou hunt, Moose hunt, etc...

The most popular cartridges in Alaska are the .30-06, .300WM, and .338WM. Of these three, my favorite is the .338WM because of heavy bullets for it, such as the 275-grain A-Frame, or 300-grain Woodleigh. Most of the moose I have killed have dropped to 230-grain FS bullets, one to a 250-grain A-Frame, and two to the 250-grain NOS HE from Federal. Most bears are killed with .300's and .338's, but in reality these are "all around" guns up here, and the ones most hunters use.

Please note that hunting is done with all around cartridges as those mentioned. For specialized hunts such as brown/grizzly, I would use one of the .416's and factory ammo with 400-grain bullets.

Experienced guides don't want to shoot bears past 150-200 yards, and most are taken within 150 yards.

[atomikall]

yea id use a bigger grain bullet just in case but im sure if you placed a 160 or 180 in the right place it would drop too

[Rayfromalaska]

atomikall wrote: yea id use a bigger grain bullet just in case but im sure if you placed a 160 or 180 in the right place it would drop too

That's true. However, I prefer bigger and heavier bullets for moose on quartering shots, or for breaking bone. Not a bad idea in bear country.

[atomikall]

i agree

[Rayfromalaska]

atomikall wrote: i agree

I didn't realize that you knew what I was talking about until I saw that you are from Ontario. I seldom take shoulder shots to break bone, but it's nice to know that if you have to, the bullet is capable of doing that. Several years ago I shot a moose through the shoulder, and I aimed my rifle so that the bullet would hit a spot just behind the shoulder bone (above the elbow). However, the 230-grain FS hit the bone, clipped the heart's arteries, broke the other shoulder bone, and exited. The moose dropped on the spot almost instantly. This was a 200-yard shot. Such a shot makes it difficult to skin and quarter the moose, because I use the legs as levers to turn it from one side to another. I am a little more careful now, and try to hit the lungs/heart without breaking the shoulders.

A .30-06 and such with a 165-180-grain bullet is a very efficient cartridge, and very popular in Alaska. A friend of mine killed a moose with three shots from his .30-06 a few years ago. The antlers measured over 65" across.

The .338 with 225 to 230-grain bullets such as the FS or Barnes 3-X, or with 250 to 300-grain lead-filled bullets is my favorite, but I must agree with you on that there is nothing wrong with a 180-grain .30-caliber bullet on the right spot.

[atomikall]

Ive seen my grandfather take down moose on more than one occassion with a .303 springfield lever let alone with his winchester pump 30.06 and thier was only one time it took him 3 shots but it was a damn fast three shots and the cow dropped. Never did see him miss a moose and Ive been moose hunting since i was 7 or 8 years old making trails through the middle of the bush ridding quads in and argos to pull em out ,good times i tell ya.

Nothing like Ontario for moose and Black bear hunting Lived here a long time and i still love it

[147 Grain]

Never hunted bear, but if I had the chance, my 30-06 semi-auto would be firing 180-gr. Nosler Partitions at 2,700 fps.

Say, how many folks have used 220 grainers in a 30-06 for bear, moose, or elk?

Steve

[atomikall]

But I dont need a bigger bullet cause it usually only takes me one shot with bears I very seldomly need 2 shots for a bear.

[atomikall]

P.S. Black bear that is

[Kurt]

I shot a brown bear in Alasaka about 5 years ago. I used a 375 H&H. Some may think it is overkill but it only took one shot. They are incredibly impressive creatures. I don't think you want to be under-gunned.

Kurt

[atomikall]

I agree