As the title says, is a .300 win mag or .300 PRC enough cartridge for a big brown bear, say 9.5' bear?? I have a rifle in both. Debating whether I should get a hold of a .375 Ruger. Any comments appreciated. Dont want to wound a big bear and have him run off.
.300 WM enough for a big brown bear?
- Thread starter Cornbread
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BAKPAKR
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I have never shot/hunted a brown bear but I talked to a brown bear outfitter who regularly uses a 300 RUM. I know a guy who shot a polar bear with a 300 PRC this spring and he is using that again for brown bear in October. What does your guide recommend? And, how far is he/she going to have you limit your shots (might factor into the decision).
Addicting
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There is nothing in North America a 300 win mag won’t kill. An extra 150-200 FPS with PRC won’t make any difference.
A 375 is a nice option but not if you don’t already have it. The guide carries a rifle for a reason.
The 300 will be fine.
A 375 is a nice option but not if you don’t already have it. The guide carries a rifle for a reason.
The 300 will be fine.
TrapperJ
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For a solid second I miss read the title and I thought you said is the 300 WM to big for brown bear and I was about to say uh buddy if you think its to big then what is to small for them lol
Hammsolo
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The answer is always a new rifle! I’ve ogled a 375 Ruger, but haven’t had a chance to hunt anything bigger than an elk…
It’s Bucky
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The wounding would be on you for shot placement no matter what rifle you use. If you hit them in the vitals or CNS, it won’t matter the cartridge. Buy the new rifle for peace of mind and so you can’t blame that if something goes wrong, and go have fun!
300 WM is good for brown bear. Guides will almost always say bigger is better. They are used to poor shots and try to build in buffer. Many brown bears have been taken with much smaller cartridges.
If you want a new gun get one. Otherwise your 300 WM will get the job done if you do your part.
If you want a new gun get one. Otherwise your 300 WM will get the job done if you do your part.
I ended up buying a .375 Ruger. Since Im left handed, the options on gunbroker disappear quickly. Its new, not used, so Ill see what ammo it likes. I dont reload. Ill see if I can shoot it well. Push comes to shove, I have a .300 WM Browning BLR I shoot well, and I ordered a custom Tenacity Arms in .300 PRC that should come in October. Ive got 21 mos to figure it out.
Same for me, Ive elk hunted, but no big bears. I have a 305lb Quebec black bear but not a brown or grizzly. This will be my first time to Alaska. I fly into Sitka then we take a boat to 6-8 hrs away. Glass the beaches. Talked with Billy Molls regarding the strenousness of the hunt and he recommendex a boat hunt. Maybe not a huge bear but Ill be 72 yrs old for the hunt. Didnt want to bite off more than I could chew.
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Salmonchaser
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Buy better rain gear before you leave.
Make sure when you check in you have them put a “ must fly” sticker on your gun box.
Ask them for a must fly sticker on your other checked baggage as well. Your rifle by regulation, is to be on the plane your on. Not getting the must fly sticker kinda lets them get away with oops. They are not required to put one on your checked baggage with your ammunition and such. Doesn’t hurt to ask.
I use to have my clients put a small locking pistol box and pistol in their checked baggage. Never missed a gun box or bag with ammo and rain gear doing that.
You can always find .223/556; 30/06 and 300wm in any village in Alaska that has a Post Office.
Billy is Skookum, you’ll have a good trip.
Make sure when you check in you have them put a “ must fly” sticker on your gun box.
Ask them for a must fly sticker on your other checked baggage as well. Your rifle by regulation, is to be on the plane your on. Not getting the must fly sticker kinda lets them get away with oops. They are not required to put one on your checked baggage with your ammunition and such. Doesn’t hurt to ask.
I use to have my clients put a small locking pistol box and pistol in their checked baggage. Never missed a gun box or bag with ammo and rain gear doing that.
You can always find .223/556; 30/06 and 300wm in any village in Alaska that has a Post Office.
Billy is Skookum, you’ll have a good trip.
Thanks for the baggage tip. Excellent advice. Ive only flown once in the last 11 years since I retired. Billy is one hellofa nice guy. I loved his video about 2 mos ago on the 2 completely different hunters he guided. One was a Youtube video type dick that shot a moose poorly and wouldnt listen. Tge 2nd guy was a total newbie young software guy from San Francisco that listened to Billy's direction and that turned out to be a super guy. Billy gainsd my tremendous respectcwith that video.
Salmonchaser
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Haven’t seen that video yet, but I’ve had similar experience. Once had a guy shoot his elk down in a canyon after a 1/4 mile flat walk from the truck. Just a decent 5 point but under an hour into the hunt. I ain’t going down there, thats your job. Get me some good pictures he says. Couple hours later I get up to where I had left him with the first quarter. Hike back to where I had parked my truck, gone. No cell service. Figured some one would figure it out when he got back to the ranch. Packed the rest of the elk out, no ride. Hiked about 5 miles finally got a signal and called for a ride.
Hunter had already left for Portland asking that I send the pics.
Funny you mention rain gear. I just bought some Kuiu rain gear to go over my Johnson Woolen Mills warm clothes. Switched to wool a year ago and I wont go back. The Kuiu Yukon rain gear I bought appears pretty darn well made. I used to be a Cabelas buyer until Johnny Morris bought the company. Dick Cabela must be rolling over in his grave seeing the Chinese crap they now sell.
WOW!! Yeah, my outfitter has had some assbags that show up, but not that bad.
Benfromalbuquerque
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Are you rationalizing a new gun? I’ve got my 30-06 pushing 200gr hotcor 2,600fps now and I’d reckon that’ll kill anything terrestrial. It’s very manageable recoil with a Pachmyr pad. So if you can handle bench shots with a 375 Ruger moving 270gr+ weight bullets then there’s reason to buy, but otherwise you may already own enough gun.
The only Brown Bear I've ever killed was with a .300 Weatherby, one shot. A .300 Win mag should do the job equally as well.
I wouldn't be afraid to use a 30-06 or .308 on a brown bear either. Heavy bullet and good shot placement is the key.
I wouldn't be afraid to use a 30-06 or .308 on a brown bear either. Heavy bullet and good shot placement is the key.
AntelopeEater
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I have a .375 Ruger and I like it and used it to harvest a blacktail deer recently, it was overkill but with a copper bullet there wasn't that much more meat damage than a smaller caliber would have caused.
Interestingly though, Alaska Fish and Game actually officially recommends a 30-06 with heavy 200+ grain for grizzlies, since apparently many people can't shoot a heavier recoiling rifle well, quotes below:
www.adfg.alaska.gov
"The rifle you bring hunting should be one with which you are comfortable. Because of the presence of brown and grizzly bears, many hunters have been convinced that a .300, .338, .375, or .416 magnum is needed for personal protection and to take large Alaska game. This is simply not true. The recoil and noise of these large cartridges is unpleasant at best and plainly painful to many shooters. It is very difficult to concentrate on shot placement when your brain and body remembers the unpleasant recoil and noise which occurs when you pull the trigger on one of the big magnums."
"The two most common complaints of professional Alaska guides are hunters who are not in good physical condition and hunters who cannot accurately shoot their rifles. Because these hunters do not practice enough they cannot shoot accurately enough. They miss their best chance at taking their dream animal or worse yet, they wound and lose an animal. Most experienced guides prefer that a hunter come to camp with a .270 or .30-06 rifle they can shoot well rather than a shiny new magnum that has been fired just enough to get sighted-in. If you are going to hunt brown bear on the Alaska Peninsula or Kodiak Island, a .30-06 loaded with 200- or 220-grain Nosler® or similar premium bullet will do the job with good shot placement. Only consider using a .300, .338 or larger magnum if you can shoot it as well as you can the .30-06."
"It is very popular now to purchase large magnum rifles equipped with a muzzle brake. Most muzzle brakes are very effective at reducing recoil. A .375 magnum with a muzzle brake recoils much like a .30-06. Before convincing yourself that you should use a muzzle-braked rifle, consider its disadvantages. A muzzle-brake increases the muzzle blast and noise to levels that quickly damage the ear."
Interestingly though, Alaska Fish and Game actually officially recommends a 30-06 with heavy 200+ grain for grizzlies, since apparently many people can't shoot a heavier recoiling rifle well, quotes below:
Firearms and Ammunition for Hunting in Alaska, Alaska Department of Fish and Game
Information on hunting and trapping in Alaska.
"The rifle you bring hunting should be one with which you are comfortable. Because of the presence of brown and grizzly bears, many hunters have been convinced that a .300, .338, .375, or .416 magnum is needed for personal protection and to take large Alaska game. This is simply not true. The recoil and noise of these large cartridges is unpleasant at best and plainly painful to many shooters. It is very difficult to concentrate on shot placement when your brain and body remembers the unpleasant recoil and noise which occurs when you pull the trigger on one of the big magnums."
"The two most common complaints of professional Alaska guides are hunters who are not in good physical condition and hunters who cannot accurately shoot their rifles. Because these hunters do not practice enough they cannot shoot accurately enough. They miss their best chance at taking their dream animal or worse yet, they wound and lose an animal. Most experienced guides prefer that a hunter come to camp with a .270 or .30-06 rifle they can shoot well rather than a shiny new magnum that has been fired just enough to get sighted-in. If you are going to hunt brown bear on the Alaska Peninsula or Kodiak Island, a .30-06 loaded with 200- or 220-grain Nosler® or similar premium bullet will do the job with good shot placement. Only consider using a .300, .338 or larger magnum if you can shoot it as well as you can the .30-06."
"It is very popular now to purchase large magnum rifles equipped with a muzzle brake. Most muzzle brakes are very effective at reducing recoil. A .375 magnum with a muzzle brake recoils much like a .30-06. Before convincing yourself that you should use a muzzle-braked rifle, consider its disadvantages. A muzzle-brake increases the muzzle blast and noise to levels that quickly damage the ear."
Salmonchaser
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My dad shot at least 8, starting in 1959, with an 06. I was young so only got in on a couple of those. He always thought the 06 was plenty of rifle. He shot a big one with his sheep rifle, .264 WM. As the story goes things got a little western and he would always finish the story with “I shouldn’t have started that fight”
What can't the .06 do? mtmuley
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