Bear calibers

[220yotekiller]

OOOOOk guys, I have made a few conclusions about black bear hunting.
1) Black bears are seriously under rated.
2) They live in hell holes.
So my family and friends have spent a lot of time hunting black bears, with marginal success I might add. I have either seen or heard of from close friends, 3 out of 5 bears that have been hit have gotten away. I think that much of the problem is the calibers being used. Most of my friends and I used to shoot between 25 to 270 calibers. As of late we have been trading up to 7 Rem Mags.
I spent a very long evening last night on my hands and knees helping a close friend look for a bear that had been shot with a 257 Weatherby with a Barnes 100 triple shock bullet. I trailed him about 150 yards, a drop of blood about every 10 yards of so.
I have come to my opinion that to hunt black bears effectively is use a bare minimum of a 7mm Rem Mag. But I am seriously thinking of buying a 338 Win Mag or a 375 H and H. Anyone who have been actually successful with killing bears have an opinion?

 

[Nostromo]

I think you would be fine with a 7mm Rem Mag. I use a 30/06.

In the past I had a blood tracking dog that I used for deer and bears. Most bears that went a ways had been shot too far back. I think sometimes guys will shoot them like they shoot deer. Also, black bears can washout the crosshairs and make your shot wander of the mark.

Even severely mangled bears who are not fatally hit will cover a lot of ground. That they seem to stop bleeding is very bothersome/weird. Breaking the front shoulder and I mean shoulder not the leg. Will pretty much anchor a bear and give you a chance for a second shot.

None of this is meant to dissuade you from buying either a .338 or a .375.

 

[Werty]

Marksmanship is need more so than caliber!

 

[D4570]

A 6mm will easily kill a bear. BUT like you say, Likely you will be tracking it down into places you DON'T want to go.
I'm hoping for the bear's sake the new queen caliber 6.5 Creedmoor won't be used...
I think a 3006 caliber/ 7mm mag is the norm and minimum. Shooting over bait is different lesser guns are plenty. A 338 Lapua may be a bit over as is a 416, but what the heck If you have one why not. A 375 H&H or an 8mm rem mag in my mind is about perfect, followed by a 45/70 not trap door loads, 444, 450, or 12 gauge slug.

 

[Deleted member 20812]

Sounds like a marksmanship issue to me. I’ve shot bears with a 223 and watch them fold up about 10 steps later.

 

[Buffs35]

.300 wby, good for prairie dogs thru yeti.

 

[Dan O]

This time of year a bear will stop leaving a blood trail quickly due to the layer of fat building up for the winter. If you do not break down the shoulders you will have a tracking job. Just saw a black bear this evening and it was getting pretty chubby. I think if he was shot a blood trail would be minimal at best.
Break down the shoulders and you won't need to track him.

Dan

 

[AvidIndoorsman]

1 with a .270, 3 with a .264, none of them went more than few steps.

Bear anatomy is different than deer.

 

[howl]

Finishing the Job: Shot Placement on Bear – Bowhunting.Net

bowhunting.net

 

[Sask hunter]

Bears hit properly usually go 20-30 yards they aren’t tough unless not hit properly. 338 is an excellent gun and my go to for bear

 

[Fullquiver]

I've seen plenty killed with 30-30s and broadheads and well shot black bear seldom travel near 100 yards. Most less than 50. Shot placement sounds more like the problem than caliber..

Either poor understanding of the anatomy or just shitty shooting would be where I drop the blame here.. Either one of which or both can be remedied..

 

[GlockZ]

270 & up is a good start. But as some have posted, many have been taken with a 243 with no issues. Blood tracking can be an issue in the fall especially, because a bear starts putting on a lot of fat for the winter, which, incidentally ends up plugging the hole that a hunter just put there, also the fur can be deceiving as well. I think most don't realize how long the hairs can get on a black bear and aim lower than necessary and end up with either a miss or a non vital hit.

 

[dgc1963]

IM no expert but one thing I do know many of us deer n elk hunters have an issue with bears taking a shot behind the front shoulder cause its what we have trained our self to do many videos even show this if you look at bear anatomy vs deer youd be gut shooting a deer where you want to hit a bear
Ive taken 3 bears here in Pa with my bow all 15 to 20 yrds if you take out a bears lungs they dont go far but they do seem to run full out untill they expire and if you only get 1 lung they can cover a lot of ground ,they dont bleed due to fat n hair
the thought is shoot the middle of the middle between the legs
I think it maybe more shot placement than caliber

 

[slatebuilder]

These are the bears I have personally seen killed, all Pennsylvania fall bears.

243 100 gr nosler partition, hand loaded. Recovered bullet just under hide on the exit side. 300ish live weight per pa game commission. Bang flop

7mm08 140 partition, federal premium factory load. Again bullet recovered just under the hide on exit side. 340ish live weight.
Bang flop

308 150 Hornady, Interlock factory loaded American whitetail ammo. Pass through, 25-30 yards and he piled up. 400live weight. The bear didn’t get the memo that these were whitetail bullets

3006 180 grain Remington core lokt factory loads. Pass through. Bang flop. 350 live weight.

50 caliber flintlock 70 grains of 2f with a patched round ball. Pass through 50 yards or so and a pile up. 250ish live weight.

It’s all about shot placement and bullet selection. Those partitions are dam hard to beat on game, especially with lighter cartridges.

@JLS what bullets did you use in your 223 for the bears you killed with it? Our rifle deer and bear seasons overlap and sometimes we carry 223’s with partitions for deer. Never have had a poke at a bear with that set up though.

 

[Pmacc60]

1 with a .270, 3 with a .264, none of them went more than few steps.

Bear anatomy is different than deer.

That is a very true point and most likely the most pertinent . Understanding a bears kill zone. Good bullet construction and energy with knowledge of anatomy equals dead bear.

 

[Gunner46]

Yes, black bears are not all that hard to kill, BUT, you have to be able to find them after the shot, no matter how well placed. Thick hair, tough muscle, and fat plug a wound hole pretty effectively. So, I've opted for the route of wanting 2 holes....2 Large holes. A magnum isn't really required. Any 308, X57, or '06 class round is just dandy. But think along the lines of a 338 Fed, 338/06, 358 Win, 35 Whelen, 9.62, or even 45/70, any 20 or 12 Ga slug and 44Mag (if bait hunting).

I flipped a 525# bear 270 degrees in mid-air using a 200gr .338 @ 2650fps. Total distance the bear traveled?.... I'd guess about 3' up @ over before he landed where he was standing when I took the shot.

 

[dan valasek]

I like my 300 win mag. I did shoot one years ago with a compound bow through the heart that only went 25 yards. Like many others have said , its about shot placement.

 

[Don Fischer]

Not only about shot placement but also about bullet construction. Light fast bullet get's torn apart to easily and greatly limits the target areas. Heavier tuffer bullet at slower speed stays together better and penetrates without breaking up the bullet. Two things penetrate, speed and weight. But if the bullet doesn't handle the speed to well you on the verge of failure. Bear I shot in Montana years ago I hit in the chest face on with a 140gr Sierra from a 7mm Rem Mag. bullet went in and blew about 4" hole in the fat and never made it inside. Bullet was not a good choice but back then I though magnums could do miracles! They don't, proper bullet's and well placed shot's do! Indian woman in Canada at one time had the #1 grizzly in the world. She shot it with a single shot 22 RF and a 22 long bullet. She knew exactly where to shoot it the let the bullet do its job. I would never attempt such a stunt but to her it wasn't a stunt, just life!

Were I going bear hunting today it would probably be my 30-06 and a 200gr bullet and no shot much over 100yds. I say 100 yds as there is a huge difference between a wounded bear and a wounded deer!

 

[rlmmatt]

Ive shot and killed 5 of them 4 with a 30,30 1 with a 460. All were shot behind the ear or in the head and all dropped like a rock with the first shot.
Shot placement is important. Ive never aimed at the vitals. Go for the head and neck and its lights out.

 

[rlmmatt]

And yes your right they all were in hell holes where you normally wouldnt want to go