Best cartridge for black bears?
- Thread starter Newpond0
- Start date
K22-hornet
Active member
A 30-06, with a copper 180gr bullet, will do the job, with proper bullet placement, of course.
I've been using copper, Barnes X, XLC (the blue coated), TSX and now TTSX, since 1992, for all my big game hunting and I use the 45gr XLC in my 22 Hornet for coyotes.
Between my 2 hunting partners, my Dad and his 2 hunting partners, none of us have ever recovered a Barnes bullet, though I could probably find some in coyotes shot with the Hornet, if I were inclined to dig around in the body cavities.
When I started big game hunting in 1970, Nosler Partitions were about all that was out there in a deep penetrating, expanding bullet, but today, we have lot's of great bullets to choose from.
I've been using copper, Barnes X, XLC (the blue coated), TSX and now TTSX, since 1992, for all my big game hunting and I use the 45gr XLC in my 22 Hornet for coyotes.
Between my 2 hunting partners, my Dad and his 2 hunting partners, none of us have ever recovered a Barnes bullet, though I could probably find some in coyotes shot with the Hornet, if I were inclined to dig around in the body cavities.
When I started big game hunting in 1970, Nosler Partitions were about all that was out there in a deep penetrating, expanding bullet, but today, we have lot's of great bullets to choose from.
One thing to seriously consider is where you will be hunting and how you will be hunting.
If your over bait than about anything works, if your doing spot and stalk you'll want a flat shooting rifle like a 6.5cm, 6.5prc, 7 prc ect.... Your 3006 running a 165 Accubond would be outstanding all around choice.
If in grizzly country I personally want a 30cal magnum or up. You simply never know and a big chunk of fast lead is always a much safer bet!!!
Ive only killed 1 bear, just outside North Fork Idaho. I have a custom 300wm running 212ELD X and my bear never took a step, he was on the barrel across the valley at exactly 300yds.
If your over bait than about anything works, if your doing spot and stalk you'll want a flat shooting rifle like a 6.5cm, 6.5prc, 7 prc ect.... Your 3006 running a 165 Accubond would be outstanding all around choice.
If in grizzly country I personally want a 30cal magnum or up. You simply never know and a big chunk of fast lead is always a much safer bet!!!
Ive only killed 1 bear, just outside North Fork Idaho. I have a custom 300wm running 212ELD X and my bear never took a step, he was on the barrel across the valley at exactly 300yds.
Newpond0
Active member
I’m gonna be calling them to the edge of the thick or at least trying. The woods are so thick you cant really walk into them or thru them. Shots will be 60 yards or less as it’s hard to find an opening bigger than 60 yards. No grizzlies here but the black bears have a reputation of being bigger than other parts of North America.
BBK
Active member
Id imagine so, you could have a 10' tall 1500lb kodiak/griz in front of you. Even the "little" black bears up there are massive (300lbs or so average, up to 400lbs).
As compared to say a southeast US black bear at 80-200lbs which is more the size being talked about here.
Bears have a smaller kill zone, they don't have the big lungs of a deer or an elk, bullet placement is more critical. Their hides are not any tougher than deer or elk but the bones are a little heavier. If hunting where the bears don't get very big I'd agree with most of the advice posted above, however if you are potentially hunting big bears I'd want more than a 6mm of any flavor, and even the 6.5's. I've killed bears 6 bears from 70 pounds to giants in the 400+ range. I've used a bow, 44mag lever gun, 270, 300wsm, and 338wm, I'd say they all worked just fine but the big bears absorbed more lead before they went down.
If I was to go bear hunting, any kind of bear, I'd take my 30-06 with min 180gr bullet. It's not that one of my 6'5's couldn't kill a bear it simply that 30 cal gives me a better choice of bullet! If the 338 mag didn't bother me shooting it that would be the way I'd go. Ya need a good selection of bullet's in a cartridge you can shoot well without getting beat up by recoil.
Newpond0
Active member
I think it's bigger bears here. Blueberries grow like weeds here everywhere along with tons and tons of moose and a few caribou too. A show I watched said it's an older species of black bear (I live on an island) that are larger than the average north american bear and they eat a ton of moose and caribou calves. Not many people hunting them either so they get to live a long time in all the thick woods we have
Here's a link to the show if anyone's interested
