Best cartridge for black bears?

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Newpond0

Active member
I have a tikka 30:06 and have been shooting federal copper 180 grain based on I read they leave a nice exit hole and blood trail making it easier to track. On the range they’ve been very accurate as well. What cartridge do/would you guys shoot?
 
I've always been told by the people who know that whatever you're hunting deer with is plenty for a black bear. I carried a 20" 6cm shooting 108gr elite hunters, and I've never wondered if I had enough gun. I'll be carrying that rifle in Idaho in May.
 
Hecouldgoalltheway said:
I've always been told by the people who know that whatever you're hunting deer with is plenty for a black bear. I carried a 20" 6cm shooting 108gr elite hunters, and I've never wondered if I had enough gun. I'll be carrying that rifle in Idaho in May.
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Makes sense. I killed my one and only with a .280 and the wife used her .257 Roberts on her bear. Neither were big ol' pumpkin-headed monsters though.
 
I read some Alaskan bear guides won’t take you unless you got a 30:06 or bigger. A lot of folks showing up with the deer rifles and talking about they’re a great shot and next thing you know things get scary.
 
Guess it depends on the style of hunting you are doing and terrain you are hunting.
Spot and stalk in mountainous terrain where shots could be cross canyon, I'd want a lot more gun than if I was still hunting or even calling where shots will be relatively short.
Of course, shot placement is key regardless. Personally, I want enough horsepower and penitration to break shoulder bones and ideally exit the opposite side. 2 bleeders is better than 1 and that fur can soak up a lot of blood.
Just my opinion from my limited experience.
 
Newpond0 said:
I read some Alaskan bear guides won’t take you unless you got a 30:06 or bigger. A lot of folks showing up with the deer rifles and talking about they’re a great shot and next thing you know things get scary.
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I suspect there's a pretty big difference between the black bears we're talking about here and the bigger brown bears those Alaskan guides and hunters may encounter.
 
Bait them with a picnic basket and swat them with a broom. No hide damage that way.

On a serious note, I have limited experience, having only used a .30-06 and .45-70. But I would be comfortable with about any cartridge suitable for deer with a good controlled expansion bullet. As always, the key is shot placement and enough penetration to reach the vitals. An exit is nice, but bears hit right, don't go far, and die pretty easily.
 
A .35 Whelen would be an excellent choice, having said that, it has been stated many times over that a 30-06 will kill anything on the North American continent.
I hunt deer with a 30- 06 and use 150gr. tips, for bear I'd bump the tips up to 180gr. or more, I've read multiple articles, including a recent article in the Maine Sportsman, that shot placement on a bear is slightly different than on a deer, do some research on that, like others are saying shot placement is critical.
 
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