Favorite BlackBear Caliber

[silvertip]

Right after deer hunting, I enjoy black bear. I hunt in Pa, my home state, Colorado and Canada. Black bear are tough and you don't always get the ideal shot. Very early I learned to stay off the shoulder which can stop or angle a bullet away from the vital area. If only wounded they can pump huge amounts of adrenaline into their system, making them really tough to recover. Would be interested in knowing your personal favorite bear rifle.

[big8's]

well silvertip personally I use a 7 mm mag its good all around caliber for deer bear elk and whatever else ya can think of

[CrossHairs22]

I also hunt bear in PA....i use a 30.06.....havent got a bear as of yet but ive only been hunting them for 2 seasons

[pa_ridgerunner]

The last bear I shot was in Pa & was 472lbs. I used a 375 Rem Ultra mag. Everybody tells me it was a little too much gun but then I hunt deer with a custom 375 Ackley Improved.

[4pointer]

Got 2 bears years ago ,, Both shot with my Rem 700, 270 cal..
It's all about shot placement,, Like anything you hunt..
The first bear dropped in his tracks, 2nd bear went 30 yards ..

[bukmastr]

My favorite caliber comes tipped with a Muzzy broadhead I shot my very 1st bear with a 30-06 and vowed to shoot all the rest with bow. The Gun kill remains my smallest. All of my bears were shot in Wisconsin, but I plan on expanding to Minnasota this fall.

Here is my 1st bear from many many years ago...


Here is the last one I arrowed up in Northern Wisconsin, near Drumlin.


Here is my best bear, a 500 pounder arrowed near Wausau Wisconsin.



The last bear hunt I went on in Wisconsin, I was more the guide than hunter... I took my oldest boy out for his 1st bear hunt when he finally drew a permit. We went up in the Bayfield / Superior area. We ended up with a very close call on a wounded bear, and one hell of a story!

[DEERSLAYER07]

I use a 45-70 if im gunna be on the ground alot. I got a short lever action and its got one hell of a punch. If im up in a tree or hunting a big field 7mm mag its got everything i need.

[DEERSLAYER07]

Got 2 bears years ago ,, Both shot with my Rem 700, 270 cal..
It's all about shot placement,, Like anything you hunt..
The first bear dropped in his tracks, 2nd bear went 30 yards ..

I dont think i would trust a 270 when it comes to bear. I had a buddy of mine shoot an 11 pointer saturday at 30 yards and the bullet never came out droped the deer but we r talkin about a bear now.

[DocHolladay]

Shot placement and bullet selection are the key in taking any wild game.

[DEERSLAYER07]

Not everybody is a sniper. Im dont wanna be hunting on "HOPE". This could turn into a life or death situation

[bg.]

Not everybody is a sniper. Im dont wanna be hunting on "HOPE". This could turn into a life or death situation

With that in mind, use whatever you have that's reliable

Me, I'll use my .303. It's got a 10 shot clip so I can miss all I want.

[DocHolladay]

Not everybody is a sniper. Im dont wanna be hunting on "HOPE". This could turn into a life or death situation

Here's the way I look at it.... I want to be as accurate as my rifle and me can be. If that means making my hunting rifle a sniper rifle, then so be it. I want my 3-5 shot groups(prefer 5 shots) to be as tight as possible out to at least 200yds(I have a .270). If I have a 3" group at 100yds, that equates to a 6" group at 200yds, 12" group at 300yds, etc. If my group is 1" at 100yds, it equates to 2" at 200yds, 4" at 300yds, etc. You see where this is going? Your group sizes doubles each time. I personally want 1" groups or less if at all possible. If you by chance are happy with a 5" group at 100yds, you could miss or worse, wound the animal you shot at at 200yds(10" group). So back to you not wanting to be a sniper when hunting wild game, do what you wish, but dont blame me if you miss or wound the next animal you shoot. I expect that you will reply by telling me how tight your groups are and/or how you havent missed yet....the key word here is YET. It will happen, that's a guarantee.

I dont think i would trust a 270 when it comes to bear. I had a buddy of mine shoot an 11 pointer saturday at 30 yards and the bullet never came out droped the deer but we r talkin about a bear now.

I have read stories of people just like 4-pointer taking bear with a .270, look at Jack O'Connor. If they are comfortable with the caliber in doing its job when placed properly in the kill zone, then it really doesnt matter the caliber size. Plus we are talking about black bear here, not grizzlies. Alot of elk hunters wont shoot an elk with a rifle less than a .30-06, but a .270 will do. As for your buddy's bullet not exiting, all the energy was transferred to the vitals of the deer resulting in a quick, clean kill. But that is another argument altogether.

Sorry for hijacking this thread to talk about shot placement.

[DEERSLAYER07]

Not everybody is a sniper. Im dont wanna be hunting on "HOPE". This could turn into a life or death situation

With that in mind, use whatever you have that's reliable

Me, I'll use my .303. It's got a 10 shot clip so I can miss all I want.

il take my AK-47 2 30 round clips hahaha

[DEERSLAYER07]

I want my gun to be dead on to. But i have times were i can say DAMNIT how did i miss. it happens, I dont no if u have ever been charged by a bear berfor but i have its extremly scary. monday night i was out in the woods and ran up on a cub all i did was pull my gun up and wait to see if momma was around. I dont go in the woods without fire power anymore. i carry a .45 on my hip at all times. I always hunt with 12ga slug gun,7mm mag, or 45-70. i dont wanna be worryed about shot placment if a bear is charging. i wanna blow his head off lol

[DEERSLAYER07]

Not everybody is a sniper. Im dont wanna be hunting on "HOPE". This could turn into a life or death situation

Here's the way I look at it.... I want to be as accurate as my rifle and me can be. If that means making my hunting rifle a sniper rifle, then so be it. I want my 3-5 shot groups(prefer 5 shots) to be as tight as possible out to at least 200yds(I have a .270). If I have a 3" group at 100yds, that equates to a 6" group at 200yds, 12" group at 300yds, etc. If my group is 1" at 100yds, it equates to 2" at 200yds, 4" at 300yds, etc. You see where this is going? Your group sizes doubles each time. I personally want 1" groups or less if at all possible. If you by chance are happy with a 5" group at 100yds, you could miss or worse, wound the animal you shot at at 200yds(10" group). So back to you not wanting to be a sniper when hunting wild game, do what you wish, but dont blame me if you miss or wound the next animal you shoot. I expect that you will reply by telling me how tight your groups are and/or how you havent missed yet....the key word here is YET. It will happen, that's a guarantee.

I dont think i would trust a 270 when it comes to bear. I had a buddy of mine shoot an 11 pointer saturday at 30 yards and the bullet never came out droped the deer but we r talkin about a bear now.

I have read stories of people just like 4-pointer taking bear with a .270, look at Jack O'Connor. If they are comfortable with the caliber in doing its job when placed properly in the kill zone, then it really doesnt matter the caliber size. Plus we are talking about black bear here, not grizzlies. Alot of elk hunters wont shoot an elk with a rifle less than a .30-06, but a .270 will do. As for your buddy's bullet not exiting, all the energy was transferred to the vitals of the deer resulting in a quick, clean kill. But that is another argument altogether.

Sorry for hijacking this thread to talk about shot placement.

No no im not saying my groups are tighter or anything of the sort i sight my gun in the same way u do. Yes i do shoot good but i am no expert shooter if i was id sit a half mile away and shoot him. What im saying is worse case u spook that bear and she has cubs u choosing .270 have now greater ur chances of getting hurt

[taxidermist44]

If I am hunting over bait, I like to use my Browning Gold and a 385 gr. Winchester sabot. If hunting where I can get a 100+ yard shot, I use my 300 Wichester mag.

[alecvg]

i like to use a .270 WIN

[Decker]

Got 2 bears years ago ,, Both shot with my Rem 700, 270 cal..
It's all about shot placement,, Like anything you hunt..
The first bear dropped in his tracks, 2nd bear went 30 yards ..

I dont think i would trust a 270 when it comes to bear. I had a buddy of mine shoot an 11 pointer saturday at 30 yards and the bullet never came out droped the deer but we r talkin about a bear now.

Yeah, I have been a professional bear guide for 10 years and have only ever seen one bear recovered from a .270. That's not saying a whole lot though, as I've seen several bears unaccounted for that were shot at 20 yards or less with calibers that carry the "magnum" certification. I have witnessed numerous bears taken and for the money, I would have to go with either the .300 Weatherby magnum or Ulltra-mag of the same model, either of which shot with a Barnes bullet.

Of course, being an archer of personal choice, I have never recovered an animal that I shot with a bow that went farther than 40 yards, bears included. Don't pretend that you can't kill one with a bow; they fall just as easy with a heart shot as deer do. And it's a whole new game when you are talking about spot and stalk, rather than bait or hounds.

[burhuntin.]

Hi im new to the site. I am an AVID bear moose and deer hunter. Ive been hunting in the woods since i was 6 years old learning from the best.

now in my opinion you are over estimating the black bear. they are extremley smart. but seriously? a 300 magnum? at 30 yrds?

No. if you are still hunting then okay. but i have NEVER had a bear take more then 2 steps after being shot. i shot one with a .308 that weighed 300 lbs.
one with a 44 magnum revolver that was a sow and weighed 200 lbs.
and another with a my muzzloader. made by myself.

im also a bear guides assistant meaning that i chase down bears that terrible bow hunters shoot in the hip or whatever haha.

i have had ONE bear charge me. he weighed 503 lbs and was shot in the neck with an arrow. i shot him 3 times with a 44 magnu mand he died.

but back to the subject: you are overestimating him beacuse he eats meat. hes no bigger then a deer in most instances. hes not a moose. not a grizzly bear. a black bear.
i recommend:
308
30/30
270
12 gauge with 00 buck
243
anything liek that even a 375 even know thats kind of big.
use your deer rifle.
it will do the jub as long as you can shott ecseptionally.

[Bowhunter 400]

Slug gun over bait. 300 win mag or 280 stalking

[dynodon]

I have had great success with a Marlin 336-C .35 Cal. using a 200gr corelok bullet. Rifle is short and quick to handle in heavy brush. It still holds a respectiful shot group at 100yds from a simple bench rest or shooting stix. Typically I can group 1 1/2"

[GMFWoodchuck]

I'd probably just use my .54 rem 700 muzzleloader or my Mossberg 500 12 gauge. Only because that's what I use for deer. I've never seen nor ever heard about any of those monster bears that you some of you guys have seen/shot in my area. But I guess they are small in these parts of New York for now. Not that it matters, I'd take a 500 lb bear with either anyways.

But, I do most of my hunting on my parents farm and my mother says I better not shoot one there other wise she'll ban me from hunting there. So, I'm not going to shoot one anyway just so she is happy. Unless I can prove he was chasing me.......LOL.

[chevychris]

Hey guys, this fall I shot a 330lb. bear from a treestand with a 30/06 180 grain bullet. It was a perfect behind the shoulder shot angling down and exiting the chest taking out both lungs. The bear went only 20 feet and was dead within 30 seconds.

[bearhunter01]

New to the site and was reading how yall bear hunt. In NC were not allowed to bait,But we run dogs and go in with the dogs.We mostly use handguns for bear hunting and most all kills or up close and personal. I use a Ruger super redhawk in 480cal. others use 44mags and S&W 500. As for me my first bear hunt I put 2-44mag rds into a 400+lber at 5yds and he only looked back at me and kept going.So after that I upgraded to a larger cal.This bear took another 2 days before he was taken down by 1 shot from a S&W 500

[matt_3479]

I just got back from bear hunting this afternoon and i took my 7mm rem mag shooting 160 grain accubonds