Bullet selection for close range black bear

[Red-Team 98]

The 45/70 Marlin with 350gr Speer FN and 48.0 of IMR 4198 is excellent for black Bear over bait. Add a good scope 1.5x5 Leupold is my preferred scope for low light conditions.

The 308 Win is excellent suggest a good bullet like a 180gr Round Nose for good energy transfer at close range. Hornady 180gr RN has always served me well on the bear stand. I kinda like 18” to 20” barrels for stand hunting.

 

[Don Fischer]

In 2018 a hunter in PA took a 679# black bear at 5 yds with a 357 magnum.

Big deaal. Couple years ago a woman in Alaska took one with a 9mm! In fact an indian woman in Canada shot the present #2 grizzly with a 22 long from a single shot rifle! Over the years I have developed the idea that bigger is better, especially on close shots. Two things penetrate, velocity and weight. Cut down on velocity and raise the weight!

 

[Don Fischer]

I have two .308 rifles, but neither likes 180-grain bullets. That was also why I moved up to the .338, which is happy with every 200 grainer I've used except for PowerShoks.

Don Fischer, I've had two bear camp operators tell me they don't like the 7mm rem mag for black bear. I don't know why, because they seemed to think 7mm-08 was ok.

I would suspect it's the velocity difference. The greater velocity of the 7mm mag is liable to tear up a bullet much sooner than the 7mm-08.

 

[Red-Team 98]

Big deaal. Couple years ago a woman in Alaska took one with a 9mm! In fact an indian woman in Canada shot the present #2 grizzly with a 22 long from a single shot rifle! Over the years I have developed the idea that bigger is better, especially on close shots. Two things penetrate, velocity and weight. Cut down on velocity and raise the weight!

The several bears taken with 9mm but required a lot of shots. Yes the man shot the Grizzly in the eye socket with a 22 LR. Yes we had one killed with a folding knife a few years ago. I have been around a lot bears here while fishing and always carry a 44 Mag or Glock 20 in 10mm. I have shot near them close to their ear and avoided contact multiple times and I was lucky. My Glock 20 is most carried today with Hardcast bullets 220gr.

 

[Don Fischer]

The several bears taken with 9mm but required a lot of shots. Yes the man shot the Grizzly in the eye socket with a 22 LR. Yes we had one killed with a folding knife a few years ago. I have been around a lot bears here while fishing and always carry a 44 Mag or Glock 20 in 10mm. I have shot near them close to their ear and avoided contact multiple times and I was lucky. My Glock 20 is most carried today with Hardcast bullets 220gr.

I never recommend a handgun. Biggest reason is I'm not a very good shot with a handgun. I think expecting a 9mm to protect you from a bear is a fools though but it has been proved it will work sometimes and is certainly better than nothing. Min in a handgun I'd think would be a 44 mag. Shot one with cast bullet's years ago but think jacketed bullets might be a lot better. Shot ont with 240gr jacketed one time and that will never happen again!

 

[Red-Team 98]

I never recommend a handgun. Biggest reason is I'm not a very good shot with a handgun. I think expecting a 9mm to protect you from a bear is a fools though but it has been proved it will work sometimes and is certainly better than nothing. Min in a handgun I'd think would be a 44 mag. Shot one with cast bullet's years ago but think jacketed bullets might be a lot better. Shot ont with 240gr jacketed one time and that will never happen again!

A lot of shooters don’t realize Hard Cast bullets don’t expand very much. They are made to penetrate! So shoulder blades and skulls are the target on bears. We never use HP on Bear in Alaska. The Sierra FPJ in 190gr in 10mm and 250gr in 44 mag was a favorite jacket bullet that offered some expansion but good penetration. The 250gr FPJ was loaded by Federal Gold Medal Match but has since been discontinued. A most excellent load in the 44 mag for Bear protection. In Alaska every year you have lower 48 arrive to hunt and fish and bring their 9mm to the field not knowing better.

 

[CorkyM]

.30-06 220 grain in the Remington 760, .44 REM Mag. in the Marlin 1894.

 

[Red-Team 98]

.30-06 220 grain in the Remington 760, .44 REM Mag. in the Marlin 1894.

Yes 30-06 and 220gr glad you mentioned growing up in western NC brushy mountains we had a local bear hunter (Charlie Sanders) had a Older Rem 760 carbine in 30-06 all he used were Rem 220gr RN for Bear he killed probably over hundred bear in his life from all over NC.

 

[Red-Team 98]

My reflex response to this question is that you need a 350 gr Hornady Interlock flat point at about 1900 fps from a Marlin lever gun, but then I looked at the gun you're using, and I don't think we're so far apart philosophically. In my non-expert opinion, either of the Nosler bullets would work fine. You seem to be worried that a 250 lb. bear is not big enough for the Partition, but if they regularly encounter 400 pounders, I would load up some Partitions and bring home some bear meat.

QQ

I have a huge boar black bear mounted in my living room that I used a Marlin 45/70 and 350gr Hornady RN with 51.8 of RL7 to harvest. Great load for Grizzly or Black Bear since I have changed bullets to Speer 350gr FN and the same load with even better bullet weight retention….a very good bullet

 

[Rickt300]

I can't say that there is a better short range bear gun out there than your 9.3x57. I have killed two nuisance bears and one while actually hunting them. Both nuisance bears were killed with a 30-30 using 150 grain Speer flat noses, one head shot and the other shot in the neck. Both were killed under somewhat exciting conditions. The bear I killed while actually bear hunting I used a 200 grain Nosler Partition probably going only 2300 fps out of my 18 inch barrel. This one was facing away from me and below me. I hit him in the spine between the shoulder blades and he only lived long enough to make a very sad sound. That bullet did exit. Neither of the bullets from the 30-30 exited but made instantly dead bears. If I were to go back to Washington state to hunt Black bears again I would use a light 308 or 7-08 and feel well armed.

 

[Red-Team 98]

I used my 30-30 Win 94 Carbine a 1954 model exclusively for Black Bear growing up in NC in the 70’s my favorite load 170gr Silvertip……..I still have my rifle and only 1 box of Slivertips left. I have added quite a few boxes of Federal Prem with 170gr NP.

 

[RKstillhunt'n]

Got a bear hunt booked in N Ontario for spring of 2023. Booked a small outfitter that only hunts 1 week in spring and fall. They average 225lb boars but take a 350-400lb bear each week. So theres a decent chance at getting a shot at a big bear. Avg boreal thick cover, where shots will be close.

Before everyone starts with the "I use my .22 rimfire every year to shoot black bears".... I know bears aren't particularly hard to kill, but looking at going into this with the same mentality we do hunting hogs in thick swamps: 2 holes are better than 1, big holes leave better trails, and the shorter the trail the better. I already have a rifle that is ideal for big game in thick cover. The scope is ideal for low light shooting as well.

Looking at taking my rifle I use for hogs over bait. Light, handy, 9.3x57 mauser with 1-4 illuminated scope and german #4 reticle. Should be a perfect setup for bear over bait too.

I've been shooting 250 gr nosler accubonds @2350 fps. They've been great, but I've recovered a couple from some heavy quartering shots on big boars ( 200lb plus, quartering away, bullets under skin on far side of shield). A friend used this rifle on December hunt and shot a big boar that was trotting at 100 yards. Hit him quartering away, right in front of the ham. It stopped somewhere before the diaphram, but we didnt recover it. Boar dropped at the shot. When he got to him, the boar stood up and charged. Hit him again at 10 feet and dropped him in his tracks. I was really impressed the 1st shot stopped him where he was with its poor placement, even if he had to hit him again.

I have some PPU 285 gr round nose standard cup and core bullets I can load to 2150 fps or so. I tested 1 of these on hogs last week. Had to finish a 150lb boar someone else shot that was laying down. Bullet entered the bottom of the jaw and drove into the brain cavity. Completely came apart and didnt exit top of skull. It was alot of bone at full muzzle velocity, but apparently these bullets are soft even at this slow speed.

I also took some 285 gr nosler partitions. I am concerned about partitions expanding and size of the wound channel at this slower speed. I shot 2 small hogs and the bullets expanded. But I hit solid bone on both, so I'm not sure it was a good test. Penetration should definitely be the highest with the partitions, but his bullet is made for BIG game and I'm concerned with performance on 250lb animals.

So to recap, I know there is no wrong answer here. All 3 will do the job. Just looking for some input from guys that shoot bears in thick cover regularly. Always been a good shot on game and know shot placement is critical, but I want to be prepared to take a quartering shot on a big boar if that's all that's presented and be confident the bullet will shatter bone to reach the vitals if it needs to.

Which bullet would you guys recommend?

Photos are 9.3x57 285 PPU and 250 Nosler Accubond next to 30-06. My 9.3 husqvarna. And typical blood I've seen from this round. Yet to have to track anything I've shot with this rifle.

Low velocity 45.70 SP

Got a bear hunt booked in N Ontario for spring of 2023. Booked a small outfitter that only hunts 1 week in spring and fall. They average 225lb boars but take a 350-400lb bear each week. So theres a decent chance at getting a shot at a big bear. Avg boreal thick cover, where shots will be close.

Before everyone starts with the "I use my .22 rimfire every year to shoot black bears".... I know bears aren't particularly hard to kill, but looking at going into this with the same mentality we do hunting hogs in thick swamps: 2 holes are better than 1, big holes leave better trails, and the shorter the trail the better. I already have a rifle that is ideal for big game in thick cover. The scope is ideal for low light shooting as well.

Looking at taking my rifle I use for hogs over bait. Light, handy, 9.3x57 mauser with 1-4 illuminated scope and german #4 reticle. Should be a perfect setup for bear over bait too.

I've been shooting 250 gr nosler accubonds @2350 fps. They've been great, but I've recovered a couple from some heavy quartering shots on big boars ( 200lb plus, quartering away, bullets under skin on far side of shield). A friend used this rifle on December hunt and shot a big boar that was trotting at 100 yards. Hit him quartering away, right in front of the ham. It stopped somewhere before the diaphram, but we didnt recover it. Boar dropped at the shot. When he got to him, the boar stood up and charged. Hit him again at 10 feet and dropped him in his tracks. I was really impressed the 1st shot stopped him where he was with its poor placement, even if he had to hit him again.

I have some PPU 285 gr round nose standard cup and core bullets I can load to 2150 fps or so. I tested 1 of these on hogs last week. Had to finish a 150lb boar someone else shot that was laying down. Bullet entered the bottom of the jaw and drove into the brain cavity. Completely came apart and didnt exit top of skull. It was alot of bone at full muzzle velocity, but apparently these bullets are soft even at this slow speed.

I also took some 285 gr nosler partitions. I am concerned about partitions expanding and size of the wound channel at this slower speed. I shot 2 small hogs and the bullets expanded. But I hit solid bone on both, so I'm not sure it was a good test. Penetration should definitely be the highest with the partitions, but his bullet is made for BIG game and I'm concerned with performance on 250lb animals.

So to recap, I know there is no wrong answer here. All 3 will do the job. Just looking for some input from guys that shoot bears in thick cover regularly. Always been a good shot on game and know shot placement is critical, but I want to be prepared to take a quartering shot on a big boar if that's all that's presented and be confident the bullet will shatter bone to reach the vitals if it needs to.

Which bullet would you guys recommend?

Photos are 9.3x57 285 PPU and 250 Nosler Accubond next to 30-06. My 9.3 husqvarna. And typical blood I've seen from this round. Yet to have to track anything I've shot with this rifle.

45.70 SP low velocity