Here's a video of a 308 150gr FMJ penetrating 4 steel plates and damaging 6 steel plates in total. I would assume that would break bear and moose bone?
Yes!!! Definitely use fmj if you go that route
Here's a video of a 308 150gr FMJ penetrating 4 steel plates and damaging 6 steel plates in total. I would assume that would break bear and moose bone?
Wow! Great story, thank for sharing.Arken I definitely would not use FMJ. Several years ago while fishing at the Russian river for red salmon a guy a few hundred feet up stream of me shot a large sow brown bear with an Ak. 3-4 rounds center mass from 30 feet or so. She ran into the woods svd was later put down by fish and game. This bear was fishing not charging, the guy just got freaked out by how close she was and opened fire. Had she been after him she would have had ample time to do damage as she was still alive several hours later.
The use of a semi auto 308 isn't a bad choice but wouldn't be my first choice. Not even in my top ten. That said I know a guy who lives up in north western Alaska that uses an older DPMS lr308 for everything. Generally with blue box federal loads 150s or 180s. This includes a few big bears, one inside his smokehouse at night from a few feet away. It definitely can work.
My concern is weight and handling. Not to mention I don't generally carry one in the pipe and find a lever or even bolt quicker to rack a shell in than an ar style rifle.
Bears aren't spring loaded behind every tree, if your aware of your surroundings and practice being bear aware you generally will not be surprised by one. Instead of sneaking up on you they generally bluff and bluster a bit trying to intimidate you and can usually be talked out of charging.
I was charged once in a predatory charge. I was sneaking in to a black bear bait site hoping to catch a bear at the barrel when a smaller boar brown bear charged me. Best I can figure was it heard me splashing thru a small spring and didn't know what I was but planned on eating whatever it heard. It came running around the edge of the hill head down all four paws tearing up dirt, I swear it looked like a jack russel chasing a tennis ball. Luckily I was carrying my rifle and was able to light him up with the light mounted to my 375 rum. Between the unexpected bright light and manly screatching he stopped 15-20 feet away. We had a brief stare down until I put a round over its head into a rock wall and he turned inside out sprinting away. It was a pretty nerve wracking walk back out to the truck that night.
Time to tip over mattersArken I definitely would not use FMJ. Several years ago while fishing at the Russian river for red salmon a guy a few hundred feet up stream of me shot a large sow brown bear with an Ak. 3-4 rounds center mass from 30 feet or so. She ran into the woods svd was later put down by fish and game. This bear was fishing not charging, the guy just got freaked out by how close she was and opened fire. Had she been after him she would have had ample time to do damage as she was still alive several hours later.
At this point, I agree!Yes!!! Definitely use fmj if you go that route
This is Actually - the whole point - just how close to the edge do you want to dance? Me? 375 Ruger, 416 Remington. Frankly, nothing else would be on my radar.Amen!
This used to be my mindset when my bear defense was a 6-shot .44 Mag revolver. Now, I have a Glock 40 10MM with 15+1 and 2-15-round mags.If by some miracle you are in north America and need to do polar bear self defense... save a round for yourself... the paperwork and .fed grilling is likely to be worse than a mauling.
You want a bullet that penetrates but also expands well. You want maximum energy dump and as big a wound channel as possible. Remember, this will be under 50 yards, so full velocity. Solids have no place in a stopping round for Bear.I'm leaning towards a 375 Ruger in a Howa or Ruger bolt-action with a 20" inch barrel.
Buffalobore has a 375 Ruger in 270gr TTSX, 300gr TTSX and a Lehigh Defense Solid in 270gr.
For brown bear and polar bear defense is it smart to load alternate rounds? The first round a 270gr TTSX and the second the solid for a follow up shot?
Thank you.You want a bullet that penetrates but also expands well. You want maximum energy dump and as big a wound channel as possible. Remember, this will be under 50 yards, so full velocity. Solids have no place in a stopping round for Bear.