308 enough for brown/polar bear?

[bfarms]

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

 

[Arken7mm]

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.

Wow! Great story, thank for sharing.

I have a friend who has a 375 Ruger bolt-action. I'll practice with it but I have my doubts with a bolt-action.

 

[HARPERC]

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.

Time to tip over matters

 

[comfisherman]

When one bear post dies, another rises from the ashes like a short bus phoenix...

 

[marksman1941]

I'm have Zero experience with bears, but lots with ar10's.

From the firearm side, a semi auto 308 that you have vetted, tested and trained with is reliable and quick to deploy. Rounds on target with come much faster with that than a bolt or lever gun.

Carrying an ar10 in a hunting situation is annoying. Single point (front hanging) slings are about the only comfortable way to carry one, just due to the shape. This isn't something I've found conducive to hiking for long distances.

I would expect (again no experience) that a close range impact from a hard bonded bullet like a trophy bonded bear claw or a swift a frame would do the job, especially if you can stack 5 of them into the bear.

 

[FEENIX]

Yes!!! Definitely use fmj if you go that route

At this point, I agree!

 

[kgarrett]

To summarize this bear thread, like many others. Pick a reliable, ergonomic rifle you are familiar with in the largest cartridge and caliber you can accurately shoot. It will be carried a lot more than fired.

A 308 semiauto would be ok. For my money, I'd go with a 375 Ruger in one of rugers bolt actions with a 20" barrel. If I insisted upon a semiauto, I'd consider a Benelli R1 or Browning BAR in 30/06, or 338 WM. FWIW, I just bought my first DG rifle - a Blaser R8 in 375 H&H. Planning on a Cape buffalo hunt in the next 2-3 years, so I've spent a lot of time pondering this and considering the options lately.

EDIT: I like to take care of my guns, but if I needed a carry everywhere, beat the crap out of it rifle to take everywhere for bear protection it would probably be a Ruger Guide gun or similar. The Blaser is great, but it's too expensive for a 'utility rifle'.

 

[BigDon]

Amen!

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.

On the other hand - if the 308 is all you have and all you want -- go for it. Just load it properly and practice. I have a Ruger Scout Rifle in 308 that would be the ticket in this application. But it still wouldn't be my first choice - except among 308's

 

[comfisherman]

I'll try for a less sarcastic answer, however let the record be known I'm now pulling for the bears... since at least mid 22'.

Walmart up here has a mossberg stainless 375 ruger for mid to upper 400s, dunno if it's stainless or just cerakote but doesn't really matter. Box of ammo is around 90 bucks at the same spot, swing by and grab a small container of loc tite.

Take an object about the size of a pie plate and staple it to a box at about 50 yards, bench the first 5 rounds to get on target and then loc time the iron sights in place. Try to hit the plate offhand with your first shot with a break in between for about 5 shots. Save the remaining 10 for follow up practice and to have in the gun. All in your under 600, now you get to practice bear hygiene, wanna really go wild grab 2x boxes of ammo and practice first shot drills all day.

Bear past 50 yards isn't your problem, practice making noise and being in places and times bears won't be. Your second shot is a lot less critical than your first, pie plate at 50 on a charging bear will likely have to do. One of the recent bear maulings here involved high rates of fire from a lesser cartridge, some of which ended up in the victim... make one big boom that's consequential.

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.

 

[FEENIX]

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.

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.

 

[comfisherman]

Well your initial boom wasn't exactly 375...

Key with the 10mm is keep it outta your leg.... or at least someone learned it this summer.