308 enough for brown/polar bear?

[marksman1941]

Very true, I have seen the same thing, only caveat is I have seen every duck gun I have hunted with or around fail to fire or get a jammed shell that won't extract at some point pumps just as often as semiautomatic. Only failure my browning has had was bad ammo-probably got wet. I have even short stroked my ol 870.

I have had more failures in my 870 than my stoeger m3k. The 870 Will occasionally decide it doesn't want to eject, period, and the only recourse is to spike it into the ground. Meaning, grab the slide with both hands and slam the shotgun butt first, barrel straight up, on the ground. That will break it loose and eject the shell. No clue why this happens. My stoeger has only jammed when I've put low quality ammo in it. I wouldn't trust either for a dangerous game backup though. If you don't hold an inertia shotgun tight to your shoulder it will short stroke, and that's a major problem if you're in a defensive situation

 

[marksman1941]

I would be interested, if you try them, to know how well they shoot. He switched to Speer and we lost touch with each other.

I loaded up heavily on the speers, so unless I stumble across someone willing to send me 10 interlocks for testing purposes I probably won't have to buy bullets for this gun for a while. Unless of course terminal performance in the speers is sub par. Then I may resume the search. I do have 260 accubonds that shoot well, albeit a bit slow, so those are a solid second choice for me.

 

[liber]

I would use 8.6 blackout for black bear, but considering this thread is for brown and polar bear, those are much bigger game. 8.6 blackout in supersonic is devastating. Even in subsonic it's devastating if one can get close enough.

I do use 308 and like it, but it wouldn't be my first choice for brown or polar bears.

 

[Arken7mm]

I would use 8.6 blackout for black bear, but considering this thread is for brown and polar bear, those are much bigger game. 8.6 blackout in supersonic is devastating. Even in subsonic it's devastating if one can get close enough.

I do use 308 and like it, but it wouldn't be my first choice for brown or polar bears.

I've been researching 458 socom 350gr to 500gr hard cast in the AR15 platform the last week. It's ballistics are similar to 45/70.

Tromix and Wilson Combat make AR15's in multiple barrel lengths chambered for 458 socom.

11 rounds of 458 S in a lightweight semi-auto.

On Buffalobore's website the owner of BB posted how he has successfully used 458 socom to take down large game over 2,000lb pounds. Over 5 feet of penetration. They never recovered a bullet despite the angle of the animal.

 

[kgarrett]

I've been researching 458 socom 350gr to 500gr hard cast in the AR15 platform the last week. It's ballistics are similar to 45/70.

Tromix and Wilson Combat make AR15's in multiple barrel lengths chambered for 458 socom.

11 rounds of 458 S in a lightweight semi-auto.

On Buffalobore's website the owner of BB posted how he has successfully used 458 socom to take down large game over 2,000lb pounds. Over 5 feet of penetration. They never recovered a bullet despite the angle of the animal.

A huge step up from a 308, and in the smaller/lighter AR15 platform rather than the AR10

 

[enzo9]

308 is more than capable. Especially in semi auto platform. A nice sling would be a must for me though.

 

[Marky_mark]

I've killed a polar bear, and multiple grizzlys
Even had a grizzly steal my mountain goat 2 weeks ago
Good luck with your ar with any sort of caliber or bullet
If it jams your going to die a horrible death

 

[sloone]

Have any of you ever taken a brown bear or polar bear with a 308 rifle? Is 308 enough for those size dangerous game? I'm more referring to a defensive gun to stop a charge instead of a long range hunting rifle.

I've read stories and reports that the Danish govt has soldiers on Greenland that have used 308 rifles and 10mm hand guns successfully against polar bears for years.

I was thinking about a 308 semi-auto rifle that can hold at least 20+ rounds like the AK M77, Scar 17 or HK G3/PTR style rifles where you can fire off more rounds quicker than a bolt action or Marlin lever gun.

Ammo? Barnes TSX/TTSX, Swift A-Frame?

its your life,i treasure mine.if backed up by a guide with a 416 or larger shooting 350 or 400 grain bullets go for it.stopping a angry bear coming for you it would take a miracle and luck beyond imagination.

 

[sloone]

also a shotgun shooting lead is not even close to a educated choice on big brown or polar bears.again just a personal position.

 

[AussieWriter]

I have found that the 200gn Accubond shoots quite well in the .308 cartridge. That or the heavier 200gn and 220gn Partitions would adequately register your disapproval of their presence.

 

[AussieWriter]

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.

I have one of those Gen 1 DPMS LR308's and your mate is spot on. It loves Federal Blue Box and puts them just under the half inch. I wouldn't consider its erganomics ideal for Alaska though.

 

[98s1lightning]

Nothing carries or handles like a lever action, I would pass on a semi myself wouldn't risk a jam.

I got to wonder though, Alaska is tough weather and I have had lever action tube mags freeze up in Maine, similar weather but not as brutal

My lesson is all rifles need water kept out of them, I suppose some kind of scabbard? Then you have access problems. Yes I agree rifles always close by and ready for bear along with side arms. But how do you keep water out of a ready gun in the wilderness. A leather scabbard will suck up water and/or freeze.
Revolvers get full of water and freeze unless in flap holsters.
Bolt actions take snow and water and freeze.
I don't have the answers, but real life conditions in a snowy climate are brutal.

In no particular order:
Stainless 30-06 or larger
Ruger Bolt rifles
1886 45-70
M71 348win
(though the 348 might be on the small side of horsepower, I lung shot a black bear and blew it off its feet and it still ran off 15 yards. This shows shot placement is key to CNS if its an attacking animal. Head/brain/spine.....A body shot probly leave you dead. You need instant stopping.)

I wouldn't personally WANT to shoot a Big Bear with a 30-06 but I'm 155lbs, I can't make good hits with ANY MORE recoil than what those sporter rifles give. And long actions don't fit me so it would maybe be a 300wsm.
What do they have on the shelf for amo available where your going....won't help if you can't buy what your rifle takes unless you brought all your reloading stuff or plenty of ammo....what if you forgot ammo though...

Like many people have commented, the locals know what works
I wouldn't argue w a guy who shoots big bears for a living w a 270 but I don't know these people

Scopes can be a pain in winter conditions too, and not good for really close encounters

 

[98s1lightning]

Confidence and Practice; with the most horsepower reliable rifle you can hit small fast moving targets with