.338 WM too much for Black Bear?

[brentc]

The 338 sounds like the best thing you've got for bears.

As others have said, the .280 will work. However, the .338 will do exactly what the .280 will do, only better. I shoot blackies with a 375 because I want the best possible opportunity for a DRT. If they have the opportunity to run, they can disappear quickly. Plus, I want the added firepower for the brown bear encounters.

 

[wbygunner]

No such thing as too dead. The .338 is a great choice! If you hand load, the 185 grain TSX is flat shooting, light recoiling and is devastating on big game. For factory ammo, if it shoots well in your rifle, the 225 grain AB offering from Federal is tough to beat. Take that .338 and have a great hunt!

Wby

 

[winmag]

I completely agree with the overwhelming opinion, use the .338
Although, as many have stated, both will get the job done, I'm still thoroughly convinced that there is NEVER such thing as "over-guned" and you need to draw some blood with that baby.
One of my good hunting buddies whacked a bear we spotted with a .338 & 225gr Accubonds four years ago. One shot kill. Devastating bullet performance. The bear never took a step, just boom-flop.
I've taken bears with 30 CAL, & 270 CAL rifles, & 44 Mag pistol. All worked just fine, but I wouldn't hesitate to use my .338. Great round.

 

[300grains]

Not too much. A good bear caliber, use preferably bonded bullets.

 

[Guy M]

The .338 is a great cartridge! Why not use it?

A Washington bear hunt last fall was a great excuse for me to use my .375 H&H Number One, with a handloaded 260 gr Nosler Accubond. One shot at just over 300 yards and the bear was down for good. Nothing wrong with using a heavier cartridge than necessary.

Guy

 

[ken snyder]

I do have a helpful concern. It's practice, having a good comfortable relationship with rifle and cartridge. Although a .338 WM does not have much recoil to those that shoot larger cartridges. They can be a poor choice for those who are not more than comfortable with them. An easy way to tell is to have a friend load and hand you the rifle and without telling you when, have him hand you an empty chamber. Have him watch, the barrel should not move during or after the trigger is pulled. If the barrel moves, it is a clear indication that the recoil is being anticipated way too much and that more familiarity is required before hunting with that cartridge. I honestly feel that a person should be efficient with a cartridge and recoil substantially greater than what he chooses to hunt with

 

[winmag]

I do have a helpful concern. It's practice, having a good comfortable relationship with rifle and cartridge. Although a .338 WM does not have much recoil to those that shoot larger cartridges. They can be a poor choice for those who are not more than comfortable with them. An easy way to tell is to have a friend load and hand you the rifle and without telling you when, have him hand you an empty chamber. Have him watch, the barrel should not move during or after the trigger is pulled. If the barrel moves, it is a clear indication that the recoil is being anticipated way too much and that more familiarity is required before hunting with that cartridge. I honestly feel that a person should be efficient with a cartridge and recoil substantially greater than what he chooses to hunt with

You bring up a valid point. Good comment.
If- you can shoot well with it, & are well practiced with your .338, its a great opportunity to use it on your bear hunt. But consider the flip side. You darn sure don't want to miss the trophy of a lifetime due to a flinch or something.
Don't get me wrong, I've messaged back and forth with you over the last couple years, and I have no doubt in your shooting ability. So if I may, my comment is not directed at you specifically, but more as a general statement for other folks who may be in a similar situation and may be reading your thread as well.

 

[cornstalker]

If- you can shoot well with it, & are well practiced with your .338, its a great opportunity to use it on your bear hunt. But consider the flip side. You darn sure don't want to miss the trophy of a lifetime due to a flinch or something.

Or worse yet, a bad hit....

It is your responsibility to shoot well enough to cleanly harvest the animal. Pick the gun you can do that with.

 

[jasonprox700]

Although I am not as familiar with my .338 as I am with my .280, I do not feel that to be a hinderance to me. I have placed quite a few shots downrange with this rifle, from the bench, and from various field positions just to get a better feel for the rifle. I am not recoil shy, however, sitting at a bench shooting this gun does give me a flinch after about 20 rounds. I don't think that I would be alone in this department.

When it comes time for the shot on an animal, again, I am not worried. Not once have I noticed the recoil of a shotgun or rifle while hunting. Well, not until after the shot anyway. Last year, my spring turkey I shot won't be forgotten. I forgot to lean forward away from the tree I was resting my back against and I was shooting 2 ounces of lead from my 3.5" 12 ga. I was black and blue from that experience! Smoked the turkey though!

I do agree with everyone's comments. I feel that you should take the firearm that fits you the best and you are most comfortable with. We owe it to the game we pursue, and our egos. I have 100% confidence in my abilities and the shots I take. I owe this to my time spent reloading, shooting, getting to know my weapons, and my ethics. With that said, I feel I know this gun well enough and am comfortable enough with it that I will be 100% when the time for the shot comes! I just hope I get that opportunity!

 

[huntokanogan]

I have killed many bears with my 270 in years past and it's done a good job. The last two I killed were taken with my 8mm rem mag which should be pretty close to your 338 and I thought it did a fabalous job. not too much damage. bears are tought animals, if you wanted to use a 375 for them it wouldn't be a mistake. I think the onlt mistake you can make on bears is using to little gun. 338? heck ya

 

[huntokanogan]

.......

 

[Southwind]

My good buddy just used a 338 wm on his bear and it performed wonderfully using barnes tsx's

I used my 300wsm with 168 tsx's and it worked great.

Bears do not have thick skin but are tough. I would take your 338 and don't look back.

For whatever it's worth every guided trip I have looked at suggested something 30 cal or larger.

 

[DrMike]

Your 338 WM will work just fine on bear provided you place your shot where it belongs. You don't need a magnum to kill black bear, but you certainly are not overgunned.

 

[jasonprox700]

.338 WM too much for Black Bear? ***WITH PICS***

Well, I found out that the .338 did just fine. On Wednesday night of my hunt, I had a chocolate/blonde bear come in to the bait pile. He popped his head out of the brush a few yards above the bait to check the wind. I shouldered my rifle but I couldn't keep the crosshair on him at 50 yards because I was shaking so bad! He was relaxed so I figured I would let him go to the bait first so I would have time to take a couple of deep breaths and calm my nerves.

He made his way down the hillside so that he could cross the logs that were in his way. In the fading light, I watched him work his way back up the ridge to the bait. By this point, I was able to get my heart rate back down and my breathing normal. I took aim and as soon as he put his head down, I squeezed the trigger. I chambered another round just as he straightened up and tipped over backwards down the hill.

My guide and I found the bear a few minutes later. When a bear rolls down an extremely steep hill/mountain side into thick brush, they can be hard to find, even dead!

He's not a huge bear, but I have no regrets. The guide figured him to be about 200lbs and 3 years old. He is chocolate/brown around his head and shoulders, and blonde on his back. He also has a white patch on his chest. He is at the taxidermist getting tanned and his skull bleached. His coat is in perfect shape with a nice sheen and very thick coat.

As for performance, the .338 and 225gr Accubond performed great. The bear was facing almost straight away from me with a slight quartering to his left. I placed the bullet high behind his shoulder. The bullet passed through some of his chest catching a lung, followed through his neck, and stopped at the base of his skull. It stayed completely in tack. I couldn't be happier.