Advice on load selection for a new bear hunter

[RYEWSKY25284]

I went bear hunting for the very first time in the mountains of SC. On the last day I caught a glimpse of a bear through a laurel thicket and I'm hooked. I am currently in the process of building a rifle for whitetails. It is a blueprinted 700 action on a 20 inch Proof Sendero Light 1:8 with a Timney trigger bedded in an AG Composites stock. 7mm-08. My original plan was to load 140 grain Accubonds around 2900 fps. Now I'm thinking 160 grain Partitions at around 2600-2700 fps. Where i hunt 90% of the time you can't see 80 yards although there is potential for 200 yard shots. Advice, please.

Wow, what luck..... I've hunted bear quite a few times and the only ones that I've seen was because I was using dogs and those bears got shot.
I'm thinking that if you saw a bear, that Bear was hunting you and got spooked.
JMHO
Stay safe out there.

But to answer the question. 44 mag pistol with 300 gr soft points and with the 7-08 I'd use a 180 gr round nose.

 

[ofbandg]

7-08 with a 160 Partitions is an excellent combo for black bear, and it sounds like your rifle will be handy enough for hunting them in the deep woods. Personally, I wouldn't put anything more than a 1 - 4 or 1.5 - 5 power scope on the rifle just to keep it handy.

 

[willtim]

Thanks. I'm going to put a Leupold VX5HD 2-10 with the Firedot. I really like the illuminated reticle in the dark woods.

 

[wwbrown]

Thanks. I'm going to put a Leupold VX5HD 2-10 with the Firedot. I really like the illuminated reticle in the dark woods.

Good choice on the 2 power on the low end and an illuminated reticle, I think the choice of a scope is more important than the bullet. Black bears are easy to kill if you can see the bear clear enough to place the bullet properly, a great bullet in a bad spot may have you tracking little bits of blood here and there throughout the night.

 

[Fedwell]

View attachment 306260

I killed a 500# Bear with one shot. 2506 117 Hornaday Broke both front sholders.

 

[HRM Johnny]

@Fedwell Excellent job sir. Congratulations.

 

[Fedwell]

Good choice on the 2 power on the low end and an illuminated reticle, I think the choice of a scope is more important than the bullet. Black bears are easy to kill if you can see the bear clear enough to place the bullet properly, a great bullet in a bad spot may have you tracking little bits of blood here and there throughout the night.

Plus there aint nothin worse than a ****t-off Bear