Alaska Grizzly Bullet Choice

[marksman1941]

The Federal Terminal Ascent is a solid copper base bullet; a later generation Jack Carter Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet. It has higher BC values than the original Jack Carter line of TBBC bullets. I've never shot the Federal Terminal Ascent bullets. IF their terminal performance is similar to the TBBC bullet, it would be my preferred choice.

The TBBC has been my favorite bullet for closer range shots on Alaskan brown bear and moose since 2001. It's what I load and carry in the magazine for bear and camp defense bullets hunting Alaskan animals. It's provided an ideal blend of expansion, weight retention, penetration, and has delivered tremendous knockdown effect. Even wounded, adrenaline-charged brown bear have been stopped cold by TBBC bullets.

Performance on moose has been similarly good.

Because of their lower BC values, the best application of TBBC, Swift A-Frame, and Nosler Partition bullets is closer range use (IMO) . Say within ~200 yards. My experiences with these bullets has been yardages between 50 and 225yds. Specific bullet experience is based on use of 225gr TBBC and 275gr Swift A-Frame 338 caliber bullets. And 160gr TBBC 284 caliber bullets. I do have some 30cal 200gr TBBC bullets, which I exclusively load and carry in my magazines as bear/camp defense bullets in 300 Win Mag and 30 Sherman Mag cartridges. I've never shot a large game animal with them. Not yet...

I have more limited experience with Swift A-Frame bullets on AK brown bear and caribou. Observed very good terminal performance and knockdown energy.

Nosler Partition bullets will shed more weight and give up some depth of penetration on large animals, compared to the TBBC and Swift A-Frame bullets.

If the Federal Terminal Ascent bullets perform similarly to TBBC bullets, my preferred ranking of the bullets you're considering would be Federal Terminal Acent, Swift A-Frame, Nosler Partition.

Having stated this, North Slope grizzly bears and caribou will not be exceptionally large-bodied animals. You wouldn't be handicapped using Nosler Partitions on North Slope grizzly bears.

I'll second this. I haven't hunted big bear, but I've used plenty of Trophy Bonded Tip bullets on smaller game to great success. The TBT is the step in between the TBBC and the TA. Perfect retention and expansion, absolute textbook bullets (when you can find one post shooting. They always exit).

I have a stack of .30 caliber 200gr TBBC's if you'd like to test some out. I primarily load 165gr TBT in my 308 and 30-06, and the 200gr TBBC for my 300 win. For what it's worth, I haven't shot anything with the TBBC, but that is just due to lack of opportunity. The TBT I usually use is the same bullet as the TBBC but with a plastic tip for better BC.

 

[sp6x6]

You need a different guide if 50 is to close.How do you think bowhunters kill them?

 

[memtb]

You need a different guide if 50 is to close.How do you think bowhunters kill them?

This helps assure that the guide gets to shoot a lot of bears during his/her guiding career! memtb

 

[sp6x6]

I know a guy that had one look his way, then he drilled it at 9 yrds,archery

 

[Idaho Lefty]

Deleted post !
Reread post #42 and saw the word, "moving" behind, the 240 yard, shot ( I'd Pass up shot too, IF, bear was,.. moving )

 

[LRNut]

All Great recommendations.
I'm figuring you probably will not be shooting beyond 2 - 250 yds. So I wouldn't be concerned with BC , A-frame, Partition, Trophy Bonded and copper bullets all would be Great choices. 200 to 225gr.
Hope you have a Great Hunt.

Unless you have a relative in AK, you are going to be hunting with a guide - he or she is not going to let you shoot much past 250 yards unless perhaps in open country. I would go with the Swift; I killed a brown bear with that a few years ago (250 .338). Killed a grizz in the Crystalline Hills area with a 250 gr Nosler.

In AK, if you draw blood, you have to punch your tag, but as I have said before, more and more guides are doing the same. I hunted with a guide in Kansas a few weeks ago and when I asked the outfitter about shot distance, he said, "One to three hundred yards. If you can shoot farther, great, but if you draw blood, your hunt is over."

 

[amu_shooter]

The old school Winchester Black Talon/Fail Safes were a crowd pleaser too I thought.

The 180s at 300 Mag velocity should break both shoulders, I know the 230s out of a 338 Win Mag crush both blades and break em down right there.

Just my 2 cents, I'll retreat back in my Montana Cave now lol.

 

[Allen Kitts]

The A-Frame is a great bullet choice for any dangerous game but in my neck of the woods they are almost non-existent. They usually shoot adequately enough and they penetrate well. As others on here have stated I could not get the TA's to shoot even marginally good in my 300 PRC so I have no real world experience with them. The Nosler Partition is always a good choice as well for animals that need good penetration and are tried and true to this type of hunting.

There are several manufacturers running solid copper bullets that are noteworthy as well. I have shot quite a few Hammer bullets and they are very easy to get to shoot good in a rifle and they make a couple for different models that would suit your need. I have used them in some of the smaller calibers and they have been deadly to say the least. Most animals just bang flop. I have also had great success with Barnes TSX bullets. Many South African guides recommend them for Cape Buffalo. That is what I have loaded in my 416 Rigby for a planned upcoming hunt for Cape's in May of 2025. They shoot well expand nicely and retain their weight for good penetration.

My recommendation would be to get a few of each and try them to see how they shoot in your rifle. If you find a good combination then use them if not and the TA's shoot well in your rifle just make sure you put them in the boiler room and they're going to work just fine. Good Luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[amu_shooter]

If you wanna test some of the Fail Safes, I have plenty of the 180s I can send for you to test outta your rifle.

 

[quandary]

Interesting learning about those that can't get the TA to shoot well in their rifles. The heritage of this bullet is the evolution of the TBBC, followed by the TBT, followed by the Edge TLR. The Edge TLR didn't work so Federal designed the TA. Same terminal performance as the TBBC and TBT but better ballistics and more accurate, and effective at longer ranges because it carries its velocity better. In theory. As I said my experiences with a 270 and 300WM with factory ammunition has been excellent. It would be nice to get some component TAs to develope my own loads but it does not seem like Federal is ever going to make those available.

I see that Barnes makes a 200gr LRX. That could be an interesting bullet to try out. Specs a 1:10 twist, 1.624" long, .546 G1, .301SD versus the TA 1:10 twist, 1.622" long, .608 G1, SD not listed.

 

[Allen Kitts]

Interesting learning about those that can't get the TA to shoot well in their rifles. The heritage of this bullet is the evolution of the TBBC, followed by the TBT, followed by the Edge TLR. The Edge TLR didn't work so Federal designed the TA. Same terminal performance as the TBBC and TBT but better ballistics and more accurate, and effective at longer ranges because it carries its velocity better. In theory. As I said my experiences with a 270 and 300WM with factory ammunition has been excellent. It would be nice to get some component TAs to develope my own loads but it does not seem like Federal is ever going to make those available.

I see that Barnes makes a 200gr LRX. That could be an interesting bullet to try out. Specs a 1:10 twist, 1.624" long, .546 G1, .301SD versus the TA 1:10 twist, 1.622" long, .608 G1, SD not listed.

I would get two touching then a flyer every time so I went to something else. Every once in awhile they show up on the shelf here but not very often. I only have the 200 grain version for the 30 caliber rifles.

 

[Allen Kitts]

You might give Hammer Bullets a look. They just came out with a 200 grain Hammer Hunter that is tipped. Because of the way they are constructed they will shoot considerably faster than most 200 grain bullets. They grouped well in my 300 PRC and were about 100 FPS faster than the other 200 grain bullets that I tried with the same load of powder. I have not taken any game with the tipped bullets so I cannot speak to the performance but as I stated earlier I have used a lot of Hammer Hunter bullets and I load them for friends as well and they have worked great on animals from Pronghorn up to Alaskan Moose.

 

[Reemty J]

+1 for the 203 HHT bullet! A fellow on the Hammer site had this bullet going above 3300 fps with N570 in a 300 RUM!

 

[quandary]

Just looked at the Hammer website. The 182gr HHT would work in a 1:10 twist 300WM. I must admit however I am not big on the "estimated" BCs.