Brown bear Rifle

[bigdogone]

What's my life worth?To you?
25k?!
If a bear gets shot. Goes into the alders. I'm not sending you in. I'm going in. Your staying out. 2 reasons. 1st your safety is paramount to me and my outfitter.
2nd is I do not have to worry about you or the noise created. Meaning if you are not there and I hear a noise I know it's the bear. No second guessing. And I am going to put the finishing shots in it anyways. So I have a difficult time understanding shooting sooner after the initial shot/shots by the hunter vs. me shooting later in the above described scenario ?

So true. Tough to be an outfitter. Client Hunter pays big money, has pride on the line, etc. I follow Ruarks advice and tell my guides/PHs before we go out, once I shoot use your judgement. I'll never question you or get sour over scotches at night. On dangerous game I always say, after my first shot, pour it on. Let's anchor him.
Last thing I ever want to hear is a ph tell me, wait here....

 

[AZHTR]

A few more things to interject regarding my hunt.
1) my initial shot was 75 yards with the scoped 375 H&H, the bear went down hard and then back on his feet just walking away (never ran)
2) as he kept walking I hammered him in the chest and shoulder area 7 more times (I wrote in my journal that it was the most amazing thing I had every seen - he just kept walking flinching a little with every hit)
3) I hunted with Joe Want back in the 90's
4) the bear walked into the thick alders and we watched it expire, I stayed out of the alders and I "silently" guided Joe "down" behind the bear. Joe fired two rounds from his double barreled side-by-side .500 Nitro Express into the bears chest. Joe doesn't take any chances, he does it on every bear

"Keep shooting til they're dead, and listen to your guide, he's done it a few more time than most"

Keep a daily journal too, I've read mine over the years and it puts a smile on my face.

 

[RH300UM]

Most do not understand the the super world ablities of a brown bear.
Joe Want did. That 500 nitro double was used many times till he traded it for a 416
I was taught by the guide who learned and worked for Joe. The most chilling story I heard was the 10.5+foot bear that took 4 375hh, 3 416 and 5 500 nitro at close range

 

[bigdogone]

A few more things to interject regarding my hunt.
1) my initial shot was 75 yards with the scoped 375 H&H, the bear went down hard and then back on his feet just walking away (never ran)
2) as he kept walking I hammered him in the chest and shoulder area 7 more times (I wrote in my journal that it was the most amazing thing I had every seen - he just kept walking flinching a little with every hit)
3) I hunted with Joe Want back in the 90's
4) the bear walked into the thick alders and we watched it expire, I stayed out of the alders and I "silently" guided Joe "down" behind the bear. Joe fired two rounds from his double barreled side-by-side .500 Nitro Express into the bears chest. Joe doesn't take any chances, he does it on every bear

"Keep shooting til they're dead, and listen to your guide, he's done it a few more time than most"

Keep a daily journal too, I've read mine over the years and it puts a smile on my face.

It's the dead ones that get up and kill you.

 

[Pdvdh]

All the brown bears I've shot died. Without any charge and without a guide. I killed them, some hunting solo. My personal preference that I hunt and kill my bear.

Fortunately, I'm not required by law to hire a bear guide, as a resident of Alaska.

I think the law requiring a guide for non-residents is reasonable. Meeting a big boar close range is unnerving, the first go-round. I panicked a bit at their enormity, even though I'd been heavily invested hunting the prior 30yrs.

The Colorado bear hunter I met at the Kodiak Air Taxi service earlier this month was strictly archery hunting. This was his fourth brown bear hunt on Kodiak Island. He'd killed two brown bears on the Island on previous hunts. One squared 10' 4", from the Karluk Lake area. He also killed a monster polar bear with an arrow in Canada on his second polar bear hunt there.

Listening to his hunting stories, it was clear his guides weren't trigger happy. Allowing this archer within 10yds of the one big boar without putting a bullet in it. So if you'ld like to kill your bear without your guide plugging it prematurely, maybe look for a guide that accepts archery hunters. Any guide accepting archery hunters must be pretty restrained, as close is the name of the game. And an archer could never claim an arrow kill if his guide plugged his bear the second after his arrow hit the bear. AND..., arrows don't knock them off their feet.

Something to consider for those that feel greater satisfaction understanding they solely killed their bear.

 

[bigdogone]

View attachment 276247 Swift A Frame 250 grain at 160 yards. Retained weight 237.9 and recovered on off shoulder of 9' 4" shot on the Alaskan Peninsula with 340 Weatherby. Bear travelled approximately 40 yards and expired.

Love those A frames. that's gotta be 95% retained and 1.5x wound channel. Swift then Barnes then Trophy Bonded Bear claws in that order on dangerous game IMO.

 

[RH300UM]

All the brown bears I've shot died. Without any charge and without a guide. I killed them, some hunting solo. My personal preference that I hunt and kill my bear.

Fortunately, I'm not required by law to hire a bear guide, as a resident of Alaska.

I think the law requiring a guide for non-residents is reasonable. Meeting a big boar close range is unnerving, the first go-round. I panicked a bit at their enormity, even though I'd been heavily invested hunting the prior 30yrs.

The Colorado bear hunter I met at the Kodiak Air Taxi service earlier this month was strictly archery hunting. This was his fourth brown bear hunt on Kodiak Island. He'd killed two brown bears on the Island on previous hunts. One squared 10' 4", from the Karluk Lake area. He also killed a monster polar bear with an arrow in Canada on his second polar bear hunt there.

Listening to his hunting stories, it was clear his guides weren't trigger happy. Allowing this archer within 10yds of the one big boar without putting a bullet in it. So if you'ld like to kill your bear without your guide plugging it prematurely, maybe look for a guide that accepts archery hunters. Any guide accepting archery hunters must be pretty restrained, as close is the name of the game. And an archer could never claim an arrow kill if his guide plugged his bear the second after his arrow hit the bear. AND..., arrows don't knock them off their feet.

Something to consider for those that feel greater satisfaction understanding they solely killed their bear.

Ive had many bow hunters
I think you are missing the point
It's not trigger happy
It's not shooting just to down them
It's about a situation and the abilities to make a decision. You only have to deal with you. Your thoughts. Your process. Your threat assessment.
Not the same for a guide. We have to consider much more.
I would hope anybody that goes with a guide,be it bears or whatever, considers that. It's not a simple thing as you elude too

Sorry got off track.

 

[Pdvdh]

Ive had many bow hunters
I think you are missing the point
It's not trigger happy
It's not shooting just to down them
It's about a situation and the abilities to make a decision. You only have to deal with you. Your thoughts. Your process. Your threat assessment.
Not the same for a guide. We have to consider much more.
I would hope anybody that goes with a guide,be it bears or whatever, considers that. It's not a simple thing as you elude too

Didn't know I'd alluded to anything. Other than guides accepting archery hunters might be a good option for those that prefer to kill a bear with their own shots fired.
After all, a bear guide would never have a successful archer if they shot as soon as the arrow hit the bear. A sharp broadhead requires a bit of time to kill. The bear will normally move some distance prior to death. The guide must be willing to allow the bear to move away to die. Which suggests that a hunter plugging a bear with any good hit with a suitable bullet from an adequate rifle, should have high expectations of killing his bear, if utilizing a guide that accepts archers.

I think my post speaks clearly, misses no points, and as I intended.

I'm confident bear guides come in as many flavors, as do non-guides. Never spoke to your flavor.

 

[HARPERC]

About 8.5 feet. British Columbia Grizzly, Boone and Crockett. My partners bear .338 Edge 275 grain Swift-A frame.
A very old bear recently beat up by another bear to the point of just laying up on a salmon stream scavenging early returns waiting for the run. Busted teeth a couple of hundred pounds underweight.
Taken in the creek he submerged, and came up ****ed, and defiant. First round precise and no trouble, but display awesome. It's on video here somewhere. The kind of bear you really wouldn't want to have walked into.
The same trip was me for a goat. A grizzly tag came available and I took it. No bear, but a lot of the process. My goat gun was a .300 H&H with 200 grain Accubonds. I like the load, but I've never seen from it the type of performance on elk etc, that would lead me to believe it would RELIABLY smash bone, or destroy tissue for any but the most high percentage broadside shot. I would like more flexibility on a pure bear hunt. While placement is everything, more power makes placement from more angles, and places reasonable. More destruction of vital tissue across the board plain and simple. In the discussion regarding my guide shooting, my response is simple, if I do this right we'll know. If we don't know it's a no holds barred dog pile. Your call.
The most impressive display of tenacity and athleticism came from a 7'3 black bear hit with a .375 H&H. Perfect angling shot that destroyed everything meaning full. A huge entrance hole spurting blood along his escape path. Short run no aggression. It's always made me wonder, what 3 more feet of bear, with a mean streak could look like.
It only takes a few seconds, a bear that just hits you as it dies is going to leave a lasting impression. Even getting run over by accident is going to sting.

 

[RH300UM]

True
I regressed
Again

 

[RH300UM]

Didn't know I'd alluded to anything. Other than guides accepting archery hunters might be a good option for those that prefer to kill a bear with their own shots fired.
After all, a bear guide would never have a successful archer if they shot as soon as the arrow hit the bear. A sharp broadhead requires a bit of time to kill. The bear will normally move some distance prior to death. The guide must be willing to allow the bear to move away to die. Which suggests that a hunter plugging a bear with any good hit with a suitable bullet from an adequate rifle, should have high expectations of killing his bear, if utilizing a guide that accepts archers.

I think my post speaks clearly, misses no points, and as I intended.

I'm confident bear guides come in as many flavors, as do non-guides. Never spoke to your flavor.

About 8.5 feet. British Columbia Grizzly, Boone and Crockett. My partners bear .338 Edge 275 grain Swift-A frame.
A very old bear recently beat up by another bear to the point of just laying up on a salmon stream scavenging early returns waiting for the run. Busted teeth a couple of hundred pounds underweight.
Taken in the creek he submerged, and came up ****ed, and defiant. First round precise and no trouble, but display awesome. It's on video here somewhere. The kind of bear you really wouldn't want to have walked into.
The same trip was me for a goat. A grizzly tag came available and I took it. No bear, but a lot of the process. My goat gun was a .300 H&H with 200 grain Accubonds. I like the load, but I've never seen from it the type of performance on elk etc, that would lead me to believe it would RELIABLY smash bone, or destroy tissue for any but the most high percentage broadside shot. I would like more flexibility on a pure bear hunt. While placement is everything, more power makes placement from more angles, and places reasonable. More destruction of vital tissue across the board plain and simple. In the discussion regarding my guide shooting, my response is simple, if I do this right we'll know. If we don't know it's a no holds barred dog pile. Your call.
The most impressive display of tenacity and athleticism came from a 7'3 black bear hit with a .375 H&H. Perfect angling shot that destroyed everything meaning full. A huge entrance hole spurting blood along his escape path. Short run no aggression. It's always made me wonder, what 3 more feet of bear, with a mean streak could look like.
It only takes a few seconds, a bear that just hits you as it dies is going to leave a lasting impression. Even getting run over by accident is going to sting.

We need to sit around a fire and swap stories
I like your delivery. I could learn from you!

 

[msmith57]

Planning on a once in a lifetime brown bear Alaskan hunt in a couple years. Have a 300 Win Mag that shoots 220 Nosler partitions and 200 Nosler partitions quite well. Don't really want to buy another rifle but should I move up to a 338 class? Thinking of either a 33 Nosler, 338 WM or 338 ultra??? Opinions???

I'd be using a 30-06 before the 338. Browns are big but you don't need a Cannon to kill one.

 

[HARPERC]

We need to sit around a fire and swap stories
I like your delivery. I could learn from you!

Just a committed amateur. I try to observe and learn from the great guides that have made me better each time out.
My hope is always to be the best client I can be, and we all have lets do it again kind of fun.
If your travels bring you through here there's always coffee available. Gas stove for atmosphere LOL!

 

[budlight]

I've been out after the big guys with friends all non guided hunts. We killed a couple when I was younger with my 458 win mag 26 inch barrel with 510 gr. rounded soft points. Biggest was only 9'6" He was walking down the path straight at us where we were waiting. at about 100 feet away he must have sensed us and started sniffing. my friend fired at center chest and the bear just flattened out. Straight pass through. Blew out the bears butt cheek. Second one was good sized fishing on the edge of a river and didn't even care about us walking up behind him. My buddies 18 year old son wanted to get a bear. Since it was kinda head down facing away we told him to shoot it in the back of the head with another 510 gr. Because of the 100 yard sight in he didn't allow for the scope height at 30 yards. with the cross hairs on the base of the skull the bullet passed through the should blade hump area and spine and the bullet lodged in the massive base bone of the skull . I couldn't believe that it stopped the bullet. Both DRT. Later on I used both Rem a Rigby 416's

My advice is go big and be safe. I've loaned my rifles for African safaris and lower 48 hunts. My Dad was kinda goofy he has used 300 WM on cape buffalo hunts. Not me! Dangerous stuff I want to shut them down