Bullet selection - advise please

[skipglo]

It doesn't sound like either you or the Bear had a chance to set-up right. My first rifle was in .308 and it served me well. Im certain if you give it another chance you will have different results! Best of luck

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

Gut pile and drag trail from that someone elses shots that you had heard; bagging your bear???

My other thought was another bear ate your dead bear.

What were you shooting for ammo, Remington Core-Lokt yellow and green box???
I just had a budding shot a deer w 165gr 30-06 core-lokt and he said he was surprised to find bullet mangled, shed core, and looked as it ricocheted inside this smaller buck
I told him that's typical of cup and core bullets to come apart, they do the job, and dropped deer was DRT, but what about the days you need them to NOT come apart.

There has been bears killed at camp for years and years 220gr Core-Lokt.
I never saw a recovered bullet. Or wound. But I know that's what they used and bagged the bears with them. Maybe the 220 is going slow enough not to blow apart.

Either way I can't stress bullet construction enough. I'm no pro, and have not shot a bear with anything but cup and core, go figure....

But I don't head in the woods w cup and core bullets unless I'm shooting Rabbits and Coyotes.

If my next opportunity arrives to put a bear or big old buck on the game pole; Im taking my chances on a Barnes XFN or a Nosler Partition to perform w excellence, but only the results will tell me.

I shot a yote w Speer 165BTSP, @ 308 velocities
DRT, big exit hole, but pieces of copper found. So I agree with other statements, even though the Speers are bonded, they are soft and come apart some. They are a nice affordable option, just beware.

No it was the bear I shot. the blood trail ended at the gut pile! And yes I was using Rem Cor Lokt bullets. But remember this was well before bullets like Barnes TSX, etc came out. I'm talking back in the very early 70s.

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

It doesn't sound like either you or the Bear had a chance to set-up right. My first rifle was in .308 and it served me well. Im certain if you give it another chance you will have different results! Best of luck

Oh I was fine. I put my first bullet mid body, 2 center of chest (frontal) and one behind the shoulder quartering away. Ain't no way with one of today's copper bullets like a Barnes it would have gone 50 yds before piling up.

 

[Clem Bronkoski]

I thumped a few with my 45-70 guide gun and the furthest one ever went was 30 yds. I shot one quartering to in the shoulder and he flipped over backwards, shook 2or 3 times and died before I could jack another one into him.

 

[Mike D Texas]

Sierra 175 TMK.