Kodiak brown bear rifle
- Thread starter RH300UM
- Start date
Help Support Long Range Hunting Forum
KillerBee
Well-Known Member
Bears skinned look like a man don't they? Because of that I could never eat them.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
I've shot some large black bears over the years but nothing nearly as large as the bears you guys are talking about. I think I'd feel under-gunned with my 375 Ruger.
I shot a bison broadside in the chest with a 260 NPT and it didn't even flinch. It turned 180 degrees and I hit it again from the opposite side. He fell over when he was **** good and ready.
I'd want something BIG for those monster bears.
I shot a bison broadside in the chest with a 260 NPT and it didn't even flinch. It turned 180 degrees and I hit it again from the opposite side. He fell over when he was **** good and ready.
I'd want something BIG for those monster bears.
HARPERC
Well-Known Member
I'm not advocating the .30 calibers either, just tossing thoughts out there.
We have a lot of jungle here, and there that probably cause me to over compensate at times on penetration. A friend a couple of years back a friend drew a once in a lifetime moose tag. He decided to use his dads old 30-06, and some 220 grain core-locts. He took the shot offered to him-going away full length penetration, moose down.
However, again just talking .30's. If I had a 400 yard limit, I'd change my opinion to a mono-metal, something like the 220 Cutting Edge might be where I'd go. Advertised for use in standard 1-10" twist, expansion down to 1400 fps, good penetration up close.
RH300UM
Well-Known Member
It depends, in part, on how large the bear is you shoot. Since they come mega-sized, your plans should include the possibility of a monster. When I hunt brown bear, I prefer a .338 or larger caliber bullet. If I had to hunt with a guide, I would want to shoot and kill the bear with my own shot(s), rather than having the guide kill my bear for me. If your bear isn't anchored pronto, your guide is most likely going to cut loose until the bear is no longer making headway. So if I were hunting with a guide, I'd shoot no less than a .338 with an effective bullet guaranteed to expand, and guaranteed to retain the majority of its weight.
You'll have no way of knowing how far the shot will be, but your guide will most likely want you within 200yds. Discuss it with your guide, but most prefer closer than farther, such that they have the best chance of putting the bear down with follow-up shots, as necessary.
Ask your guide what he carries and what most guides he knows carry. Not many use a .308 caliber. .338 is generally the minimum. 375 may be most common. Some 416s, and even 458s.
If I were going on a guided hunt, I'd take at least a .375. The rifle will cost a lot less than a guided brown bear hunt costs these days. You might as well improve the chances you'll kill your bear, rather than coming back knowing your guide killed your bear. I know of one guy that didn't stop his even with a .416 magnum. His bear was spooked before he shot, which makes a big difference in my opinion. He drilled it thru the chest twice before the bear got to the alders. They waited like six hours before going into the alders. The boar was still alive and came after him. He did finish it off. It was a 10 1/2 to 11' boar, from down on the Alaska Peninsula.
If you want to be really certain he'll go down and stay down, use a .458 Win Mag with a good expanding bullet at less than 100yds.
They can be scary big the first time you see a large one at less than 75yds. Here's a photo of a skinned 10 1/2 foot boar I shot on Kodiak Island. Notice the size of his skinned front paw relative to my hand. I'm holding only one of his toe pads.
This is great. Got me thinking again. This is great. .30 cal is out now for me.
Will have to be .416 or bigger. Thanks Porwath nothing replaces experince
Moose are much the same as you experienced with your Bison. I shot my cow moose with my .416 Rem using 300gr X-bullets at 2960fps. I hit her with the first shot and she didn't react even though I saw her body shudder. So I shot her again and a couple seconds later she was staggering backwards and fell down. She was dead with the first but was still standing. I shot my bull here in Idaho with a .358STA using 250's a little over 3000fps. It was pretty much the same thing except he turned towards me and I didn't shoot him again. A couple buddies shot bulls, also with .358STA's, in Alaska and they did the same thing.
IMO Black bears react way more to being shot then a moose, especially when you shoot them with big calibers. We've shot them with calibers up to a .500 Weatherby (.460 necked up to .50). A .458 Lott's, .470 Captick, and .460 Weatherby are wicked on black bears. We shot 14 bears one spring off of the same bait with the big boomers. It was impressive to see them get crushed when those big bullets hit them.
IMO Black bears react way more to being shot then a moose, especially when you shoot them with big calibers. We've shot them with calibers up to a .500 Weatherby (.460 necked up to .50). A .458 Lott's, .470 Captick, and .460 Weatherby are wicked on black bears. We shot 14 bears one spring off of the same bait with the big boomers. It was impressive to see them get crushed when those big bullets hit them.
RH300UM
Well-Known Member
KillerBee
Well-Known Member
750+ lbs. - 22 1/4" skull Black bear with a bow, it's all about shot placement and distance! 
RH300UM
Well-Known Member
750+ lbs. - 22 1/4" skull Black bear with a bow, it's all about shot placement and distance!
And big balls!!
Remember mine are small!!!!
KillerBee
Well-Known Member
LMAO, me too man! The older you get the more you value living hehe. RPG's will work! hehe
450hunter
Well-Known Member
A 358STA is a 8mm rem mag blown out to 35 caliber no less. It is a real power house for sure and I like mine.
RH300UM
Well-Known Member
RH300UM
Well-Known Member
