I'm starting to think about my annual spring bear hunt and my reloading equiptment is out of comission. Has anyone shot the factory 200 grn silvertip in .358 at any game ? How did it work ? I found five boxes in my closet and was thinking about using them for spring black bear(big bear)

I have shot dozens of whitetails with that bullet. It always performed in a perfect manner. But I cannot recall if even one of the bullets hit some major bone for instance and what the result was.

I did hit one deer in the gut quartering away. The bullet ranged up thru the liver and some of the lungs. This deer dropped in its tracks on a full run like all the others have. Sorry but I don't recall if the bullet exited.

I would not hesitate to shoot any black bear with that load under any conditions. All of my loads were handloads at about 2450 fps which is close to the factory load.

Ray Atkinson says that these bullets are "butter soft". Maybe so but they drop animals really fast.

I would still load that bullet but I can't buy them any longer as a component. I have saved a few for sentimental reasons and it's my favorite bullet for that reason.

try the 225gr sierra game king, with, starting, 47 gr of win 748... that's all book loads. I get 2500+fps with it, and the bullet seems to hold together.. at least better than hornday 250s or BTs, on game
jeffe

.358 If you need a different bullet in a "factory" load contact Superior Ammo. They can fix you up.

I have taken two pigs with that load and they work just fine...should be just fine for black bear