Is my .300 win mag suitable for Brown Bear hunt. would be using 180 grain bullet. I would go with 200 grain but I don't reload and largest Remington factory ammo I can find is 180's. Hate to buy a bigger gun just for this one hunt, I'm already really stretching the budget for the hunt.

What do yall think?

I'm sure it can be done but I wouldn't.

I can tell you that if you post this question on the Alaska forum just about everybody that knows anything about killing brown bears will tell you a 30-06 is all you need as long as you can shoot.

Plenty of brownies have been taken with much less powerful rifles, and plenty of brownies have been wounded or lost with much more powerful rifles. The .300 Winchester has ample bullet weight and velocity to penetrate to the vitals and inflict fatal trauma on a big bear. Just hitting the bear with more momentum from a much heavier bullet won't kill -- much less "stop" it -- any faster. And heavier bullets from larger calibers sometimes are slow expanders which don't provide much organ trauma.

Lots of bear hunters will go afield less well-armed than you.

By the way, I know a multi-millionaire (actually, his family may be in the billionaire class) who obviously could have any gun he wished. He took his Remington 742 .30-06 to Alaska for brown bear and came back in possession of both a bear hide and his own hide. The bear hide was detached from the bear, and his hide was still fully intact and attached to him.

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Originally posted by TMTAXIDERMY:
Is my .300 win mag suitable for Brown Bear hunt. would be using 180 grain bullet. ...largest Remington factory ammo I can find is 180's. ...

I've never Hunted a Brown Bear, but that looks like an excellent choice. That is the ideal size Bullet for the 300WinMag. However, you should be able to find Federals loaded with Nosler Partitions.

All Bears have lots of "hair" which makes the body appear like a HUGE Target. Just remember to go for the Center(from side-to-side) whether it is from the Front, Side or Back.

Good Hunting and clean 1-shot Kills.

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Originally posted by TMTAXIDERMY:
Is my .300 win mag suitable for Brown Bear hunt. would be using 180 grain bullet. I would go with 200 grain but I don't reload and largest Remington factory ammo I can find is 180's. Hate to buy a bigger gun just for this one hunt, I'm already really stretching the budget for the hunt.

What do yall think?

Federal has 200 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claws.

Use Federal 180 gr Barnes TSX.

Take look at Superior Ammo, you can get several premium bullets in many available weights.

Have a look at Double Tap Ammo. They offer a 300 Win. Mag. loading that uses the 240-gr. Woodleigh at about 2600 FPS/muzzle. That should work fine, if I had to guess.

The largest 'Ursus Arctos" on Earth occur in SE Alaska,, NW BC and on parts of the Kamchatka Penninsula, a part of Russia. I have been "in at the kill" of a couple and about a dozen Grizzlies, in total.

It is EXTREMELY IMPORTANT to PLACE your shot PRECISELY, IMO, and using an adequate cartridge with a proven bullet is crucial to your success. Then, you also should use the rifle and sights YOU are most adept with and these two factors will substantially increase your chances for a safe and successful hunt.

The current largest trophy Grizzly in BC, IIRC, is still one shot on the central BC coast by an American hunter, using a .300 Win .Mag. with a 180NP and ONE shot. I would and have carried .30-06, .300H&H, .338WM. 9.3 and .375H&H rifles in Grizzly country, as have various buddies and colleagues of mine for years and I/we felt safe doing so and killed out game without problem.

My overall preference is a .338WM-250NP, but, your present rifle and load will do just fine, PRACTICE your shooting and GET IN SHAPE.

I took my 91/2 ft. Brown Bear near Cold Bay with a .300 Winny loaded with a 200 grain Nosler Partition Round Nose. A one shot 90 yard bang flop. At that time, 3 more Bears reared their ugly heads, unsighted prior to the shot. My party of four were tagged for three Bears, we killed another with four shots and a third with 5 shots, from a .375, 30-06 and another .300 Winny. At the start of the hunt I felt well gunned with the .300, having been used to a .308 and 30-30. At the point that the Bears stood after the shot, I felt like I had a pea shooter in my hands, and will never forget that feeling. Imagine for a second, total confusion with many shots fired, Bears roaring-dieing-scrambling, shooters cussing-shooting- screaming, for a period of 10 secords or so. The fourth Bear left with gusto, pounding the tundra that sounded like a retreating mule, exhibiting power I couldn't imagine until then. ------ I have been back and hunting the Big Brown Bear country since, the first time with a .340 Wby and since with a .358 STA loaded with 270 grain North Forks at 2900 fps. I practice countless sessions to become instinctive with the larger rifles, because of my respect for those big Bears. ------ My brother-in-law (who lived and hunted there two years) killed a Big Bear with a 30-06, charging at 40 yards. Another buddy killed a 11 footer with a .270 Winchester. Another buddy lies 6 ft under up there, he used a 30-06 and would argue until the cows come home it was enough. He and the Bear were found dead, you can write the story of what happened. ----- My conclusion was and is, shoot the largest chambering you can shoot instinctively. Good shooting.

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I took my 91/2 ft. Brown Bear near Cold Bay with a .300 Winny loaded with a 200 grain Nosler Partition Round Nose. A one shot 90 yard bang flop. At that time, 3 more Bears reared their ugly heads, unsighted prior to the shot. My party of four were tagged for three Bears, we killed another with four shots and a third with 5 shots, from a .375, 30-06 and another .300 Winny.

I'd say the incident says nothing about needing a bigger gun, only that it ain't what you shoot 'em with, but where you shoot 'em.

Please understand I have never hunted bears nor do I ever plan to. I am a meat hunter.

Nevertheless, I just read a book on grizzly, brown and polar bear hunting and their were many scary stories in it. Bear guides almost certainly have had many charges and it is a matter of keeping calm and delivering a lethal shot.

30-06 and 300 Win. Mag or Weatherby mag. have killed many brown bear. I would take the 300 Win. Mag. myself if money was a concern.

Just remember to shoulder shoot. Break a front shoulder and take out the lungs behind it.

If I was hunting meat in bear country I would choose a minimum 338 Win. Mag. If I was going specifically for brown's I would carry a 416 Rigby.

I've put the crosshairs on a 500 pound griz. If an idiot that was tagging along had his head on a swivel I would have had the shot. He spooked and ran.

That happened six years ago and I have a healthy respect for bears. The .375 in my hand hardly looked large enough to handle the matter.

Use 200gr Partitions; you'll be fine.

Thanks for all the comments. This is my first Brownie hunt. I have taken several big moose with my .300 win mag and it did great. I have had two very experienced bear men tell to go with at least a .338. So i have been questioning my decision. A new gun that I would probably use only once is something I really would like to avoid. You all make me feel better about my decision to go with my trusty .300 that I am comfortable with and have shot for many years. Thanks

Stonecreek ----- I was simply trying to relate to TMTAXIDERMY my feelings as to my choice of chamberings at that point in my hunt. My .300 Winny felt real small at that point. As to bullet placement on Bears, sometimes the shooter has no choice as to the angle he has to shoot. I shot my Bear standing looking at me, the sight picture was perfect for a heart shot. The Bear never moved another hair after the shot. The other three Bears were quite a different story. I didn't fire another shot, I was making sure my Bear didn't go anywhere. The other three shooters had to take what shots they had and very quick, the one of the Bears stood within 20 yards of us, the other two within 40 yards. Try placing the perfect shot in those circumstances and then talk about bullet placement. I might say all the shooters were very experienced to Alaska and Bears, all three besides me lived there and hunted the Big Bears regularly. Just trying to explain what went down. ------ My brother-in-law shot his charging Bear on another hunt at 40 yards with a Remington 30-06 pump gun, he could hit tacks with it at that distance. He got two in the Bears head before it stopped at a few yards. The Bear had been shot in the foot two days prior to this by another hunter, needless to say the Bear was hurting and one mad Bear. ----- We talk about choosing the adequate rifle for Bears, many are adequate with the perfect broadside target, that situation is not always what we get, as was the case we were confronted with. Good shooting.

If I was out and came across a brown bear with a 300 win mag you can bet I'd get the hell outa there fast, before he got a chance to use it!!
Big gun!!

Phil

Let me start by saying I have no experience with brown bear but it makes me wonder how in the hell our great grandfathers survived and pretty much exterminated Grizzly's in the lower 48 without super magnums and the latest premium bullets.

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Originally posted by GrayDuck:
I can tell you that if you post this question on the Alaska forum just about everybody that knows anything about killing brown bears will tell you a 30-06 is all you need as long as you can shoot.

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Originally posted by ar corey:
Please understand I have never hunted bears nor do I ever plan to. I am a meat hunter.

Nevertheless, I just read a book on grizzly, brown and polar bear hunting and their were many scary stories in it. Bear guides almost certainly have had many charges and it is a matter of keeping calm and delivering a lethal shot.

30-06 and 300 Win. Mag or Weatherby mag. have killed many brown bear. I would take the 300 Win. Mag. myself if money was a concern.

Just remember to shoulder shoot. Break a front shoulder and take out the lungs behind it.

If I was hunting meat in bear country I would choose a minimum 338 Win. Mag. If I was going specifically for brown's I would carry a 416 Rigby.

Yup.

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Just remember to shoulder shoot. Break a front shoulder and take out the lungs behind it.

The lungs behind it are much more important than the shoulder. I'll assure you, a bear can run a lot faster on three legs than you can on two.

I don't mean to discount the efficacy of hitting the animal in the shoulder, particularly if the shoulder is in between you and the vitals. If you were to actually hit the shoulder bone (a pretty small target), that is an effective shot because it turns the bone into fragments that inflict additional trauma on the heart and lungs. But you could surgically remove the bear's entire shoulder and he could still run very fast and chew very effectively . So don't be misled into believing that you can disable a bear by "breaking his shoulder".

Another very close buddy that lived and hunted in the same area I hunted in, had a close encounter with a 71/2 ft Brown Bear. My brother-in-law was filming the hunt with an old 8mm Camera that made that Buzzing noise when activated. The shooter shot the Bear at 175 yards in the shoulder with a 7mm Rem Mag, the Bear showed no sign of being hit. The Bear charged in their direction when my Brother-in-law activated the Camera. They felt the Bear was just charging the noise, never the less it charged in their direction. The shooter shot two more rounds with the 7mm in the front shoulder area, they stated the Bear was coming sideways much the same was a fast moving Dog rushs forward. Remember they are pissing their pants excited by this time, my brother-in-law tossing the Camera when the shooter states he is out of ammo in the 7mm. My brother-in-law is scrambling to find his 30-06, whichs is under a backpack. The shooter then picks up a .41 mag pistol and starts shooting the Bear, which is now at 40 yards. The Bear stops at 7 steps after the third shot from the pistol, still clawing the ground trying to get too them. The Bear was hit three times with the 7mm and three times with the pistol. The pistol bullets penetrated the hide and fat only. The Bear died about 10 minutes later from the 7mm bullets in the shoulder-heart-lung area. ----- My point with all this is Bears are tough and can take a lot of punishment, all they are doing is trying to survive. The hunter doesn't always have that perfect angle to shoot, he has to take what is offered, and hope he can point the rifle in the right direction. Also, a simple screw-up like forgeting where a rifle is, can get you killed. Good shooting.

I would suggest talking with your guide and get his advice on caliber and bullet. My brother and I shot a big sow in self defense on Kodiak in 1997. It was apparently asleep in some grass and did not hear a float plane land in the bay. We walked in and she stood up at about 20yds in front of us and then lunged forward at us. We hit it twice with 375H&H's with 300gr partitions at 20-30 feet and turned it. It ran another 50yds into the thicket and died. In 2001 I shot a nice brown that squared 9'2". I shot it at 7yds in a thicket with a 338/378 Weatherby using 250gr Swift A-frames. I broke it's neck so it did not go anywhere. My guide was carrying a 358 Norma Mag. For bow hunters he carried a 458WM and had shot one in self defense already that season. Your guide needs to know what you are shooting so he can plan accordingly.

At one time I would have said a 30-06 was plenty a300wm more so.

But After standing next to a couple of full size mount brown bears.

I built a 416 taylor for brown bear hunting. I have some 350 barnes X bullets at 2450 that I plan to use.

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Originally posted by phurley5:
The hunter doesn't always have that perfect angle to shoot, he has to take what is offered, and hope he can point the rifle in the right direction.

This is what can get a person in trouble.

Waiting for the right shot is the most important thing and if a person doesn't get it you go home empty with bear.

Broadside: shoulder/double lung with a good bullet like a Partition. Minimum 200 gr. 300 Win. Mag IMO.

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Originally posted by Stonecreek:

quote:

Just remember to shoulder shoot. Break a front shoulder and take out the lungs behind it.

The lungs behind it are much more important than the shoulder. I'll assure you, a bear can run a lot faster on three legs than you can on two.

I don't mean to discount the efficacy of hitting the animal in the shoulder, particularly if the shoulder is in between you and the vitals. If you were to actually hit the shoulder bone (a pretty small target), that is an effective shot because it turns the bone into fragments that inflict additional trauma on the heart and lungs. But you could surgically remove the bear's entire shoulder and he could still run very fast and chew very effectively . So don't be misled into believing that you can disable a bear by "breaking his shoulder".

A bear can run on its hind legs, bit it can't run on its front. The only way to anchor the bear (besides a CNS shot) is to break the pelvis. Best bet is heart/lungs and put them down fast.

John

ar corey ----- I am talking about a charging Bear, with no time to wait for that perfect angle. Good shooting.

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Use Federal 180 gr Barnes TSX

+1. .300 Win Mag with above will do fine!

I would hesitate to use 180 gr Remington core-lokt factories though.

I've never been on a brown bear hunt, but this thread reminded me of a scene from the movie, Jeremiah Johnson.

Jeremiah finds Hatchet Jack dead and frozen in the mountains, along with Hatchet Jack's .50 Caliber Hawkins rifle. There is a note that reads, "This is a good gun. It kilt the bear that kilt me."

I wouldn't use a 300 on brown bear I'm even alittle shakey about using a 375 H&H on brown bear. I Know one shot to the heart is all thats
needed.

Thanks for all the advice. As suggested, I posted the same question in the Alaska forum. got some good experienced advice there as well. I have found some Remeington 200 gr. noslers in the .300 win mag. And will go with the original plan to hunt with the gun I am so familiar with and have used for many years. Thanks, Tony

Tony, You'll do just fine....good luck!!

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Remeington 200 gr. noslers

Nosler Partitions???