I'm going black bear hunting this spring and was thinking of using my .308. My question is is this enough rifle and what load do you recommend.

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Originally posted by mhilgart:
I'm going black bear hunting this spring and was thinking of using my .308. My question is is this enough rifle and what load do you recommend.

More than enough, 165 grain Partitions will do a nice job.

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Originally posted by cobra:

quote:

Originally posted by mhilgart:
I'm going black bear hunting this spring and was thinking of using my .308. My question is is this enough rifle and what load do you recommend.

More than enough, 165 grain Partitions will do a nice job.

Same here. Good luck!

180 grain Remington Core-Lokt and if you are hunting over bait I would use the round nose not the pointed soft points.
Bryan

The last black bear I killed was just shy of 400lbs and I killed it with a Model 7 Stainless chambered in .308. 165gr Bearclaw placed just behind the skull and it colapsed and then just kind of vibrated for a second. Not even a death moan. I was really surprised the bullet didn't exit, granted it was only about a 30yrd shot.

When I shot my black bear I used my 300 RUM shooting 200gr Partitions. One shot and he was dead. I shot him right thru his heart with his back facing me.

I also like the partition but I would use the 180 grain version.

I am no expert but I have successfully hunted black bear in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. I have used a 45-70, a .376 Steyr and a .338 RUM. With good shoulder shots the .338 RUM knocked them flat in their tracks. With the other calibers and the same bullet placement, the bear ran some ways in the bush and died. As I am a fan of the DRT school of thought, I will use the .338 RUM or bigger in the future for bear hunting loaded with Swift A Frames.

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Originally posted by RREESE:
I am no expert but I have successfully hunted black bear in Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. I have used a 45-70, a .376 Steyr and a .338 RUM. With good shoulder shots the .338 RUM knocked them flat in their tracks. With the other calibers and the same bullet placement, the bear ran some ways in the bush and died. As I am a fan of the DRT school of thought, I will use the .338 RUM or bigger in the future for bear hunting loaded with Swift A Frames.

I agree with A-Frames but a calibre as big as .338 RUM is not necessary for black bears. Hell we got natives up here that use .22-250's and .30-30's on them. Grizzlies would be a different matter.

I have shot bears with 308 up to my 416 taylor.

The 308 will work the last one I shot with it was using a 165gr corlok 135yards 2 shots thru the lungs ran about 35 yards 250lb bear.

A freind of mine shot a 416 lb bear in front of his hounds with is model 7 308 165 gr rem factory bear ran about 20 yards tipped over. He as killed and has been in on the kills of well over a hundred bears over the 45 years. His son shot a 408 this year at about 100 yards with a 270 140 gr it ran about 50 yards one shot thru the lungs.

He says 308 270 3006 is plenty. If I knew I was going to run into a real big bear 400lbs and up I most likely go with by 338 or something bigger. Why because I can. I shot a 490 with my 416 taylor DRT.

For use in front of the hounds my 18" scout in 06 loaded with 220gs works really well fast easy to handle.

anything you would use for deer, except the .243 and smaller cased .25 bores will work on blackbear. even they will do it with a good un-rattled shot. they aren't exceptionaly hard to kill with any decently placed shot from just about any medium bore rifle or higher power handgun.

I have killed bear with a 308.
I used a single shot K 95 with a 180gr Woodleigh Soft.

I would recommend a 165 or 180 gr bullet like a Partition, Bearclaw, etc.

For a spring hunt over bait, the .308 with a 165 should be just dandy.

I've seen black bears dropped with a 357 mag. 'Nuff said.

Your 308 is more than enough for anything in north america save the big brown bears. I like the 180 gr TSX, Swift A-frame, and Nosler Partition. Pretty much in that order.

Take a bit of time to study bear anatomy if you are doing a dog hunt, you won't always get a pretty shot and may have to improvise.

John

We have shot bears this year with a 7mm a 30-06 and a 300 Roy. 308 will be great. Other then poor performing lead free ammo the last couple years, I've found black bears fairly easy to kill. I would shoot the rifle I'm best with whether that's a 270 or a 375.

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Originally posted by Sevenxbjt:
I've found black bears fairly easy to kill. I would shoot the rifle I'm best with

I gotta agree. I've seen a pile of bears (and a few elk too) killed with the little 257 Roberts. Just pick a good bullet and shoot straight. If you're in grizzly country that's another story...

If the shot is going to be close, why not a 180 gr soft point bullet? They're inexpensive and pretty damn deadly at those velocities.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...6103246/m/3291016811

Speaking of what 180 gr soft points will do out of a .308...

I'm headed to Canada for a bear hunt this spring. I'm taking a 30-06 w. Accubonds. Thought of TXS but the Accubond is plenty of medicine for a black bear outa a 30-06 - or a 308 for that matter.

I'd go w. the 180gr in the 308 but thats just me.

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Originally posted by Big Bore Boar Hunter:

Your 308 is more than enough for anything in north america save the big brown bears.

John

Bear in mind (sorry ) that it is not uncommon at all for Pennsylvania black bears to be considerably larger than inland grizzlies. Blackies in the 600-700 lb. range are taken every year and over 800 is not out of the question. Those boys don't die easy. But, then again, we are not permitted to hunt them over bait, either. So it's not always possible to wait on a broadside shot and calls for a tad more gun than a .308. But for many (maybe most) applications, you are correct.

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Originally posted by Strut10:

quote:

Originally posted by Big Bore Boar Hunter:

Your 308 is more than enough for anything in north america save the big brown bears.

John

Bear in mind (sorry ) that it is not uncommon at all for Pennsylvania black bears to be considerably larger than inland grizzlies. Blackies in the 600-700 lb. range are taken every year and over 800 is not out of the question. Those boys don't die easy. But, then again, we are not permitted to hunt them over bait, either. So it's not always possible to wait on a broadside shot and calls for a tad more gun than a .308. But for many (maybe most) applications, you are correct.

I think I may have to come to your neck of the woods for bear! Some of the largest I've heard of came from Vancouver Island, much the same size as your big bruins. Now I have a new found respect for the east coast.

John