suluuq, a person who chooses to hunt grizzly with a .243 or a .222 is an idiot and shows complete lack of respect for the majesty of the animal.

500 Grains: I knew an Alaska Native man, who a few years ago explained to me how he hunted the largest bears with a .223 or similar rifle. He passed away recently, but it was cancer that killed him, not the bears he hunted. He hunted bears with two or four friends, and each one of them had grown around bears, so they knew every little detail about "bear," including bear behavior. They would have at least one "bear" dog with them when hunting polar bears. When the bear was spotted somewhere, one of the guys (or the dog) would distract the bear to turn it broadside, and the best shooter would kill the bear by shooting it in the softer bone between the ear and the eye. It was a simple as that, and the shot would be taken from within 50 to 100 yards. All it took was one shot to drop it, and the rest (if more than one shot) was to make death certain.

This guy was not there to look good. He was there to kill his bear for meat, and for every little body part and hide. Nothing was wasted.

He also told me how grizzly bears respond to the sounds marmots make (some kind of a "whistle" sound). They would hunt grizzly in areas where marmots lived, and one of them would find a high point that would give him some type of protection, and cover (camouflage). This guy would make his marmot calls, while others would be at vantage points somewhere nearby, and not too far from the bear trails that crisscrossed the area. When a bear would respond to the marmot calls, the hunters would dispatch the bear in the same fashion (a shot to the side of the head, between the ear and the eye).

There was an old guide from Kodiak, long gone now, who knew enough about bears to bring one in within 20 yards of his client. He through of bears as "big pigs," and easy to kill at close range. This guy lived for many years observing bears, hunting them, and guiding. Bears to him were not the creatures that most of us consider them to be. Most of us have a job, family to take care of, and not much time to be "observing" bears in their habitat. But those who live out there in the bush, along bears (all year long), get to know bears very well.

[ 06-08-2003, 22:29: Message edited by: Ray, Alaska ]

In the 60's and 70's people going grizzly hunting liked using a 300 win or weatherby mag. Now, no less than a 338 is suggested. I have a brother in law who hunts Alaska all the time, used a 300 win mag for his grizzly, then went to a 7 mag, got his polar, and brown bears. Of course, he has been using Nosler Partitions for "years". I'm of the school a well tuned 30-06 or up loaded with good bullets will get the job done. The gun writers are the ones telling you it's a cannon you need. And yes, if I was the guide, a 45-70 for defense makes alot of sense. That is defense if the shooter cant do his part, and if he cant do his part, no cannon on earth will save him. I'm not apposed to them, but you wont sell me that they are a "must".

The hide and of the bear and the rifle that Bella Twin used were both hanging in the Reynold's Museum in Wetaskiwin Alberta the last time I was there,about 10 years ago. After the Provincial Government took over the museum and moved it a few years back,I don't know what happened to it.I never saw it in the new museum.The bear was encountered while Bella and her sister were shooting grouse.They saw it before it saw them(that was lucky) and ducked behind a brush pile.Bella shot it in the side of the head with a Marlin single shot as it walked past.The reports said that it fell and kicked a couple of times and that was it.Had it been the all mighty powerful 22LR not the 22 Short......the bear may not even have kicked....

[ 06-09-2003, 06:05: Message edited by: rembo ]

Well, not a .30-30, but I just killed a nice Black with my .58 cal traditional muzzleloader (round ball, 275 grains) and plan to go get a Brown with it now. I believe that where one makes the hole is a real key. The guide I was with wife killed a nice Brown this past fall with a .25-06.

It seems that this thread, like so many others like it, has degenerated into name calling and opinion.

The question seems to me to be not can you but would you.

I find it interesting that people who have the least amount of experience shooting a particular animal, ie: Polar Bears, Brown/Grizzly Bears, Cape Buffalo etc., are the ones who are the most strident in their opinions about using particularly powerful cartridges. On the other hand those who have the most experiance always seem to fall into the 'most anything will work if you shoot straight' camp.

Perhaps familiarity does breed contempt, or more probably removes the mystic that was created by authors and brings the animal back into the realm of reality and not legend.

Almost any centerfire rifle with an appropriate bullet will kill any animal on Earth if The animal is shot in the right place.

To disparage hunters who do something on a regular basis, with tools that work, because you have not done so is ridiculous.

I prefer my .300 Winchester Mag, simply because experience has shown me it works, and works well. I carried my 300 and took a nice Toklat Grizzly, my hunting partner was packing his Model 94 in 30-30. He has killed more grizzlies than I have so who am I to doubt him?

Mickey1
I agree with you hole heartedly!! Yep you can kill just about anything with 22 LR. Now like that guy that got chewed by the lion and is suying the bullet manufacturer - he used the wrong bullet-solids when he should have used soft pionts- just because they had a picture on the box of a dead rhino!!! It's the chance you take when you hunt dangerous game. So when I hear of an individual getting stomped /chewed or killed when using a firearm of small caliber on big dangerous game I just laugh and say you got what you deserved. Use the correct tool for the job and you'll always be satisfied!!!

Not being fortunate enough to have hunted Grizzlies yet, I can't elaborate on those experiences, but my first black bear was killed with a 99 Savage in 30-30 when I was fourteen. The rifle had originally been a 300 Savage, but Dad rebarreled it with an old 0-3 Springfield barrel while going to gunsmithing school in the sixties. That particular rifle killed 4 bears, 7 elk, and countless deer.

Would a 30-30 be my first pick, probably not, but it will get the job done in a pinch.

I've always believed that I'd rather have a gun that I can shoot accurately, rather than one that has plenty of knockdown power, but I can't control it. To those of you who shoot the big bores and magnums accurately and consistently, I applaud you. It's something I admit to not being very good at, but If I had a nickel for everytime that I've seen game wounded, or meat ruined by someone with a 300 mag, or larger, I'd be rich.

I had a fellow that was hunting a couple of years ago on my neighbor's property, and ended up shooting a cow elk. He managed to place a shot right smack dab into her hindquarter. The only honorable thing that he did do, was at least he kept tracking her until she collapsed from exhaustion. He shot her one more time to put out of her misery in my pasture. When I walked out to see what was going on, he explained what had happened. Out of curiosity, I asked him, "What caliber are you shooting"? He quickly replied, "Oh I've got a 300 Mag, so I know that I'm caring enough gun". I didn't say anymore, there really wasn't much point. Besides, I knew the answer to my question before I asked it.

HI,

This is Kev50 and the post above is not my post. I have been having a problem with some jackass who is posting retarded stuff, claiming it is me. This is why I am not posting anything any more, but I still see stuff being posted by so called me.Thanks,Kev

I hunted with an Inuit Guide in Northern Quebec that took a 10ft 6 inch Polar Bear with a 222 or 223. He shot it in the lungs and tracked it until it got so weak it couldn't stand and finished it off with a shot to the neck. He sold the hide for $2500 and used the money to take care of his family

well let me ask a simple question....

Are you willing to face a Grizzly with a pipsqueak 30-30 (hopped up handgun cartridge)? I hope not!

Geeze! Let's go and wound a griz with a 30-30 and let the guide go into the "brush" to finish him...I feel sorry for the guide...If I was running a guide service for Griz, I'd definitely not book any hunt for griz from an idiot that wanted to use a 30-30!