.303 British for Canadian spring black bear ???

The Accurate Reloading Forums

This topic can be found at:
https://forums.accuratereloading.com/eve/forums/a/tpc/f/3411043/m/775101031

22 April 2004, 15:34

Frank Beller

.303 British for Canadian spring black bear ???

At 2200 fps for a 180 gr. Remington roundnose bullet, or 2250 fps for a 150 Hornady bullet, is my .303 British enough gun for Canadian spring black bear ??? Thanks for your help.

22 April 2004, 15:44

kutenaymtnboy

This round has taken so much game here in Canada that it is sort a national icon. The new Remmy Core-lokts do not impress me, though, and Blackies can be really tough. I would suggest getting some 215 gr. Hawk bullets and loading them to about 2250 fps.; this is both a traditional and absolutely deadly load within 200 yds. Also, it will not blow a big hole in your trophy bear hide.

I have seen quite a few bears, deer and Moose killed quickly with this load, in the old "Dominion" ammo loaded here in Canada.

22 April 2004, 17:10

Murf

Anything in 180 gr from a 303 should do for bears.

22 April 2004, 18:47

Gatehouse

If you are not a hanloader, get some 180gr Power Points or something similar and go kill a bear...

The .303 will kill anything the 30-06 does, pretty much the same...

22 April 2004, 18:50

kutenaymtnboy

Well, I don't know, Gate, there are those charging Grouse....., maybe a .416???

23 April 2004, 17:13

David_Parenteau

C'mon Clarke,2089 posts!!!!!Thats 2087 more than me.When do you have time to hunt?
Dave

23 April 2004, 20:09

Gatehouse

Quote:

C'mon Clarke,2089 posts!!!!!Thats 2087 more than me.When do you have time to hunt?

Dave

That's 3 years worht of posts...

Remember- I was on vacation all last year, too, so I had plenty of time on my hands!

24 April 2004, 07:01

mehulkamdar

Gatehouse,

Do you get the .303 with 215 grain roundnose bullets now? In India when they banned the .303 they created the .315 IOF which was a close parallel with 200 (pointed) and 215 grain (round nose) 8 mm bullets in the .303 case and it is very popular in Central India.

The old .303 with 215 roundnose bullets took a number of tigers in the old days in India, and I guess it should still work fine even though there are much more powerful monster guns available.

24 April 2004, 13:11

Gatehouse

The 215gr bullets are hard to find, but I understand Woodleigh is making them.

Also, Steve Redgewell has been making some 200 gr bullets which he is still testing.

The big bullets really give the 303 some juice!

25 April 2004, 06:21

Sheldon Charron

I killed a pile of big game with my .303 here in Canada before I was educated that it was aq "am killer" and not suitable for killing anything larger than rabbits. That's when I found out you couldn't hunt without a scope either. You basically have .308 performance. Those velocity figures sound low to me for factory ammo. You will be fine. Black bears are not that hard to kill, they just have small vitals. Their lungs are about the size of a large grapefruit. The are not built to run much.

Shoot straight.

25 April 2004, 09:26

boilerroom

My 303 British used to shoot Hornady 174 gr. RN factory loads quite adequate. That would be an ideal load for black bear.

Good luck.