If you were relegated to a 22" bolt gun in 30-06 that put a 200 grain SP at 2350 into 1" what would you feel is too much game for it?

That combo will -- and has -- worked for everything here in the states and virtually any of the plains game Africa has to offer. Yes, it may be what some consider to be on the light side for the big bears, but with a properly-placed bullet, the 30-06 and a good 200 grainer will certainly do the job.

While there are many cartridges/guns/loads that may be better suited to a single task, the '06 will do just fine for all of them.

I would not feel undergunned.

I'd shoot anything I had a tag for and not look back.

If I were after Brown or Grizzly Bears I would want something larger. Not that the combo you suggest would not work, there are just better choices for you and the bear.

A fast moving PD might be a little tough after a day of banging them.

miles58 wrote: "A fast moving PD might be a little tough after a day of banging them"

I think that might be illegal in some locales...

Just kidding, of course. But being that this is the Big Game Hunting forum, I don't think he was factoring varmints into the equation.

All right! which is it? Size matters or it doesn't?

The point being that with the powders and bullets available today you can pretty well do what you'd like with an '06. This is a different situation than it was 30 years ago of for that matter even ten years ago.

Having used the best bullets available, I have no question in my mind that a 130 grain Barnes TSX is all by itself a huge change. The new TTSX looks like an improvement. Penetration has a whole new meaning now that encompasses deflection as a problem with substantial solution available. Hitting bone with a cup and core bullet, even rib, has in the past been enough to deflect them, no matter their weight. Now, we have bullets that not only deflect less and plow through better, but they are much better than much heavier bullets and they tend to be extremely accurate.

This is a wonderful time to be making ammunition. We have the tools to do things we couldn't not long ago. If the changes in the next ten years are as great, particularly in propellant chemistry, we will be very substantially revising the capability of many cartridges. Both accuracy and terminal performance wise.

There are better choices for small game, and big bears, but if it were all I had to use, I wouldn't be concerned. JMHO

gd

quote:

what in NA wouldnt you hunt w/ an -06

Anything I didn't have a tag for. The '06 will get 'er done.

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:
I'd shoot anything I had a tag for and not look back.

Same here. Except I am loading my 220 partitions to 2500fps in my -06, not that it will kill any deader.

Now if I can just get that brown bear to hold still..

Well, if i lived in alaska i'd move south. Otherwise i guess i could get by.

quote:

Originally posted by RMiller:

quote:

Originally posted by buckeyeshooter:
I'd shoot anything I had a tag for and not look back.

Same here. Except I am loading my 220 partitions to 2500fps in my -06, not that it will kill any deader.

Now if I can just get that brown bear to hold still..

im gonna try out some 220's this week. if they stabalize and shoot well ill keep a few on hand.
My -06 shoots the 200's 1.75" inches below and dead center the 180 hornady BTSP so i can keep a few of each with me and hunt large streches or thick stuff. the 22" BBl is short enough for me tto move thru the thick stuff but long eenough to get good results w/ H4895.
the MCMill stock makes the rifle light enough to carry all day.

I would suspect that 95%+ of all the browns and white bears ever killed would have never known another min of life it hit w/ the 200 gr -06.

im looking at using it for fox, yotes, deer, pigs and black bear with the future option of mulie, Moose and browns. Doubt i'll ever desire to go to Afrika. Maybe NZ.

There is a book out, I think its One man, One rifle, One land. May be out of order, but a great book on a gentleman who took every single north american big game animal with a Remington 700 ADL '06. Great read.

The '06 is truly the most versatile caliber today. As has been mentioned the powder and projectile choices are nearly endless and with specialty bullets like those produced by Barnes and others the '06 has become even more versatile.

That said, even though I've never hunted brown/grizzly bears, I'd feel more comfortable with something a little larger for a charging bear. But, you were speaking of a normal hunting situation where the bear doesn't know your there and you can pick your shot--the '06 should be sufficient and in fact has proven itself in those situations.

I've got an '06 and if I could keep only one of my rifles, it would be the '06.

quote:

Originally posted by Red C.:
The '06 is truly the most versatile caliber today. As has been mentioned the powder and projectile choices are nearly endless and with specialty bullets like those produced by Barnes and others the '06 has become even more versatile.

That said, even though I've never hunted brown/grizzly bears, I'd feel more comfortable with something a little larger for a charging bear. But, you were speaking of a normal hunting situation where the bear doesn't know your there and you can pick your shot--the '06 should be sufficient and in fact has proven itself in those situations.

I've got an '06 and if I could keep only one of my rifles, it would be the '06.

I see it like this...
Brown bear= Alaska
Alaska= guided hunt
Guided hunt= Guide with backup gun.
so me + 30-06 + brown bear in brush =
Me + 30-06 + guide + backup gun + brownie in brush =

When I was much much younger, I considered the .30-06 old-fashioned. Had to have a magnum. Now, although I have numerous hunting rifles, I'm in the process of getting a .30-06 bbl for one of my guns. It does the job and I haven't had one!

ONE MORE TIME .... ACCURACY MATTERS MORE THAN SIZE OR SPEED...
A 200 GR. OUT OF AN 06 WILL AND HAS TAKEN BROWN BEAR IN ALASKA MORE THAN A FEW TIMES.... WILL TAKE ANY NA GAME... I WOULD BE MORE LEARY OF POLAR BEAR THAN BROWN BEAR.....
THE CHARGING BEAR THING HAPPENS USUALLY WITH A POORLY PLACED SHOT.... EVEN WITH A 338... WHICH IS USUALLY THE ALASKA GUIDES CHOICE OF WEAPON NOT BECAUSE IT IS MORE ACCURATE BUT IT WILL STOP EM..BUT AGAIN NOT WITH POORLY PLACED SHOTS... i KNOW OF SOME THAT ARE CARRING A PK1 3 1/2 10 GA. TITAIUM 00BUCK ..IF I WERE BACKUP WITH SOMEONE THAT I WASN'T SURE OF HOW THEY COULD SHOOT THAT WOULD BE MY CHOICE ... WITH THE PLUG OUT

As most have noted, I would feel more comfortable with a bigger cartridge with the big bears but I know my trusty 30-06 would handle them just fine... It's where you hit them that matters anyway...

Ken....

My wife and I use a 308 quite a bit, which I consider the equal of the 30-06.

She has taken zebra, 2 kudu, wildebest, and giraffe with it.

The biggest I have taken is black bear.

The only NA animal I would be "worried" about would be one of the Big Bears.

However, when I hunt elk, caribou [they are in Big Bear country], or if i hunted moose I would use something bigger, just because I have it.

Truth be told, I think I could "get her done", with my 308 Blaser with a 165 or 180 premium bullet on ANY game in NA. Any Game including the BIG BEARS.

A BIGGER gun, well handled, just gives a person a little more of an edge.

quote:

Originally posted by 30378:
If I were after Brown or Grizzly Bears I would want something larger. Not that the combo you suggest would not work, there are just better choices for you and the bear.

Those were my exact thoughts!

I would hunt about anything on the planet with such a load, but I would prefer to load that 200 gr. bullet up to 2700 FPS, and that's not a problem in my 30-06...However at 2350 your assured of bullet integrity and so it will get the job done..