I killed a Brown Bear with a 200 gr. Nosler Partition, from a .300 Win mag. A head on shot with the Bear standing and looking at me, one shot took his heart out and pulvarized the chest-heart-lung area. I have been back since and packed a .340 with Nosler Partition Gold in 250 gr. I am going back next year and will pack a .358 STA and using a Northfork bullet of either 250 gr. or 270 gr. The Northfork is now my preference in toughness and accuracy, in my two rifles it is really awesome. If I were you I would see what your rifle likes from the Nosler, Barnes, Swift A-Frame, or Northfork and use the one that groups best. Good luck and good shooting.
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[This message has been edited by phurley (edited 12-23-2001).]
Winchester's Fail-Safe is just about as good as it gets. I shot through a mountain grizzly end-to-end with a 270 gr. Fail-Safe out of a .375 H&H. What a good bear bullet should do, the Fail-Safe does in spades!
With the "inland" grizzlies, anything from .30/06 on up will do. Use heavy for calibre bullets preferrably.
My personal choice has been the .300WM with 200gr Nosler Partitions. I might pack something bigger next time, just so I have an excuse to use them on something (eg. .375 HH or .416 Taylor).
Canuck
Posts: 7123 | Location: The Rock (southern V.I.) | Registered: 27 February 2001
You need penetration. I had a 200 gr. .308 bullet hit a griz rib, flatten the bullet, toss the griz arse over tea kettle, and he still got away. Long story about how I know "he" and "rib," and I'll leave it at that.
Nosler Partition, Barnes "X". Heavy is better then lighter but penetration is the key, and you must anticipate the possibility of close-in shooting. Griz's, and bear hides generally, are so thick that your standard hunting bullet for deer will just splatter if you're shooting up close. That will get you in trouble. Griz can take a lot of killing.
Posts: 36231 | Location: Laughing so hard I can barely type. | Registered: 21 April 2001
My favorite is a 570 grain Woodleigh soft point in my 500 AHR (will work in a Jeffery also). Pushed to 2450 - 2500 fps the expansion is very good (recovered bullets measured between 1.1" - 1.52") and penetration is complete fore to aft. Hit in head comes out arse. This type of peformance has been true for buffalo as well; however, I back that soft point up with a solid in the magazine just in case.
Second would be the 535 grain Woodleigh.
Once you start shooting the big 50's you won't ever go back they are jsut too awesome.
For my grizz hunt next year I plan on using 300gr Noslers out of my 375H&H. You didn't say what caliber your using but use the heaviest premium bullet your gun shoots accurately. Shots should all be fairly close. Good luck.
Jarrett
Posts: 223 | Location: Alaska | Registered: 20 February 2001
BBBruce you are starting to sound like Elmer when he shot a yote in the lungs with 06 and it ran away. Said he shot the same one two weeks later and found scar tissue on lungs that how he knew it was same yote.
Posts: 20005 | Location: wis | Registered: 21 April 2001
Canuck