A buddy of mine says he has family up in Alaska and wanted to go up next year with his ruger m77 30/06 to hunt brown bears and moose. He asked me if i thought the 30/06 was enough gun.I told him that i have no experience with the big bears but my opinion was that the 30/06 would be fine. i myself shoot a remington 700 using 220 grain roun nose at 2500 fps for deer and black bears and i thought this load would be good ,but maybe with a nosler partition or swift a frame.i told him i would ask on the forum from you guys who use the 30/06 up there.Is the 220 grain bullet a good choice or would he be better off with a premium 180 grain at higher velocities.What weight bullet and what velocities should he be using for his trip.

To quote one of the most experienced bear guides on this site:

"Anyone who claims the 30-06 is ineffective has either not tried one, or is unwittingly commenting on their own marksmanship
Phil Shoemaker www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com"

I think the -06 is fine and I used one to kill the largest moose I've ever taken.

For several years now I've exclusively used the Barnes TSX and see no reason to change. If I were hunting bears around here with my -06 I'd bring the 180g TSX.

Tanoose

Plus 1 on what Scott said. My druthers would be for a 375 but I'm sure he'll get it done with his '06. If his rifle likes the TSX that would be great and if not a 200 gr NP would be a good choice also. I've used both on all kinds of game and they work great.

Mark

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Originally posted by boliep:
To quote one of the most experienced bear guides on this site:

"Anyone who claims the 30-06 is ineffective has either not tried one, or is unwittingly commenting on their own marksmanship
Phil Shoemaker www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com"

Go with the voice of experience.

phil i'm sure has seen it done and more than likely done it a handfull of times himself with the '06. i've had many clients use them and i've had no reservations about a client showing up with one. more one shot kills with that caliber than the big 30's and up.

you guys think the 200 gr. tsx would be a better choice over the 200 gr. swift a-frame ?

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Originally posted by Tanoose:
you guys think the 200 gr. tsx would be a better choice over the 200 gr. swift a-frame ?

Why not a 180-grain TSXT (tipped)? It should penetrate plenty, and expand enough.

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Originally posted by Tanoose:
you guys think the 200 gr. tsx would be a better choice over the 200 gr. swift a-frame ?

I wouldn't of said better, just my preference. I think the 180g carries plenty of velocity, good penetration and expansion. I think the tsx and some of the other premiums have done away with traditional thoughts on bullet weights. 165's hit like 180's, 180's hit like 200's, 200's hit like,......

I believe its accurate to say the .375 tsx, (expanding) in the 270g is considered appropriate for cape buffalo today, whereas 20 or more years ago it was 300g solids. That's a huge difference in conventional wisdom.

I suspect I never will since I've got other rifles I think are neat-o, but I would like to use a 30 cal 180g tsx on a bear.

When I was a kid, back in the fifties, the venerable '06 was THE Alaska bear caliber. They don't work so well now, though. Can't explain why.

The flower sniffing Hippies started going up to Alaska in the 60's to find mushrooms, be one with Nature and worship the Bears. The Bears then had a new food source and then got so full of S--- that the old 30-06 and 220's would not penetrate. Least wise that is the story I heard.

thanks to everyone, i will show my friend all the posts so he can make a decision. thanks again.

180-200gr...we are starting to split hairs now. there comes a point when i believe we start to overthink killing.

The 30-06 was the most popular round for guides during the first half of the last century and is still carried by a good number of them. In 1952 it proved adequate to kill the world's record Kodiak/Brown bear and with modern ammunition and the bullets we have today it is even a better choice. Any of the newer premium bullets from 180 to 220 grs will work perfectly.

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180-200gr...we are starting to split hairs now. there comes a point when i believe we start to overthink killing.

Hey! Over-thinking things is 90% of what we post here on AR! :-)

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Originally posted by Biebs:

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180-200gr...we are starting to split hairs now. there comes a point when i believe we start to overthink killing.

Hey! Over-thinking things is 90% of what we post here on AR! :-)

Very true like if 20 grs different and 100fps well make any animal die faster at rifle velocities.

But the camp fire talk makes this place fun.

All depends on the powder and BC....right. Hang on, lemme run some numbers!! Lol

We've lost track of how many brown bears my wife has taken with her 300 Savage,) ?20 or so}. Some have needed a follow-up shot but most went a few yards and died. 150 or 165gr NP @ 2450 fps, she tries to wait until the bullet can placed at the top of the heart taking lungs with it. This bear dropped at the shot!

I am sure the 30-06 will do fine for any bear, I would opt for the 200 gr. Nosler partition at 2600 to 2700 FPS depending on his rifle..I have seen that load used on several Eland, a Buffalo, one or two Lions (maybe 220 Nosler on the lions?) and several Giraffe with 180 gr. Nosler, and Giraffe and Eland are mighty big...

Im sure there are those in the know that would not recommend a 30-06 for Brown Bear, and I'm not saying they are wrong, Im sure a 338 or 375 is a better choice, but I personally would be comfortable with a 30-06 and perhaps more comfortable with a .338, or .375...but one should hunt bear or any DG with a back up shooter and I believe Alaska requires a guide or at least a resident to accompany him.

The 30-06 is the best thing since sliced white bread! but only if you can shoot, but then that applies to the 500 Nitro Express also.

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Originally posted by waterrat:

We've lost track of how many brown bears my wife has taken with her 300 Savage,) ?20 or so}. Some have needed a follow-up shot but most went a few yards and died. 150 or 165gr NP @ 2450 fps, she tries to wait until the bullet can placed at the top of the heart taking lungs with it. This bear dropped at the shot!

Jim, just because your wife can kill a bear with a 300 Savage doesn't mean man can.
Afterall, we routinely recommend easily shootable caliber for women but real men need some kind of large magnum to kill thier game.

Great photo and fitting for your 1000th post.

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Afterall, we routinely recommend easily shootable caliber for women but real men need some kind of large magnum to kill thier game.

I have noticed the same phenomenon as I get older. When I was in my 30s, I had to use a large magnum for most beasties. Now that I am older, smaller calibers have become more powerful.

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Originally posted by loud-n-boomer:

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Afterall, we routinely recommend easily shootable caliber for women but real men need some kind of large magnum to kill thier game.

I have noticed the same phenomenon as I get older. When I was in my 30s, I had to use a large magnum for most beasties. Now that I am older, smaller calibers have become more powerful.

YES L&B ,, I'm in the process now of downsizing from a 458 to a 400 Whelen myself. It looks like a 350 Swift @ 2300 would be a force to be reckoned with!

Waterat,
Despite how much I love that picture and story...
Now that we all now know that you make your wife shoot her garden gophers with a piddly 300 Savage, and since I never have seen a picture of it, you might as well confess that it not a custom made CRF Mauser type action. Probably a Rem 721 push feed, or Savage 99 lever or even possibly a Rem 760 pump! Lot's of 300's running around in those platforms. I had a HS buddy whose family gun was the 300 savage in a 99 and it kept getting handed down to the next youngest son and funny thing was that the elk kept dying when the new owner pulled the trigger on it. Never more than factory 150 Rem Core Locts or Winchester Power points. Wonderful old cartridge.
Best regards from the Prairie!

Fury Photobucket has stymied me today so no pic,,,

It's a 722 with a 20" barrell,,almost 9lbs with a big scope and kicks very little,,it's an old family heirloom and has been on brown bear duty since new here at the lake.

I knew it! A Heretic in Believer clothing!
Inbetween this post and the last, I had to move a pile of dead wood planned for a Thankgiving bonfire away from the Apple tree. While doing so, a giant rat with a baby hanging off her ran out and up the apple tree disappearing into a knot hole. Retrieved my Taurus 38 special loaded carry pistol and found the baby rat hanging on the tree below the hole. Put the front sight post just under his head and pulled the DA trigger through. Dead rat. Shot the rest of the cylinder into the wood below the knot hole with unknown effect. Went back to the house and retrieved my Whitworth 458 that I load 435 or so grain cast in and proceeded back to the orchard. The nose of Momma rat was poking out of the knot hole. Took the proper 6 o'clock aim and launched parts of said rat into the atmosphere. Not the same as your Garden Gophers but we make do with what we have down here in the lowlands!
Best regards to you and your Wife Sir!

quote:

Originally posted by waterrat:

We've lost track of how many brown bears my wife has taken with her 300 Savage,) ?20 or so}. Some have needed a follow-up shot but most went a few yards and died. 150 or 165gr NP @ 2450 fps, she tries to wait until the bullet can placed at the top of the heart taking lungs with it. This bear dropped at the shot!

Yeah. That bear was wandering about pink flowers.

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It's a 722 with a 20" barrell

Not a model 99 how could you

I would like a 760 in 300sav but haven't found a free market one yet