I know there are much more powerful cartridges for brown bear but if you had to use a 30/06 which bullet weight would you use the 180 or 220 grain and which bullet style ( nosler hornady etc)

I am sure you will get a number of responses for different bullets, but as for off the shelf bullets you can easily order/get, I LOVE the Barnes TSX. I shoot them in my 7 MM Rem Mag, 338 Win Mag and my 416 Rigby. They shoot well in all my guns. I have to admit I am somewhat biased based on the devestating results it produced on my Grizz this past September from my 416 Rigby.

If you aren't expecting a really long shot use the heavier bullet.

180 to 200 Barnes TSX, 200 to 220 Nosler Partitions, or similiar weight Swift A-Frames, Kodiak or North Forks will all do quite well. If you are after really big Brown Bears I personally prefer the heavier weights and in fact am planning on trying the new 240 gr Woodleighs on peninsula Browns this spring.

458 what velocitys are we talkinmg about with those 240 's and what barrel length?

*** 220 GR. -- and TAKE A HARD LOOK AT THE NEW BARNES MRX - TUNGSTEN CORE ***

Get as close as you can get to the 220 Wt. bullet , in the construction of your choice .

You want to be able to take ANY size Bear , -- from ANY angle , -- preferrably with an exit wound , but with most of the energy-dump within the animal .

--- You may have to stop an escaping WOUNDED BEAR , -- so you may have to shoot dead rear-end , or dead frontal presentation .

So you want a bullet W/ Sectional density and construction to travel the entire length of the body , into the vitals .

( Or , God-forbid , you may have to stop a frontal charge with your bacon on the line ) .

Look up the article in the NRA's American Rifleman Magazine , ( Dec. 2005 issue ) --- on Barnes' new MRX tungsten core bullet , it's pretty revolutionary , -- and I think Federal will load it .

--- Read the Thread , ( Below , This Forum ) , on *** BROWN BEAR STOPPING *** .

With the great .30-06 , listen , with great attention , to Phil Shoemaker's advice concerning , " Shot Placement " .

----- Luck , in your search , -- MMCOUGAR .

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
in fact am planning on trying the new 240 gr Woodleighs on peninsula Browns this spring.

Phil,
Need any help with this....I will donate my time and even buy the bullets!

180 gr. is too light for b.b.

200-220 gr. is good for .06. use n.p., swift a frame or north fork.

200 gr. is hunting in somewhat open area. for denser terrain or if trophy hunting 10'+ bears, then 220 gr.

shot placement is more important than whether the bullet is 200 or 220 gr. you must break him down with the first shot. try to abgle the shot to break both shoulders first.

I really like the 180 Sierra Gameking for Black Bear in the 30-06 and over bait the 45-70. To answer your question the the 200 gr Nosler Part and 180 TSX in the 30-06 for Brown bear.......but I would never take my beloved 06 for brown bear.

For larger brown bear my 338 Win with 225 TSX Barnes.

For Grizzly my 300 WSM with 180 Fail Safe or Barnes 180 TSX.

Am I the only one here that has had failure with the partitions? I shot a black bear a year and a half ago, 2 shots, 211 yards with a 35whelen, 225gr. 1 exit wound(2 entrance holes) and the whole insides were mush. never found the a bullet, alot of fragments. yes it killed the bear but I expected to either find the bullet or an exit wound for each round. I will not use these bullets again unless theres a reasonable explanation for the results I had.

I'll stick with barnes or failsafes.

i shot a brownie quartering away from me with a 375 with 300 gr partitions. broke the hip traveled through the bear and then still had enuf to break the front shoulder. couldn't wish for more than that

quote:

Originally posted by Tanoose:
I know there are much more powerful cartridges for brown bear but if you had to use a 30/06 which bullet weight would you use the 180 or 220 grain and which bullet style ( nosler hornady etc)

Barnes 200 gr TSX.........

Joel/AK

I think the phrase "insides were mush" pretty much tells the story. The front 1/3 of the NP is supposed to go off like grenade therefore the fragments. They kill like dynamite. The lack of a second exit could have been for several reasons like they both exited the same hole which has happened to me. Also sometimes you just do not find the bullet unless you do a real autopsy. I have seen the back 2/3 of an NP bent and mangled but never have I known one to actually come unglued. Anything is possible though but personally I will continue to recommend them for anything up to cape buffalo.

As for the initial question I would think that any of the modern premium bullets including the Nosler Partition would work well in weights of 180 or heavier. I think I would be more comfortable though with a 338 or 375 than a '06.

Mark

I would leave the 30-06 for bear to the same ones who use 243 on elk .I wouldnt use anything smaller than 338 with a 250 gr bullet for griz.I had a friend who suprised only a 7'2" blond griz last year and he had to shoot it 6 times with a 338 win mag.I also have a friend who a few years back shot a 9' coatal bear 3 times with his 416 taylor after it had been shot three times with a 358 norma by the guy he was guiding.If your an expert at poping griz in the ear with a 30-06 and have about 20 bears under your belt its no big thing to do.But if your going after your first griz you better shoot as much gun as you can shoot well and practice shooting it as much and as fast as you can.If the bear runs towards you and starts chewing on you then you will wish you had not made him angry with that 30-06.I use a 416 rem mag in the brush and as a tent gun.I turned down a griz year before last because there were three of them and one of me with my 338 win mag.I felt very undergunned that day.If I had my 338-378 weastherby I might have taken the shot at 300 yards but it was about 15 mintues before dark and I didnt feel like tracking a griz at dark and two more to boot.I think the 338 win mag with a 350 gr partition bullet is way better of a bear gun than a 30-06 with a 220 or 240 gr bullet.I have talked to old timers who have shot griz with a 30-06 long ago but they said it scared the crap out of them having to shoot the bear time and time again with little effect.Shooting a griz these days with a 30-06 makes as much scence as shooting a cape buffalo with a 30-06 they both will tear you up if your shot is not perfict.There are not manyaverage hunters today who can honestly say that they could that they could shoot a charging griz with a 30-06.If your brave enough to join the tim treadwell ate by a griz club then go ahead and use a 30-06 you might get lucky and get a bear before he gets you and maybe not.Hunting bears and antlered game is one thing but big furry things that run as fast as a horse and that can take many bullets is\ another thing.It might be fine for a seasoned guide to use a 30-06 on bears if he chooses.I have not seen many guides using the 30-06 as their back up guns that is for sure.

Although the .30-06 isn't the first choice for many to use on a BB, 220 grain should be fine in NP, Barnes TSX, Swift A-frame or any good controlled expnasion bullet.

Of course, I've never been BB hunting let alone with a .30-06. But based on what I've read, you should be ok.

quote:

Originally posted by Joel/AK:
Am I the only one here that has had failure with the partitions? I shot a black bear a year and a half ago, 2 shots, 211 yards with a 35whelen, 225gr. 1 exit wound(2 entrance holes) and the whole insides were mush. never found the a bullet, alot of fragments. yes it killed the bear but I expected to either find the bullet or an exit wound for each round. I will not use these bullets again unless theres a reasonable explanation for the results I had.

I'll stick with barnes or failsafes.

211 yds. with a .35 Whelan & the insides were turned into mush?
I fail to see how that relates to failure.
Bear in Fairbanks

Thanks for all your replys , if i ever get the chance to hunt the big bears it would probibly be with a .338 ultra mag. but i would like to take along my 30/06 as a backup rifle with those 220 grain bullets and was wondering which you guys would reccommend. I for sure would like to see how they work on some of the big black bears we have hear in NY. Thanks again Tanoose

The end result was definitly what I was after, I dont know maybe I was just expecting both to exit. I've been using X's for years and not used to results like that.

I still have some 35's that I might load up for my 350 and try them again this spring.

For forty years the 30-06 was THE Alaskan Guides rifle of choice and worked just fine on big bears then and still does.
The 240 Woodleighs run around 2250 fps from a 22 inch bbl.

I have several boxes of Barnes 250 grain originals on the shelf, If I have to use a 30-06, I'd load these. I would prefer to load them in my 300 Ultra mag. if you are going to force me to use 30 cal.

in the parts where I have grown up and now reside the .30-06 is still highly favored as a fine grizzly gun. Shoot one of them guns and hit the right "spot" I can assure they go down just like they are suppose to. I won't get into what "ifs" cause their is just to many variables- it is the shot placed that kills "ethically". Selection of bullets this day is far better than when it was in its "prime". As for Brown Bear I will leave that for 458 and it is obviously a go as well.
good day.

If one wants to hunt bears with the .30-06 I'd use the 200 grain A-Frame.

Alternates would include the 200 grain northFork

i personnaly would not use a 30/06 on brown bear,i would stat at least a 338wm or 340