Federal premiums with 170 gr. nosler partition bullets. Hit em right, and it's enough gun.

Mad Dog

I have never had any problem killing black bear with a 30-30, shot several of them in Mexico and one in Texas with a 25-35.

I even killed one with a Colt Woodsman in 22 L.R., in my mispent youth near Ruidosa New Mexico, ran him all over the place including down town Ruidosa N.M. shooting him about 12 times all told, that was an exciting day for this young and dumb cowboy, but I had a back up, He had an axe in case anything went wrong, but he threw it at the bear early on and climbed a tree (missed the bear btw)...He then decided that bears can climb too, so he caught up with me and handed me the box of ammo..We skinned the bear, took the meat and went home..

We then got a job on the indian reservation poisoning rats and breaking colts because the game warden was after us for shooting the bear inside the city limits (city dump an down town)..We would ride the colts and dump a spoon full of poison under each tree..He finally tracked us down and gave us a stern lecture and a reprieve..Sure was glad to get off that damn reservation and away from those ragged assed colts and most of all not to get lynched or put in jail, whatever they do to criminals like us....Times were different back then...people let you grow up and get all that stuff out of your system...

There's only ONE load for the 30-30. It's the 170 gr. Don't even look at the 150 gr. (BTW, I'm 74 and was shooting the 30-30 at deer when I was 14. Honestly, the 170 gr.is the only weight. Bear don't take a bullet very well, certainly not as well as deer. {They don't get so hyped up with adrenalin as deer}

Batman,
I suspect your right on the button...

G416,
Damn I am glad to know I am not the oldest one in the world...but I have to simi disagree with you on the 150 gr. 30-30 bullet, I have not seen a lot of difference in them, but I have mostly used Corelokt bullets in my old gun..and I have killed a lot of deer, a number of bear and elk with those Corelokts as the gun shoots the 150 a little better..Not to say the 170 isn't just as good, it is...