308 for bear?

[jerad]

i have got a new 308 blr, i want to use it for a bear gun.

is 308 a ok caliber for black bears? goldbridge area?

[bruin]

Absolutely, just make sure you hittem in the right spot. My first bear and several of my friends' first bears were shot with a .308.

[troutseeker]

Heck yeah! Many boo-boo's fall to smaller calibers every year.

[One Shot]

I have taken both bears,moose, elk and almost every thing else except sheep with one over the decades. They are sometimes a little particular in what cartidges/loads they like. They are a excellent lever action rifle.

[gone hunting]

Not my first cartridge choice, but bullet placement is still #1 and bullet construction is #2. If both of those bases are covered, the 308 works fine.
If you aren't comitted to the 308, and like lever actions, the 45/70 is a fine bear cartridge.
My personal favorite is the 35 Whelen, but that's just me.

[jerad]

my concern is power, expansion and range.

last year when i tangled with bears using a 7mm-mag i had over penetration and no expansion. the bear i shot cried out jumped up and ran off lung shothttp://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif( we got it still).


i have also purchased a 45 70 marlin guide gun. while i doubt i would have expansion issiues(and with a 45 cal entracne hole who careshttp://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/images/smilies/wink.gif), range, acuracy and speed of loading now concerns me the best i can get with this gun is a 2-3 inch group with every 5th shot going wild.


the blr seems a strait shooter and has a fast action with easy loading drop-in mags but i am concerned about the cartridge size. i want somthing that can reach out and drop that bear! could this blr be it?

[elkdom]

Over the last 50 years,Thousands of bears have been killed effectivly with 308Win,150,165,180 grn bullets,why do so many people think that they need a huge 30 caliber magnum to kill black bears,the 45-70 is a fantastic cartridge,that said,dont forget the 45-70 has been around about 130 years,first developed for the US army,made for killing men,now the last few years a huge following of users all convinced it has tremendous power,it does! so does the 308Win also known as (7.62mm nato) another cartridge designed to kill men!, shots at bears should be kept to within 100 yds if the shooter is novice,shot though the lungs a bear rarely will travell more than 50,60 yards,shot through the shoulders a bear will rarely do anything but flop,or flip and die within seconds,shot through the heart a large black bear can go 50,60yds, 308 or 45-70,either will knock him dead,to expect to shoot a large animal through the lungs and have him die on the spot is not how it goes,to stop a bear so he cant manouver,you haveto take out the shoulders,broad side shots are best,and within 100 yds,unless you are very proficiant as marksmen and are not likely to get the shakes when the time comes to take the shot!,so 165 or 180 grn in 308 will do the job fine,witha quality bullet,and if you go with the 45-70,3,4 inch groups at 100 yds is all you need for a clean kill, just my input ive killed about 80 of the black buggers,with everything from a .357 S+W to a 378 WBY MAG the vast majority being killed with a 30-30 win or a 308 win,never lost one,never got bitten,get good with your gun,whatever one you choose,and go kill a bear! good luck!

[Bigbear]

308 Can deal with all ,all big game. If your using Factory Ammo try Hornady Lite Magnums in 165 gr Boat Tail. I have used one for years,and hav'nt had it fail me yet. Bears , Moose, Deer, , But like every one says Shot Placement is King.

[hunter1947]

Bullet placement is the key when shooting any animal ,308 will work just fine.

[puppychow]

More than enough gun. Use a quality 180 grain.

[3kills]

i would use the 45-70 just cuz it would be funner...thats right funner..where i come from funner is a dam word LOL

[Fisher-Dude]

A 308 bullet will likely just bounce off a bear and fall to the ground. It might leave a small welt on the beast, but that's it. You need a monster magnum as a minimum cartridge for black bears. Start with a 375 Remington Ultra Magnum. :rolleyes:

But seriously folks, the 308 will kill 'em just fine. Try a quality 180gr bonded bullet like a Core Lokt Ultra Bonded and you'll be good to go.

[guest]

I have taken, deer, moose, and black bear with .308 win loaded with a 165 nosler partition. It's a great combo. If you look at .308, 30/06, 7mm ballistics you will find they are all right next to each other. it is ALL about bullet placement. Don't go out and buy some must have BIG BAD BEAR gun it is not needed.
C/T
PS. on a grizz I would feel better using my .300 win mag though.

[rollingrock]

PM bartell. He can sell you some premium bullet at $10/each, guaranteed to kill something. :D

[Gnarly]

577 T-rex or larger.
308's dont even bruise them. Although you might get by with a 470 nitro express in a pinch.

[BCJunior]

.308 is my favorite caliber! It will drop anything and everything!:mrgreen:

[todbartell]

308 should work well. I would lean towards a premium 165 grain bullet

[brotherjack]

is 308 a ok caliber for black bears?

Grab yer gun, and go get-er-dun! If yee shoot yerself a bear with yee olde' 308 and yee olde' bear don't die real quick like, it'll be your shooting that we'll be making fun of, and not your choice of gun. :)



(assuming, of course, that you're shooting any of the vast multitude of 308 loads (factory or hand) which would be suitable for shooting bears with)

Another way to put it in perspective - is that there's more dead bears that were shot with a 303 British than most other calibers put together - and a 303 has a good bit less 'whop' than a 308.

[jerad]

realy? 303 has less wop than 308? when i shoot my great grandaddy sporterized p14 it kicks like a mule! .... must be the steel plate:oops:

well thank you all for your advice. now to decide on the type of ammo...

[jerad]

577 T-rex or larger.
308's dont even bruise them. Although you might get by with a 470 nitro express in a pinch.


im going to assume your being a sarcastic boob....

[gone hunting]

I like hornady bullets and use the 165 grain spire point for deer in both 30-06 and 308,but I have found their boat tails tend to go to pieces, especially at higher velocities. The federal high energy factory load with the 180 grain nosler partition works well, though they can, and do separate, (front section from the back)

[.308win]

308 will kill black bear!! My first kill with a 308 was a Moose!! Don't be worried, make the right shot and he'll be yours!!

Perry

[4pointer]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2007_bear.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4824&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1246)
.308? no problem, used the plain ol fed.pwr.shk 150grs. Maybe i'll be first again this year??:smile:

[StoneChaser]

my concern is power, expansion and range.

last year when i tangled with bears using a 7mm-mag i had over penetration and no expansion. the bear i shot cried out jumped up and ran off lung shothttp://www.canadiangunnutz.com/forum/images/smilies/confused.gif( we got it still).

The blr seems a strait shooter and has a fast action with easy loading drop-in mags but i am concerned about the cartridge size. i want somthing that can reach out and drop that bear! could this blr be it?

You may want to try a different bullet in your 7 Rem Mag (which one were you using?), as there are few cartridges I'd sooner use than the 7 Rem Mag...simply an awesome big game round.

The 308 Win is plenty too....

[boxhitch]

165 grs would probably be optimum, something bonded would be more than adequate.
Bears are easy to kill.

[scoot]

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/2007_bear.jpg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/showphoto.php?photo=4824&size=big&cat=500&ppuser=1246)
.308? no problem, used the plain ol fed.pwr.shk 150grs. Maybe i'll be first again this year??:smile:

that is one heck of a clip!

[moosinaround]

Will kill a black bear very effectively. Dont try to brush bust with it, make sure it is a clear shot. You could reach out 200+yrds with that with a good rest. Good luck! Moosin

[gone hunting]

jerad, I may have missed it but are you loading or buying your ammo?

[MichelD]

A 308 is fine in gold Bridge. On northern Vancouver island though, according to some reports I read in the American hook and bullet press, the bears there still carry a trace of cave bear genes with extra-long fangs and claws, may actually breathe fire, lurk behind every bush trying to get you and they cross breed with the swimming Coast grizzly so you'll need at least a 458 Winchester WSM Turbo Speed King to be able to put one down.

[308Lover]

See now? Duuuh! Of course welcome to the 308 club.I shoot/shot 180 grains in my model 70. for over 40 years. Knocked moose right on their backs with a spine shot above the front shoulders. Shot a bear in the head. Shell did its job and turned his brain to jelly. Shoot well and with confidence! (Of course I'm a tad prejudiced. LOL LOL)