[leathermanwave]

What is the smallest gun you feel comfortable using for black bear?

[freakshow10mm]

Rifle: I'd be happy with a .257 Roberts or .250 Savage. For big game I load heavy bullets no matter the cartridge, so I'd be good with either of those.

Handgun: A heavy .357 Mag (215gr) or 10mm (200gr-225gr) is good. A 200gr bullet at 1200fps is a great load in either.

[leathermanwave]

A really hot heavy 30 06.

[Vern Humphrey]

I'd go with the .30-06, although I've seen black bears killed with everything from a .257 Roberts to a crossbow.

[charby]

I'm in the preference points system for a bear tag in a couple states and I'm a couple years away still from drawing a tag for the seasons I want.

I am thinking that a .270 is probably the smallest caliber I'd use and I lean towards the .30-06 150-180 grain bullets as being more ideal. I'm a big fan of the .30-06 to begin with.

-C

[41magsnub]

A buddy of mine took one with a .243 a few years ago and it dropped right there (all about shot placement). I personally would be using my .30-06 with a nice 180gr as others have said.

[MCgunner]

.357 magnum, rifle or handgun. Bear hunting over bait is a close range deal. Extended ranges, of course, I'm gonna want a more traditional rifle caliber for the longer shots.

[Shawnee]

The 30/30 has proven to be tremendously effective on Black Bear for a bit more than a century now. I, personally, feel that testimony is sufficient.

:cool:

[avan47]

.22 rf. Not optimum, not what I would recomend, and not the best choice, but you asked for the minimum. I have killed a lot of critters with a 22, but not a bear. My grandfather used to carry a 22 rifle when he went black berry picking up in Michigan. He said it was in case he ran into a bear.

[TCB in TN]

Depends on what gun I have on me. Now if one attacks me (I know not likely) then what ever I have will have to do. But as for hunting them, I would say a 30-30 would be the low end.

[Chihuahua Floyd]

Low end, 30-30 or 1894 in 44 mag. Bullet selection and placement count bonus points.

[koja48]

A rifle in 30-something. I HAD cause to put 5 rounds of reasonably hot 44s into an old boar at less than 25-yards out of a Ruger Super Blackhawk one time (it was dragging my cousin feet-first out of a tent at the time) . . . fortunately, the bear turned and quartered-away. Hits were in the shoulder, lungs, heart, and liver . . . it expired 150-yards away. I changed spike-camp "bear deterrent" equipment from handgun to shottie at that juncture. Had that critter come straight ahead, I'd likely not be typing this. Feel free to use something less potent than a 30 or the handgun of your choice . . . I'll stand by that which I have experienced (and it wasn't a particularly large and in no way "prime" bear.).

[Whitman31]

A buddy of mine took a very large black bear last fall with a 257 Roberts. I wouldn't go smaller than a 10mm, would choose a .30-06.

[Clipper]

My personal minimum would be my .357 Blackhawk, but my preferred would be either my Remington 141/.35rem or my sporterized Mosin-Nagant.

[FXWG]

B-52.

[Bezoar]

everything ive read would tell me that my 141 gamemaster in 3 rem with a nice 200 grain bullet would be perfect.
Although my muzzleloader with a 300 grain hardcast bullet puting out 1200 foot pounds would be just as fun as my lever gun in 44 mag.

[moooose102]

i have seen a documentary where a 38 special revolver was used to dispatch a black bear. you wouldnt catch me doing that though. i guess it depends on the situation. if i was purposly going out to hunt a black bear. i would want something on the overkill side. probably anything over a 30-06 would do nicely. if i stumbled across one, and i had to shoot it to keep from being eaten, then whatever i had would have to suffice. a 30-30 should do fine, but i have always used more than enough gun to do the job. like say, a 300 magnum for chipmunks! (actually did it once!) i think the big thing is haveing enough bullet to penetrate to the vitals. so you can have a good quick clean kill. if you shoot it with a 55 grain .223, he would eventually die. but will he chase you down and eat you for supper first?!?

[BroughtEnoughGun]

Well, I havent decided what gun Im taking for black bear hunting this season, But its either going to be my .300 Win Mag rifle, .454 Casull Revolver, or my .500 Smith Revolver.

But I consider the .454 the bare minimum as far handguns, a .44 dosent have enough power for some of the really big blackies, I know a guy who killed a 500 lb black bear, he shot it 10 times with hot 44 mag 320gr hard cast, and he is no poor marksman with a pistol, nor is he new at all to bear hunting, hes been doing it with his hounds he raises since he was about 10, hes 25 now, and has taken many bear.

[Jerry M]

Killed mine with a 130 gr Power Point, .270 Winchester.

[memphisjim]

357 mag oughta do it

[JShirley]

There are bears, and there are bears.

In the SouthEast, 250 lbs might be a pretty decent bear. Where it's colder, they might be twice that.

In Georgia, .357 and up. Where bears go bigger, .44 Magnum or almost any rifle caliber that begins with .27 and up...

John

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

I don't know (never hunted them), but I'd guess I'd want a .257 Robts or bigger. .30-30 would feel right as well. At close range, .44 mag or .45 colt would work.

[Zip7]

I've never hunted them either. In fact, where I live, the only gun I would point at one would be a hot glue gun, cause if you aimed at one with any real firearm, Federal game wardens would materialize out of nowhere and haul you off to Guantanamo Bay. The feds take a dim view of harassing bears or ducks.

[4v50 Gary]

.58 caliber minie gun, preferably double barrel.

[T.R.]

30-30 is a legitimate bear rifle out to about 150 yards or so. This photo shows a northern California cinnamon bear taken with a very old Winchester. The 170 grain soft tip bullet did not bounce off!

TR

http://i26.photobucket.com/albums/c146/rushmoreman/black_bear_pic_.jpg

[Joe Gunns]

Fellow by the name of Ralph Flowers was a professional bear control hunter in WA state from 1948 on. He thought the .270 was excellent for black bear. Used one for most of his career. (see Education of a Bear Hunter, Ralph Flowers. Copies available on abebooks.com or amazon.