.30-06 cartridge for black bear

[saturno_v]

saturno v..Don't know where you're getting the 6.5x55 SD numbers from. All 140gr bullets that I'm familiar with have SD numbers over .400. Federal .440, Remington .436, Norma .467 etc..

Water Man

I could ask the same thing....

I got my numbers from Hornady, Woodleigh, Sierra and Nosler....check them out

http://www.woodleighbullets.com.au/

www.hornady.com

www.sierrabullets.com

www.nosler.com

I think you may confusing the Ballistic Coefficient with Sectional Density....

Even the 200 gr. 30 cal. bullet (SD .301) has better SD than the 140 gr. 6.5, and the 220 and 240 gr. 30 cal. have better SD than the 160 gr. 6.5 pill

So the 30-06 can hit the target with higher SD bullets and, on average, 50% more muzzle energy than a 6.5x55 (~3000 ft/lb for the 30-06 vs. ~2000 for the 6.5)...you do the math....

Do not get me wrong, the 6.5x55 is a great cartridge but the 30-06 is in a very different performance class....

 

[Art Eatman]

The problem with worrying about sectional density is that the 130-grain .270 bullets and the 140-grain 7mm bullets have been notably effective for a bunch of decades--and the SD is lower than any of those circled in red...

And for all practical purposes, the drag coefficient doesn't really mean squatly inside of 300 yards.

 

[saturno_v]

The problem with worrying about sectional density is that the 130-grain .270 bullets and the 140-grain 7mm bullets have been notably effective for a bunch of decades--and the SD is lower than any of those circled in red...

And for all practical purposes, the drag coefficient doesn't really mean squatly inside of 300 yards.

I agree...

 

[Water-Man]

saturno v...You're right. I had it confused with BC but I maintain that even a 160gr. bullet from a 6.5 has about the same SD that a 220gr. .30-06. .328 if memory serves me. Anyway, nice talking to you.

 

[Water-Man]

ART...What the SD does mean, at any distance, is deeper penetration and I'll take that anytime.

 

[tactikel]

2 years ago a fellow shot a 600 lb black bear just north of Green Bay Wis. with a .30 freakin 30!! A .30-06 with premium bullets will take any black bear on earth. Practice with premium bullets (Nosler, Hornady, Rem.)
Good luck!

 

[Art Eatman]

Water-Man, while you're correct, it seems to me that if a bullet exits, the SD can't be improved upon. How do you improve on 100% penetration?

For instance, look at the number for the 150-grain bullet in thirty caliber. I know from experience that it will blow right on through a whitetail at 350 yards. So, if the shot is inside 300 yards, why worry?

And I'm not talking about "blow-up bullets" like my pet .243 load.

But, sure, comparing SD is a useful tool. Then again, raw weight and jacket design are equally important, seems to me.

 

[martinc64]

My initial post was simply asking for thoughts on which .30-06 cartridge I should use for Black Bear.

Some of you shared your thoughts (I had my own thoughts prior to posting but was interested in discussing other points of view).

Some of you, however seem to think I was asking if a .30-06 was "enough gun". I was not asking that and after rereading my original post I can not see how any english-speaking reader would be confused about my question.

Every big game animal on the north american continent has been taken with a .30-06. I am well aware of that. I am using a .30-06 to hunt black bear because a .30-06 is an excellent choice for hunting black bear.

Cartridge choice is an interesting subject to me. This does not mean I am unaware of the fact that any reasonable cartridge from a .30-06 will kill the bear if I put it where it needs to go.

Thanks for all who actually shared their thoughts on .30-06 cartridge choices. I enjoyed the discussion and even the comparisons of the SD of various calibres (I love that stuff).

If someone wants to discuss the best CALIBRE for hunting black bear, I am right there with ya. I would love to see how the debate plays out (but I will still be using my .30-06 )

 

[natman]

Hi folks.

I will be doing my first black bear hunt this spring. I will be using a .30-06.

Any thoughts on cartridge choice from experienced bear hunters would be appreciated.

My initial post was simply asking for thoughts on which .30-06 cartridge I should use for Black Bear.

Some of you shared your thoughts (I had my own thoughts prior to posting but was interested in discussing other points of view).

Some of you, however seem to think I was asking if a .30-06 was "enough gun". I was not asking that and after rereading my original post I can not see how any english-speaking reader would be confused about my question.

Every big game animal on the north american continent has been taken with a .30-06. I am well aware of that. I am using a .30-06 to hunt black bear because a .30-06 is an excellent choice for hunting black bear.

Cartridge choice is an interesting subject to me. This does not mean I am unaware of the fact that any reasonable cartridge from a .30-06 will kill the bear if I put it where it needs to go.

Thanks for all who actually shared their thoughts on .30-06 cartridge choices. I enjoyed the discussion and even the comparisons of the SD of various calibres (I love that stuff).

If someone wants to discuss the best CALIBRE for hunting black bear, I am right there with ya. I would love to see how the debate plays out (but I will still be using my .30-06 )

I'm afraid that the way your post was worded almost any English speaker would think you were inviting speculation about which CARTRIDGE should be used, i.e. 308, 30-06, 338 WM etc.

If you wanted recommendations about which 30-06 LOAD, i.e. a 180 grain Nosler Partition vs. a 150 grain Corelokt, you should have said so.

BTW, strictly speaking CALIBER refers to the size of the bore, i.e. 308, 30-06 and 30-30 are all 30 calibers, although it is often used interchangeably with cartridge.

I agree, 30-06 is a fine choice for black bear.

 

[martinc64]

natman, you make a good point. I did ask for cartridge choice. However, since I specifically stated that I would be using a .30-06 I thought it was clear enough. And I have seen "cartridge" and "load" used interchangeably many times.

Btw I have known what caliber means for a few decades now.

In fact I happen to know that of the 3 calibers you mention

i.e. 308, 30-06, 338 WM

the first 2 are both .308 caliber.

The .308 remington being .308 x 57 and the .30-06 being .308 x 63.

Seems that no one is perfect.

 

[Silent Sam]

Well you didn't say 'how' you were hunting. A lot of black bear hunting is done over baits and a lot of those stands are bow stands which can really be too close for a rifle hunter. Cover is generally pretty thick and blood trails can be tricky with a decent size bear. Breaking both shoulders would be my goal to keep them from scooting off in the tulies. It's a bigger challenge than it seems on the surface. Low light, dark target with exceptional hearing and nose, short range, and a high shot angle. You won't see him coming from very far and he won't have to go very far to disappear again. You'll have to size him up quickly and take the opportunity he gives you quickly and quietly, quite likely after spending hours or days sitting in a stand. If your heart rate doesn't jump when he finally appears you are a different kind of hunter than I have ever met. Plenty of 20-25yd shots have been flubbed under those conditions. A 30-06 definitely has enough power as does any decent deer rifle but the conditions are different than most deer hunting. A good low light low power scope on a rifle that you can maneuver in the stand w/ a quiet safety shooting a heavy for caliber round nose bullet would be my choice. You don't need a plastic tipped boat-tail at high velocity for this work and in fact that can work against you. It isn't so much about having enough to kill him as it is to kill him right there. I would prefer a 35-45 cal heavy bullet under those conditions. If I was set on a 30-06 I'd get some 220gr round noses and get a precise close range zero.

 

[Supertac45]

The .30-.30 is more than enough. You'll be fine with just about any bullet in an .06.