30-30 Vs Bear?
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theken206
Member
"You might want to let the fish and wildlife service know that. Grizzly Bears are extremely uncommon in Washington."
not where im at lol, im practicly in canada and they pass right over my neighb's ridge and across part of my meadow
not where im at lol, im practicly in canada and they pass right over my neighb's ridge and across part of my meadow
stevereno1
Member
Are you kidding? Look around here and they'll tell you that the .223 is the end-all-be-all of hunting rounds. Personally, I'd go with a 30-06 with 180 gr. soft points as my minimum.
T.R.
Member
30-30 with 170 grain soft tip bullet has slain stacks of North American big game for over 100 years. This bear was taken in northern California. 30-30 is a KEEPER!
Shawnee
member
Nice try, T.R., but no cigar. Your rifle doesn't have "magnum" written on it and it doesn't have a Schlitz & Bender scope on it so we all know you just sneaked up to a sleeping bear and had your picture taken with it. Shame on you !
Forty years of hunting in Wyoming and the 30/30 never failed to take elk, deer, antelope and two black bear. The shots have to be more reasonable than with a scoped rifle, but just as effective.
I also have a Marlin 1894 in .44 mag that has filled the meat locker more than once. The Grizzlies in Wyo are not nearly as big as the brownies in Alaska, but bigger than the Wyo black bear. They are protected, but they have been taken by many a rancher with a 30/30 protecting his cows.
I prefer the 30/30 over the .44 in bear country, but I carry both calibers when hunting. 30/30 Winchester and .44 Super Blackhawk.
I also have a Marlin 1894 in .44 mag that has filled the meat locker more than once. The Grizzlies in Wyo are not nearly as big as the brownies in Alaska, but bigger than the Wyo black bear. They are protected, but they have been taken by many a rancher with a 30/30 protecting his cows.
I prefer the 30/30 over the .44 in bear country, but I carry both calibers when hunting. 30/30 Winchester and .44 Super Blackhawk.
Shawnee
member
For those who like numbers....
.44 magnum handgun with a 240gr. bullet - energy at the muzzle = 970 ft./lbs.
30/30 rifle with 150gr. bullet - energy at 100yds. = 1238 ft./lbs.
I'm pretty certain I could kill a deer or bear or Elk that was sniffing the muzzle of my Super Blackhawk. So 20% more energy at 100yds. sounds pretty effective to me.
.44 magnum handgun with a 240gr. bullet - energy at the muzzle = 970 ft./lbs.
30/30 rifle with 150gr. bullet - energy at 100yds. = 1238 ft./lbs.
I'm pretty certain I could kill a deer or bear or Elk that was sniffing the muzzle of my Super Blackhawk. So 20% more energy at 100yds. sounds pretty effective to me.
stevereno1
Member
ok, I have been convinced of the game-getting power of the 30-30. I own a nice one that I inherited from my dad. Thanks!
coop4u2c
Member
Buffalo Bore has some HOT .30-30 rounds listed but no stock yet.ashtxsniper
Member
30-30 will take any bear that walks this continent.
theken206
Member
doesnt mean I dont want something with more in the butt for one though
MT GUNNY
Member
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30-30, 44mag makes no diference to the bear he'll be just as dead. The bottom line is use what you shoot the best. I have had a lot of guns my self from 458win, 300 Weatherby, 270, 30-06, you get the ideal. but I allways come back to my Marlin 1895 in 45-70. Oh and try to keep your distances in mind most game is taken inside 75yd. I zero my gun for 50yds and will shoot out to 100yds, just to see the inpact piont, but thats just in case. But I never had to shoot it that far to be honest all of by deer were inside 40yds
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moooose102
Member
black bear, no sweat, grizzly, run for your life!!!!! imo, a 458 lott isnt to much gun for a giz!
Cosmoline
Member
Second hand account of a .30 WCF vs. a large boar brown bear, from a little over a month ago. I did not witness the attack because I bugged out and returned to the land of plumbing a few years ago, but I believe it to be trustworthy:
My former .30-30 Win 94 went to my friend who lives out in the sticks of rural AK. There's been a ton of bear activity in south central this year and she got charged by a brownie boar en route from the outhouse:
The bear later turned up on a neighbor's property badly injured and was then killed. Now what can we tell from this? She wished she had a larger firearm. But it's unlikely she would have had a big rifle as close as that handy carbine. She does in fact have a number of more powerful firearms including a Mosin and a Mossberg slugster I outfitted expressly for her to use. But these are nowhere near as easy to tote and were yards away in the cabin when the charge took place. That might as well be a light year, so I'm very glad she had that Winnie with her. I'm also not sure anyone would be as fast with a Mosin or a clunky slug gun as with a .30-30 levergun.
Furthermore, I'm not convinced the same gut shot would have killed it instantly from a larger firearm. Brown bears gut shot with a .375 H&H or .338 WM have run off in the same manner and required repeated hits to drop. A larger caliber would have made it die sooner, I suspect. But still not for hours or days unless a killing shot can be delivered before the bear vanishes.
IMHO, the weapon did exactly what it was supposed to. She was OK, the puppy was OK and the bear ran off. Most importantly, the .30 WCF was the gun she HAD. That portability, speed and ease of natural aiming even when getting charged by death incarnate all recommend it as a general purpose woods rifle. That's why our forebears (pun) loved them so much.
Would I recommend it against brown bear? Not particularly, but you could do much worse. The magnum left far away or back home would be a vastly worse choice. Given a choice between a Casull or X-frame, I would go with the Win 94 any day. A Partition 170 is bigger medicine than the ft. lbs. would suggest. And you can't beat the short levergun for speed, balance and natural aiming. Portablity is also a factor. The small size and ease of packing make it a favorite for rough country.
Would I recommend it against BLACK bear? YES. If it can ward off and seriously injure an 800 lb. monster from up here it would be more than enough against the largest black bear.
My former .30-30 Win 94 went to my friend who lives out in the sticks of rural AK. There's been a ton of bear activity in south central this year and she got charged by a brownie boar en route from the outhouse:
The bear later turned up on a neighbor's property badly injured and was then killed. Now what can we tell from this? She wished she had a larger firearm. But it's unlikely she would have had a big rifle as close as that handy carbine. She does in fact have a number of more powerful firearms including a Mosin and a Mossberg slugster I outfitted expressly for her to use. But these are nowhere near as easy to tote and were yards away in the cabin when the charge took place. That might as well be a light year, so I'm very glad she had that Winnie with her. I'm also not sure anyone would be as fast with a Mosin or a clunky slug gun as with a .30-30 levergun.
Furthermore, I'm not convinced the same gut shot would have killed it instantly from a larger firearm. Brown bears gut shot with a .375 H&H or .338 WM have run off in the same manner and required repeated hits to drop. A larger caliber would have made it die sooner, I suspect. But still not for hours or days unless a killing shot can be delivered before the bear vanishes.
IMHO, the weapon did exactly what it was supposed to. She was OK, the puppy was OK and the bear ran off. Most importantly, the .30 WCF was the gun she HAD. That portability, speed and ease of natural aiming even when getting charged by death incarnate all recommend it as a general purpose woods rifle. That's why our forebears (pun) loved them so much.
Would I recommend it against brown bear? Not particularly, but you could do much worse. The magnum left far away or back home would be a vastly worse choice. Given a choice between a Casull or X-frame, I would go with the Win 94 any day. A Partition 170 is bigger medicine than the ft. lbs. would suggest. And you can't beat the short levergun for speed, balance and natural aiming. Portablity is also a factor. The small size and ease of packing make it a favorite for rough country.
Would I recommend it against BLACK bear? YES. If it can ward off and seriously injure an 800 lb. monster from up here it would be more than enough against the largest black bear.
Fozzy_Bear
Member
Yeah,
The .380 LCP in your pocket is a whole lot more useful than the .375H&H back at home in your safe.
Of course, the OP was asking about what to take out on a hunting trip, not a walking around his property... so that might not be as relevant.
The .380 LCP in your pocket is a whole lot more useful than the .375H&H back at home in your safe.
Of course, the OP was asking about what to take out on a hunting trip, not a walking around his property... so that might not be as relevant.
Kentucky-roughrider
Member
I had no idea was 30/30 was that useful, I thought it was a whitetail and other similar size game round, only. i didn't know 30/30 was legal for elk, great now I may put in for Kentucky's elk hunt. Just a joke.
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Cosmoline
Member
He was worried about ending up as "bear food."
86thecat
Member
While 30-30"s have taken every type of game in North America I would like a little more gun for a "problem" bear. If they're not in season it's a lot easier to explain a dead bear with powder burns than one shot 50 feet out. I've chased off black bear at 25 feet when hunting in cammo, they just seemed curious.
chief
Member
There is a difference between hunting and killing. Hunting is the taking of game that is not eager to participate in the process. Killing occurrs when something is trying to tear you a new one and you take your shot at increasingly closer range. In this situation skill and nerve will be the deciding factor as long as you have a firearm above a certain threshold. At one time a number of guides up north would carry shotguns with buckshot and stop charging dangerous animals at "bad smell" distance. One or two rounds to the head at very close range will do the trick. Personally I would pack extra shorts for use if I survived such an incounter.
Shawnee
member
From Cosmoline...
"Would I recommend it against brown bear? Not particularly, but you could do much worse. The magnum left far away or back home would be a vastly worse choice. Given a choice between a Casull or X-frame, I would go with the Win 94 any day. A Partition 170 is bigger medicine than the ft. lbs. would suggest. And you can't beat the short levergun for speed, balance and natural aiming. Portablity is also a factor. The small size and ease of packing make it a favorite for rough country."
BULLSEYE !!
"Would I recommend it against brown bear? Not particularly, but you could do much worse. The magnum left far away or back home would be a vastly worse choice. Given a choice between a Casull or X-frame, I would go with the Win 94 any day. A Partition 170 is bigger medicine than the ft. lbs. would suggest. And you can't beat the short levergun for speed, balance and natural aiming. Portablity is also a factor. The small size and ease of packing make it a favorite for rough country."
BULLSEYE !!
plumberroy
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