Bear Hunting

[jleyring]

Well it has been a while since i have been on. As i was thinking of this fall a question came to my mind. I have a black bear hunt planed in the Island Park area of Idaho this fall. I will most likely be taking my 270 unless i get the urge to go and buy a 300 win mag before the hunt. I will of course be loading up my rounds that i will be hunting with and my questions is, What bullet would be best to use on a black bear with a 270. I use the 150gr Nosler Ballistic Tips for deer but I was wondering if they will provide the knock down power to drop the bear fast. I know it all depends on where i hit it but i was thinking that i need something that is goin to penentrate enough and bring it down. Dont just want to piss off a bear. Anyways, let me know of what you would do. Thanks

 

[rcmodel]

I'd think the 150 Nosler BT would do nicely.

One of those out of a .270 in the boiler-room would be much more effective then a flinch induced wing shot from a new .300 Mag you can't shoot nearly as well.

rc

 

[MtnCreek]

I would use a Partition or Accubond. The hide is a little tough on black bears and they have pretty large bones, so I wouldn't use the BT. How big do they get in Idaho? 500lbs or so?
In my limited experence, black bears are not too hard to kill. They remind me of oversized dogs.

 

[gamestalker]

I've done well on bear with the .270 using a 130 gr. Speer Hot Core. It provides the velocity needed to punch through and still produces great expansion and weight retention.
I once shot an elk with that bullet and because the only shot I had was from the back end, I ended up driving the bullet straight up the spine. It stopped at the base of the neck and actually punched through every single vertebra to that point. When I retrieved the bullet and cleaned the bone off it I had a nicely mushroomed projectile that retained over 90% of it's original weight.

 

[kingmt]

I never understand what someone is looking for when they use "knock down power". Does that equal penetration?

I don't think they are hard to kill ether. I don't hunt them but I had others tell me they took there 45ACP, 9mm Luger, & 357Mag. I've heard of other calibers used also but I wont state them.

 

[BADUNAME37]

Myself, I use the Solid Copper Barnes Triple Shock X-Bullet. Barnes recommends using an X bullet of a weight that is next down (lighter) than what you would normally hunt with using any other ammo that has a lead core.

So, if you would typically use 150g Noslers, you may want to use a 130g X.
Or, you can go with 150 and be above and beyond any other bullets that are that same weight! They advertize that the majority of the time, the bullet enters and exits the animal, even at shots that are quartered and even when shooting the animal lengthwise!

 

[Husker_Fan]

I've only taken one. It was a great hunt, and I'm sure you'll have a great time.

.270 is plenty of gun, and the 150 BT would probably be perfectly fine. I use accubonds for deer and that's what I used for my bear. Looking at the wounds, they looked about the same. I don't think black bears are that much tougher than deer.

 

[jgiehl]

160 grain Partition.

 

[x_wrench]

the 270 is probably fine. i would worry more about getting enough practice in for good shot placement than anything. i have heard some people say a 30-30 is enough gun for black bears. i guess if that was all i had to hunt with, that is what i would use. but personally, i think it is a bit on the weak side. the 270 has a lot more punch than a 30-30! personally, i think i would use a 150g or 160g nosler partition on bear. they are tougher, and denser than a deer, and the bullet will have to be tougher to get through a bear.

 

[glockky]

Partition, Accubond, and hornady has a wide selection of bonded bullets for bigger game.

 

[DM~]

If you are already using the BT, i'd switch to the Accubond and not look back. Personally, i like the partition a bit better, but in this case, you don't need it.

DM

 

[Water-Man]

150gr. Nosler Partition.

 

[gamestalker]

My long time friend and fellow guide once shot a black bear back in the early 1980's near the Mogion Rim in N. Arizona and when he and his brother caped it they found a shotgun slug in the hind that had broken the hips( both) and had healed. Continued inspection revealed a shoulder wound from a bullet that had gone through both shoulders passing through the lungs, and came to rest just under the hide. That bear had been nearly killed twice and just layed down for a long time to do it's healing. I'm an accomplished bear hunter and can tell you they are not all that easy to kill. But personal experience has also taught me that how you hunt them has everything to do with the wound being enough to finish them. If your hunting them with dogs they are pretty much toast because they can't just easily elude the dogs and find a place to lay down and heal up. But if you hunt them with a call on the slopes or bait them, they can get away and find a place to just lay down and heal if the blood isn't flowing well enough. They are some tough critters, even with a good placed shot, survival is always a very possible out come.
After several years of non conventioanl bear hunts, in other words, no dogs, it was decided to take head shots only so we wouldn't be tracking a wounded bear across steep slopes in brush and berry bushes that are too thick and tall to see over.

 

[Bush Pilot]

150gr. Nosler Partition.

We have a winner, I've taken several black bear with this bullet.

 

[gamestalker]

Those Nosler Partitions are hard to beat. But having the great performance with a 130 gr. Speer PSP BT Hot Core makes it difficult to change. I'm certain the Partition is every bit the bullet as the 130 PSP BT HC and considering it's partition design probably provides a bit of an edge when needing full penetration, much needed expansion, and retention integrity. I've always wanted to try those Partitions for tough skinned game such as bear and elk, just never did. Who knows, maybe this year I'll load up some for my 7mm rem. mag.

 

[ArchAngelCD]

I would also use a Nosler Partition or Accubond but since the Accubond bullet comes in 140gr instead of 150gr I would probably choose the Partition. I think the 150gr would be better than the 140gr or 160gr for Bear in a 270. If it were a 30-06 I would shoot a 165gr Partition or Accubond bullet.