Deer/black bear bullet suggestions in .300WM

[wombat13]

I've hunted with two bullets in my .300WM, a 180 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tip and a 165 gr. Barnes TSX. The NBT gave good accuracy (1.25 MOA) and excellent terminal performance on deer, but I was concerned it might not be tough enough for a quartering shot on bear. The TSX gave excellent accuracy (0.75 MOA) but poor terminal performance on deer (lack of blood trail). I'm looking for a bullet that will give me the excellent terminal performance on deer of the NBT, still be tough enough for bear and the accuracy of the TSX. Am I searching for a unicorn?

I'm leaning toward trying more powders with the 180 gr. NBT and assuming that the bullet will be tough enough for black bears. Black bear are more than theoretical where I hunt. I have tracks, photos, and live sightings of bears within 100 yards of the stand I hunted this year.

Another possibility is the Nosler Accubond. I tried the 180 gr. with RL22 because that was the most accurate powder for the NBT, but it had poor accuracy in my rifle.

I also tried 180 gr. Hornady SSTs and Sierra GameKings. The SSTs gave poor accuracy with all three powders I tried. The SGKs had decent accuracy, but at a lower powder charge than the NBTs, so I never loaded them for hunting.

So what would you try next? More powders with the 180 gr NBT and assume that it will be tough enough for bears? The NAB in 180 gr with different powders? Go down to a 165 gr. NAB to ensure expansion in deer and expect that it will be tough enough for bear? I also have plenty of 150 and 165 gr. NBTs, but I'm not confident they would be tough enough for bear.

 

[jmr40]

Nosler didn't advertise the Ballistic Tip for game larger than deer. But a lot of guys used it on elk size game and complained to Nosler about over expansion and lack of penetration. It has been several years now, but Noslers response was to toughen up the jacket on SOME of the Ballistic Tip bullets. I know that the 180 and 165 gr 30 caliber bullets are now a tougher bullet than previously. I know they did the same with some other bullets in other calibers, but don't know exactly which. They still advertise them as a deer bullet, but the complaints about them on larger game have stopped.

I think the AB is probably as good an all around choice as you can get. Although the newer BT's at least in certain weights will give very similar performance. If you don't want to try the 165 gr AB's the 165 BT's should be fine. I took a 265 lb black bear several years ago with a 165 BT fired from a 30-06 at about 2800 fps. I got complete penetration, a huge exit hole and never found the bullet.

 

[Captcurt]

The 300 WSM was my go to gun for several years. I have shot a truck load of deer with the 165gr AB and wouldn't hesitate to bust a bear with it. If I went where the bears were big I might opt for a 180gr in the AB or a Barnes.

 

[wombat13]

Thanks for the input. So far sounds like the 180 NBTs should be enough for bear, but I should try NABs or similar if I want more confidence that the bullet will handle the bear.

 

[H&Hhunter]

Use the 180 gr NAB has identical accuracy and BC of 180 gr NBT but the reliability and terminal performance of a Nosler Partition. For everything short of heavy DG it is rapidly becoming my go to bullet.

 

[Sunray]

Ain't no deer or bear anywhere that needs a magnum of any kind to kill. Your 'W' in 'WM' Winchester or Weatherby? Not that it matters.
Yogi certainly does not require a 180 grain bullet. A 150 grain "deer load" will do just fine. Yogi isn't armoured and isn't particularly hard to kill.

 

[H&Hhunter]

180 gr load out of a .300 mag kills deer just fine too. If anything with less meat damage. A standard .30/06 or .308 kills bear just fine too. The question was dealing with a .300 Win Mag though.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Ain't no deer or bear anywhere that needs a magnum of any kind to kill. Your 'W' in 'WM' Winchester or Weatherby? Not that it matters.
Yogi certainly does not require a 180 grain bullet. A 150 grain "deer load" will do just fine. Yogi isn't armoured and isn't particularly hard to kill.

I really wish you would not repeat that. I deal with a fair number of out of state hunters that insist their fragile "deer" loads are plenty for 600lb bears. One I remember in particular was a hotshot whitetail hunter who declared the 150gr( I can't remember the brand)out of his 300WSM was plenty for bear. He wounded one and when (someone else) finished it we discovered the 150 had not even penetrated the bears fat layer.
No they don't have armor. But they can have a very thick layer of fat, perticuly the ones on salmon rivers and when it comes to bears I prefer a disabling bone shot over the heart/lung shot you may take on a deer.

 

[wombat13]

Thanks for all the input. I loaded up 180 gr Accubonds and BTs over imr 4350 today. I'll try both with 7828ssc if necessary and then try H1000 if I'm still not satisfied.