long range bear hunting

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blackbearaddict

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i am goin bear huntin in montana next spring and cant decide on what bullets to get, 150 165 or 180 in 30 06
thanks, addict

im leaning toward a 150 swift scirocco but i want enough expansion at 400 yards so idk
 
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I will let the experts pitch in but, as far as I know, bears should not be hunted at extreme distances....many experienced hunters think that regardless of any game, you should never exceed 400 yards..at that range the chance for error are simply enormous no matter how good you are.

If I recall correctly, bears they should be a 200 yards max (very max) proposition.

A year ago or more (I cannot find it anymore, probably has been removed) I saw on youtube the video of an impressive headshot on a very large grizzly in AK at over 500 yards with a 338 Win Mag....the back part of the skull literally flew away...the bruin dropped like a lifeless puppet....I have no idea of what bullet they were using....however I do not think is ethical or recommended.....
 
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Swift Sciroccos are the finest bonded bullets ever made. If you make a good shot any of those weights will do.
 
I am an avid bear hunter (blackies only).

I was going to answer this thread with a question.... which is, "why would you be hunting Black Bears at long range?"....

A black bear is quite a formidable animal to take down. If you have hunted them in the past, you know that they will often run for quite a ways from even a close range hit in the vitals. Penetration through an animal that runs as high as 600lbs is a real concern and shouldn't be taken lightly. They are very hardy animals.... many harvested bears are found to have buried bullets, and even broadheads in their flesh.....A head shot at such distances is questionable at best unless you are a very skilled shooter, and their skulls are quite thick as well.

Most states allow for bear hunting in a manner that brings you pretty close to the animal (stand over bait or dogs). I think there is a basic reason for that.

I am not saying it can't be done, or even that it hasn't, but I think you're taking a lot of risks (albeit most of them the bears risks) with a shot like that.

That being said, a very well placed shot at such a distance from a 30-06 will do the job if you don't mind tracking a wounded bear for quite a ways, if it comes to that.

I use a .308 150gr SP, but again, at MUCH closer distances.

<EDIT>- I stand corrected- http://fwp.mt.gov/content/getItem.aspx?id=37025 (Montana Bear Regs)

Montana Bear Hunting Regulations said:
Prohibited Methods of Taking
• It is illegal to bait bears or to hunt bears with dogs. No scents
may be used to attract black bears.
Click to expand...


That makes bear hunting in Montana much more challenging from a shooting standpoint.... it pretty much means you have to try to track them (unless perhaps they are thick as flies there?)... which might result in doing a follow up shot from quite a distance... good valid question all things considered....</EDIT>
 
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A 150gr bullet is more then enough for a black bear, they are considered a thin skin animal. Not sure on the long range question & some of the other post hit on that subject enough so will not beat on you again for that.
 
150's in a 30 cal will do you fine, especcially on Blacks.
I have used 147LPS in my Mosin on BrownBears many, many times, and before I caught Mosinitus, it was 150's in my 1917 Enfeild, 30-06, with most excellent results, everytime..

Save "400yards' for a last ditch deperstion "shoot the wounded excaping Bear" shot.
It is not an easy shot for sure, and you most definitly can get much closer than that, before placing your best.
Your gonna want to have a good look and size 'em up before you go pulling the trigger.... yearlings and Good 'ol boys look the same at that distance, so sizing them up for the shot is not easy at distance.

An '06 at 400 yards will, most definitly, do the job. Its getting it placed correctly at that range that is "iffy"

Good luck!
 
Caribou...glad to see you around again...the Mosin bear man!!

How the 180 gr. and 203 gr., SP bullets work out of a Mosin on bears (black or brown)?? Any personal experience??

I heard in Siberia they drop them very dead with these...

In one episode, the 203 gr. Barnaul at short range entered the chest and broke the hump exiting leaving a fist sized hole....

Do you use only FMJ???
 
What the 150gr out of a 30-06 will do the 165gr will do better.

I would opt for the 165gr SST, Scirocco, Partition...
Also check out Hornady Light Magnum ammo, your old '06 will be hitting close to 300 win mag with these loads.

:D
 
Save "400yards' for a last ditch deperstion "shoot the wounded excaping Bear" shot.
Click to expand...

sorry i failed to say this in the first place, i wouldnt shoot at bear from that distance unless it already had one in 'em.

also thanks for the posts i think im gonna do the 150 grain swift scirocco
also thanks for helpin me on this decision it'll save me money too:D...
thanks again, addict
 
im one of those guys who can shoot really far in the field but when its point blank, i suck.:banghead:
for example, in doe season this year me and my buddy lance were standin next to each other and this dumb as a rock deer came runnin towards us, i shot at 10 yards, missed, he shot at 5, missed, i shot at 5, missed, he shot at 10, missed:banghead:::cuss:banghead::banghead:,and somehow at 10 goin away i whacked her.
then later that season i saw i bunch of deer runnin across a powerline so i picked one not know the range and dropped it. i later ranged it and it was 360. ..... i dont understand
 
If I were you I would definitely use 180 grain bullets. I would highly recommend shooting bears in the shoulder if there is any brush, trees or other cover the bear can go to hide because following wounded bear into areas were you can only see 10 feet can be very hairy, also nothing is harder to find in dark woods then a black bear.
 
I'm no expert on bear, but I wouldn't take shots past 200 yds. At this yardage you can still pin point the vitals and energy will be superb. Thats just me though.
 
What's the logic here. Why is it more humane to shoot a bear at short range than an elk or whitetail deer? Experts say an elk is tougher...harder to kill. Shouldn't an elk be hunted at closer range than a black bear if one follows that logic? Isn't the kill zone of a black bear as large or larger than a whitetail? Why would a bear be harder to hit at long range versus a deer? Why is there an old, special status applied to black bears which does not apply to other game animals in the lower 48? Enquiring minds want to know?
 
Why is it more humane to shoot a bear at short range than an elk or whitetail deer?
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Bears are tanks with legs.
Experts say an elk is tougher...harder to kill.
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They are probably about the same.
Shouldn't an elk be hunted at closer range than a black bear if one follows that logic?
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Yea they should be, but a higher caliber is generally used on elk which allows for longer shots.
Why would a bear be harder to hit at long range versus a deer?
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It wouldn't be.
Why is there an old, special status applied to black bears which does not apply to other game animals in the lower 48?
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Because in my opinion black bears the toughest animal in the lower 48, with the exception of grizzly bears and moose.
I have heard a million times that black bears are no tougher than a deer but from my experiance they are practically bullet-proof, also I would much rather follow a wounded deer into brush than a black bear. It is a lot easier to track something when you don't have to worry about getting mauled and eaten.
 
What's the logic here. Why is it more humane to shoot a bear at short range than an elk or whitetail deer? Experts say an elk is tougher...harder to kill. Shouldn't an elk be hunted at closer range than a black bear if one follows that logic? Isn't the kill zone of a black bear as large or larger than a whitetail? Why would a bear be harder to hit at long range versus a deer? Why is there an old, special status applied to black bears which does not apply to other game animals in the lower 48? Enquiring minds want to know?
Click to expand...

Personally, no matter what I'm hunting I want to be around 100 yds. At this range I can keep my bullet a 1/2-1 inch of where I want to be and the bullet is going to still be moving with authority. This means clean, quick kills and that's what I like.
 
i change my mind, leathermanwave and my dad talked me into 180 swift,
thanks all, addict
also if anyone knows where to get a 300 win mag for my brother it would really help me out
thanks
 
Contrary to what some would have you believe, black bears are NOT bullet proof, as evidenced by the fact that more have likely been waylaid over the last century or so with the lowly 30-30 Win than with any other caliber. Assuming you find/develop a load that shoots with acceptable accuracy, I'd go with the 165-grain bullet (ballistic sweet spot) in a good tough bullet like the Nosler Partition. Having put that out there... I also must confess that I just shot my latest bear (squared just a hair under 7 feet and will make the SCI book) this spring with a single 225-grain SST at 180 yards out of a 338 RCM. Overall, I'd make the observation that most black bear hunters opt for something in 30 Cal persuasion pushing heavy-for-caliber bullets. If you follow that advice and use a good, tough bullet, I'd worry less about bullet weight and more about bullet placement --and I'd limit the range.
 
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