What Rifle for Black Bear hunting?

[jphilp87]

I'm thinking about buying a new rifle. I am also thinking about making a black bear hunt in the next few years and I deer hunt in the Southeast US. I want a nice lever gun too. I'm wondering If there is a good rifle/caliber pairing that will take care of all of my needs. Deer, Black Bear, & Hogs.

More importantly: What caliber for black bear in NE USA or Canada?

So who are my bear hunters out here?

 

[surjimmy]

I've never hunted bear, but I would think a Marlin in a 45/70 would fit the bill if you want a lever gun. If you would consider a bolt action I love my Tikka T3 in a 300wsm.

 

[Eaglecreekbrewer]

I agree, if your looking at lever guns, a Marlin in either 45/70 or 450 would fill the bill nicely.

 

[skiking]

Marlin 336 in 35 rem. I figure that would be plenty for everything, but have no idea about hogs.

 

[Kernel]

It depends on the size of the bears in the area you hunt and the range you intend to shoot it at. Animal size and range. IMO for bear you should consider something in .30 cal and go up from there.

For a really big northern/Canadian black bear, a monster pushing 600 lbs, you need a rifle capable of delivering 2,400 ft-lbs of energy at the range you intend to shoot. For a .30-06 with a 180 gr bullet that range is about 100 yds. A .300 Win Mag or WSM will double that and take you out to 200 yds.

For a more typical 400 lb bear, you need at least 1,700 ft-lbs. A .30-30 will hit that wall at 75 yds. Making it a poor choice, but doable. The same .30-06 above will still exceed 1,700 ft-lbs at 300 yds. Much better.

If you want a lever action to hunt the big black bears your best option will be a Browning BLR. They’re pretty common, new and used. For a more average sized bear, a Marlin XLR in one of the new Marlin cartridges, .308 Marlin or .338 Marlin, would be adequate.

A Marlin in one of the .45 cals would be okay. Keep an eye on the energy at range. They loose velocity pretty fast, due their blunt nosed bullets.

If you’re the nostalgic type, a Winchester 71 in .348 WCF would be a pretty cool bear gun. Or a Winchester Model 1895 in .30-06 would git’r done in style.

 

[ColeK]

Marlin 336 in 35 Rem. I know that it works black bear, deer and hogs.

 

[Dr.Mall Ninja]

 

[wyohome]

"For a really big northern/Canadian black bear, a monster pushing 600 lbs, you need a rifle capable of delivering 2,400 ft-lbs of energy"

"For a more typical 400 lb bear, you need at least 1,700 ft-lbs"

So for a 500 pound bear you would need 2,050? Who comes up with this crap? Certainly someone who has never hunted.

"Gee, Bob, I would like to shoot that bear but I think I might be 50 Ft Lbs under the minimum."

 

[bad_aim_billy]

For a more typical 400 lb bear

Man alive, I need to find these typical bears you speak of!

A .30-30 would be fine at reasonable ranges, or go bigger with a 45-70 if elk/moose/grizzly are in your near future. .35 remington would work too, but alas, not nearly the ammo availability....

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I've killed most of mine with a 308 bolt action...but the lever action is better suited to blackies in the bushes. 30-30, 35 Rem, 444, 45-70...take your pick.

Keep the barrel short...no more than 22 inches.

 

[wyohome]

I've killed most of mine with a 308 bolt action...

I have used a 760 pump in .308 with good results. I really like that rifle and have used it on deer, elk, and black bear in the wet northwest.

 

[islandphish]

+1 on Remington 760/7600

Kind of like a lever...only it's a pump!

seriously though, handy and fun, good guns...

 

[wyohome]

Mine is pretty beat up, but has never let me down.

 

[ms6852]

Marlin 336 in 35 rem with a 200 grain bullet will get the job done.

 

[schlockinz]

Bears aren't bulletproof. Use a 30-30 on up and make sure of you're range and limits.

FWIW, I don't think that theres anything more fun than drawing blood with a big bore. Its just awesome

 

[Kernel]

Who comes up with this crap?

Someone who can count past 10 without using their toes. Sorry to bother your head with all the big numbers and concepts.

For a more typical 400 lb bear

Man alive, I need to find these typical bears you speak of!

"Typical" was a bad choice of words. I meant a more realistic large bear. Especially like one might find hunting in Canada, like the OP stated.

Looking for a place with big black bears, come here to Wisconsin. A record Black Bear was just shot by a gas station owner and first time bear hunter last September, 727 lbs.

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/news_wluk_wisconsin_hunter_tags_record_bear_200909220736_rev1

A few counties over, that same week, another one was shot by a woman school teacher that weighed 658 lbs. (The bear, not the school teacher).

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/blogs/59274597.html

So, not all black bears are the cute little cubbies that steal bird food from your backyard feeder. Some of them grow pretty big. Like this one.

Killed by a farmer’s combine in a Wisconsin cornfield last year. Field dressed it was 618 lbs. They figure live weight was about 710 lbs. Look at the size of that thing compared to the woman! If it was wounded would you feel comfortable stalking it at dusk on foot with a .30-30 and off the shelf ammo from Farm and Fleet? I wouldn’t. Not when there are so many better cartridges that could be used.

Not sure how many foot-pounds a combine generates right at the corn-head, but I’ll bet it’s over 2,400.

http://www.wisconsinbearhunts.com/blog/bear-hunting-wisconsin/combine-runs-over-record-black-bear

All these bears were harvested in Wisconsin farm country. Not some distant remote wilderness, hundreds of miles from civilization. Moral of the story: study the area you intend to hunt, plan for every likely scenario, and bring enough gun.

 

[islandphish]

oh yeah, my 760 was 30-06 stuffed with 180gr Core-Lokt.

probably not the best choice, but it's what they had at the country store in Nenana, AK.

Still I felt plenty armed for a blackie, it was the chance to encounter an angry Grizz that really keeps you on your toes...or not, I still tend to get awfully sleepy once I get settled in!

 

[wyohome]

So let me get this straight, Archimedes. A bullet through both lungs won't kill a bear over a predetermined weight unless is delivered with a certain number of Ft Lbs? I think your 'mathematicians' may also be working for the CBO.

 

[skiking]

that bear was dumb enough to be killed by a combine?

 

[wyohome]

Killed by a farmer’s combine in a Wisconsin cornfield last year...

The story I read about that bear said a deer hunter admitted shooting it with a 30-30. How do you levitate a bear like that? A good Photoshopper would at least have put the rope above the bear. He looks a lot more comfortable if you rotate the picture 90 degrees.

 

[Rob96]

If you are looking at lever guns, definetely go with the Marlin 1895 Guide Gun. Even more so if you handload.

 

[Horsemany]

Photoshop is right!

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I agree, if your looking at lever guns, a Marlin in either 45/70 or 450 would fill the bill nicely.

I agree too, but don't forget the .444! Any of those will work fine. FYI the 450 Marlin cartridge is mentioned on a few sites as a .45-70 with increased power.

LD

 

[mete]

What about those "smaller" eastern bears ? Record PA bear was 900 lbs ! There have been some recent ~ 700 lbs taken with a bow in the Catskills.
For bullets I'd use a heavier ,better constructed bullet. I'd use my 45-70 with 300 gr Win Partitions.Other than that my 30-06 , 180 gr.

 

[Legionnaire]

I've never taken a bear. Were I headed out to do so, I'd grab either the Remington 760 or the 700 in .30-06. 760 if hunting cover, 700 otherwise.