Favorite Dangerous Game Round

[captacademy]

I would and have hunted with a 375 for the large bears, but after taking a large lion with several well place shots using the 375 H&H with a 300 TSX, I would ramp it up to my 416 Rem mag!!! That's just my opinion though.

 

[J E Custom]

Big guns don't make up for bad shots.


I look at browns like I look at elephant. Other than perserving a clean skull mount, is there any reason not to poke the grape?

+1

Poor shot placement in any caliber is just that. and the biggest caliber will not help, But with a
large diameter bullet a good shot will be better in my opinion.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Lapua guy]

+1

Poor shot placement in any caliber is just that. and the biggest caliber will not help, But with a
large diameter bullet a good shot will be better in my opinion.

J E CUSTOM

-1.

I don't agree with a head shot on a bruin. Slope of skull is an issue. I would choose an anchoring shoulder shot first, then the grape. My .02, probably owe ya a nickel in change.

+1 on shot placement though. Just not same placement.

 

[captacademy]

I agree with shot placement, but I have still seen many tough animals continue to go even with a perfect shot. I saw a big baboon male take a 338 RUM 250 SMK shot at 300 yards right through the heart and it still went some distance before it stopped. The adrenaline just keeps them moving sometimes, even though the heart may be completely destroyed!! High shoulder does work very well, spine even better.

Shot placement is everything and the bigger the hole the better on dangerous game for me! For those that have ever been up close and personal, you know what I mean. Until you experience that, you won't know the feeling. They can never be too dead, especially with the big cats!

Brown bear can be the same.

Just my 2 cents....

 

[HARPERC]

Once upon a time we had a sow grizzly in camp with cubs (big cubs). Consensus from the group was what seemed potent at the dock, didn't give the same warm fuzzy feeling at that moment. I'm pretty sure all of us would have traded up. I had a .358 AI magnum, 250 grain Nosler Partition at 3000 fps and I would have. The .500 N.E. I mentioned back a bit wouldn't have been over the top.
Reality 1) If I had the money to buy a good quality double, I'd spend it on a brown bear hunt and take the .375 I've got, but I do understand what it's like to have nothing but a sheet of canvas, a couple feet of night air, and the rifle you brought between you and a critter that considers himself to be the apex predator on this range.
Reality 2) Shot for shot if one was able to evaluate all the Brown Bear /Grizzly kills that have occurred (not pull single incidents to prove a point) bigger would prove better.
Pepper spray is better than firearms is the new claim I hear a lot, but thats not how I'd bet my behind (or yours if I was responsible for it).
Here's hoping all of you get a real world chance to test whatever your personal favorite is on the biggest bears out there.

 

[Lapua guy]

Pepper spray works as many times as it does not. You shoot a bear in the shoulder, that will break them down all the time. The only time to bring pepper spray is when a firearm cannot be carried. With the new national parks laws, I will never have it as my only defense. That is taking your life out of your hands. Don't do it.

 

[J E Custom]

Pepper spray works as many times as it does not. You shoot a bear in the shoulder, that will break them down all the time. The only time to bring pepper spray is when a firearm cannot be carried. With the new national parks laws, I will never have it as my only defense. That is taking your life out of your hands. Don't do it.

Pepper spray for bear, is like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

After having several bad experiences while Bow Hunting (No fire arms allowed) I started carrying
more protection.

A fine is better than the option. Laws don't allways have the persons best interest in mind and
favor the animal. They are not going to be there to protect you. But they will be there to
investigate the crime.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Lapua guy]

Pepper spray for bear, is like bringing a knife to a gun fight.

After having several bad experiences while Bow Hunting (No fire arms allowed) I started carrying
more protection.

A fine is better than the option. Laws don't allways have the persons best interest in mind and
favor the animal. They are not going to be there to protect you. But they will be there to
investigate the crime.

J E CUSTOM

I don't bow hunt in states that don't let me carry a sidearm for precisely those reasons. Some areas have laws that are basically suicidal to follow. I understand exactly where you are coming from. My hometown is where one of the larger bear spray companies is HQed and I cringe sometimes at talking to some of my buddies that are still there and work for them. The Bear Spray kool-aid gets people killed, but it seems to be offered without asking for it. "I don't need a gun, I carry bear spray."

I always respond, "If you are hiking/bowhunting with me, you can always be assured that there will be a firearm deployed before the bear even gets close enough to be in range of the spray."

 

[HARPERC]

I TOTALLY agree with the comments on pepper spray! My intent was to point out you can hear almost anything if you listen long enough. My apologies if the humor didn't come through. In case it didn't come out real well, I'll repeat the second part of the sentence " THAT'S NOT HOW I'D BET MY BEHIND (OR YOURS IF I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR IT)!
Breaking them down with rifle fire is my first choice, and the ability to reliably achieve that is enhanced as bullet (assuming good construction) caliber, mass, and velocity increases. The choice of what the minimum should be is personal, unless you're responsible for others.
It does seem to me the choice of professionals responsible for others has trended upward. It used to be the guides carried .375's, as over .40 options are readily available more seem to choose that way. More clients seem to be taking .375's. An unscientific observation from the circle of folks I know personally.

 

[Lapua guy]

I agree that 375 HH and even the 375 Ruger seem to be the hunters choice in Alaska these days for bruins. I love the 9.3, but it isn't that popular outside of Europe and Africa.

It seems I am see a bunch of guides carrying Marlin 1895GS 45-70s theses days. It usually is that or a 375 HH. And I would also call that my unscientific observation as well.

 

[HARPERC]

The 9.3's are a great group of cartridges. With similar bullets I doubt I could observe a difference between those and my .375, but you can't own and use 'em all. At least I can't.LOL

 

[captacademy]

Better to be tried by 12 than carried by 6! I always carry a side arm in bear country

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

The 375 H&H is a good big bear round because the recoil is not so bad that most can shoot it accurately to do the job without a brake. The 338 winchester will take any bear with proper bullets and even less recoil. With a brake the 378 wby is a good one.

I backpack several weeks per year in areas with heavy grizzly populations. I have never bought pepper spray and will never. It says bear must be within 5 steps (15 ft) to be effective, preferably closer. That many times would be an enraged bear to be that close. I have been that close to grizzlies and it is not a comfortable situation. My guess is few people buying the spray would be effective at hitting the eyes of an enraged grizzly at 5 steps or less. I figure most would get chewed on.

I have a wife and son who depend on me to make sensible decisions and come home alive and in one piece. It would be a bad day for anyone to try and make a case against me for carrying grizzly protection that will eliminate the threat before the bear gets to close to handle which is within 15 feet. Grizzlies are so quick that they could easily have you at that distance before you could deploy the button to activate the spray. And if you got it deployed, to accurately hit a charging grizzly in the eyes is obsurd. Now a bear checking out camp or investigating you it could work. But in a threatenning attack situation no. The bears you could hit with the spray would be ones just checking you out and those can be ran off with rocks and sticks. A serious threat that wants you and is charging just stick the can between your legs and kiss your *** and the can good bye. I will not answer anyone questioning what is under my jacket in the backcountry. But it will defend me, my family and friends from serious threats.

In over 30 years experience hunting and camping in grizzly country I have never had to shoot a grizzly. I have had them in camp and met them on the trail. But knowing bears and sensible actions have prevented me from ever harming one. The closest I ever came was on Alaska's north slope and a big grizzly would not leave our camp alone. He kept coming back wanting food. One evening at supper he got within 10 feet of me with his head down looking at me. I pulled up my 338-378 wby and put one right in front of his nose. You would not believe what a 338-378 wby point blank will do to tundra mucky muck. The bears entire face was covered in it. He spun and ran and was still going away at over three miles the last time we saw him. He never came back.

 

[bman73]

.358 Norma Mag with 225 grn game kings is my carry gun and back
in my tenting days it was the reliable 870 express mag with alternating slugs and 00 buck. Not allowed to carry a hangun in these parts but quite honestly I have never felt the need to. Maybe because of just not having the option it never crossed my mind