When my son was in Afganistan they had Muslims cooking pork ribs in the mess hall. If you can't touch it or taste it you should not cook it. As you said "Some people just shouldn't do some jobs."
Alaska Black Bear Caliber Choice?
- Thread starter frostop
- Start date
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memtb
Well-Known Member
45-70 - 400 to 430 grain cast, wide metplat……pushed a bit harder than "Springfield safe" factory loads!
Pressures well within the safe pressure limits of the Contender…..kills like Thor's hammer! memtb
Pressures well within the safe pressure limits of the Contender…..kills like Thor's hammer! memtb
I just noticed your thread while looking for a Canadian outfitter on the eastern side of Canada. We are looking for a hunt that we can drive to. We black bear hunt Maine. I would strongly suggest the 35 Whelen with 225gr Barnes bullets, or the 45-70 with Barnes TSX FB bullets. I know that they make barrels chambered in 33-06, 35 Whelen and 45-70 for the Encore as I have had all three barrels on mine. I did like the 338-06 on the Contender, it was accurate and you didn't need a dentist after you were through shooting it. If you go to the "Encore Forum" online you may be able to find a used barrel on there.
Wow, so just touching on the guide thing, I personally hunt bears with a 270 win. If you read through the guide licensing you will notice the fact that the guide is responsible for protecting client. Also it states that an adequate cartridge shall be carried to protect client in a DLP ( defense of life or property). Several guides I work with carry 375 H&H, 458 win, 416 Rigby and one even carried a 500 A square, they don't want to get sued and lose their license. Hunting a bear is far different than stopping a bear, I carry a 12 Guage shotguns for my bear stopper. It serves multiple purposes grouse and Ptarmigan are good camp meat with birdshot . If I can crack a bears neck at 150 yards, don't have to worry about stopping a bear. Oh and by the way YES I do CHOOSE to carry a second firearm, I can easily take my 338 or 375 to hunt bears 2inch group at 100 or my 270 groups .5 at 300. My choice is my most accurate and comfortable to shoot and carry. I have lived in Alaska for a long time, I choose to spot and stalk bears solo. Penetration is the most sought after term for 
.
.akmtnhnt
Well-Known Member
Earplugs and/or muffs are not enough to make a magnum cartridge even close to hearing safe if there's a brake on it pointing it back at you. Look at the db reduction on your plugs. It's not linearly additive if you add muffs. Then go find some db measurements at the shooters ear of a 338wm.
Hearing damage every shot.
Most know that loud noises cause hearing damage. I'm not sure the muzzle brake increases the decibels reaching the shooter's ear as much as you suggest. And I've researched it some.
You make it sound as though we have two options. Stop shooting. Or put a suppressor on every firearm. If your preferred solution is a suppressor, go for it.
Do you also want to make the discharge of firearms without suppressors illegal? Is that your goal?
I'm happy shooting my rifles with earplugs and muffs. Muzzle brakes or not. Been doing so for more than 50 years. I think I understand the consequences. I still hear fine. I hear you.
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
This sounds like quite an over-statement. But if you are correct, there is going to be an awful lot of near deaf shooters in the very near future.
akmtnhnt
Well-Known Member
The radial brakes are obviously not as bad as the directional stuff pointing it right back at you, but pretty much all the magnums are above 175db at the muzzle, typically 10ish less than that at the ear with no brake and typically the same as at the muzzle with the brake. The brake makes it twice as loud.
Even 30db plugs don't bring that into safe levels. I've never seen one, but if a suppressor directed the blast back at you, it wouldn't either. They more or less don't as it is. Plugs are still required.
I'm simply explaining why I don't hunt with nor would I hunt with someone that used a braked rifle. Suppressed is ideal, but a bare muzzle is also much preferable. We're adults, and can make our own choices, so I'm not saying what other people should do. Just what I choose.
I also won't sit anywhere near someone at a range with one. The blast alone is terrible.
That's not how hearing loss works.
Hearing protection is always recommended, but makes it difficult to hear a bear close to you. Walkers game ears are good, but hard to tell direction to look, but so does being deaf. I am unfortunately deaf in one ear. I usually wear a walkers ear bud in that ear to help hear in brush. Suppressor are easy to get just takes time and patience. If you hunt somewhere they are not allowed, experiment with electronic hearing protection.
p47dman
Well-Known Member
What ever you choose, check out Buffalo Bore. I have taken 21 blacks with everything from .243 to my 45-70. Even 3 with my .44 handgun. Shot it in the chest and slug came out it's left butt cheek. turned to run and dropped. Used the 340 grain penetrators.
p47dman
Well-Known Member
I have used a .44 mag, ported 4" barrel and have forgotten to put on my ears, it physically hurts. But when I do the same shooting at a bear, I never even hear the shot
