Coin flip bullet choice.

[4ked Horn]

If I get the draw I will be going black bear hunting this spring. I will be going for bear for the first time. The bear will be grazing on wild onions and not baited or hunted with dogs. I will be using a .308 win out of my rem vls.

Should I use a SGK 165 gr bullet or a Nosler 168 gr J4? What would you consider a max range for this cartridge and black bears.

Or should I scrap that idea all together and use my brothers rem .338 win mag at standard hunting distances (< 200 yds)? (which bullet for this option?)

 

[wapiti13]

Either gun would work. Why not use a 150 Barnes X in your 308 and drive it to max velocity. It will shoot thru any black bear you will encounter and still function at long ranges & short ranges. If you use the 338, try the 185 Barnes and max it out. If you can't tell, I think the Barnes X bullets in all flavors are about the best out there for big game at any range. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[gonehuntingagain]

180gr Nosler Accubonds! You saw how well they smoked your gong at 400 yards. They were going about the same speed as your 168 J4's. Either that, or I have a few 165gr BT's laying around.

If you still can't decide what gun to use, you could take my 300 mag - just as long as I get some bear summer sausage /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[4ked Horn]

You'll get some bear sausage either way so don't worry 'bout that.

I'd rather use my own gun with one of the loads I already have dope on. I just remember asking a similar question last year and some of the guys cautioned that even with good hits the bear is going to run for it. Since there ain't many folks posting about kills with J4s I thought I would ask.

If I use bills .338 it would be a good excuse to work up a simple all around load and give his gun a point blank range zero for a 8" kill zone. Thereby killing two birds (and a bear) with one stone.

Thanks for the offer though.

 

[pyrotechnic]

The 165gr GK should work fine.

Regards,
Maarten

 

[4ked Horn]

Any experience with them? At what range?

Also welcome aboard.

 

[3sixbits]

I'am afarid I can't go along with the choise of the Barnes X bullet unless you are sure of close range! In my experance they act like a solid at lower velocitys (long range) Had the effect for me on a blackie at a little over 400 yds of punching right on through the shoulders not broken but looked like they had been drilled. Shot this old bore six times and was reloading when he went down. Of course that is my only time using them. I have since that time switched to Woodliegh and have used them on everything Alaska has to offer. No problems so far, They have never made another track. Do your part and put'em in the shoulder with a Woodleigh and you will change your status from hunter to cooley labourer. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[wapiti13]

How long ago did you use Barnes bullets? Some of the original bullets didn't open, but that problem went away long ago. Barnes X bullets will open up at 1500 fps or higher. A Barnes will almost always exit because of the design, but it does tremendous damage on the way through. I would rather have an exit wound to allow air & blood flow. But that's another discussion altogether. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif

 

[3sixbits]

It only takes once for me and I don't go back to what does not work for me. This is why I have given-up on a number of the highly adverticed major manufatures over the past 35 years. The list is long. I only get let down once. If I do my part I expect my equipment to do it's part. This is not a sport to me this is the harsh reality and conditions I live with daily. I believe if it works for you that is great! My conditions are not the same as yours. I do not have the luxriancy of going to the store to buy meat if I don't bring home the meat. The nearest store to me that carries meat is eighty air miles from me. When I do fly meat in' it's alway bacon as that gives me back twice, packs small and no waste. Everything I have, has to be brought in by air or by boat or a vary long and dangerous snowmachine trip. And when I get there, they don't always have what you take for granted in your stores. This internet is great, because for the first time perhaps you see that not all americans live the same life as you or me. Thanks to the fellows that invented the communication satelite and the internet. I do know that the fellows that make these products that we the hunters use, spend alot more on there ads than they do, making a good product. I gave up long ago telling anyone about something I thought might work in hunting bullets, untill I have made it work for me. I get on this web-site to find out about the new things that are working for others, So when I make my big trip to town and I find what others say works for them and I can find it, I'am going to try it out. Most of the time I just get by with whats at hand and feel happy, that I could get by. Hope you understand why I have'nt tried them again. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif