Daughter's Bear Hunt

[Nomad]

The daughter is planing on shooting a bear this spring from a tree stand.
She is using a 308 Rem what I would like is what gr of bullet would you use?
I have never been hunting bear before so have no knowledge in this matter.
Starting her out on 125gr light loads and plan on working up to either a 165gr or a
180gr bullet.....

 

[Guy M]

My 19 year old son used a .30-06 with a 165 gr Nosler Solid Base last fall. It did a fine job, although the bear needed a few more shots to convince it to stop running...

That 165 in the lungs would have killed it just fine, but not before it covered some country.

Have her bust it in the shoulders, with a GOOD 165, like a Nosler Partition maybe. Especially at shorter ranges.

Enjoy the hunt, it should be terrific! Guy

 

[Long Time Long Ranger]

You can put a 130 or 150 grain Barnes bullet in a 308 and kill any bear over bait. They will be light recoil and plenty of bullet. I was a top bear hunter years ago taking many bears over bait with many different hunters. Either of these two bullets will drive through any black bear from any angle at close range out of a 308.

 

[DrMike]

From a stand, your daughter will do just fine with her .308 using a 165 grain bullet. A 150 will work, but the extra mass of the 165 is just insurance. Any cup and core bullet will work well. At the distance she will be shooting, she will probably get a complete pass through, so a bonded core bullet or a monolithic will not give her any advantage at the distances she will be shooting.

 

[300grains]

My daughter is also in the same dilemma.

She owns a Tikka .308. So, since I am a handloader she will be shooting from now on Norma Oryx 200 grains bonded bullets making about 2425 ft/s (chrony readings) when hunting moose and bear.

She has been shooting my 375H&H, and shoots about 20-25 cartridges during one session without any significant problem. But she just don´t like/want such kind of rifle at least not quite yet.

 

[Remington721]

I would use a 165 grain nosler partition

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I'm with LTLR on this one. Use a 130gr Barnes X bullet for minimum recoil (especially in a treestand) and maximum penetration. Shoot for the shoulders and the bear will not go far.

 

[mudhen]

My Daughter had a tag gifted to her last fall. She was only ten at the time she used a .308 with 125 grain sierra pro hunter. The bear was at a bait station and she put the bullet in a quartering away bear. The bear only made it 40 feet. 322lbs sow. Good luck to you and your daughter this was some of the best father daughter time ever. I don't know who shook more.

 

[Southwind]

I use 168's