The Nosler Hate... I don't get it.

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Alaska Hunting, Admiralty Island Brown Bear Hunting, Mountain Goat Hunts, Alaska Hunting Guides

I recommend .300 Win Mag (my favorite) or larger caliber. I highly recommend Swift A-Frame bullets. Barnes bullets are fine. Please do not bring Noslers of any kind.

Really? A 250gr Partition in a .338 mag of some kind isn't good bear medicine? Or even the old-school but monster 220gr Partition .30 cal in a 300 WSM/Win Mag/RUM? I've had great luck loading 7mm and .30 ABs for Elk, too...

Sounds like someone brought 150gr Ballistic Tips once and they wrote off Nosler in a rash move.

 

[FEENIX]

Alaska Hunting, Admiralty Island Brown Bear Hunting, Mountain Goat Hunts, Alaska Hunting Guides

I recommend .300 Win Mag (my favorite) or larger caliber. I highly recommend Swift A-Frame bullets. Barnes bullets are fine. Please do not bring Noslers of any kind.

Really? A 250gr Partition in a .338 mag of some kind isn't good bear medicine? Or even the old-school but monster 220gr Partition .30 cal in a 300 WSM/Win Mag/RUM? I've had great luck loading 7mm and .30 ABs for Elk, too...

Sounds like someone brought 150gr Ballistic Tips once and they wrote off Nosler in a rash move.

lightbulbIIWY and "IF" I am using them as the outfitter, I'd ask for clarification of their "recommendation", after all you're paying them for their service. I didn't construe it as hatred but rather a "polite" recommendation; they did say "please. lightbulb

 

[revturbo9967]

I've seen this a bunch of times with different outfitters. They get a few guys in who use a certain bullet, make a bad shot and then the form an option on said bullet. Or the hunters make a good shot on an animal and its leaves a bad blood trail. Or even better, the hunter makes a good shot on a tough animal and it still takes off for a mile. I've seen outfitters say no to barnes, no to solids, but never no to nosler. Maybe they had no exit with nosler bullets. I know I did. 180 gr partition out of a 300 win mag with no pass through, at 25 feet.

 

[HARPERC]

They have some nice bear pictures, I have no idea what their reason is, or if it's valid, but I bet they have one.

"iF" they've had close calls, or had a bear leave tracks on someone maybe it's just superstition.

 

[MTGunner]

Quite frankly the outfitters have no say in the matter of bullet choice. They can advise but have no say in the final choice of projectiles. If an outfitter will not take my $$$$ to guide me due to the fact that I hand load Nosler bullets...good 'nuff! He looses my business. Now, having said this...the client is responsible to have his firearm sighted in, be familiar and proficient with his firearm, have an appropriate cartridge to take the game he desires and be ready to accept the outcome good or otherwise. It is always good to discuss the hunt well ahead of time with a prospective outfitter regardless of the bullet choice.
Thus far my experiences with Nosler bullets have been positive. Albeit not so for the game that I have hunted. Have not had any complaints from the animals about not being dead enough. MTG

 

[MudRunner2005]

lightbulbIIWY and "IF" I am using them as the outfitter, I'd ask for clarification of their "recommendation", after all you're paying them for their service. I didn't construe it as hatred but rather a "polite" recommendation; they did say "please. lightbulb

That's how I read it, too.

 

[Pdvdh]

maybe it's just superstition.

Yup. Maybe they created their website on Halloween. Ghosts and goblins come alive about then...

 

[J E Custom]

Most people have one or more bullet that they don't like/use for many reasons.

There are many reasons that bullets fail on some game. Most of the time it is poor shot placement or bullet type.

Poor shot placement leads to many problems and one should be aware of the bullets strengths and weaknesses.

over the years I have found only a few bullets that did not perform well and almost every time It was poor shot placement for that type or weight of bullet.

The same bullet that performs great in a 308 may fail in a 300 RUM. The only area that the outfitter should make recommendations is preferred caliber needs for certain game. (Even though you could kill a brown bear with a 243 if the shot was placed right, you probably shouldn't use anything that small) and normally, outfitters know the best range of bullet calibers and weights for the game being hunted.

I have had nothing but good luck with ALL Nosler bullets as long as I did my part.

Just my opinion

J E CUSTOM

 

[Varminator 911]

So if you were facing a brown bear in the adlers at 10ft would you rather have their recommended 300 WM with Swift/Barnes or a 416 Ruger with 400 partition? It would take me about one mili second to make my choice. But I wonder what they'd choose in that moment?

My biggest surprise is the 308 caliber recommendation. Swift/Barnes isn't a surprise. I'd take a 375 or 416, probably 375 with Swift, Barnes, partition, or north fork.

A better question is would an Alaskan brown bear guide really carry a 300WM? I think I'd hire someone else.

 

[J E Custom]

So if you were facing a brown bear in the adlers at 10ft would you rather have their recommended 300 WM with Swift/Barnes or a 416 Ruger with 400 partition? It would take me about one mili second to make my choice. But I wonder what they'd choose in that moment?

My biggest surprise is the 308 caliber recommendation. Swift/Barnes isn't a surprise. I'd take a 375 or 416, probably 375 with Swift, Barnes, partition, or north fork.

A better question is would an Alaskan brown bear guide really carry a 300WM? I think I'd hire someone else.

+1

My personal choice would be a 416 with at least a 350 to 400 grain A Frame or a 400 grain Nosler
partition.

I would also expect my outfitter to bring a back up at least that big or bigger.

J E CUSTOM

 

[Pdvdh]

So if you were facing a brown bear in the alders at 10ft would you rather have their recommended 300 WM with Swift/Barnes or a 416 Ruger with 400 partition?

Neither. I'd recommend a field proven Remington 870 with a 19-21" barrel, and magazine tube extended to hold 6 or 7 Brenneke 1 3/8oz Special Forces Maximum Barrier Penetration slugs.

Sorry, now back to the two available options, the 416, except with Swift A-frames. Along with some baby wipes for the after-action cleanup.

 

[TXAoudadKlr]

Only bullet failure I've experienced after some thought was due to using too soft of a bullet for the animal being hunted at the distance the shot was taken. The bullet was a 150gr Ballistic silver tip out of a 7mm rem mag.

Some need to be honest with themselves and evaluate the shot placement and terminal performance before just blaming the bullet for the animal not going down in a timely manner or down at all.

Even then, if you shoot enough eventually you'll see some weird stuff with a bullets terminal performance. For instance my buddy shot a aoudad with his 338LM and 225gr TSX at 204 yards with very slight quartering towards him angle. Bullet entered made it the off side and traveled underneath the hide for exiting out at the front part of the hind leg.

 

[Frank in the Laurels]

No brown bear no matter how big can take a chest hit from a .338 win mag with a 225-250 Nosler Partition and survive for long... Just like anything else it depends on your pulling the trigger, the angle of the shot, the animals adrenaline level etc. I've read 100's of posts on brown bear hunting everywhere on this planet by 100's of the best guides and have never heard/read a single one complain about the time tested Partition, if anything they all praised them and recommended their use..I don't know where this guy is coming from or his experience but if I were going on this hunt I wouldn't hesitate for a second about the use of a Partition...

 

[Varminator 911]

Neither. I'd recommend a field proven Remington 870 with a 19-21" barrel, and magazine tube extended to hold 6 or 7 Brenneke 1 3/8oz Special Forces Maximum Barrier Penetration slugs.

Yes those Brenneke max penetration slugs look potent. Not a bad choice at all IMO. But would I really chose it over a 416?? If so only on speed of follow up shots.