Where is the Best spot to shoot a brown bear on there body ?

[GabeV]

I've been doing a lot of reading about this and they try to say 6 inches behind the shoulder ? Wondering where people on here who've killed these bears have shot them to kill them with one shot ?

 

[GabeV]

Just wondering on here people who've killed Brown Bears and grizzlies where they thought the best spot was to hit them and drop them ?

 

[BillNye]

My personal preference is to put a heavy monolithic through the front shoulders to anchor them, you're not exactly worried about meat loss. That said, when hit they're much more likely to look at the spot they've been hit for something to attack than they are to look in the distance (i.e. at you). They usually either run or double over looking for what "bit" them.

 

[Ricky C]

Hey, the best advice I received before my Kodiak bear hunt was keeping shooting until the bear stops moving. Good Luck
Take Care

 

[MagnumManiac]

I have shot 4 Kodiak bears myself, assisted with 2 more, using a 338WM and a 375 Weatherby. Regardless of calibre, bullet selection is paramount. I have to say that when I hunted in the early 90's there was not the selection there is today. I used 338 250g Partitions and 275g Speer Semi Spitzers as follow ups in the 338WM. My initial guide and his daughter didn't want me using the 338WM, they had had bad experiences with that cartridge but I assured them that that was due to poor bullet selection. Anyway, the hunt went very well. 2 bears down with quartering shots slightly aiming at the crease behind the shoulder, both taking the top of the heart. My guides were very impressed with the Partition and the Speer Semi Spitzer, they all exited.
With the 375 Weatherby, I selected Woodleigh 300g PP and had a blast, first bear was taken with a frontal shot and dropped at the shot…wasn't expecting that at all, and the second bear, a sow, took 2 shots to put down. Both shots were through the shoulders broadside with her slightly walking.
Most bears spin towards the shot, my bear that dropped to the frontal shot was hit in the spine by fragments, but I wouldn't say that was a normal outcome.
The difference between a 338WM and a 375 Weatherby is quite vast in actual visually seeing the hits, the 375 Weatherby rocks the animal so much harder, in fact any 375 hits with more authority and is visibly noticeable.
I really enjoyed those times, wish I had digital photos but I only have film from back then.
So, hit shoulders, or hit the crease, because the 2 I assisted with were from high shoulder shots that didn't come close to an anchoring or really a kill shot. My buddy assisted with a wounded sow in the thickets and had been hit 4 feet too far back, and it was ready to shred whoever was coming for it. A headshot had to be taken in the end cause that's all they could see.

Cheers.

 

[wvbearhunter]

My dad (RIP) killed his with a Rem 700 in 308 Win using a 168 grain ttsx. He put it through both front shoulders at 120 yards. The bugger dropped in its tracks and thrashed for a few minutes while my dad worked in closer for a second shot, thinking he made a bad shot. By the time he got to 80 yards (4 or 5 minutes) it was deceased. The bullet broke both front shoulders and was laying on the ground under the bear.

 

[Varmint Hunter]

I've shot a lot of black bears and found that center punching their lungs is very effective. However, I've never taken a grizzly or brown bear. Based on everything I've read over the years, the best advice is to drop them with a shoulder shot and then finish them off, if needed. Immobilizing a large and threatening bear seems to be the best advice for the first shot.

 

[wvbearhunter]

I've shot a lot of black bears and found that center punching their lungs is very effective. However, I've never taken a grizzly or brown bear. Based on everything I've read over the years, the best advice is to drop them with a shoulder shot and then finish them off, if needed. Immobilizing a large and threatening bear seems to be the best advice for the first shot.

True. I shoot black bears in "the front of the middle". Works every time

 

[HandgunHTR]

Here is a pic of a black bear. In regards to "what is where" brown bears are the same, just on a larger scale. Notice how much further back the heart and lungs are in relation to cervids.
Center-punching the shoulders may put them down, but it will take them longer to expire than shooting them back a bit.
Something else to remember about bears is that they look bigger than they are due to the long hair. I have known more than one person to shoot for the "high shoulder" end up cutting a groove in the skin of the back and having the bear run off.

 

[MagnumManiac]

View attachment 503041


Here is a pic of a black bear. In regards to "what is where" brown bears are the same, just on a larger scale. Notice how much further back the heart and lungs are in relation to cervids.
Center-punching the shoulders may put them down, but it will take them longer to expire than shooting them back a bit.
Something else to remember about bears is that they look bigger than they are due to the long hair. I have known more than one person to shoot for the "high shoulder" end up cutting a groove in the skin of the back and having the bear run off.

I wish I could place a circle where I know my shots went after my guide told me where to shoot…from any angle taking out the top of the heart and lung behind it. Just behind the shoulder joint low in the body crease. It worked perfectly everytime.

Cheers.

 

[Calvin45]

I have shot 4 Kodiak bears myself, assisted with 2 more, using a 338WM and a 375 Weatherby. Regardless of calibre, bullet selection is paramount. I have to say that when I hunted in the early 90's there was not the selection there is today. I used 338 250g Partitions and 275g Speer Semi Spitzers as follow ups in the 338WM. My initial guide and his daughter didn't want me using the 338WM, they had had bad experiences with that cartridge but I assured them that that was due to poor bullet selection. Anyway, the hunt went very well. 2 bears down with quartering shots slightly aiming at the crease behind the shoulder, both taking the top of the heart. My guides were very impressed with the Partition and the Speer Semi Spitzer, they all exited.
With the 375 Weatherby, I selected Woodleigh 300g PP and had a blast, first bear was taken with a frontal shot and dropped at the shot…wasn't expecting that at all, and the second bear, a sow, took 2 shots to put down. Both shots were through the shoulders broadside with her slightly walking.
Most bears spin towards the shot, my bear that dropped to the frontal shot was hit in the spine by fragments, but I wouldn't say that was a normal outcome.
The difference between a 338WM and a 375 Weatherby is quite vast in actual visually seeing the hits, the 375 Weatherby rocks the animal so much harder, in fact any 375 hits with more authority and is visibly noticeable.
I really enjoyed those times, wish I had digital photos but I only have film from back then.
So, hit shoulders, or hit the crease, because the 2 I assisted with were from high shoulder shots that didn't come close to an anchoring or really a kill shot. My buddy assisted with a wounded sow in the thickets and had been hit 4 feet too far back, and it was ready to shred whoever was coming for it. A headshot had to be taken in the end cause that's all they could see.

Cheers.

Interesting observation between the 33 and 37 difference in thumping power. What are your thoughts on the .35 calibers then?

 

[MagnumManiac]

Interesting observation between the 33 and 37 difference in thumping power. What are your thoughts on the .35 calibers then?

I owned a 35 Whelen for 6 months in the late 80's, bullet selection was limited to Speer bullets here (in Oz) 200g Hot Cor or 225g Boattail. I found these bullets short for calibre and my 338-06 far out penetrated them with the same weights, back then there was the 338 225g and 200g Ballisric Tips which worked excellent on our Sambar deer. No Ballistic Tip in 35 cal was ever available here for quite some time, so I sold the 35 Whelen and have never looked at 35 cal again, although I have built quite a few 35 Sambar (35-300WSM) rifles…

Cheers.

 

[vergy]

go to youtube and watch The Modern Day Mountain Man with Billy Molls. Excellent shows. He guides brown bears up on Kodiak and coastal areas. Great shows he films himself. Unreal beauty etc but think I'd get a panic attack all alone in some of those areas. Have watch several big bears taken with just . 300 win mags which surprised me.

 

[Calvin45]

I owned a 35 Whelen for 6 months in the late 80's, bullet selection was limited to Speer bullets here (in Oz) 200g Hot Cor or 225g Boattail. I found these bullets short for calibre and my 338-06 far out penetrated them with the same weights, back then there was the 338 225g and 200g Ballisric Tips which worked excellent on our Sambar deer. No Ballistic Tip in 35 cal was ever available here for quite some time, so I sold the 35 Whelen and have never looked at 35 cal again, although I have built quite a few 35 Sambar (35-300WSM) rifles…

Cheers.

35 sambar huh? I didn't realize that 35-300 wsm was a popular enough wildcat to get its own name haha. Would that perform pretty similar to the .358 Norma? I have a .358 Norma, if I ever do get the chance to hunt Kodiak or critters like that it's what I'm bringing. 28 inch 12 twist, have chronoed 280 grain swift A FRAMES at around 2800 fps. Should smash bones I'd think.