Good Bear Load?

[47]

What would be a good load for Bear? Right now I use 150 Nosler AccuBond with 59.5 gr of RL-19 @ 2881fps. Would this be enough for bear or should I think about 180 or 200 gr bullet? Thanks in advance.

 

[47]

Forgot to note this is for a 30-06.

 

[JD338]

What kind of bear are you hunting? If Black bear, the 150 gr PT would work but a 165 gr might be better just in case you are dealing with a
400 lber.

I shot a 150 lb Black Bear with a Nosler 150 gr PT in a 30-06. 2 shots, each went through the shoulders and the exit wounds were the size of a quarter. Black bears are not all that difficult to kill if you put the bullet in the right place.

JD338

 

[47]

Thank you for you reply. It would be black bear. So a 150 or 165 would work? I didn't know if I should go to 180 or 200 grain.

 

[RRIES]

I own a Savage 99 in 308 my very accurate loads are only 170fps ish behind the max load in the 30-06 using the same powder for comparison. This is my horse rifle so it has to be fast to point if we were to be charged by a bear in MT. Never happened, (WE were assaulted/ambushed by a skunk once and reaching for a rifle is comical at best someone getting shot at worst kinda thing) but what we did do with the 200grain NP is shoot it into wet newspaper and balistic gelatin and compared it to 3 bullets from a 338 mag and we were very hard pressed to see any difference. We even filled the cavitys up with a plaster like stuff. I have dropped a moose and a black bear with that 200 grainer both around 100yards both very big holes and complete pass through. I really feel after looking at results from wet newspaper that when you step up to the 200 the 308/30-06 becomes a very big gun. Do you need it nah but the results are impresive

 

[7mmfan]

If there's a chance that you could run into a 7 footer bear hunting, then I'd go to the 180 grain Partition for quartering shots. Bear's shoulder bones are a lot bigger and tougher than deer's so the added sectional density can come in handy. 150 or 165 Partitions will of course work, but on really big bear under all circumstances I'd have to give the nod to the 180 Partition, thanks.

 

[FOTIS]

Thank you for you reply. It would be black bear. So a 150 or 165 would work?

Absolutely...like magic!

 

[Alaska]

The 165 Barnes TSX would be lightest I would go in the 30-06 for black Bear.......any of the 180's will work. The Sierra Gameking 180gr is one of favorite in the 06 and 308 Win. I normally reserve the 150's for Deer......and still I use my 180's about 99% of the time.

Never know when a bigger black bear might step out!

Have heard they are some big bears in NC and Penn state, world heavy weight large black bear was killed several years ago in Penn with a 30-30 Win.

I like IMR 4350 @ 57.5 with 165 and 56.0 with 180 grain in the 30-06.