Kodiak! Take the shot?

[Guy Miner]

The weather has lifted and you've had this bear in view for a couple of hours on the last day of your seven day Kodiak Island bear hunt. He's been nailing salmon in the shallows. Yes, the photo was taken on Kodiak.

You're at 175 yards. The wind is quartering, mostly left to right at about 15 mph, but gusty.

To clear the tall grass, you have to get higher than prone.

Take the shot or not? Tell me about your rifle, scope & load. Shot placement? Elevation data? Windage?

How about your shooting position?

Do you think a guide would be happy with a 175 yard shot at a bear out in the water?

Tell us!

 

[corbin9191]

The rifle would be a Winchester model 70 7mm wsm with a 168 grain target vld berger bullet going 3114 fps at muzzle. Scope leupold mark 4 with M3 dials zeroed in at 270 yards. I would have to take the scope down 1 MOA and to the into the wind 1 MOA. I would put the bullet right behind the front shoulder, and hope that the 3078 ft-lbs at 175 yards would take it down on the first shot. My shooting position would have to be either prone or as close to prone as possible. Would the guide be happy if the bear got shot out of the water; maybe. Would I take the shot? I probably would not take the shot due to the bear being in the water, but as soon as the bear was on solid ground then BOOM!

 

[JD338]

M700 LSS 338 RUM with a 250 gr PT at 3024 fps. Scope would be a VX3 2.5x8 with M1 dials and a 200 yd zero.
I would drop 1 click (1/4 MOA) elevation and give 1 MOA for windage. A very rock solid rest and take out both shoulders.

JD338

 

[Guy Miner]

"7mm wsm with a 168 grain target vld berger bullet going 3114 fps at muzzle"

Corbin9191 - interesting bullet choice. What's the reasoning behind it for 800+ pound Alaskan Brown bear at normal hunting distances like this? I've had good success on mule deer & coyote w/Berger VLD's, but wouldn't have considered anything from Berger for such heavy, potentially dangerous game. Yes, I understand the Target VLD's have a heavier jacket than the Hunting VLD's. Just curious about your bullet choice from a relatively light cartridge for the big bear. A .28 cal, 168 grain target bullet would seem an unusual choice, so educate me! :grin:

 

[Guy Miner]

From my rifles, I'd go with the .375 H&H, with the 2.5x Leupold, and a 300 gr Nosler Partition driven to 2600 fps, sighted-in at 200 yards.

I'd expect about 4" of wind drift to the right if I caught that 15 mph wind, more if it gusted higher, as it has a tendency to do on coastal Alaska or out on the islands.

So... I'd take a solid sitting position, hoping for a backpack or something to rest the rifle upon. Put the crosshairs right on the shoulder and squeeze. Then I'd immediately prepare to send a second shot. With that first shot I'm hoping to break the shoulder and maybe shred some lung. If it drifts a few inches behind the shoulder, I'll get lung, maybe heart if I hold low enough.

Too much left to right wind drift could be a Very Bad thing - I've seen those furry monsters up too danged close a couple of times and understand that this is not something you want to follow up after it's been gut shot...

This is if the guide was okay with the bear dropping in the water and had some kind of plan for skinning the bear out there... If not, I'd wait until the bear was on what passes for "dry" land there!

For a lighter rifle, I'd consider my .30-06 with 200 gr Partitions or Accubonds. Consider, then take the .375! :grin: I mean, if a Kodiak bear isn't justification for me owning the danged thing, what is???

Regards, Guy

 

[JD338]

I am a big fan of the AccuBond but for the big bears, I'm using a Partition.
A 338 cal 250 gr Partition will break a lot of big bone and still hold together to get the job done!

I would reconsider the VLD's on big dangerous game.

JD338

 

[str8meat]

338 250 pt 200 yd zero rift in his arm pit destroying the offside shoulder and his lungs. when and if he gets up another in the hips and its over. leupold vx3 6.5x20

 

[jmad_81]

.338 WM loaded with 225 AB at 2800. Topped with a VXIII 3.5-10x40 B&C. 200 yrd zero so hold dead on with three to four inches up wind. Would be looking to go right behind the close shoulder and out the off side shoulder. Would prefer to wait for him to get on land, but if he does the grass looks tall and could obstruct the shot, and he could keep on trucking once he gets on land. The water he in is doesn't look to deep and I'm already wearing hip waders for a hunt like that. If the guide is ok with the shot I'm setting up my shooting sticks and dropping his fuzzy butt!

 

[corbin9191]

"7mm wsm with a 168 grain target vld berger bullet going 3114 fps at muzzle"

Corbin9191 - interesting bullet choice. What's the reasoning behind it for 800+ pound Alaskan Brown bear at normal hunting distances like this? I've had good success on mule deer & coyote w/Berger VLD's, but wouldn't have considered anything from Berger for such heavy, potentially dangerous game. Yes, I understand the Target VLD's have a heavier jacket than the Hunting VLD's. Just curious about your bullet choice from a relatively light cartridge for the big bear. A .28 cal, 168 grain target bullet would seem an unusual choice, so educate me! :grin:

My choice for this bullet is because it shoots the best groups in my rifles and I put the bullet to the test on some magazines about 3 months ago to find out that the 168 grain bullet retained 137.6 grains with a great mushroom. Not to mention the bullet penetrated around 19 inches into the soaked magazines.

 

[Guy Miner]

Well, there ya go then! :grin:

 

[FOTIS]

I am a big fan of the AccuBond but for the big bears, I'm using a Partition.
A 338 cal 250 gr Partition will break a lot of big bone and still hold together to get the job done!

I would reconsider the VLD's on big dangerous game.

JD338

I am with you Jim. I do not have any experience of these bullets on game, particularly for the ones that bite back.

 

[GB300wm]

338 win Vanguard topped with a Zeiss 3.5 x 10 x 50. I would shoot a 250 AccuBond(very tough bullet) at 2700 fps. I think the guide would be happy of where he is at because I could probably get 2 more shots in him after a devastating first one. I'm aiming with a 200 yard zero at his front shoulder center mass and a 15 mph wind will put it through his lungs and into his offside shoulder. He may fall before getting to land or me. Takes the guess work out of tracking and knowing if the animal is dead or alive. :grin: :grin:

 

[Richracer1]

I have to pick? :shock:

Well then, how about my:
375RUM and the 260AB or 300AB w/VX-III 3-9x40,
338RUM and the 250AB w/VX-III 4.5-14x40LR,
338WM and the 225AB w/VX-II 3-9x40,
300RUM and the 200AB w/Nikon Monarch 5-16x42

If I do my part, I think any one of these calibers will make Yogi effectively dead.

 

[SJB358]

I would use my 338 Win Mag with the 275gr Speers. I am zeroed dead on at 200 yards with the 2.5x8 Leupold w/B&C reticle. I would put it on the rear edge of his front leg, midline body, and let him have one or however many it takes. I am pretty sure the big Speers would do the job. Hopefully I would catch that opposite shoulder for a drop on the spot shot. Scotty

 

[Guy Miner]

"I have to pick?"

Yes, you have to pick! :grin: Even from Idaho, you can probably only shoot one or two rifles at a time!

 

[corbin9191]

Ok, since no one likes the VLD's then I guess I would have to go with a AccuBond or the Partition. :grin:

 

[JD338]

Ok, since no one likes the VLD's then I guess I would have to go with a AccuBond or the Partition. :grin:

Corbin,

Good choice!
Personally, I would be looking at the 175 gr PT. :wink:

JD338

 

[corbin9191]

Then the 175 grain Partition it is. 8)

 

[DrMike]

These are big animals. I've seen mountain grizzlies run awfully fast and for quite a distance with a broken shoulder. While a 7mm WSM with 175 grain PTs is better than a stick in the eye, I believe I'd want even more horsepower. Frontal area and mass rank highly in my "must have" categories when hunting such critters. Ergo, the 9.3 x 64 Brenneke I'm building would work just fine.

I personally do not like taking shots longer than necessary with the big bears. I really prefer no more than 100 yard shots, though longer shots under ideal conditions are acceptable. 175 yards is pretty well at my outer range for a big bear. I'd have to be desperate for the bear.

 

[Colin]

Savage 114 Classic in .300 Win Mag Shooting 180gr Accubonds.

I have the rifle and I have the bullets loaded up, put me in sitting position and I will put that AccuBond into the offside shoulder of that monster!!!! I am paying the guide and if he whines about a little water, he shouldn't be a guide!!!