Stopping A Charge

[Ryan46]

Hey Guys:

I have never hunted anything larger than a whitetail deer due to living in Alabama. I may one day get to go on a bear hunt in Alaska and was wondering that I things go south, will a .300Win Mag with 200gr Nosler Partitions stop a Kodiak or brownie charge?

Happy Shooting
Ryan46

 

[JD338]

Ryan46

That could be a tough one to answer. Is he wounded, protecting territory, sow with cubs? What is the distance?

Your 300 Win Mag with a 200 gr PT is more than enough to kill a big bear with proper shot placement. In a charge, I would hope to hit him in the head.
Most guide us a 416 Rem or 458 Win Mag.

My friend shot this Mountain Grizzly with a 300 Win Mag with a 180 gr TSX at 374 yds in the heart. He dropped at the shot and never moved.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Ryan46,

A bad shot with a magnum cartridge is still a bad shot. Truthfully, the only certain shot is one which disrupts the nervous system (brain or spine). And things happen very fast in the alders when a bear takes exception to your presence. If you do have time to shoot, your target is bounding and bobbing so much that certainty for shot placement goes out the window. I've witnessed grizzlies running at a surprisingly fast pace with a broken shoulder, covering 100 plus yards in a very short period of time. Accounts of people severely wounded and/or killed by dead bears abound. I would rather hunt a grizzly with a 300 Win Mag loaded with 200 grain PT or 200 grain AB that I shot well than to attempt to hunt a grizzly with a larger cartridge that I was uncomfortable shooting.

 

[SJB358]

Yeah, I am with JD and Mike on this. Grizzlies are darned tough. I think stopping an animal, meaning he is coming your way and you want to break alot of bones and really stop him would require more in the lines of a 338 with a very heavy bullet for starters and stop with the big .458 cals. My old man shot his bear at 3x with a 225gr bullet and they were all vital kill shots and the guide fired his 375 H&H the same time my old man shot the third time, those two put the bear down. To me, that is tough. I think you would be well served with a 300 Win Mag and the 200gr PT, it carries alot of energy and will break bones, plus I would imagine your guide will have something to stop a bear if it ever came to a head. Scotty

 

[Ryan46]

Thanks for the advice guys. The only problem is if my guide has to stop a charge then I could not in all honesty say that I took the bear. No, I don't have a death wish I just like to do things myself.

Happy Shooting
Ryan46

 

[SJB358]

I think the likelihood of you getting that far are slim. They are dangerous, but most of the time, with good, solid shoulder shots you will put it down for keeps and it won't be able to do anything but growl and snip, then you would get to put a finisher on him. Good shot placement on your part would do alot. If you want to be able to stop him, jump to a 338 and load some 275gr Swifts or something similar. You will have bone crushing power, and still get very useable range and power out of it. I know if I hunted the big bears tomorrow, that is probably what I would be using. Scotty

 

[DrMike]

Ah, those big ol' bears won't hurt anybody. Just ask Timothy Treadwell. Er, well, it may be best to be prepared, after all.

Your guide will endeavour to get you into position for a clean shot. You are responsible to be ready to take the shot presented. If you cleanly break the shoulder on an unagitated bear, the shock will undoubtedly drop the animal, at which point you will want to place your next shot as quickly as possible. Don't plan to quit shooting until your guide says you can stop.

 

[str8meat]

the best shooting premium bullets you can find. whatever your gun likes and you shoot well is the ticket.

 

[Richracer1]

Just take someone else along that you can out run.

 

[DrMike]

Just take someone else along that you can out run.

:lol:

Always good advice when hunting bear.

 

[JD338]

Just take someone else along that you can out run.

And a handgun for back up. Just save the last shell for yourself. :lol: :lol: :lol:

JD338

 

[SJB358]

Man, it is hard to believe they were really put in check with muzzleloaders and round balls. Really makes a 300WM and 200gr PT seem like a lazer gun! I can't wait till I have this dilemna. I can use it to justify that 375 Ruger I've always wanted. Scotty

 

[Divernhunter]

A 155mm on a tank platform will usually work.

 

[SJB358]

That would do it, plus you would have something to carry your meat and hide out on! Scotty

 

[Ryan46]

Dr. Mike are you saying that you would feel comfortable using accubonds on brownies? Will these bullets penetrate as well as partitions? If so, these would then be the bullets of my choice because they are among the most accurate I have shot. If I get to pull off this hunt it will probably be a once in a lifetime deal for me for I am not a wealthy individual. I have confidence that I can make the shot on an undisturbed bear for I burn plenty of gun powder, but have no experience in stopping any charging animal bent on doing me in. This is why I am asking you guys with experience. On another note, how large of a vital area of say a 600 to 800lb bear will I have to hit and at what range do guides try to get the hunter to. BTW, I do know each situation is different.

I did a little background studying, did y’all know that the former world record grizzly was taken with a single shot .22 by an Indian woman? That’s a long way from a 155 howitzer.

Happy Shooting
Ryan46

 

[SJB358]

Mike will give you some good advice, but if you were going to shoot the 200gr AccuBond, I would bet you will get excellent penetration. JD has done quite alot of milk jug testing and it seems like the AccuBond and PT penetrate about the same. I have gotten great penetration with the 200gr Sierra Gameking out of my 300 Win Mag on elk sized animals and the AccuBond and PT are WAY tougher than that bullet. Another option would be to load the 220gr PT's to 2700FPS or so out of your 300 Win Mag. That would shoot plenty flat to 300 yards and would surely make a big dent on the big bears ego. If the 200gr PT's or Accubonds shot well, I wouldn't feel undergunned either. Check out the 220gr PT's. Might be worth looking into. Scotty

 

[3006savage]

I know this will not be a very popular suggestion but I would go with the 200 grain Swift A-Frame. It has higher weight retention at 90+ percent compared to 65% for the Partition and it also typically expands to between .55 and .65" compared to .45 to .5" for the Partition which means a larger wound path for the A-Frame.

The cost of the A-Frame is very high but for a grizzley hunt I would not consider cost.

 

[DrMike]

Ryan46,

I wouldn't hesitate to use a 200 grain AB in a 300 Win Mag for grizzly. I would not take a long shot, if possible. I prefer to get close, but that is to ensure a solid punch and to make certain of accuracy. I would encourage you to study bear anatomy to gain some comfort shooting to break the shoulder to drop the critter with the first shot. If you have shot a few black bears, you will have a general knowledge of bullet placement. If not, discussing this issue with your guide will give you some comfort. Also, do your homework by reading all you can about bear anatomy. Your guide will recommend distances within which they are comfortable in considering your cartridge. Certainly, that is something you will want to clarify before you show up.

3006savage,

I've certainly used my share of A-Frame bullets in several cartridges, and they are an excellent bullet. I consider it a plus that they are manufactured in my natal state of Kansas. I would have no qualms about using the Swift A-Frames, and have used them on numerous occasions in the past. In fact, one of my hunting loads for my 300 WSM is built upon the 180 grain A-Frame. You make an excellent point concerning costs. Compared to what will be spent on a brown bear hunt, the cost of bullets is minuscule. Nevertheless, I have unwavering confidence in the AB in a 300 Win Mag for coastal grizzlies. If it shoots well in Ryan46's rifle, I see no reason why he shouldn't use that bullet.

As an aside, I shot my last grizzly six times with a 225 grain Speer Hot-Cor from a .356. Each of the six shots was a killing shot, but I had six shots and I wasn't going to quit shooting until he quit breathing. Of those bullets, I recovered two cores and one complete bullet that had passed through about four feet of hide and muscle. The muzzle velocity was only about 2250 fps, but the bullets still passed through. The bear was shot at 140 yards, the first shot breaking both shoulders, after which he was shot five more times as that was all the magazine would hold. The more mass the better with these critters.