"Bear calibers"

[1972Pinto]

What is your "Bear caliber"? I'm using my savage 110 7mm Rem mag. No bear with it yet, but hopefully I will get one this fall since I struck out on spring bear

[ghosthunter]

30.06

[Tikka300wsm]

300 WSM

[j_h_nimrod]

.30-06
.300 Win Mag
.338 Win Mag
.325 WSM
.375 H&H
.458 Win

And this year 28 Nosler

[RadSav]

I am really hot on the 325 right now.  But the majority of my rifle kill bear have been with the 308 Win.  Wife has done well with the 257 Roberts.

One of the most successful black bear hunters I know has killed every single one of his bear with the .243 shooting 100 grain Core-Lokt from 10 yards to just shy of 400 yards.

While guiding I would cringe when I saw guys show up carrying large magnums.  Black Bear seem easy to kill with good shot placement from just about anything you would shoot a deer with.  But place the shot poorly they are one of the toughest to put down with second and third shots once the adrenalin starts pumping.  In my experience the average hunters just don't shoot the large magnums as well.  And that has led to some rather exciting blood trails and point blank follow-ups.  Shoot what you shoot best.  If that's the 7Rem you should be better than good to go!

[JakeLand]

.308 or .270 WSM

[1972Pinto]

I bought a 300 win mag last year, expecting some long shots but never saw a deer more than 200 yards away. Being surrounded by a bunch of other young men, I bought the hornady superformance 180 grain 300 WM. When I shot my deer last year at 180 yards, I hit it in the shoulder and wasted almost all of the front shoulder. Now the 300 is just my range rifle. Too destructive for hunting

[JakeLand]

That was my issue with deer and my .300 WSM
So I got a .270 WSM with 140 grain and it's the ticket

[7mmfan]

That was my issue with deer and my .300 WSM
So I got a .270 WSM with 140 grain and it's the ticket

Just don't hit them in the shoulder! (Says the guy who has shot almost every animal he's ever shot through the shoulder    )

[JakeLand]

Ya I know! But with bear that's where you wanna hit them in my opinion, I don't like tracking them

[Go Blue]

270 and a 30-06 are the two that we will be using.

[wadu1]

I prefer a 45-70, but my 9.3X62 works just as well 

[syoungs]

I've got a sweet 45-70 I like packing around bear country, but I wouldn't hesitate to use my 30-06, may even try out my 6.5 creedmoor, I do prefer to put em down hard though, which means 45-70 for me.

I am researching a new gun right now though, thinking a 338 win mag, but not sold just yet

[Magnum_Willys]

I've got a sweet 45-70 I like packing around bear country, but I wouldn't hesitate to use my 30-06, may even try out my 6.5 creedmoor, I do prefer to put em down hard though, which means 45-70 for me.

I am researching a new gun right now though, thinking a 338 win mag, but not sold just yet

338 Win Mag is the classic elk rifle, with the new eld bullets its got punch out to 800 yards.   I have nearly identical .300 wm and .338 win mag rifles and for some reason the 338 seems to kick less, go figure. 

If I could only have one rifle it would be the 338 wm ( synthetic stock, good pad, no brake, 4-24 scope )

For bear though anything that reaches out to 1000 yards I would be fine with. 

[87Ford]

7mm

280Ackley