# Bear hunting bullets **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 26, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478 "2017-05-26T15:12:14Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/1 "2017-05-26T15:12:14Z")
So I’m looking to hunt a bear and I’ve got a question. Is a 30-06 enough of a gun? You look at hunter forums and invariably it becomes a pissing contest between people’s favorite callibur and your left with the impression that anything less than a 50 callibur sniper rifle will just bounce off regardless of placement. I wonder does anyone have any practical experience bear hunting with a 30-06 or have any hard data on what a bear vs bullet will accomplish with various calliburs? Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/2 "2017-05-26T15:26:52Z")
The guys who killed the bear that ate Timothy Treadwell used two 12 gauges and a large handgun, .357 I think. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/3 "2017-05-26T15:33:21Z")
The best I can find is one of the [Rangers shot the bear](http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/997103/posts) eleven times with a semi-auto pistol. I do recall the other two rangers had shotguns, I do not know it they fired or not. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/4 "2017-05-26T15:38:48Z")
.30-06 is plenty of gun for black bear. It’s even adequate for grizzly bear. A 180 grain soft point is big medicine. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/5 "2017-05-26T15:39:01Z")
I won’t judge hunters of carnivores (much), but when I packed an anti-bear weapon while salmon fishing in Alaska, it was either a 12 gauge loaded with slugs or a Marlin 1895 in .45-70. Anything less is just pissing them off. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/6 "2017-05-26T15:43:58Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > The guys who killed the bear that ate Timothy Treadwell used two 12 gauges and **a large handgun** , .357 I think. Not large enough. The advantage of the .50 is that it puts you a very long ways away from a very angry bear that just got shot. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/7 "2017-05-26T15:44:29Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > IMarlin 1895 in .45-70. Isn’t that the cartridge Josh Randall had in his belt in _Wanted, Dead or Alive_? They look like cigars. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/8 "2017-05-26T15:52:07Z")
105mm. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/9 "2017-05-26T15:54:27Z")
> [@carnivorousplant](#): > > Isn’t that the cartridge Josh Randall had in his belt in _Wanted, Dead or Alive_? They look like cigars. Yes. One thing to keep in mind about the .45-70 is that loads vary wildly in power. Most of what you find at places like Wally World is loaded very mildly in deference to all the old rifles out there. Big Green doesn’t want to get sued when you decide to see if great-great-grandpa’s trapdoor Springfield still works. OTOH, there are boutique ammo companies like Buffalo Bore who produce some very potent loads, typically featuring hardcast flatpoint bullets, that are capable of taking all but the largest game. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/10 "2017-05-26T15:56:32Z")
Apropos of thing else I would get a scope. Unless you are a dead eye you may need to be some distance from the bear if you miss or just wing it and have to make the bear an extemporaneous proposal. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/11 "2017-05-26T16:02:06Z")
> [@Scumpup](#): > > Yes. One thing to keep in mind about the .45-70 is that loads vary wildly in power. Most of what you find at places like Wally World is loaded very mildly in deference to all the old rifles out there. Big Green doesn’t want to get sued when you decide to see if great-great-grandpa’s trapdoor Springfield still works. OTOH, there are boutique ammo companies like Buffalo Bore who produce some very potent loads, typically featuring hardcast flatpoint bullets, that are capable of taking all but the largest game. Yep, .45-70 dates back to the black powder days; the designation simply means “.45 caliber, 70 grains of blackpowder.” IIRC 70 grains was meant to fill the case. Smokeless powder is a lot more potent. a _lot_ of the ammo commercially available is meant for “cowboy action” shooting competitions, and is loaded to roughly the same pressures as the old blackpowder loadings. ---
**Author:** ![puddleglum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puddleglum/32/137_2.png) [@puddleglum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puddleglum)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/12 "2017-05-26T17:29:29Z")
When I used to know people who bear hunted brown bear, they would say the 30-06 is the absolute minimum needed and most wanted bigger. ---
**Author:** ![mcgato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ac8455/32.png) [@mcgato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mcgato)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/13 "2017-05-26T18:06:42Z")
A guy that I used to work with hunted bears with a bow and arrow. I considered him to be somewhat crazy. ---
**Author:** ![Scumpup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce73a5/32.png) [@Scumpup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scumpup)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/14 "2017-05-26T18:11:01Z")
They’re just animals. They bleed and die just like everything else. Black bears are routinely taken with archery tackle and with firearms like .30-30 rifles that are considered pretty lackluster. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/15 "2017-05-26T18:21:06Z")
Don’t forget to take a friend with you who can’t run as fast as you can. ---
**Author:** ![madsircool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madsircool/32/3432_2.png) [@madsircool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madsircool)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/16 "2017-05-26T18:22:52Z")
And here I thought that most people used Grindr to hunt bear. ---
**Author:** ![Count\_Blucher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Count\_Blucher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Count_Blucher)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/17 "2017-05-26T18:28:20Z")
Serial Killers stopped using Craigs List? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/18 "2017-05-26T19:32:08Z")
… The bear says, ‘You’re not here for the hunting, are you?’ 😛 ---
**Author:** ![FoieGrasIsEvil](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foiegrasisevil/32/16638_2.png) [@FoieGrasIsEvil](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FoieGrasIsEvil)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/19 "2017-05-26T19:44:33Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Don’t forget to take a friend with you who can’t run as fast as you can. LOL. And make him wear a suit made out of wild berries glazed in honey. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2017, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478/20 "2017-05-26T20:01:47Z")
> [@FoieGrasIsEvil](#): > > LOL. And make him wear a suit made out of wild berries glazed in honey. I believe that one must be more subtle in this sort of thing. Running slower should do it. Another factor to consider is species. Black bears dress out at 550 lbs, grizzlies at 800 lb. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bear-hunting-bullets/787478.md?page=2)