'Island Bear' Vancouver Island...

turtle

turtle

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Anybody with experience want to ring in on some of the 'best calibers' for this hunt? Thinking of 45/70 vs. 375 H&H? Advice/experience is much appreciated here. this one is expensive. want to make sure :)
 
People seem to have this notion that the Island is a jungle and everything you're gonna see is 10 metres away. Don't forget that there are a lot of clearcuts and the best bear you see might be two hundred or more yards away with little cover to stalk closer.

A rifle shooting a bullet with a basketball-like trajectory might not be the best choice.

But you don't need an elephant gun. Anything in the 30-06 range is good.
 
Most of what I've seen in the way of Black Bears here on the island have been at relatively close range. The odd one in a big slash or on the beach at low tide may have been at slightly longer ranges but for the most part, usually fairly close. I had planned on using my model 71 Winchester but I have some 'work' to do first. In discussion with my better half, she's just told me rather firmly, she doesn't really find the thought of Bear meat appealing. I was saving some recently acquired 200gr Winchester Silvertip bullets for that purpose.
 
Any thing ultra or uber mag, after all your hunting bears :evil: :stirthepot2:

Or a 30-06 with 180 grain anti bear pills, oh and be kind like all the other hunters and leave your brass in the middle of the road for me, at this rate I will never run out of 06 brass :D
 
If you have a 375 that you like and shoot well no reason not to use it,it will give you all the range you could ever need on blackies and will numb them up close
 
Sure a 30-30 will do the job, as will any caliber suited for deer.

I hunt them here each year and have grown to admire larger calibers. Not so much for just killing them, as thats not hard to do, but to aid in recovery. The underbrush can get very thick and a good blood trail is nice to have.
I would say the ideal cailber for the isand is something like a 338 win mag with a good 225 grain bullet or 300 mag with 200 grainers. Lots of power on close shots and plenty of reach for logging slashes.
Make sure to take some shoulder/spine bone out when you shoot them, and for that a heavy caliber is a good idea. Avoid direct frontal shots.
 
Seen Island bears drop from like a bag of hammers from a 270 and others suck up multiple shoulder hits from a 338. So they can be tough, and if they do get into the thickets can disappear. Usually it's a spot and stock hunt so though bears may be spotted from long distance, you usually want to get close just to scrutinize the trophy.
 
First off, use the gun and caliber you really like. For me, a major part of the enjoyment of the hunt is the gun and caliber I am hunting with. I usually use old Winchesters that are a hundred years old or more. Second, if you do want to use a .45-70, you will have no problem at all shooting out to 200 yards, provided you know what the range is. That means you have a range finder for those longer shots. You must also have idea of the trajectory of your bullet. With a rangefinder and knowing the ballistics, you are good to 300 yards, if you sight in for 150 yards. I do not have a rangefinder, but I practice out to 200 yards with my .45-70. My general rule of thumb for my ballistics is that if it looks to be between 150 to 200 yards away, then I aim for the spine and I know that bullet is going through the 'boiler room'. If it looks to be 80 to 150 yards away, then I aim for just behind the shoulder and half way between top and bottom and I know that bullet is going through the 'boiler room'. If it is less than 80 yards away, then I aim low behind the shoulder and I know that bullet is going through the 'boiler room'. I shoot iron sights, but if you have a stainless steel Marlin 1895 with a scope, you are laughin'. (provided you practice). I see some jaw-dropping ineptitude at the range by those who do not practice. Do not leave it until the day before the hunt.
 
ive shot a couple and have seen countless many shot over the years hunting with my dad whilst he was guiding professionally. most americans that came up brought huge guns, I used my grandfathers .243 lever to take my first one when I was 10. He was only about 75 yards away. This year ill be hunting with a flintlock .50. I killed a black bear with an old ithaca .22 one time up north, that was out of neccesity however but I still won.

McLean
 
Last year I came across 4 black bear in southern Vancouver Island. Three times it was in a slash: 15 yards, 150 yards, and about 250. The last encounter was while fishing at a river, spotted one on the other side. I wouldn't have a problem shooting with a 30-30 provided my rifle was scoped and had backup irons for the close shots. If I were going for bear exclusively, I'd pack some form of scoped gun with iron sights in 270 or bigger.
 
I know of one BC black bear that took a 7mmRM above the eye at under 100 yards, shook his head and turned to walk away. A backup shot in the ribs with a 270 took it down. When it was skinned out, the 7mm bullet had put a notch in his skull above his brow and exited behind his ear. I don't need to repeat much of the advice given already; this is just an example I though some might like to read about.
 
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