Weatherby2
CGN Regular
- Location
- British Columbia
Thanks for all the comments folks.
338 Federal for Grizzly?
- Thread starter Weatherby2
- Start date
Not to be confused with Bella Coola, British Columbia.
Location of Bella Bella in British Columbia
Coordinates: 52°09′43″N 128°08′42″WCoordinates: 52°09′43″N 128°08′42″W
Country Canada
Province British Columbia
Area code(s) 250, 778
Bella Bella
Bella Bella, also known as Waglisla, is the home of the Heiltsuk and is an unincorporated community and Indian Reserve community located within Bella Bella Indian Reserve No. 1 on the east coast of Campbell Island in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. Bella Bella is located 98 nautical miles (181 km) north of Port Hardy, on Vancouver Island, and 78 nautical miles (144 km) west of Bella Coola. Originally styled New Bella Bella to distinguish it from Old Bella Bella, which was on Denny Island, the community's official post office name for some time was Waglisla, meaning "river on the beach" in the Heiltsuk language. The Hudson's Bay Company's Fort McLoughlin was near the same location, which is on McLoughlin Bay.
Location of Bella Bella in British Columbia
Coordinates: 52°09′43″N 128°08′42″WCoordinates: 52°09′43″N 128°08′42″W
Country Canada
Province British Columbia
Area code(s) 250, 778
Bella Bella
Bella Bella, also known as Waglisla, is the home of the Heiltsuk and is an unincorporated community and Indian Reserve community located within Bella Bella Indian Reserve No. 1 on the east coast of Campbell Island in the Central Coast region of British Columbia, Canada. Bella Bella is located 98 nautical miles (181 km) north of Port Hardy, on Vancouver Island, and 78 nautical miles (144 km) west of Bella Coola. Originally styled New Bella Bella to distinguish it from Old Bella Bella, which was on Denny Island, the community's official post office name for some time was Waglisla, meaning "river on the beach" in the Heiltsuk language. The Hudson's Bay Company's Fort McLoughlin was near the same location, which is on McLoughlin Bay.
TSX should be a "no go" for heavy bullets. They do not expand without high velocity.
Tabacco Brook
Regular
- Location
- Nova Scotia
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....GOOD GOD,...I guess those two "gals" would be classified as "NIGHTtro Mags"
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Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
It would help if you asked for only the opinions of those who've successfully taken grizzly, too often these opinion threads are flooded by notions that haven't been closer to "X" game animal than seeing one once if lucky.
Hunting them is different than defending against them, but I still had to wade into the willows to find mine. I wouldn't feel particularly comfortable doing that without a .300 and up, preferably .338 Mag or .375 Mag- I used the latter. They die the same as any animal of vigor and don't have particularly "thick skin", but they do have a tenacity and take no BS demeanor that will make you tread cautiously along the blood trail. They also find the thickest stuff they can to lay down and die in, usually of a similar colour to their fur. That part of the hunt can be as tense as anything in Africa. If you're only setting out after one grizzly in your life and you can't afford a better rifle yes it will work well. If Phil Shoemaker is guiding you and has his .458 you have even less concerns, I've always loved how Phil will advocate a .30-06 as plenty for grizzly / brown and yet personally carry a well used .458 mag (that's also his license plate on his truck, "458WIN"). He also built a .505 Gibbs for the job as I recently learned from a post of BUM's.
Being alone or with an unarmed or inexperienced helper is a very different ball game than a guided hunt in Alaska, where many of the big bear musings come from. BC also in general is thicker than Alaska, as Alaska has more open meadows on account of the latitude, much of BC might as well be jungle and the coastal stuff actually is ecologically zoned as rainforest and is as thick as the Amazon (spent a lot of time in the Amazon, it's true, but I digress!). Throw in steep slopes, lots of hiding places, and a blood trail spattered in flecks on salal and you'd prefer more than a .338 Fed. Yes it will kill one handily, but unless you're very afraid of recoil or broke, why not take a better .338 like the Win Mag? I've seen a so so hit made with a 7x57 on Grizzly, and it was not terribly convincing, it worked but by god did it walk. Opt for more is my opinion, if you can handle it. Sorry for the disjointed and lengthy post.
Hunting them is different than defending against them, but I still had to wade into the willows to find mine. I wouldn't feel particularly comfortable doing that without a .300 and up, preferably .338 Mag or .375 Mag- I used the latter. They die the same as any animal of vigor and don't have particularly "thick skin", but they do have a tenacity and take no BS demeanor that will make you tread cautiously along the blood trail. They also find the thickest stuff they can to lay down and die in, usually of a similar colour to their fur. That part of the hunt can be as tense as anything in Africa. If you're only setting out after one grizzly in your life and you can't afford a better rifle yes it will work well. If Phil Shoemaker is guiding you and has his .458 you have even less concerns, I've always loved how Phil will advocate a .30-06 as plenty for grizzly / brown and yet personally carry a well used .458 mag (that's also his license plate on his truck, "458WIN"). He also built a .505 Gibbs for the job as I recently learned from a post of BUM's.
Being alone or with an unarmed or inexperienced helper is a very different ball game than a guided hunt in Alaska, where many of the big bear musings come from. BC also in general is thicker than Alaska, as Alaska has more open meadows on account of the latitude, much of BC might as well be jungle and the coastal stuff actually is ecologically zoned as rainforest and is as thick as the Amazon (spent a lot of time in the Amazon, it's true, but I digress!). Throw in steep slopes, lots of hiding places, and a blood trail spattered in flecks on salal and you'd prefer more than a .338 Fed. Yes it will kill one handily, but unless you're very afraid of recoil or broke, why not take a better .338 like the Win Mag? I've seen a so so hit made with a 7x57 on Grizzly, and it was not terribly convincing, it worked but by god did it walk. Opt for more is my opinion, if you can handle it. Sorry for the disjointed and lengthy post.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
They expand reliably all the way down in the "high teens" below 2,000fps. You'll rarely shoot further than 100 yards on a grizzly as well anyhow. And isn't one of Shoemaker's favourite bullets for coastal browns the 270gr TSX?
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Douglas has taken everything from Polar Bear down, he did the Polar with his bow. He's hunted four of the Big Five if memory serves including of course lion, elephants and all sorts of horned and toothed lovely creatures of this earth. Respectfully, I just don't think he'll care about this opinion served of a single bear hunt of his.
Not as if it would really matter if it was a small bear now either, eh? He could throw down another bear picture to put any of us to shame just as fast.In reciprocation, I'd like to see your big grizzly. I actually don't doubt you've taken one, but it would be good for the thread to get some more actual legs to stand on with some bears in it. I myself have only take a "small" inland Grizzly, they are not to be taken seriously and even a .223 is legal here and totally sufficient.
I shot a black bear with tsx 286 grain from my 9.3x62. The four pedals of the bullet expanded only a little bit. I had to shoot it again when the bear charged at me. I have since used matrix bullets of 270 grains
http://i1343.photobucket.com/albums/o797/308nra/IMAG0696_zps45ffcab4.jpg
Yep, I got a black lab bigger than that bear.......LOL
I have all the photos on a disc that my hunting partner sent, but now I have no idea what to do with them from there. Wish I was a little more techno geek.........can't be good at everything, I guess.
Ardent
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
And goodness knows you've never shot a big bear of any species at all... Elker has been tasked with putting our Grizzlies to shame and it seems fair it's a reciprocal exchange of grizzly photos. I'll even trade a picture of a sow commencing its charge as the shutter snapped for a particularly big grizz Elker. 
Forgive my irritability, the Internet "pics or it didn't happen culture" is jaw clench inducing sometimes.
Forgive my irritability, the Internet "pics or it didn't happen culture" is jaw clench inducing sometimes.
Well the reason I ask is because I have the opportunity to buy a 338 federal and seeing as it weighs quite a bit less then my 375 ruger and was thinking carrying in the mountains might be a little more pleasant
back to your initial question and thought about it it is more a personal thing.
if you have already a 375 ruger then honestly you can carry it, it is not that much overweight.
where im coming from (in europe) the mini for hunting brown bear is the 7x64 or 280 rem with 170 grains so i will say the 338 fed is a minimun caliber but you wont see that much people using it mostly it is 9.3x62 and for a reason this is the minimal shot problem you may encounter not the best shot that may happen. at the end shot placment is the key myself i will feel confortable with the 375 ruger if looking after a bear is my task but wont feel under gunned with a 338 fed.
we in Yukon know some guys using the 270 win and 358 for that purpose not my reccomendation but they re doing it.
if you are trying to find us helping on a decision to buy a new whatever the purpose no need for that lol we are on gunnutz ...
Like shaving...
Hoyt, shaving is an acquired art, which I have chosen to live my life, without developing that particular skill.......Not like I'm going to be entertaining a career in politics, or any such foolishness.
I did shave absolutely clean (except moustache) for my mothers funeral...........other than that, my face hasn't seen a blade closer than 1/8" for 40 years or so.
Here's a pic of a big sow I shot with my 300 WM, pi$$ poor pic I know and no reference for sizing but anyway here it is.........She's over 7 ft and had a 22" skull IIRC......Sako L61R 300 WM 180 Nos Part @3200 +/-, Leupold 2.5-8 X 40 Vari X III
Shot was about 250 mtrs right on the point of the shoulder......loud roar...20 mtr dash...stone dead........
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Yes.The 2 communities are not that far away from each other
I have a Tikka T3 SS Lite 338 Federal - Sweet Shooter - my Bear Load is a Nosler 210 Partition - Kills blackies good and i would not hesitate to shoot a G Bear with it either - BUT i do have better G Bear cartridges to use !
like a 338 Rum or 375 H&H RJ
