A question about black bear hunting, hopefully some guides can chime in

coyotebc

coyotebc

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On another forum a guy stated that he was going on a black bear hunting in Colorado
He would be hunting from a treestand and most shots are under 50 yards but could be as much as 150 yards.

His guide is insisting on a 375 H&H minimum

Has anyone else ever heard of a guide wanting a 375 as a minimum black bear cartridge

This hunter only owns a 270 and was going to borrow a 375 to hunt with (he has never shot one before)
 
No bears where im from except Drop Bears but even on those I wouldn't use a .375 HH... 30-30 would suffice

sorry I cant help any more than that, there is however several Black bear hunters on site which will help you out.

WL
 
30-06, 300wsm, 300wm etc should all do the trick. I don't think I'd use a .270 myself but not saying a well placed shot with a .270 wouldn't do the trick. I think to demand a .375 for a black bear is a bit overkill but to each their own I guess.
 
bears are remarkable creatures. I've seen ones with lethal shots and paralyzed still drag themselves distance. .375h&h seems high, but I guess if one wasnt paralyzed they could attack if the energy dispersed wasnt high enough to knock him down for the count. That being said Ive also seen a black bear taken with a .243 and didnt make it 5 yards.
 
A 308 or 270 will do just fine....375 H&H is for sure more than is needed. I wonder why the guide is asking for such a large caliber for a black? Must be some type of misunderstanding I think!
 
I have never used a 375 H and H before........but it would be far more rifle than needed just for a black bear , maybe the black bears down that way have some kind of super powers.....lol
 
I guided black bear hunts for years, and started up again this year. I have never heard of, or made such silly requirements. It's fairly easy to tell if the hunter knows what he is doing by contact prior to the hunt, and meeting them when they show up.

Common sense tells me if a fellow shows up with a 22 hornet I'm going to tell him to upsize. If he shows up with a bow, 30-30, 308, 270, or anything fit for deer really I don't even question it.
 
coyotebc said:
On another forum a guy stated that he was going on a black bear hunting in Colorado
He would be hunting from a treestand and most shots are under 50 yards but could be as much as 150 yards.

His guide is insisting on a 375 H&H minimum

Has anyone else ever heard of a guide wanting a 375 as a minimum black bear cartridge

This hunter only owns a 270 and was going to borrow a 375 to hunt with (he has never shot one before)
Click to expand...

is the guide using a 458 win mag as a back up?
 
I have shot dozens of black bears with everything from a bow and 243 to 375 h&h and anything from 24 cal up works just fine if one puts the bullet where it belongs. The nice thing about the 350 RM and 375 H&H is it doesn't matter what angle is presented you can shoot it and be sure to reach the vitals. This may be the guides thinking, plus it is my understanding that they have some very large blackies down there, so it may be prudent advice.
I, of course, can see why he doesn't want the guy using a 270...............:p:p;)
 
I shot lots of bears with a 270. Even grizzly.

They're just bears and have the same plumbing as everything else. They are not magical.

Doesn't matter what you shoot, if you can't hit where you have to.
 
Personally, I don't think the guide exists...

The poster was trolling to make some kind of point... demanding a .375 H&H minimum would cut deep into a guides client base and pocketbook.

I guided for bears for twenty years and I did have minimum preferences... mostly I tested for profficiency and accuracy prior to every hunt... after a number of years, and a recounting of numerous problems, I did ban buckshot of any size for our hunters... slugs were fine and many bears were harvested with shotgun/slug combos... we worked diligently with youth, ladies and other hunters using marginal (IMO) cartridges, to insure that they had a clear understanding of bear anatomy and when, where and how to make an effective kill shot.
 
I use a .375 for polar bear protection, but if you could hunt these guys here, a .270 with a 160 gr Partition would get it done. The black bear ain't no polar bear, and the black bear hasn't lived that can survive a solid hit from a .270/130. Either the guide was exasperated by a deluge of questions, or he's doesn't know much. Then again, if you wanted to use a .375 on a black bear hunt, there's no reason not to.
 
that's what I told the wife before going on last years deer hunt .I said honey the deer are so big and mean up there I got to have a bigger gun ..she did not fall for it and said if I could not kill the deer with my old deer rifle then the deer could have me , haha Dutch
 
I've moved up to using a 458 wm for bear. Not for any need. I just love the gun. It works but so has my 45/70 and 25/06
When helping friends outfit for black bear I tell them heavy for caliber controlled expansion at moderate velocity as most shots are close
Most my friends opt for a 300 Wm or 3006
 
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