Black bear caliber
- Thread starter bud69
- Start date
Only 60ish with arrows personally... but another 100 for clients, not counting the rifle/shotgun animals.
But Douglas is right, over bait, I would choose archery tackle every time... and stalking green pastures or berries, I choose archery gear 90% of the time... once in a while, when the mood strikes, I will draw a rifle... usually, a .358, .45/70 (90), .35 Whelen, etc... I am kinda fond of .35's on black bears... not because they are necessary by any stretch, but I like the way bigger bears reapond to the shot, say bears of 350 pounds and up... with bears, especially large ones, I think alot about what will occur "after" the trigger is pulled.
30-30, 32 Spl, .257 Roberts are perfect for the little Black Bears they have out in Ontario. Especially if your doing the east coast(Ontario bear hunting) baiting.. If your out west, then no baiting and the bears are much much bigger. Go with a 30-06 or 7mm Mag etc.
the 45-70 is good but alittle over kill.. use that for Grizzly.. cheers
the 45-70 is good but alittle over kill.. use that for Grizzly.. cheers
The Ontario record black bear taken via hunting is 760 pounds..... there was one bigger that was hit by a car and weighed in at over 800....
My camp here in Ontario has bears that I have caught on trail came that would easily surpass the 400 pound mark.....
Sure, I will agree that, in general, coastal black bears are generally larger..... but there are some brutes here, don't kid yourself
The 20 or so I have taken were all with .30-06 or .308 and two were taken by bow.....
This year, I will be taking a .358 win, but that's because I have one and can...... I also have a 257 Roberts I am quite fond of, but have never considered it for bear....
RangerPark
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Near Edmonton, AB
All the calibers mentioned could kill a black bear without problem. How many of those calibers will stop a bear charge? A black bear isn't the same as a grizzly, but they can still come for you.
Coast isn't everything, I've seen some crankers on the north island and further north (Rupert area) but the biggest black bear I've ever seen was loping across the road by the Tchesinkut Lake, close to the dead center of BC and he was in good company with his huckleberry induced obese neighbours up the Francois Lake area. Not to mention the fatties around FSJ/Chetwynd.
canadaman30
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Far from the City
And how much bigger are they? I guess cubs must weigh 300+ out west eh.....
No doubt lots of big bears in Ontario. Lots of big ones in BC though. Anything under 6' would be considered a non shooter. Strickly spot and stock though so calibers could be different. Any good deer gun will work, mines a lightweight .338.
I'm talking about claimed volume.
"Gauthier aid the bear was skinned by a local taxidermist, and butchered.
But he noted his wife has already said he is not spending money on a giant bear mount."
Lol
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Although they aren't normally hunted in their southern range, the north coast of Ontario has a polar bear population, as does northern Quebec, so big bears do occur in the east. Personally I like .375s, .458s, and even a 12 ga if close to town, but I don't feel naked if I'm packing a .30/06 either.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Bear size has nothing to do with east/west. The biggest and heaviest bears are in coastal North Carolina. It's hard to get further east than that.
But we know everything in BC is, how do you say..................skookum?
But we know everything in BC is, how do you say..................skookum?
Bigrounds8mil
CGN Regular
- Location
- Winnipeg, MB
Come on, gotta go with 8×57js, plenty of "oomph" behind it at 50 m
Of course thats a biased opinion as I use mine for everything. Lol.
Of course thats a biased opinion as I use mine for everything. Lol.
