Grizzly Rifle
- Thread starter bearhunter79
- Start date
Surface craters and no penetration?
Surprised by that actually, that bullet being long for caliber.
The 160 grain woodleighs are the best big game bullets in 6.5. I use both the protected point and the round nose. For elk and moose.
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
I haven’t shot anything with the 156 yet, but they’re deadly accurate a long ways out. They’re supposed to be good for medium sized game. I’ve been around other guys shooting moose with bergers and it hasn’t been very good, even out of a 300winmag at 100 yards. I Iike shooting moose with barnes ttsx or partitions. It would be nice to see some really heavy 6.5 bullets for thick skinned game. Moose is the thickest game I’ve ever shot so I don’t know firsthand what works for g-bear but I’m assuming those naturalis or woodleigh would be good.
I have a 7mm getting put together right now, but it probably won’t be back in my hands before I go. I’m hoping to shoot the 168lrx out of it, but we’ll see how that goes. If not there’s 175 partitions and other options out there.
I inhereted my grandmothers pre 64 .375 h&h a lot of years ago, the stock was to short and kicked the crap out of me. Year before we lost the grizzly hunt I figured I’d build a stock to fit and use it as a grizzly rifle. My only option is the odd raffle ticket now. It has been a fine moose rifle though.
Attachments
Thunderhog
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- East Kootneys
My wife harvested her BC LEH 7' male grizzly bear on May 19th/2015. She shot it with a 7mm-08 Remington, at approximately 75 yards. The bullet was a Combined Technology Winchester/Nosler Failsafe 140 grain hand-load.
The bear was walking down the old trail, and she shot him up the hoop just before he rounded a bend in the road. The bear went straight down-hill for about 125 yards. By the time we got down to him, he had rolled an additional 40-60 yards on the open slide. The slide had a 40 degree slope and it took us close to 4 hours to skin him out due to the extreme angle.
The bullet was lodged just under the hide near his neck. It had travelled the entire length of the bear, and had approximately 85% weight retention.
The 7mm-08 is not an ideal grizzly caliber, but her 444 Marlin had too much recoil, so we improvised. I would say we got lucky with that harvest, however our bullet choice made this possible.
A 375 Ruger would have been a better option. With a proper muzzle-brake, the recoil is close to the 30-06 Springfield.
Either way, the big boar didn't complain, or seem to know the difference. I would not recommend the 7mm-08 as an excellent grizzly option, but it worked for us at the time.
The bear was walking down the old trail, and she shot him up the hoop just before he rounded a bend in the road. The bear went straight down-hill for about 125 yards. By the time we got down to him, he had rolled an additional 40-60 yards on the open slide. The slide had a 40 degree slope and it took us close to 4 hours to skin him out due to the extreme angle.
The bullet was lodged just under the hide near his neck. It had travelled the entire length of the bear, and had approximately 85% weight retention.
The 7mm-08 is not an ideal grizzly caliber, but her 444 Marlin had too much recoil, so we improvised. I would say we got lucky with that harvest, however our bullet choice made this possible.
A 375 Ruger would have been a better option. With a proper muzzle-brake, the recoil is close to the 30-06 Springfield.
Either way, the big boar didn't complain, or seem to know the difference. I would not recommend the 7mm-08 as an excellent grizzly option, but it worked for us at the time.
Indeed very nice. Hornady Customs always had good results for me. I load the 195/6 projectiles under H4895. It willl kill the biggest of beasts legallay in NA.I'd be taking my 8mm as well. Was at the range this week and had 200gr Swift a-frame's shooting 2600 fps. Stout load out of a 22 inch barrel.
When I'm guiding I'm usually packing my irons Husqvarna M98 and feel plenty safe with 5+1 in the belly.
Penetration was the hallmark of the Failsafes.My wife harvested her BC LEH 7' male grizzly bear on May 19th/2015. She shot it with a 7mm-08 Remington, at approximately 75 yards. The bullet was a Combined Technology Winchester/Nosler Failsafe 140 grain hand-load.
The bear was walking down the old trail, and she shot him up the hoop just before he rounded a bend in the road. The bear went straight down-hill for about 125 yards. By the time we got down to him, he had rolled an additional 40-60 yards on the open slide. The slide had a 40 degree slope and it took us close to 4 hours to skin him out due to the extreme angle.
The bullet was lodged just under the hide near his neck. It had travelled the entire length of the bear, and had approximately 85% weight retention.
The 7mm-08 is not an ideal grizzly caliber, but her 444 Marlin had too much recoil, so we improvised. I would say we got lucky with that harvest, however our bullet choice made this possible.
A 375 Ruger would have been a better option. With a proper muzzle-brake, the recoil is close to the 30-06 Springfield.
Either way, the big boar didn't complain, or seem to know the difference. I would not recommend the 7mm-08 as an excellent grizzly option, but it worked for us at the time.
Not sure if it's been mentioned but how recoil sensitive are you? Most of the calibers I've seen mentioned are heavy hitter, on both ends! I have a couple .375H&H rifles and although I'm not a lightweight, an afternoon at the range can be unpleasant. I might suggest you look at the 9.3x62, with the 286gr partition, it has proven itself all over the world, especially Africa. Recoil is like a stiff, heavy for caliber, 30-06. I'm a proud Albertan, and many of us have moved from the 30cals to the 9.3 as grizzly sightings are becoming almost routine now. The 9.3x62 are available from many CGN retailers, some can even supply the proven Mauser 98 based version for a very reasonable price. In any case, just my two cents worth.
9.3x62 would be my pick as well.
The recoil from my 1953 Winchester M70, 375 H&H, is very manageable. It's a direct push rearward. With the Winchester NRA stock and solid red Winchester patent dated pad it's a comfortable shoot.
The 1959 Winchester M70, 338 Win Mag, is a different story. It has the high comb stock for a reason and I need to have my cheek firmly planted or it'll smack me a good one. Not a big deal but it's something I have to keep in mind. But again with the NRA stock design that Winchester adopted the recoil is not much over the 30-06.
Handling recoil is similar to riding a horse; you get in rhythm with it or get bounced and bucked around.
The 1959 Winchester M70, 338 Win Mag, is a different story. It has the high comb stock for a reason and I need to have my cheek firmly planted or it'll smack me a good one. Not a big deal but it's something I have to keep in mind. But again with the NRA stock design that Winchester adopted the recoil is not much over the 30-06.
Handling recoil is similar to riding a horse; you get in rhythm with it or get bounced and bucked around.
Bustercluck
CGN Regular
- Location
- Fort McMurray
You’re probably right Jim and partitions are probably the easiest to find. I might even have some, if not I know a guy who does and owes me a favour.Swift 140 gr A-Frame or Nosler 140 Partition and GOOD SHOT placementJMO
