If you have decided to buy a new rifle for sure, then there is no better choice than a 375 Ruger.
Perfect compliment to your 3006
why having a different kind of action when there is already one that work?
Grizzly Rifle
- Thread starter bearhunter79
- Start date
why having a different kind of action when there is already one that work?
Trimmer 905
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Just my opinion,but,if was me,I'd go with Ruger M77 African in .338WinMag. I don't want to take a chance with anything that smell me 5 miles away and hunt me down for dinnerwithout so much as snapping a twig.
Mumbles Marble Mouth
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Lower Mainland
Id like to get into the art of hunting with iron sights. Which is why I bought my .375 H&H. I don't even think I'm going to scope it. It really is a true hunters skill to stalk and get in close enough to take a shot with an iron sight rifle.
Shot a nice whitetail buck in the cranbrook area in the late 90"s could not pack the buck out that night so left some figure come back in the morning get the rest,next morning came back followed the drag marks for 150 yds. full half deer pissed and crapped on beat the brush to death around ,looked at my partner said sure glad we packed the 308 with ,he said why ?? in these close quarters just going to give him an excuse ,the bruin enjoyed dinner on me that week...
I've never hunted in BC but i've shot a good number of black bears. For me if I hunting a bigger area that offers clear shooting I have no issue in using smaller calibers such as my 25/06. It works great and I took my larger bear with it at 80 yards. It's more of a wolf gun but plays double duty. Now when using my 25/06 its broadside shot or nothing. Double lung just over the heart or a shot to the base of the skull if the bear were to lay down at the bait. I would not try for the shoulder shot that I love when bear hunting. My 45/70 i bring out when I hunt in the thick bush where shots are close. I use a hard heavy bullet that i know will push thru heavy muscle and break big bones and anchor my bear.
I also use a 458 wm the same way as the 45/70 but it allows me more range. I've shot a bear at 160 yards with it and I've shot a running wounded bear at 5' with it.
The question you must ask yourself is is the rifle I brought loaded with ammunition capable of breaking both front shoulders or smashing thru the chest muscles with enough force to reach thru the vitals or am I left with only taking a clean broadside shot?
The other question is are you prepared to hold off and walk away if that shot doesn't present itself?
I've followed up wounded black bears in thick bush. It's not fun. I can only assume a grizzly is more of the same
Choose a caliber capable of how you wish to hunt and a case large enough to push the bullet hard enough to do what you need it to do in the worst case scenario that's my suggestions
Cartridges that would interest me are
264wm
30/06
300wm
338 federal
338 wm
35 Whelen
Any of the 9.3-57-62-74
375 ruger or HH
405 win
450/400
416 Taylor or rem mag
45/70
458 wm
Good luck
I also use a 458 wm the same way as the 45/70 but it allows me more range. I've shot a bear at 160 yards with it and I've shot a running wounded bear at 5' with it.
The question you must ask yourself is is the rifle I brought loaded with ammunition capable of breaking both front shoulders or smashing thru the chest muscles with enough force to reach thru the vitals or am I left with only taking a clean broadside shot?
The other question is are you prepared to hold off and walk away if that shot doesn't present itself?
I've followed up wounded black bears in thick bush. It's not fun. I can only assume a grizzly is more of the same
Choose a caliber capable of how you wish to hunt and a case large enough to push the bullet hard enough to do what you need it to do in the worst case scenario that's my suggestions
Cartridges that would interest me are
264wm
30/06
300wm
338 federal
338 wm
35 Whelen
Any of the 9.3-57-62-74
375 ruger or HH
405 win
450/400
416 Taylor or rem mag
45/70
458 wm
Good luck
I'd be the last guy to discourage anyone from buying another rifle, and everyone should have a .375 if they are dreaming of Africa. There you go, a nice canned excuse to get another rifle, and one that might even drag you to the dark continent. That's the gun nut in me speaking.
Having said that; I'm going to take a different tack. I'm in the process of
converting the world to small, fast, soft bullets for small,fast soft
animals and saving the big, hard, and slow bullets for the big, hard slow animals.
Grizzlies aren't very big, they aren't hard, and they are anything but slow. What a .300 with an Accubond can do to one is considerable.
Having said that; I'm going to take a different tack. I'm in the process of
converting the world to small, fast, soft bullets for small,fast soft
animals and saving the big, hard, and slow bullets for the big, hard slow animals.
Grizzlies aren't very big, they aren't hard, and they are anything but slow. What a .300 with an Accubond can do to one is considerable.
Funny enough, I also drew a grizzly tag, but mine is for the mountain range at the eastern end of the shushwap. 3-35 is the MU. I went and bought myself a 358 norma mag off of the EE here for just such an occasion. Originally it was paid for by SuperCub, a quite frequent gunner to these forums. I'm going to test out both 250 grain round nose and hopefully some 225 barns tsx in it to see what it can do. I had an opportunity to acquire a 375 ruger but for whatever reason this appealed to me more. (Maybe it was the 3 dollars a brass. Ouch) as every other person has stated, shot placement is key and another good point was "what do you want on your shoulder going into the willows". Around here the Devils club can get 8 feet high or better so you're going to want something short perhaps and easy to point. I've been hunting in the territory of these bears now for a few years and have never packed anything less than a 35 cal. Just in case. Not saying I'd be able to drop a charging bear, but atleast he'd remember me. And in the months too come you never know, I may drop the norma in favour of my usual 325. Comfort and familiarity are a consideration as well.
My friend here who has agreed to show me the bear-a-bouts of these creatures has hunted them for the last 15 years, drawing the tag himself 3 times and filling it everytime. He has also drawn this year so it makes our hunt that much more exciting. From what I understand he intends to pack his 416 rem or 338 win. Once again, 2 big bore answers to your question.
Although I agree that your 30 06 could do the trick, I see this as the perfect excuse to the wife for you to fill up your gun safe. Whatever you decide, all the best of luck to you on your hunt.
Shoot straight,
Kid
My friend here who has agreed to show me the bear-a-bouts of these creatures has hunted them for the last 15 years, drawing the tag himself 3 times and filling it everytime. He has also drawn this year so it makes our hunt that much more exciting. From what I understand he intends to pack his 416 rem or 338 win. Once again, 2 big bore answers to your question.
Although I agree that your 30 06 could do the trick, I see this as the perfect excuse to the wife for you to fill up your gun safe. Whatever you decide, all the best of luck to you on your hunt.
Shoot straight,
Kid
Gentlemen.........I think most posters here do the OP a serious injustice by recommending a 375 or 416. Unless he already had one and was comfortable with it this is not the caliber/cartridge that one wants to take into the bush first hunt with it for grizzly. I don't know how many of you same posters give me sh!t when I recommend a 300 mag as the best all around cartridge, saying not everyone can overcome the recoil and the 30-06 or 270 are far superior "all arounders". I would much rather see the OP go afield with proper loads in his '06 than a brand new 375 that he has maybe put 50 rounds through and may well find the recoil uncomfortable. He's not hunting elephant where 375 is the minimum cartridge and if you can't shoot it comfortably you have no right being in the field after elephants. He going after what MAY be a 500 lb thin skinned bear.
You all post as though shooting a 375 Whatever is like popping off 22 mags, it most definitely isn't and unless properly seasoned very few first time owners of 375 Whatevers shoot them well enough to be sent afield after anything with them. Give them a couple years and 500-1000 rounds, maybe a couple gopher shoots with them (I shot gophers with my 450 Ackley) and then when they have no more concern about shooting their 375 than they do with their 243 they are ready to hunt. And if need be head into the thick stuff after a bear with a hole in it............I consider your advice to get a 375 very irresponsible, I can't think of a more dangerous situation than following a wounded bear (wounded because the hunter was scared of his gun and jerked the shot) into the thick stuff with a guy as afraid of his rifle as the bear. This gentlemen, is a recipe for disaster. The same guy may well have bang/flopped the bear on his first shot with his '06. On the other hand most anyone who can manage an '06 well can easily become used to a 200 gn 300 mag load, which is just as effective on a 500 lb thin skinned animal if not more so, than a 260-300 gn 375 load.
As most on here know I love my larger bore rifles, but that's me, and many years and 1000s of rounds later. This experience tells me that to recommend a 30-06 shooter buy a 375 Whatever and go hunt grizzlies in a couple months with it, is very irresponsible. I can tell you most grizzlies taken in the Yukon are shot by sheep hunters with anything from 270s to 300 mags and very, very seldom anything larger. I have taken 2 with a 7 Mag and 160 Parts, 1 with a 300 and 180 Part and 1 with the 9.3-300, my son has taken a monster 8 1/2 ftr with a 303 Brit another 8+ ftr with a 300 RUM and 165 ABs one with his 375 Ruger and 260 AB (only shot with the 375 cause it kept dicking him around as he tried to get within bow range, he finally got pissed at it went back to the truck and got his rifle and shot it out of pure spite) and a nice 7+ footer with a Carbon Express and a Satellite 125 gn conventional CoC broadhead at less than 30 mtrs. So considering this one must ask one's self, do you REALLY need a 375 Whatever to kill an inland grizzly
You all post as though shooting a 375 Whatever is like popping off 22 mags, it most definitely isn't and unless properly seasoned very few first time owners of 375 Whatevers shoot them well enough to be sent afield after anything with them. Give them a couple years and 500-1000 rounds, maybe a couple gopher shoots with them (I shot gophers with my 450 Ackley) and then when they have no more concern about shooting their 375 than they do with their 243 they are ready to hunt. And if need be head into the thick stuff after a bear with a hole in it............I consider your advice to get a 375 very irresponsible, I can't think of a more dangerous situation than following a wounded bear (wounded because the hunter was scared of his gun and jerked the shot) into the thick stuff with a guy as afraid of his rifle as the bear. This gentlemen, is a recipe for disaster. The same guy may well have bang/flopped the bear on his first shot with his '06. On the other hand most anyone who can manage an '06 well can easily become used to a 200 gn 300 mag load, which is just as effective on a 500 lb thin skinned animal if not more so, than a 260-300 gn 375 load.
As most on here know I love my larger bore rifles, but that's me, and many years and 1000s of rounds later. This experience tells me that to recommend a 30-06 shooter buy a 375 Whatever and go hunt grizzlies in a couple months with it, is very irresponsible. I can tell you most grizzlies taken in the Yukon are shot by sheep hunters with anything from 270s to 300 mags and very, very seldom anything larger. I have taken 2 with a 7 Mag and 160 Parts, 1 with a 300 and 180 Part and 1 with the 9.3-300, my son has taken a monster 8 1/2 ftr with a 303 Brit another 8+ ftr with a 300 RUM and 165 ABs one with his 375 Ruger and 260 AB (only shot with the 375 cause it kept dicking him around as he tried to get within bow range, he finally got pissed at it went back to the truck and got his rifle and shot it out of pure spite) and a nice 7+ footer with a Carbon Express and a Satellite 125 gn conventional CoC broadhead at less than 30 mtrs. So considering this one must ask one's self, do you REALLY need a 375 Whatever to kill an inland grizzly
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This is my point exactly..........jumping to the conclusion that he can buy a 375 and shoot it well enough by spring to hunt grizzlies with it is absolutely irresponsible!!!!
Well said.
Sounds like you should be lining up a taxidermist.
Grizz
Sounds like I need to sell a kidney is what you mean.... haha!
Kid
There is no better way to learn how to shoot a 375 at game then to shoot a 375 at game. This is how I learned.
Shooting targets are fine, mock field situations great, but combining all your shooting and hunting experience at once when it counts with a gun you are confident in, success.
I've got 300 win mags that recoil as much as some 375's. Gun weight and fit is the kicker here, not cartridge.
A moron blazing away at a big bear with little thought or previous hunting ability, 300 mag or whatever, is disaster. But that's not who we're dealing with here.
We never did get a answer from the OP? Solo hunter or in a group?
It does make a difference when you have many guns or what you are holding is going to save your life when things go south...
A couple of years ago around Houston B.C. the guide shot and killed the client when they went after a wounded bear.
So say what you may about how this or that will kill a bear you want the first shot to be devasting and hopefully not wound it.
Some haven't seen a big bear skinned out ? But in the spring the animal is solid muscle with some fat reserves around the back
A sobering sight..
It does make a difference when you have many guns or what you are holding is going to save your life when things go south...
A couple of years ago around Houston B.C. the guide shot and killed the client when they went after a wounded bear.
So say what you may about how this or that will kill a bear you want the first shot to be devasting and hopefully not wound it.
Some haven't seen a big bear skinned out ? But in the spring the animal is solid muscle with some fat reserves around the back
A sobering sight..
- Location
- In the shadows of the Rockies
My 458 Win. Mag. Remington 798 loaded with 350gr TSX bullets at 2500 fps MV would do. More range than a 500gr RN at 1900 fps MV (which I've used on Moose with excellent results).
It was purchased that way. The Remington 798 is a Zastava LKM70 barreled Mauser action in a Remington laminate stock and were on the market new from 2002 to 2006. I sure like it.
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.375 H&H with Trophy Bearclaw or Vital Shock
Don't be caught "wondering if I have enough gun" during what turns out to be a bluff charge, or worse, when it doesn't.
If you can shoot from safety, accurately and close enough almost any gun will do.
Don't be caught "wondering if I have enough gun" during what turns out to be a bluff charge, or worse, when it doesn't.
If you can shoot from safety, accurately and close enough almost any gun will do.
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- Location
- In the shadows of the Rockies
Take heed. Going after a wounded Grizzly isn't the same thing as going after a wounded Deer, and is something to be avoided - if you care about your health and pretty looks.
Big bore rounds are generally more dependable performers that impart incapacitating shock and smash through heavy tissue and bone. No time to be experimenting to see if this or that caliber or bullet might perform. Go with what will work.
(assumed of course the operator can shoot)
