I don’t consider a 375 a stopper in NA or Africa, a great hunting round absolutely. Many brown bear guides are packing 416’s and 458’s for stopping power from my experience anyway. When planning my Kodiak bear hunt it was suggested I bring a 375 to hunt with. I’ve been guided by one guy on Kodiak island that used a 338 win mag but he was as an outlier for sure. While in Africa my PH packed a 500 Jeffery bolt gun as a stopper as well as a second double rifle that the tracker carried in 470 NE. I’m not sure I would be happy if my PH had a lesser caliber than I was using to hunt with (416) as our safety net. Whatever floats your boat and you’re comfortable but when the #### hits the fan bigger is better I believe for a stopper.
Let's see your Dangerous Game Rifles.
- Thread starter Northern Shooter
- Start date
I agree... the actual need to "stop" a horned or trunked or toothy/clawed critter is a rare scenario, but when it happens, you need a big chunk of lead to put the smack down on it. If a dangerous animal is really locked in, a hunting round has to be perfect, brain or square CNS shot... a little off and you end up a red spot in the dust. The .458 cals and up, pushing 500+ grain stout bullets, are the true stoppers.
100 percent
I read a story about some American hunter that was on a Polar bear hunt. The Inuit guides 'stopping rifle' was a .223, same thing the guy used for shooting seals, cuz that fellow could shoot the eye out of a gnat. Didn't need anything else.
- Location
- Northern BC
New racoon gun incoming in 416 rigby.
IMHO, in North America, the .375 H&H with full house, quality bullet loads is more than enough, even at close range ie. 25 yards or less, for stopping the great bears, as long as the shooter is trained and knows shot placement.
.375 Ruger too.
No, it's called "old fart hasn't laughed since Milton Berle died.
What's the matter Elmer.
Bad day hunting?
Fair enough but I disagree, the 375 with 300 gr projectiles is for hunting big bears and the 458 loaded with 500 grainers is a stopper.
Times change; my uncle guided brown bear hunts back in the '70s, for him, it was 30-06, he laughed at .308, and thought .375 H&H and .458 Win Mag were over-kill.
Either bears are tougher now, or they worked with what was available to them at the time. In the '70s and 80's, I remember a lot of articles regarding "over-kill" "how dead is dead enough" etc. etc. in various magazines. In the 1920's my grandfather thought a Winchester .38-55 was a big rifle.
Seems this is a dead topic (pun intended) lol.
I'm a lot older than that Kreskin.
And incidentally. Teletubies was a kids show, it had nothing to do with humor.
Anyone WITH a sense of humor would know that.
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I have a friend that guide in the arctic and this year she is on Svalbard and over there for polar bear protection/ defence they recommend 30-06 with 180gn bullets. She didn’t know more so she couldn’t tell me more but I will know more when she returns in a few weeks! They( the Norwegian) don’t allowed 12 gauge as a polar bear gun on Svalbard.
Well Fuddley, I guess your wit and whimsy far outclasses mine, and all of the others who liked my posts.
Wear that flannel shirt and pocket protector with pride. You have earned it.
