I do switch to 150gr bullets in grizz country but otherwise feel fine with my .270. You can never have too much stopping power, but how long do you want to carry that .375H&H on the remote chance mr. grizz is going to surprise you but still give you time to shoot well?
the 270 win is ideal for hunting FOR ME, but I'm scared of coming across a Grizzly..
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A 270 is with the right bullet will down anything in NA. If you are concerned about a charging grizzly then read up on there behavior and do your best to avoid them. If you still feel unsure buy a 45-70 guide gun and carry both. Hey there's a reason for you to buy another gun!
I am not sure where you will be hunting and there is a good chance you already know this. It bears repeating (pun intended). Grizzlies will come to investigate a shot, figuring on a gut pile for a nice snack. This is a vulnerable time as a hunter and it is easy to let your guard down. We live in prime grizzly country and rarely see one, except at a comfortable distance. There is no doubt many have watched me wander around without my knowledge. School yourself on bear behaviour, it keeps things in their proper perspective. Good luck and enjoy your time in the bush.
Not worth it IMO. Get a low-power variable, 1.5-5 or 1.5-6x and leave it on low power. You might also want to practice on moving targets.
For those who think they are prepared pay particular attention to the second paragraph.
I am all for "It is better to Have it and Not Need It than Need It and Not have It" but , seriously
the chances are slim that it will happen to you.
But, it does happen . Maybe the old boy should gone with his partner and came back so they could hunt together?
I dont know the answer to that statement nor will I criticize his decision to remain and hunt alone enjoy the experience.
What I will say is this I fully accept what Mother Nature throws at me.
What I learned after being in the Scouting Movement(8yrs.) in the day, was Be Prepared. Cliche' for sure, but it rings true in many instances.
Grizzly Bear defense thread coming in 3...2...
Tight Groups,
Rob
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/grizzly-bear-attack-hospitalizes-b-c-hunter-1.1874244
I am all for "It is better to Have it and Not Need It than Need It and Not have It" but , seriously
the chances are slim that it will happen to you.
But, it does happen . Maybe the old boy should gone with his partner and came back so they could hunt together?
I dont know the answer to that statement nor will I criticize his decision to remain and hunt alone enjoy the experience.
What I will say is this I fully accept what Mother Nature throws at me.
What I learned after being in the Scouting Movement(8yrs.) in the day, was Be Prepared. Cliche' for sure, but it rings true in many instances.
Grizzly Bear defense thread coming in 3...2...
Tight Groups,
Rob
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/grizzly-bear-attack-hospitalizes-b-c-hunter-1.1874244
Wow, that is a new story. That old man needs to find another hunting partner in the future. His son is not reliable.
That's good advice. I think I'd feel safer going this route. I currently have a x3-x9 and it makes me nervous.
arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Jack O'Connor didn't have the bullet technology we have today.
Get yourself a mono metal bullet and there is nothing in Canada you can't hunt with the .270, just no ass shots , they never work no matter what you are shooting.
If you are confident with that rifle, that is the best insurance you can have!
Truth!
Funny this has come up. I have a nice old Redfield 3-9x40 on my .30-06 and usually keep it on 4x. That's all the magnification I need or want for hunting moose within my personal range limits. I've been considering a quality 1-4 scope like a Leupold or better as it still offers all the FOV, brightness and magnification I want but can be dialed down low enough to shoot with both eyes open in heavy brush. It would also save some weight, given that I hike a lot while hunting even a couple ounces is nice to shave off. As for bears, I never feel undergunned with my .30-06 and 180 gr. It puts moose down a little harder than my fathers 7rm w/175 gr. All super x cup and core bullets. But where I hunt I see more wolf sign than anything else. The trails I hike have new sign every day, most being wolf scat and tracks. Sometimes there's more wolf tracks in the mud than deer moose and elk combined lol.
So your only actual encounter with a Grizzly was not dangerous and showed you that the bears mostly just want to go about their normal bear business, but that makes you MORE afraid of them? Why don't those encounters make you realize that, even if you do encounter one (which has happened once in your whole life so far) it won't likely be a dangerous situation if you mind your business too? Your fear is irrational over reaction. Respect and awareness make sense. Fear does not.
Do NOT complicate your rifle with a sight on top of a scope. Do not think about "see through mounts" either. A good low power scope is the best for your situation.
Timothy Treadwell knew it better when he was mauled and chewed by the only bad grizzly he ever met. To the monsters like a grizzly, fear is the best respect.
arcticcathonda
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Alberta
Sit back and think about what we are doing for a second...
We are quietly sneaking through the woods (maybe accidentally startling a bear), perhaps imitating prey animals(perhaps luring bears inadvertently). We may kill an elk, butcher and drag carcass through the woods. Going back for each success quarter etc. What you have created or set up is potentially better odds of running into a Griz.
We are quietly sneaking through the woods (maybe accidentally startling a bear), perhaps imitating prey animals(perhaps luring bears inadvertently). We may kill an elk, butcher and drag carcass through the woods. Going back for each success quarter etc. What you have created or set up is potentially better odds of running into a Griz.
You'll never be fast enough anyway. Nor will a .30-06 make any difference. As mentioned, a .270 will kill a big bear, but not if you can't make the shot.
"...and/or 000 buckshot..." Absolutely not. Buckshot is totally useless for doing anything but annoying Yogi.
"...and/or 000 buckshot..." Absolutely not. Buckshot is totally useless for doing anything but annoying Yogi.
6x .360 caliber projectiles moving 1500 fps at 10 yards is useless? That's 438 grains of hell.
I'd rather have that than bear spray.
Treadwell was an idiot. He did NOT have respect. His example is completely irrelevant.
If "the big bad wolf/bear" has inhabited your fears to the point where you are afraid the "monsters" will get you, then I guess there is nothing logic can do. I feel sorry for people who are in constant fear whenever they are walking in the bush. It undoubtedly spoils the experience.
There is a profound need to develop an understanding of what constitutes real risk as opposed to perceived risk and socially created fear. That applies to every aspect of our lives from the real risks of being eaten by a "monster", to the threat of terrorists, to fears of child molesters, to irrational fears of social violence. There are real things out there that are likely to do you harm which you almost ignore (take drunk drivers for instance) and there are many perceived monsters that pose almost no real threat, but which we love to imagine (hence all the bear defense threads). There are prudent actions to reduce the real risks of life (like do you ALWAYS wear your seat belt - do you vaccinate your kids) and then there are actions that are almost certainly unnecessary and likely won't work anyway (like a rifle for bear defense). Actually, if you are concerned about bear safety, almost all the studies show that bear spray is more likely to effectively end a bear encounter than is the presence of any type of gun. That's just the truth. Not exciting and romantic for us manly gun lovers and hunters, but guns (of any type or caliber) are just not very effective in real bear attacks. The lack of effectiveness of a gun is often due to no time to actually use it, and lack of real skill with it as well.
Whatever. Play the fearful game if you wish. But if Timothy Treadwell is your idea of proof of how dangerous bears are, just remember how long (like several summers) those bears tolerated his absolutely stupid behavior before one old hungry one decided he and his girlfriend were just too easy. Oh, and don't try to pet them like he did either.
I was going to post that link but you beat me to it... maybe that guy was using a .270??
Yeah, well, whatever it was, it didn't work. Except it may have created a wounded, and now VERY dangerous, bear. At this point I actually hope he missed completely. I will be watching to see if we can find out what caliber it was, and where he hit the bear, if he did.
This was not a predatory attack. The bear made no attempt to eat him, but left as soon as it was certain he was no threat. I expect he surprised the bear somehow, and it felt threatened for some reason, so it "neutralized" the threat (playing dead worked) and then left. It is useless to play dead if the attack is predatory; playing dead may work to save your life if the attack is defensive. But having a gun, whatever it was, did not save him from the mauling. He likely wouldn't have had a chance to use spray either in that situation. I expect the only way he could have avoided it would have been to be aware of the bear's presence in time to prevent becoming what it thought was a threat. No one can say if he wasn't alert enough, or whether the bear was just impossible for him to spot sooner. Awareness is always your very best bear defense weapon, but it has its limits too. I hope he recovers well.
Actually it is malpractice on the part of medical professionals, but not too far off.
The chance of a bear attack is out weighed by the chance of a .270 being able to stop a grizz. Pack the .270, know how to use it, and be bear aware. I hunt in bear country with whatever my fancy is. In fact I am going to hunt deer in Grizz country with a 22-250AI this week!
