yup !
What firearm NOT to use on grizzly bears.
- Thread starter H4831
- Start date
yup !
Rather than create my own thread to settle a debate let me ask you here:
This is an ongoing thing between my friend and I.
When we are moose hunting in western alberta, we both carry very different guns while out walking.
He carries a monstrosity, a weatherby chambered in 416 weatherby with a gargantuan scope of some excessive power.
I on the other hand have a stainless rossi 92 in 454 cassul.
It has been my claim that with a tube full of 300 grainers over open sights, I'm well prepared for a bear.
His ascertain is that the gun doesn't have enough punch to stop a grizz.
On the other hand, I tell him that by the time he swings that thing, turns down the scope and find the bear, it's probably gnawing on his leg.
Either is better than a 20 ga obviously, but can someone chime in when they're bored.
This is an ongoing thing between my friend and I.
When we are moose hunting in western alberta, we both carry very different guns while out walking.
He carries a monstrosity, a weatherby chambered in 416 weatherby with a gargantuan scope of some excessive power.
I on the other hand have a stainless rossi 92 in 454 cassul.
It has been my claim that with a tube full of 300 grainers over open sights, I'm well prepared for a bear.
His ascertain is that the gun doesn't have enough punch to stop a grizz.
On the other hand, I tell him that by the time he swings that thing, turns down the scope and find the bear, it's probably gnawing on his leg.
Either is better than a 20 ga obviously, but can someone chime in when they're bored.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
The .454 plenty potent enough for grizz inside of 100 yds. if the shooter is well practiced with the rifle. Lots of folks tend to go with heavy magnums because they've been convinced that bear & moose are tough to kill.
Calibers that should not be used on grizzly (Except in a survival situation.) are the varmint loads such as .223, .22-250 and 243 Win. A good hit with a 6.5 or .308 is far better than a poor hit with an ultra magnum.
Calibers that should not be used on grizzly (Except in a survival situation.) are the varmint loads such as .223, .22-250 and 243 Win. A good hit with a 6.5 or .308 is far better than a poor hit with an ultra magnum.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Sometimes its prudent to change your plans when faced with an immovable obstacle. If you attempt to climb a shear cliff you risk falling, if you try to cross a swamp you might get wet, and pushing a big grizzly might result in scratches and puncture wounds. Personal experience can be a double edged sword. If you observe something always happening the same way, without variation, chances are you won't consider the possibility of another outcome. But when we're discussing wildlife, you can never say with certainty that one outcome is assured. Sometimes you can out wait a bear, and he goes away. Sometimes you can force him into a fight or flight mindset by running at him. Sometimes he can be driven off with cracker shells and rubber bullets, or even with live fire, but there are exceptions and reasons for those exceptions in every case. Given the era being discussed, the first option was probably to kill the bear had a proper bear gun been available.
Brutus
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I think the specific caliber for the certain business at hand, has more a lot more to do with instilling confidence to the hunter/shooter versus cartridge/arrow capabilities. (within reason of course)
Myself I believe that all animals can sense your emotional state when encountering them at close distances, where one of you could be in danger from the other. Most often it's the one born with a fur coat. As an example look how we pet owners interact with our critters and how they react to our sensed by them moods, on a daily basis.
Therefor if these last statements are true, certainly the confident hunter would be calm and cool with his carefully chosen tool of harvest.
maybe
Myself I believe that all animals can sense your emotional state when encountering them at close distances, where one of you could be in danger from the other. Most often it's the one born with a fur coat. As an example look how we pet owners interact with our critters and how they react to our sensed by them moods, on a daily basis.
Therefor if these last statements are true, certainly the confident hunter would be calm and cool with his carefully chosen tool of harvest.
maybe
I have an older Amadeo Rossi M92 carbine in 454 Casull with no bolt safety or hammer lock like the new Br#####h R92s.
I use a 335 grain hard cast flat nose lead bullet in my loads with H110 giving me 1925 - 1950 fps (2800+ ft-lbs ME) which is good from a 20" bbl rifle.
There isn't a critter in North America that this combo won't knock down.
The irons are OK wih my glasses on.
I use a 335 grain hard cast flat nose lead bullet in my loads with H110 giving me 1925 - 1950 fps (2800+ ft-lbs ME) which is good from a 20" bbl rifle.
There isn't a critter in North America that this combo won't knock down.
The irons are OK wih my glasses on.
I have seen a few miserable failures of 12 guage slugs to do anything close to what was expected of the hunk of lead. Too soft I guess. Now this was not on Grizz, but on 2 moose and 1 black bear. All three died, but more due to surface area destruction rather than vital area penetration. I guess if you loaded HARD CAST SLUGS , they would penetrate well, but I have no idea how a smoothbore shotgun barrel would shoot them.
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Spray the pepper spray on yourself...then you dont taste very good....and they might quit eating you.
As far as a gun.....hunting...minimum 30 cal magnum....defense......12 ga defender w slugs. Those would be good choices.....cue the i shot him in the temple with a single shot 22 shooting shorts.
- Location
- South Shore, Nova Scotia
I agree...except I think the point of the old guy's story was that he WASN'T trying to do damage, he was trying to run it off.
Possibly he had done this before even...but this time it went the wrong way.
I think folks are missing the point if they think he was trying to wound/kill/damage the bear.
I think he was telling the story, admitting that this is not a good plan, as he has now decided.
Northman999
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Southern Yukon
Yup, it's not that hard to figure out really...
lol bears actually like to eat it, so you'd just be seasoning yourself lol.
You know, I'd think that the criteria was how many foot-pound of energy the weapon put into the bear... In theory, you could probably kill a grizzly with a .22 if he let you shoot 5000 rounds at it. More realistically, you want to bring down in 2-3 shots. Ideally, in one well placed shot (anyone has a RPG handy?). 
So now I wonder if anyone on the web has done any kind of serious research, comparing ammo effect, setting the result against some expected Grizzly ability to take punishment and found acceptable calibers/bullet combos?
So now I wonder if anyone on the web has done any kind of serious research, comparing ammo effect, setting the result against some expected Grizzly ability to take punishment and found acceptable calibers/bullet combos?
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
