Just brain storming....450/400 for AK Brown Bear

[Scott CWO]

I have a Ruger 1 in 450/40-3"NE. I have worked up loads with RL15 and Barnes 300 TSX bullet. I have not chronographed these load-yet, but 100 yard accuracy is under one inch.

I have taken one medium size Canada black bear with this combination. Side by side full penetration, including passing through one rib and heart. Entrance wound was large enough to bleed. Exit wound was much larger and drained lots of blood. Bear ran straight ahead and dropped in 20 yards.

But Black bear is a Brown bear.

Would these 300 grain bullets be adequate for Alaska Brown bear? What velocity would be optimal for AK Brown Bear with this bullet?

As many others have responded, the caliber and bullet will be fine. In addition to the TSX, you should consider the Barnes LRX and the Swift A-Frame. I use the 270 grain LRX in my .375 H&H AHR CZ550 camp rifle that @BeeMaa sold me with great results. As some people have noted, the TSX needs sufficient velocity to open but the LRX and A-Frame expand and open a bit easier but still hold together. I carry a .458 Lott AHR CZ550 shooting either a 500 grain TSX or an A-Frame as my back up rifle.

As for range, I do not allow shots at brown bear over 200 yards and usually not over 150 yards. The closer the better. The long shots seen on videos on brown bear and grizzly are usually taken by inexperienced unguided residents and unguided military folks stationed in Alaska, often with dangerous results. As with the widely accepted policy with cape buffalo in Africa, it is completely irresponsible to shoot at a brown bear at more than 200 yards with any rifle unless previously wounded. It is just asking for trouble.

As for your Ruger #1, I would have no problem guiding someone with such a rifle because I have guided archers successfully. Just know and appreciate that if the bear heads for the alders, I will begin shooting. If the bear is out in the open and not traveling fast, I will hold my fire and let you keep shooting. I'm not there to shoot client bears but I'm also not wanting to trail a wounded bear into the alders or Devil's Club brush. I have done this a few times and it is very risky. In May of 2024, I had to put down a charging brown bear at 20 yards that was shot perfectly by my client with his .375 H&H. Luckily that 10' bear went straight down after my shot but I have had to shoot other bears in the past more than once to stop them and I have a fellow guide and good friend who was horribly mauled when it happened to him with a client. It is eerily similar to following up wounded cape buffalo in thick bush except that a bear is much faster.

As for rifles, I prefer a .338 WM or larger in a CRF bolt action. I shot my first brown bear in 1998 with a .338 WM and have had several clients do so since. We do have a very experienced hunter coming in May 2026 with a .300 Wby and I am okay with it. I had another guy request to hunt with his 7mm STW and I refused and he used my camp rifle. On my personal polar bear hunt in a couple months, I will be using the .375 H&H that @BeeMaa sold me several years ago.

 

[Scott CWO]

Watch the youtube from the channel stuckintherut they shot a giz at i think 700 yards twice then their 338 ulra mag jammed from a blown primer .The bear stalked them and they had to shoot it point blank with a 454 pistol 5 or 6ntimes .It almost got both of them griz keep bitimg after dead on their feet .

Yes I saw that video, as did several members on AH and there was a thread about it. Quite the stupid deal. Can you imagine posting a video about shooting at cape buffalo at 500+ yards?!

I also agree with your other posts about bears soaking up lots of lead. I've seen it myself.

 

[wvfred]

At the cost of a brown bear hunt today I don't think I would hamper myself with a short range caliber as it could turn into a $30k lesson.

 

[Scott CWO]

At the cost of a brown bear hunt today I don't think I would hamper myself with a short range caliber as it could turn into a $30k lesson.

Short range or single shot? Brown bears shouldn’t be hunted at long range.

 

[DLSJR]

They botched a lot of stuff. Not exactly a "how you do it" video...

Bullet construction, shot placement, personal restraint.

The overriding problem was what you called ‘personal restraint’. Poor bullet construction for that task and poor shot placement are nothing compared to complete utter f*cking idiots trying to pull off the STUNT of shooting a grizzly at extreme distance. Jackasses like those have no place among us. The bear deserved better and they earned a worse outcome.

 

[Brian]

yeah. i have a couple of larry kanuits books. all true stories and nothing i would ever want to happen. the problem with griz, like cape buffalo, is they just dont know they are dead even if u put a perfect shot in the boiler room if their “blood is up.”. the issue with both is: 1) an extra large adrenal gland keeps them in the fight even if mortally wounded. 2) very low heart rate. as long as there is oxygen in the brain, the body keeps going. hence people getting torn to shreds by an animal that has taken one through the boiler room and doesnt know hes dead yet. 3) just very grumpy animals to begin with, that hold grudges. both animals have been known to circle back on their own tracks to ambush anyone/anything stalking them. 4) both can cover a lot of ground in a hurry. bears can cover 100 yds in 6 seconds.

i cant load a single shot fast enough to be comfortable hunting something that will happily hunt u back, much less have to go into the thick stuff to finish things off.

my humble 2 cents gents

I have to agree with you. And bears are a lot quicker and more agile than cape buffalo.

 

[double rifle newbie]

As many others have responded, the caliber and bullet will be fine. In addition to the TSX, you should consider the Barnes LRX and the Swift A-Frame. I use the 270 grain LRX in my .375 H&H AHR CZ550 camp rifle that @BeeMaa sold me with great results. As some people have noted, the TSX needs sufficient velocity to open but the LRX and A-Frame expand and open a bit easier but still hold together. I carry a .458 Lott AHR CZ550 shooting either a 500 grain TSX or an A-Frame as my back up rifle.

As for range, I do not allow shots at brown bear over 200 yards and usually not over 150 yards. The closer the better. The long shots seen on videos on brown bear and grizzly are usually taken by inexperienced unguided residents and unguided military folks stationed in Alaska, often with dangerous results. As with the widely accepted policy with cape buffalo in Africa, it is completely irresponsible to shoot at a brown bear at more than 200 yards with any rifle unless previously wounded. It is just asking for trouble.

As for your Ruger #1, I would have no problem guiding someone with such a rifle because I have guided archers successfully. Just know and appreciate that if the bear heads for the alders, I will begin shooting. If the bear is out in the open and not traveling fast, I will hold my fire and let you keep shooting. I'm not there to shoot client bears but I'm also not wanting to trail a wounded bear into the alders or Devil's Club brush. I have done this a few times and it is very risky. In May of 2024, I had to put down a charging brown bear at 20 yards that was shot perfectly by my client with his .375 H&H. Luckily that 10' bear went straight down after my shot but I have had to shoot other bears in the past more than once to stop them and I have a fellow guide and good friend who was horribly mauled when it happened to him with a client. It is eerily similar to following up wounded cape buffalo in thick bush except that a bear is much faster.

As for rifles, I prefer a .338 WM or larger in a CRF bolt action. I shot my first brown bear in 1998 with a .338 WM and have had several clients do so since. We do have a very experienced hunter coming in May 2026 with a .300 Wby and I am okay with it. I had another guy request to hunt with his 7mm STW and I refused and he used my camp rifle. On my personal polar bear hunt in a couple months, I will be using the .375 H&H that @BeeMaa sold me several years ago.

according to the guys at the gun counter at Sportsmans Warehouse in Anchorage, their two top selling cartridges are 300 win mag and 338 win mag. the 300 win mag would be my absolute minimum for griz.

 

[double rifle newbie]

The cartridge and bullet will be more than sufficient if you keep ranges moderate. The single shot rifle could be a handicap, I have shot some grizzlies and one Kodiak bear. All received multiple shots, not because the first shot didnt or wouldnt kill it, but because I dont want to dig a bear out of the alders or willows. I was hunting without a guide as a resident, having a guide could change things, but he may be shooting if the bear is heading for cover and you are not able to get repeat hits in a timely manner. My Kodiak bear took a 270 TSX through the chest from a .375 H&H at 230 yards and headed for an alder patch. I hit it twice more before it reached the alders stopping it. The first shot was fatal, but I dont relish going into thick coastal brush after a bear.

exactly right. those thickets can be downright spooky. cant see 10 yards sometimes. i remember my first hunt up north of kotzebue where we spotted a griz from a ways away disappear into a thicket. i decided to see if i could walk in there and see how things go. once i got a few yards into it i realized that i probably only had time for one shot given the limited visibility, so i backed out and decided that ill never do THAT again.

id hate to have to go into a thicket after a wounded bear with anything less than a 375.

 

[coreydb]

Treat the round like you would with any of the African DG animals. Nothing lighter than 300 gr and nothing more than 100 yds

 

[double rifle newbie]

The overriding problem was what you called ‘personal restraint’. Poor bullet construction for that task and poor shot placement are nothing compared to complete utter f*cking idiots trying to pull off the STUNT of shooting a grizzly at extreme distance. Jackasses like those have no place among us. The bear deserved better and they earned a worse outcome.

totally agree. to shoot a beast like that at 700 yards?! insane from a safety perspective. hardly any energy at 700 yards.

totally disrespectful to the bear and dishonors bear hunting in general. that bear was snoozing when he fired. they could have gotten much much closer but decided to shoot from that range.

 

[double rifle newbie]

Treat the round like you would with any of the African DG animals. Nothing lighter than 300 gr and nothing more than 100 yds

yep. the essence of DG hunting is to get close. much more likely to place a better shot, and hits harder closer up.

 

[Houston Bill]

Agree with many of the posts. Brown/Grizzly bears are DANGEROUS game and should be hunted in that fashion. Practice your shooting, get close and use the appropriate caliber and well constructed tough bullets. Comparison to hunting Cape Buffalo are spot on. For me, I would use my 338 WM with 250 grain Swift A Frames. Also, make sure you hunt with a knowledgeable, experienced guide like @Scott CWO who wont shoot your bear if not necessary but will definitely shoot if required to keep everyone safe!

@TheDoubleD - Your Caliber and Bullet Choice are fine but if it were me I would look at the Swift AFrames as well as that bullet will open up better than the TSK at 450/400 velocities and still penetrate great. I would have no problem with the single shot, just practice, practice, practice from field shooting positions so your first shot is placed where it needs to be placed.