What Caliber For Dangerous Grizzly Bear, Open & Read This Link You Won't Believe This

[grand veneur]

a good deal of inuits/eskimos only have .243s or .22 centerfires, lol and these guys are your backup. (they go through a fair amount of ammo AND TP.)

It depends on how you hunt the polar bear. Traditionally, polar bear hunting is primarily a wintertime hunting and with dog-sleds.

I have never hunted polar bears, but I have hunted a few times Muskox with dogsleds in Greenland in the wintertime. When the Muskox herd is spotted, you release a few dogs, they keep the game on the place and you can go and shot one at a very short distance. A comparable technique was used by the native for polar bear hunting. With the help of the dogs, the hunter can go very near to the bear and shoot it to death with a rifle of different caliber, certainly not always elegant, but also possible with rifles of smaller caliber. In Greenland I only met native polar bear hunters who were armed with rifles mainly caliber 30-06 Springfield, some even with rifles caliber 375 H&H Magnum.

 

[HankBuck]

i hope to see that article, post it if you find it, more interesting to me is the hard ,fast rule the parks push for bear spray, they act like it never fails but we all know it does sometimes, myself I'm always carrying a fly rod or horse rein's ,ect in one hand so its either or on gun vs, spray .I had a grizzly'" wolf" at me and I could smell him while I was in a canoe on a small stream just sw of yellowstone. always feel under gunned with my 44 mag , would rather have a 12 gage with 00 and slugs,

Cwpayton: Google “Dean Weingarten” article published in AMMOLAND January 2018 or 2019. It is interesting because it reviews over 60 actual Bear attacks going back to 1937, what handgun was used to defend, the results. It found that ALL calibers were effective with several being 100% effective but the definition of “effective” was Not killing the bear — it was deterring the attack and saving yourself.

 

[cwpayton]

I swear I'd read an article somewhere of a native in Alaska killing a polar bear in a similar way with a .22. it can be done if you're spitting distance and the shot is in the eye. If you aren't, you're now bear food because a bad shot didn't even slow it down.

Ryan I watched an old VHS tape in the 90s made from a previous 16mm film of a guy who shot a polar bear " 13 times" if I remember correctly with a military rifle using FMJ ammo bear was still on 4 feet swaying and staggering. so obviously its alot about shot placement.

 

[grand veneur]

Before WWII, Norwegian hunters and trappers were very active in northeast Greenland. Based on the large number of empty shells caliber 6,5x55 and the few still intact very old cartridges of this caliber with FMJ that I found around the beaches of this country, this must be the cartridge that was often used for polar bear hunting in the area in the past. One shot certainly was not enough.

 

[Major Bonkers]

The reason for that is that FMJ ('solid' or 'ball') ammunition will simply pass through a soft-skinned animal, without delivering energy or shock. It is for this reason that it is illegal to use non-expanding ammunition on deer in Scotland.

 

[leslie hetrick]

does this give you a idea of what you may be up against.

 

[Alaska Luke]

Cool story. I believe another record book grizzly was killed with a 30-30. That lady must have had ice water in her veins.

I have a theory bear toughness is exaggerated because of poor shooting, poor bullets and just tall tales.

I have a grizzly skull in my garage. I doubt any reasonable hunting rifle would have a problem punching through the skull (a 22 would take more care obviously). It's not bullet proof. What probably happened is people shot through the flesh on top and thought the bullet bounced off. Maybe black powder bullets would have a problem. But I am seriously wondering if you need a 44 mag and hardcast lead to go through a normal sized bear skull reliably.

Thread drift but... I laugh when people in Colorado want a 44 mag with hardcast bullets for black bear. I'm pretty sure a 9mm with hollow points would penetrate any black bear skull on the planet. Maybe a .22 is iffy but if your only goal is skull penatration you don't need a cannon.

 

[Foxi]

good stories never die. ever hear of Custer in Europe ?

but of course.We know him better here than you do

we even know his horses
Dandy and Victory-Kentucky breed
(Look at the saddle pressure - nasty)
Foxi
p.s.cwpayton: I love mulis

 

[Hunter-Habib]

When I first hunted in Alaska in 1975 … the .338 Winchester Magnum was almost universally accepted by Alaskan hunters as the all round rifle caliber of choice. The most popular Alaskan load for this caliber, was Winchester’s 300Gr Power Point (now unfortunately discontinued). In the last 20 years however, the .338 has lost favor and been almost completely superseded by the .375 Holland & Holland Magnum. Whenever I hunt in Alaska (the most recent time being 2019), I always prefer a .338 Winchester Magnum if my guide has one to spare. However, any of the following three would fit the bill very nicely:
- .338 Winchester Magnum
- 9.3x62mm Mauser
- .375 Holland & Holland Magnum

 

[bakerb]

My theory on black bears was to carry my .40 caliber auto, as I figured I'd be more accurate and could get more rounds downrange than I could with a big revolver. Now when I bowhunt elk in black bear country, I don't even carry a sidearm anymore. Too much of a hassle for such a little risk.

Several years ago a fly fishing guide was killed by a grizzly up in WY or MT, and I had some trips planned to grizzly country. I impulse bought a Marlin 45-70 and put a Trijicon RMR on it. It is QUICK, and I'm WAY more confident in it than any pistol. If I bowhunt in grizzly country again, I'll carry it. And I think I'd take it if I ever make it up to bowhunt in Alaska

 

[grand veneur]

does this give you a idea of what you may be up against.

View attachment 599127

Sure, and polar bears can get even bigger.

The topic was mainly about the fact that a woman killed a bear with the 22 Rimfire, rather than about which cartridges are best suited for bear hunting.

As I wrote, it is possible under very special circumstances to shoot bears with small caliber rifles, but I myself never would use smaller caliber rifles for this hunt. I never have shot a bear, but I have often spotted one, brown bears and above all polar bears. I was also there when another hunter shot a brown bears in east Russia. The cartridge used in this case was the 9,3x64 Brenneke with the 19g TUG bullet, which proved to be very effective on this species of game.

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Cool story. I’ve been in bear hunting magazine a few times

@revturbo9967
Is that a bear hunting magazine
Or
Bare in a hunting magazine.
Ha Ha ha I
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

two things i would take on a big bear hunt, my cz .375 H&H with the right shells and very fat friend with a limp.

@leslie hetrick
I'd be quite happy with my Whelen and 275s the same as good ol Elmer Keith.
I would hunt with you and your friend as I'm just fractionly faster than you.
A clean pair of undies may be useful.
Bob

 

[Bob Nelson 35Whelen]

Interesting story, but nothing new. The older hunters should have known the story for decades. I myself in Europe have known about it for more than 50 years and it is regularly quoted when it comes to which cartridges are suitable for hunting bears.

@grand veneur
Then you have the little 5'4" lady who shot a twenty eight foot crocodile with a 30-06. It was going to attack here daughter on the Norman river in Karumba in Queensland.
Bob

I can see the look on Troy Landry's face if'n he hooked onto that. Me thinks he would be saying more than choot him Lizbeth choot him, and he would need some brown undies.

 

[meritman]

.338 Lapua, .416Barrett...