Hunting & Fishing 260 rem vs. black bear????
- Thread starter 7.62_Reaper
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Depends on how you shoot him. I wouldn't hesitate to shoot a black bear with the proper bullet and shot placement, but you are starting to get pretty light if you placement is not just right. It all depends on you- If you do your part I do not doubt that a good .260 will kill a bear fairly quickly. If you run into a really big one and his adrenaline gets up you might get mauled before he dies if you are really close, but hopefully you will make better decisions leading up to a scenario like that.
I recall as a kid my dad used to tell me that the Inuits used to (maybe still do, who knows) hunt the polar bears with .22LR rifles and just shoot them in the temple. DISCLAIMER...I don't know if this was some bullshit wives tale or legit...I just remember him always reselling that bit of info when we would go plink with the 22's.
Bears aren'nt that tough, 260 is great unless your in real thick stuff, then a little more nock down is good comfort
According to this success shot, you're .260 should be fine on Black Bear......
as Bull Arms said.....right bullet, right spot.....
Full story on that here:
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-hunting-fishing/142789-back-alaska.html
as Bull Arms said.....right bullet, right spot.....
After losing a day of hunting to heavy rain, the next day was clear and cool. The plan was to get in the boat and float/drift downstream and hunt as we went. From the river above camp, I spotted a lone light colored bear in the berries about two thirds of the way up the mountain and at least three miles away. The week before we got to camp, Waggs had spotted this same bear twice and had named it, "Ivory". We quicky got the boat back to shore and tied up and began our climb up the mountain to shorten the distance. Coming out on a nice elevated secondary ridge that faced the hillside we last saw the bear from, we took off our packs and began glassing for the bear. After about 10 minutes, Waggs said,"there's the bear". It had fed out into the open, above us at 371 yards. I put in 1 mil of elevation, snugged up, and when the bear was broadside, fired for the ribcage. We all saw the bullet impact the right side, followed by a solid sounding "thud". The bear spun and disappeared into the alders 20 yards below. George stayed put to keep an eye peeled for the bear getting by us as we climbed to the top and came in from above. The bear only made it 25 yards into the brush and was dead. The 130gr Swift Scirocco had done a perfect job, leaving a quarter sized exit hole on the offside. I'm getting pretty attached to that little .260.....grin!
Full story on that here:
http://www.snipershide.com/shooting/snipers-hide-hunting-fishing/142789-back-alaska.html
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A bear guide in Dover Foxcroft, Maine told me he uses a .41mag. on bears and has had no problems, So with the terminal ballistics of the .260 I would say you'er good to go. Of course, even a .300 win mag in the ass probably wouldn't anchor him either. the big thing with dog handlers is; they want the bear dead when it hits the ground because the last thing a bear does before dying is pick up a dog and bite it in the spine.
It will be just fine. Use a quality bullet which is more important than caliber and of course shot placement is most important, a 416 through the belly will be less lethal that a 243 through the heart/lungs. Most times, horsepower is not that important. Too many hunters get caught up in the caliber; I live by can I carry my rifle for hours over many days up and down mountains, that can be shot very accurate for shot placement, with a good bullet. Light rifle that can be carried and shot means I should be able to do my part, good bullet means the caliber will do its part.
I prefer Nosler Partitions, place it is the engine room and the beast will tip over.
Where you hunting and when?
Good luck
I just ran this question by my buddy who is a certified hunting expert. His opinion is that a .300WM is the minimum caliber for PA white tailed deer and that no sane hunter would enter the woods to hunt Black Bear with anything less than a .375 H&H mag, prefferably a .458 WM or larger.
On a serious note, I personally know someone that took a PA blackbear with a .243 Win and this guy doesn't know shit about bullet construction or ballistics. He probably used the cheapest POS he could find and he claims the bear only took a few short steps prior to expiring.
In short, you'll be fine as long as you can shoot.
On a serious note, I personally know someone that took a PA blackbear with a .243 Win and this guy doesn't know shit about bullet construction or ballistics. He probably used the cheapest POS he could find and he claims the bear only took a few short steps prior to expiring.
In short, you'll be fine as long as you can shoot.
Don't worry about the .260 being enough gun. That caliber with a Barnes TSX is as good of a Black bear cartrige as anything out there. Since switching to the TSX for average hunting distances, not only have'nt I recovered a bullet yet, but there stone dead when it hits them. Good luck!
Nice boar I shot last fall with my GAP .260 and one 130gr Berger Hunting VLD at 488 meters. Broke both shoulders.....he never took a step.
Has said it's all about were you put the bullet, a bear shot in the rear leg with a 416 Remington magnum . Is a wounded bear that you will never find.I guided Pat & Garden on there hunt,one they both can shoot,lights out . Yes i think for grizzly/brown bear It's to light
of a caliber.For black bear it's fine.A critter with both lungs gone might go 200yds.If you have to go into the Pucker brush lookin for a bear,no rifle is to Big!!!!! Been there done that ,guiding i carry a 375 H&H ,270 tsx bullet.2830fps This year made my 71# brown/grizzly kill.....Good Huntin
of a caliber.For black bear it's fine.A critter with both lungs gone might go 200yds.If you have to go into the Pucker brush lookin for a bear,no rifle is to Big!!!!! Been there done that ,guiding i carry a 375 H&H ,270 tsx bullet.2830fps This year made my 71# brown/grizzly kill.....Good Huntin
