first time bear hunter

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Originally Posted by 22x11

thanks a lot! we own 180 acres up there, our neighbor up there hunts bear quite a bit and I believe he has been baiting them already this year. its an 8hr drive for us so obviously we wont be up there before the hunt or at least not a lot hahaha. I plan on using my 308 with 150gr Corelokts. adequate? shoulder shots or lung??

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Core-lokts are really designed for deer. What if a 600 pounder comes out? I would use a tougher and heavier bullet. Exit wounds are always nice. I guided 11 deer hunts last years where the hunter was using a 308 and 150 corelokts. All the deer were shot under 70 yards and not one of those exited. There was next to no blood trail, luckily the furthest they went was 50 yards. You spend a lot of time preparing and planning the hunts. Cheap ammo is not where you want to cheap out!

my dad thinks that the 308 would be the best choice with a good bullet but I still like the idea of blowing a big hole in them with a 12gauge slug.....870 with a rifled barrel and sabot slugs of some kind, maybe some Winchester XP3s or Hornady SST's. ive been thinking about putting a scope on that gun for turkey and maybe yotes as it is.....might turn into a project gun now. hahaha

Use what ever gun your a most comfortable shooting. I assume your over bait so shot should be close unless you have very good viewing from your stand.


I personally would use .308 with 180g corelokts. I have used that and a 300winmag before. I don't think either bear would know the difference as they both were dead within a minute.

I like the 12 gage with slugs ive shot 3 with it n 2 with 270 n the shot gun was best also my dad has shot them with his 20g n slugs we bait close to the stand so shots are good n close under 30 yrds

Corloks are really designed for lighter animals like deer. Bears are much heavier and I would suggest something designed for controlled expansion. Federal has a 180 grain Nosler Partition bullet for the 308 Win that is ideal for moose and bear.

I'm not a fan of the shoulder shots especially when the wrong bullet it used. Placing a shot broadside directly behind the front leg gets you into lungs and heart and the partition bullet does maximum damage.

12 g Remington 870 rifled barrel with scope using accutip slugs does the job all the time

ok, boys and girls decision time. pick one. 870 super mag 12 gauge with a slug barrel with rifle sights shooting either 7/8oz fusion slugs or 1oz remington sluggers and yes I know id be shooting a rifled slug from a rifled barrel. OR a Savage model 10 308 with a 3-9 weaver shooting 150gr Winchester powermaxes?

We don't matter,what ever gun you feel the most comfortable with. I'v killed them with the 308,300 short mag,10 g and the 12 guage.My favorite is the 12 gauge with partition golds ( can't find any more so ) lightfield slugs. my spring hunt will show how they kill a bear. you decide.

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Originally Posted by Greenhorn

We don't matter,what ever gun you feel the most comfortable with. I'v killed them with the 308,300 short mag,10 g and the 12 guage.My favorite is the 12 gauge with partition golds ( can't find any more so ) lightfield slugs. my spring hunt will show how they kill a bear. you decide.

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I see no problem with a 150g bullet for a .308. You hunting over bait right? How far can the shot be? You will get a nice broadside shot, You hit lungs or heart and he's a dead bear.

They make Partition gold 7/8" oz sabots. I see them sold around here all the time. I have a few boxes.

yes we are hunting over bait, the shots will be about 40yd