Farmer B Posted August 20 Posted August 20 Good evening, Do we have any black bear hunters amongst us? What is your choice of rifle? After 13 years of buying points in Wisconsin, my 3 sons and I finally got our permits for this fall. Brian Quote
hobbyfarm Posted August 20 Posted August 20 34 minutes ago, Farmer B said: Good evening, Do we have any black bear hunters amongst us? What is your choice of rifle? After 13 years of buying points in Wisconsin, my 3 sons and I finally got our permits for this fall. Brian Assuming you have some standard calipers use what you have unless you are looking for a reason to get a new one. Guys here take 30-06, 270, 300 win, etc with heavier bullets. 1 Quote
Farmer B Posted August 20 Author Posted August 20 One of my sons is using my 450, and I am planning on using my 308. I have the 308 zeroed in with 150 grain bullets (for whitetail deer) will that be heavy enough? Quote
vtfireman85 Posted August 20 Posted August 20 .308 is plenty enough under 200 yards, I am sure someone will chip in with detailed ballistics, but you will be just fine with that. I have 168 grain lead in mine, I don’t have opportunity over 125 yards or so most anywhere I hunt, so I think it’s a good balance of flat and heavy. For close range I keep my 30-30 Handy, Mr Bear keeps an odd schedule, and likes to stay around vehicles and propane tanks, thus far he has avoided the blunt nose 180gr.. so far. Quote
WisIHCFarmer Posted August 20 Posted August 20 We use a .45-70 usually, I killed mine with my .35 rem, did a fantastic job. I just picked up an old .444 marlin that I'm excited to try. 2 Quote
Sask466 Posted August 20 Posted August 20 I wouldn’t be afraid of using a 308 on black bear. It’s maybe a bit on the lighter side (maybe) but 30cal bullets have good stopping power. Not sure what the landscape you are hunting in, but most bear hunting isn’t usually super long range. Bullet selection is probably as important as how much powder/case you have behind it. Use a good 150-180gr bonded bullet like a REM Core-Lokt or Nosler Partition (lots of other good heavy game hunting bullets too). A skilled shooter with a 308 is way more potent than a dingus with 300 Ultra Mag. 1 1 Quote
mike newman Posted August 20 Posted August 20 2 hours ago, Sask466 said: I wouldn’t be afraid of using a 308 on black bear. A skilled shooter with a 308 is way more potent than a dingus with 300 Ultra Mag. Right on there ....!!!...seeing this down under, 'new'' hunters (??) roaming around with exotic ,expensive calibers expecting to roll a deer ,chamois etc....at stupidly long ranges......where in our high country, anything beyond 100 yards or so, can be 'lost ' due to the wildly undulating terrain that characterises our hills....hidden gullies ,bluffs ,rock fissures ,small trees etc where a animal may lay, de ceased...and unseen... Where I work in our summer, so many blokes come down and tell me that the biggest set of antlers ..or chamois horns that they have ever seen..is down but not found....I tell them to come back in a fortnight.....maybe, just maybe if that animal took a bullet , it can be smelt..unless one is in wild pig country...(its been eaten by then ..!!) One seriously expensive and popular firearm caliber in NZ is the 6.5mm 'Creedmoor "....deemed to be the b and all of thundersticks......I guess in reality it is about the same as the venerable 264 Winchester...a caliber I have used early in my hunting ........ I always ask the 'Creedmoor '' owner, if he /she knows about the origin of the 'Creedmoor '' name.......Always get the blank stare.... Mike 1 Quote
Farmer B Posted August 20 Author Posted August 20 4 hours ago, WisIHCFarmer said: We use a .45-70 usually, I killed mine with my .35 rem, did a fantastic job. I just picked up an old .444 marlin that I'm excited to try. You will like the Marlin-444, my fil has this one and between him and my kids they have killed a lot of deer with it, I have its big brother ''450'' and same thing. I am assuming yours is a lever action? All of our shots will be under 60 yards. Thanks guy for the replies! Hopefully will be able to cross off my bucket list 🤷♂️ Quote
Lazy WP Posted August 20 Posted August 20 If I recall correctly, some people here just kick them!😁 Quote
vtfireman85 Posted August 20 Posted August 20 29 minutes ago, Lazy WP said: If I recall correctly, some people here just kick them!😁 He needs Crocs for that. 3 Quote
WisIHCFarmer Posted August 20 Posted August 20 3 hours ago, Farmer B said: You will like the Marlin-444, my fil has this one and between him and my kids they have killed a lot of deer with it, I have its big brother ''450'' and same thing. I am assuming yours is a lever action? All of our shots will be under 60 yards. Thanks guy for the replies! Hopefully will be able to cross off my bucket list 🤷♂️ Yep, it's a marlin lever action, '81 model. Haven't shot it yet,need to get some ammo loaded for it. Quote
560Dennis Posted August 20 Posted August 20 I’m not good at any hunting. I black bears hunted in clouderspor pa. ( Elliot Ness hometown)Once . I had at the time a Winchester win mag 300 I used for elk . I never saw anything ,it was very thick with mountain laurels, so the only open to shot was the gas transmission lines or a lumber road , can’t shoot . Advantage Bear ! I would say a Remington deer slayer with a 3 inch slug and a Bowie knife if you go-into the brush . Oh ya ! short barrel to maneuver fast . What do you Pa . Guys use , think ? Quote
WisIHCFarmer Posted August 20 Posted August 20 @Farmer B your.308 will do just fine tho, maybe find some ammo with a little heavier bullet, or get a box handloaded if your worried about it. Aim half way up the bear and a couple inches back from the shoulder and he won't go far. They bleed like a stuck pig if you hit them right. Also, if you are hunting over bait, and it's right up close, i like open sights, or at least make sure your scope is turned way down. Open sights are also nice for tracking in brush. Quote
MacAR Posted August 20 Posted August 20 I've seen several of them killed hereabouts with an old 30-30; of course, the ranges were fairly short and the hunter was using 170gr bullets. You 308 will be just fine, though I'd like to have a 180gr bullet in it myself. That's just me, I'm sure the 150's will be just fine. Quote
cobfly Posted August 20 Posted August 20 Dogs or no dogs? With dogs my kid used 22 mag with solids. A few chest shots and let them die in the tree. Have used 50 cal muzzleloader for the fun of it. Don't want your dogs tore up. Quote
Farmer B Posted August 20 Author Posted August 20 We will not be hunting with dogs, but will be over bait. We will be in thick forest and we have 129 acres to ourselves. Looks like we have a lot of bears 400+ lbs. and wolves, I dont want to be tracking too far. Quote
supermechanic Posted August 20 Posted August 20 3 hours ago, 560Dennis said: What do you Pa . Guys use My go-to close-range rifle would be the Marlin 444. Open sights, nothing to get caught on brush. 35 Remington is another good one. There is a newer thing called a 375 big bore, which is a 38 caliber on a 30-30 case. All will work. Including your 308 1 Quote
560Dennis Posted August 20 Posted August 20 3 hours ago, supermechanic said: My go-to close-range rifle would be the Marlin 444. Open sights, nothing to get caught on brush. 35 Remington is another good one. There is a newer thing called a 375 big bore, which is a 38 caliber on a 30-30 case. All will work. Including your 308 I never shot at a bear , but I think at the place I was at , Ten yards is a long shot looking up the hill or down Quote
whweldit Posted August 20 Posted August 20 I have never went hunting bear, BUT I have gone fishing in my shorts! 🤔 1 1 Quote
pms1961 Posted August 20 Posted August 20 22 hours ago, Farmer B said: Good evening, Do we have any black bear hunters amongst us? What is your choice of rifle? After 13 years of buying points in Wisconsin, my 3 sons and I finally got our permits for this fall. Brian Here in the west .270,308,30.06 or if your going to reach out a magnum of your choice either a custom rig or off the shelf.Use premium bullets and get the best optics you can afford for both scopes,bino's and spotting scopes.If using a pistol .44 magnum or something similar.Shot placement can't be emphasized too much. 1 Quote
pms1961 Posted August 20 Posted August 20 6 minutes ago, pms1961 said: Here in the west .270,308,30.06 or if your going to reach out a magnum of your choice either a custom rig or off the shelf.Use premium bullets and get the best optics you can afford for both scopes,bino's and spotting scopes.If using a pistol .44 magnum or something similar.Shot placement can't be emphasized too much. Also easy to misjudge size of bear if you've never seen them in woods.In other words smaller bears can look bigger than they actually are. 1 Quote
yellowrosefarm Posted August 21 Posted August 21 If I wanted to hunt bear here, I'd just go sit in my truck at the end of the driveway on trash day, with a large bore handgun. 1 Quote
560Dennis Posted August 21 Posted August 21 5 hours ago, whweldit said: I have never went hunting bear, BUT I have gone fishing in my shorts! 🤔 The fish kill must really stunk! 1 Quote
cobfly Posted August 21 Posted August 21 On 8/20/2026 at 9:10 AM, Farmer B said: We will not be hunting with dogs, but will be over bait. We will be in thick forest and we have 129 acres to ourselves. Looks like we have a lot of bears 400+ lbs. and wolves, I dont want to be tracking too far. Any big game cartridge then. Quote
mike newman Posted August 21 Posted August 21 On 8/21/2026 at 7:24 AM, whweldit said: I have never went hunting bear, BUT I have gone fishing in my shorts! 🤔 ....what exactly were you fishing for in your in your shorts ???? ...I ask the question....we learn so much from the accumulated wisdom on this site.... Mike 1 2 Quote
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