Bullets, calibers, and cartridges for bear hunting. 

Thanks for the kind words. I’m glad you like the videos and find them helpful.

Glad you found it useful if you have any questions don’t hesitate to ask

Unfortunately lots do mostly because that's what most guides recommend. They don't understand why they recommend it though. It's a attempt to prevent wounded animals. Unfortunately it doesn't work unless they have a good bullet and get a shot in the vitals. I mean I can appreciate them trying to prevent wounded animals. However their approach was terrible and really didn't solve the issue. Growing up in idaho and Montana most people running magnums are out of state hunters. A few locals do but most are running short action cartridges. As a teen I fell for the magnum needed and it did nothing to help me. Hopefully this and other videos will help people get setup right from the beginning and be more effective in the field.

I think everyone could use better hunting techniques. Lots of practice shooting at the distance expected and beyond, the right bullet and be successful in their choosen hunt.

I can tell you from an experienced hunting guide from 1978 to 2019 a large magnum kills fast even from badly placed bullets whereas a small standard cartridge just wounds game. I have taken shots from using a 9.3x62 Mauser and an 8 mm Remington magnum loaded with Barns TSX 185 grain bullets from going away shoots on Yukon Moose and AK brown bears then both rifles put down the animals on the spot so you wouldn't ever try this with standard cartridges. This wasn't a bad placed bullet but the point I make is the power of a 9.3x62 with max powder charged reloads I have seen my 9.3x62 Mauser used to shoot a 1400-pound Yukon moose in the brisket then the Barns TSX 286 grain bullets exited the moose from the right hind quarter and that is POWER! The 9.3x62 Mauser loaded with Barns TSX 286 grain bullets is a one shot and dead for good cartridge for 15 years. This 9.3 x 62 doesn't matter what angle and Moose or bear is shot from it kills them all ! The 8 mm Remington magnum is another extremely impressive cartridges when loaded with Barns TSX bullets due to the extreme energy this cartridge is capable of.

Thanks cole

that is the cartridge, bullet brand and weight I have chosen for my Alaskan bear hunts. I believe along the African line of thinking that a big bullet impacting on the slower side for that particular caliber, designed to open up but still retain weight for good penetration is the way to go. The partition, in my experience, is the design you want for those performance results.

Thanks! Yeah I was just talking to a buddy about that and we were laughing on how guys say that it will kill a deer but not a bear. The bear has thick skin and big bones etc. when you point out the facts that a whitetail actually had thicker hide and bones then a black bear they loose their minds. It's truly amazing what some people believe despite evidence showing they are wrong.

Most people don't realize that the 308 and 300 take the exact same bullets. They see all these terrible articles talking about the best cartridge. They get the thought that it's different and more lethal. Reality is if you light load the 300 to match the velocity of the 308 with the same bullet. You will have the exact same drop, wind, and terminal performance. All the 300 does is increase velocity and your range. If you use the same bullet in both with a impact velocity of 2400 fps. The performance will be the same only difference is the distance because of the increased velocity on the 300. There's nothing you can't kill with a 308 with the right bullet.

I started using eldm. They drop on the spot. No meat damage and these are heart lung shot placement. I used to always use soft round nose for same reason your grandpa did but would only take neck shocks so I never lost a deer.

Contrary to popular belief by some meat damage happens and isn't a bad thing. There's far less meat lost then people think. You should watch my meat loss video this hopefully will help. m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-0g2us2lPVxg.html

Eld match is a great bullet TMK's are basically their version of the eld match. Both are great bullets though with great terminal performance. So the reason with self defense the focus is on not over penetrating. That's due to putting the individual down and preventing hitting others after it passes through the individual you're shooting. It's a balance of expansion and penetration. The goal is actually 16"- 18" on ballistics gel. You will actually get more than that on a person though. The chest cavity has empty space like air in the lungs and the organs aren't hard to pass through. Glad you're running good bullets and getting ethical kills.

Spring bear on berries is the best tasting. Their diet has a lot to do with how it tastes. I have people who tell me bear is inedible. Then I find out that they are shooting bears who eat a lot of trash, bait, or coastal fish. Those can make the meat taste awful. Shooting them in the fall because they are trying to get ready for hibernation. They are packing on the fat and you have really greasy fat meat. Spring bears eating berries though is great especially bear tacos. Good luck this season and happy hunting.

Hey bud so the eld match is just a improved version of the amax. They have the same AMP jacket that is .022" thick and the same lead core. The only difference between them is that the eld match has a different polymer tip and is slightly more aerodynamic increasing the bc. The only difference you will see is in flight external ballistics. The eld match will give just a little bit less drop and wind. On the terminal side they are identical in performance on game. They have the same performance and minimum impact velocity. Watch the videos on the eld match and that's what you will get with the amax. That's why I don't do videos on the amax with gel because it's the same thing. I still use both amax and eld match and have killed a lot of animals with both. If you watch this video I actually show them side by side cut open so you can see. If you have any more questions don't hesitate to ask. Happy hunting m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-yrMGEoPtHcE.html

@@longrangehuntinggroup7223 thank you for responding I'm excited to see the results of the a-max compared to the lapua scenar. I love when the animal fall dead on the spot cause I hate tracking for the simple fact that I'm not that good at it unless there is a blood trail that a blind man could find in the dead of night lol. I'll be using the a-max on black bear and white tail deer with of course the odd coyote if they show up 😆. Keep up the great content I have learned so much and am feeling more confident with the whole long range hunting idea

No problem always glad to help. I'm good at tracking but I still try and minimize it as much as possible. Archery there's no way to prevent tracking but with the broad heads I use a blood trail isn't a issue. With rifles I want them to drop dead on the spot. I also really enjoy watching them anchor on the spot.

Good luck this hunting season let me know what you get here in the comments.

So bigger doesn’t always mean better. It’s strange but the eld match and the a tips are the same from 22-30 caliber. However they are actually different in design in 338. Much thicker jacket that tapers. It’s basically like a eld x so you have a higher minimum impact velocity of 1800 fps. You will get less terminal performance too in the 338 eld match and a tips. Terminally you will achieve better results with a 300 then a 338. That said the eld match and a tips in 338 are still some of the best choices for terminal performance.

Good luck hope you get a good one

Were those deflated pig lungs you compared against? Live lungs that are not deflated have a lot of air in them even at the bottom of the exhale. May be something to consider.

So I haven’t tested the terminal ascent yet but it is one of my most requested bullets to be tested. Just from research and studying what’s available. It is a weird design to be honest almost a cross between monolithic and lead core. The bullet has a nickel jacket covering it. The core is mostly copper with a small amount of lead going down the middle. Something I noticed is they are claiming minimum impact velocities that are not possible for the design. Upon further research they have designed the jacket around the tip to easily flare out. These small pieces flaring out is what they are calling expansion to 1350 fps. Looking at their own testing the actual minimum impact velocity is in the 1800-1900 fps range. It should work for what you’re doing and the increased velocity of closer ranges will help.

I also put an order in for some 6.5mm norma bondstrike projectiles. I may be able to send some of those as well.

I really appreciate it unfortunately I don't have any 6.5 rifles. I've got 223's, 6mm creedmoor, and 30 cals.

Nice congratulations on your new rifle setup!!! That will definitely handle business for you especially paired with a good bullet. Hopefully you get to lay the smack down on some bears soon with it. Yeah I can’t stand gun store employees. I don’t know what it is but as soon as they get hired they automatically think they’re experts. Gun store employees are one of the top worst source’s of bad information that I see. Glad I was able to help you avoid wasting money on something that you don’t need. Good luck this season and happy hunting.

So the are all the same parent case just different diameters. The 25-06 and 270 win are both necked down 30-06. The 270 I don’t recommend as the bullet selection and available twist rates aren’t great. The 25-06 is a 6.5mm so you have lots of great bullet options. The problem is in a factory gun you won’t have great twist rates unless you have a custom barrel put on your factory rifle or get a full custom. Honestly the 30-06 is the top pick. You have a lot of great 30 caliber bullets and it has been used for precision shooting so you can get better twist rates. The 30-06 was designed for the US Army in 1906 as a sniper cartridge. It’s been used since in competition, sniping, long range shooting, and hunting. The 50 bmg is actually based off the 30-06 it’s a enlarged version of it. If you want best results honestly I would recommend getting a custom match barrel and have it put on the rifle if it’s factory. Find a good quality gunsmith who specializes in precision rifles. This will give you the best results and you can pick the perfect twist rate.

@@longrangehuntinggroup7223 26 cal is 6.5mm bud, 25 is 6.4mm

@@rgthomson1 the 25-06 is a .257 (6.5mm)

@@longrangehuntinggroup7223 Yes it may be .257 but a 6.5mm bullet is .264, you are making it sound like they are the same size, would you load a 6.5mm bullet into a 25 06 with the 7 thou difference

Yes it will definitely work unfortunately 270 doesn’t have a lot of good options. The Berger EOL and classic hunter are the best. Followed by the eld x unfortunately they don’t make a eld match in 270. Those 3 bullets will work well and take care of business. Good luck and happy hunting

@@longrangehuntinggroup7223 Thanks!

I grew up in Idaho and most people are using short action cartridges. Most of the guys running magnums are coming out of state. What part of Idaho are you in?

With a good bullet absolutely it will perform well for that task. Smaller diameter from the bullet will penetrate more and if you have a good bullet that opens up rapidly. It’s going to cause a lot of terminal trauma.

Eld match, sierra tipped match kings, or Berger hybrids will be the best performers for that

Thanks for sharing on here and congratulations. I hear guys all the time trying to claim that you can only take broadside shots with match bullets. That if it’s quartering at all then it won’t work. That’s ridiculous but that’s what they think. You have a great example that it works even quartering. I’ve taken a lot of animals with quartering shots with eld match etc. You also are providing a great example of what I talk about in the video. You don’t need a magnum or a thick jacketed bullet for bears. A short action cartridge with good bullets like eld match will put them down hard. I really appreciate you taking the time to share this. Good luck with the rest of your hunting season and happy hunting.

I would never have even tried to shoot a bear with a small caliber and a match bullet. I am 60 years old and was a life long believer in bonded bullets and the like. After watching all of your relevant videos several times I became convinced. Thank you. @@longrangehuntinggroup7223

m.ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-VIgx6LLTFis.html

Here's the video testing it

With a good bullet absolutely it’s enough. I used to carry a 9mm pistol in bear country for defense. Hornady critical defense is what I carry and it’s pretty nasty. Federal premium HST is another one that I use.

The eld x is just a improved version of the SST. Basically you get better aerodynamics increasing bc and the new tip. So really you’re getting a little better external ballistics but the same terminal ballistics.

You should really try the eld match it’s a better bullet. The eld match is a improved version of the amax. The terminal performance is way better and so is the external ballistics.

Brain fart moment filming it’s 340 fps not 400 fps.

@@longrangehuntinggroup7223 haha, I figured that to be the case. I am really enjoying listening to your viewpoints on projectile selection. I am definitely rethinking my stance on the subject. Keep up the good work.

@@mec5texan803 yeah I occasionally get those moments. I have one video I didn’t realize i said the Geneva Convention instead of The Hague Convention. Glad you’re enjoying the videos if you ever have any questions don’t hesitate to ask. Good luck this season and happy hunting.

45-70 will definitely handle bears no problem. The bullet width alone will have wider wounding and it’s got enough powder to hit with some good velocity. Bullet choice will dictate how well it performs. The other two will also work again bullet choice is everything. I have a buddy in Canada who kills bears with his 45 acp pistol. That’s what he actually hunts them with and he stacks them.

Yes you are correct non residents require a guide. Some guides do have minimum requirements. I agree that it is absolutely dumb the double standard. Especially since you can hunt black bears without a guide but require a guide for brown bears.

Choice in bullet also comes down to the cost for people. But from what I've seen on videos is the eldm is not a good hunting round. Idk why or where people got the idea to substitute hunting formulated bullets for match grade bullets, but they are designed for two very different applications. It's like buying a sports car because you need a truck. Just doesn't make sense to me.

Yup black powder, homemade arrows and bows, spears, etc. People like to blame everything but themselves. Reality is that most of the time when there is a issue it’s operator error. Missing, making bad shots, etc. The 6.5x55 is the most common moose round world wide.

Two blood trails is better than one right?

Dead wrong Alaska doesn't have any caliber/cartridge restrictions on grizzly or brown bears. In fact they actively promote not running magnums. I'm proving a link to the Alaska fish and game website where they talk about this. They also talk about Alaskan guides prefer someone with a non magnum who can shoot then someone with a magnum. I have never seen a guide who says that you have to have a 338 or bigger. In fact people hunt with 30 cals and smaller all the time. You might find a guide that recommends going magnum. That's exactly what it is a recommendation not a requirement. I've done a lot of research into going bear hunting up there and never seen a guide recommend 338 or up. www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.firearms

Yup and apparently all animals not only are armored but have dinosaur bones that you need a armor piercing round for. Then when you point out examples of the opposite they just ignore it or say you just got lucky. 🙄🤦‍♂️

Most wounded animals aren’t because of the bullet used. It’s making bad shots because the person isn’t as good as they claim. In situations like that match bullets actually aid you. It creates a larger energy transfer and permanent wound cavity. It gives you more shot placement forgiveness over standard “hunting bullets”. There’s lots of people who don’t like long range hunting that spread the rumor that match bullets wound animals more and long range hunting. It’s just that though it’s completely false and shows they have a lack of knowledge and understanding in both long range and terminal ballistics. I’ve seen both the good and the bad shots. It’s not that you will never see them. They just don’t happen very often. I can count on one hand the number of animals getting away from someone on a long range hunting shot with a good match bullet in over a decade. The claim that we’re not talking about it or hiding it is completely false. If you look statistically the highest number of wounded and lost animals is from archery hunting. That’s followed by close range rifle hunting. A guide I was just chatting with said it best. We get clients who claim they are good at 800 yards. We put them on the range and they stack rounds on a 10” target at 800 yards. We get clients who claim they are good to 300 yards. Except when you get them on the range they aren’t good at 300 yards and it’s even questionable at 200 yards. The guy’s who are solid at 800 yards. When presented with a 500 yard shot will think on the shot. If it’s good they take it and if not they will not take the shot. They either pass or move closer to where they are comfortable. The I’m good at 300 yards but really not guy’s. They will see a animal at 500 yards and say I’m good and start lobbing rounds. It’s not the long range hunter taking a bad shot outside their capabilities. It’s the close range hunter doing that. Match bullets are more consistent and reliable and gives you better wounding and shot placement forgiveness. I’ve never had anyone I’ve gotten to switch to good match bullets ever go back to hunting bullets. There’s a reason so many people are switching and starting to use them.

I wouldn't say that match bullets are more consistent for hunting. My problem with them is how inconstant they are anon impact. Meateater demonstrates this in a video on RU-vid with a slow motion camera. 3 types of bullets cup and core, monolithic and bonded. Check it out was very interesting. Cheers 🍻

A magnum doesn’t translate to more energy. Energy is only a potential and is directly dependent on the bullets performance. You can get a larger energy transfer and permanent wound cavity with a non magnum with a great bullet then a magnum with a bad bullet. Bud shot a big bear not long ago with a 6.5 creedmoor with a 140 gr eld match. Exit hole was larger than his thumb which he has huge thick fingers. It measured over a inch for the exit hole. A good bullet doesn’t require a exit. If the vitals are blown up and everything is destroyed it’s not going far enough to even require tracking or barely any. That’s if it doesn’t drop dead on the spot. The reason lots of people focus so much on exit holes and blood is from using bad performing bullets. Because it’s not causing massive trauma the animal doesn’t bleed out as fast or have its lungs collapsing. Yes vitals are slightly back but that doesn’t mean you don’t destroy them if you go high shoulder. Or that if you miss the brachial plexus it just breaks the leg. The vitals are still in the chest cavity and the energy transfer will travel through space easier with no resistance. So with a large enough transfer it will still destroy the lungs and heart. If you hit low on high shoulder it still can destroy the vitals with energy. You can still drop it too even with a non cns shot. The energy can go through hitting the nerves in the brachial plexus. It’s effectively getting knocked out and goes unconscious. As long as you have caused sufficient trauma it will never recover. That’s what happens when someone does a neck shot and it drops. Then after a little bit gets up and runs off. Because they didn’t impact the neck bone and severe the brain stem. The energy transfer knocked it out. But because they used a bad bullet there wasn’t sufficient trauma and blood loss so it recovered. A good bullet changes the outcome both in energy transfer and permanent wound cavity. If you’re using good bullets in a cartridge you can comfortably shoot you won’t have issues.

Here’s a good video to show what I’m talking about with bullet selection and why it’s more important than caliber. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s7mogdBSU3Y.html

Here’s another one to watch. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-glYLJAsfWSk.html

@@longrangehuntinggroup7223 Good luck

@@dickdykstra2234 good luck to you also this season. Hopefully you’re successful.

Really how is that? I don’t even own a 6.5 creedmoor.

And the award for the biggest drama queen who makes up stuff that was never said and doesn’t actually pay attention to the video goes to 🥁 🥁 🥁 roll goes to you.

Well said

This is my eternal struggle with getting people to stop using rage broadheads. Pure trash hyped up by marketing.

I've never used rage but I have heard good and bad. I use G5 T3 now it's the megameat. I've never had a animal make it more than 15 yards. It looks like a firehouse of blood coming out of the animal. Best performance I've ever seen with broadheads.

@@veteranironoutdoors8320 not just rage, but mechanicals in general.

@@gsnicholas8522 Im a schwacker guy. They dont fail.

I've watched several 300prc bear hunts and a moose or two and I've haven't seen a 300prc drop any of them on the spot. The bc may be superior to some cartidges going through the air, but that doesn't mean the bullet performs better upon entry imo so I agree.

Damn you hit the nail on the head with that. It's crazy what people believe even though it's completely ridiculous

Ok all sarcasm aside is a .308 enough for bears?

@@themightythundersploosh7493 more than enough with a good bullet. Compound that with a 20 round magazine, and you have a shitload of bear defense potential. People don’t bad a eye when they hear “.44 mag revolver for bear defense”, but a .308, with 3x the potential kinetic energy is “iffy” for some odd reason.

@@fnkdtnk Ok I'll rephrase that, I live in Commiefornia 😭 we have 10 round mags only so I was looking into a 10 mm or .308 rifle for bear defense but I'm getting a lot of different opinions

@@themightythundersploosh7493 ouch lol. 10 rounds of .308 out if an m1a would be more than enough as well.

We absolutely do and just because you can’t do it doesn’t mean others can’t.

Done made and idiot of your self was second in nationals at Raton shooting black powder cartridges rifles what have you won

No need to finish it when it drops dead.

@@longrangehuntinggroup7223 how many grizzly hunts you been on?

I live in Alaska and guides will not take you out with a small caliber rifle. Yah local residents do but they have a backup buddy with a big magnum.

Funny because all my buddies in Alaska use Bergers especially the hybrid target. They drop dead on the spot or within a few yards. None of them are doing multiple shots or tracking. Using a 375 H&H with poor bullet proves exactly what I said. It’s giving you poor terminal ballistics. The cartridge is irrelevant and doesn’t dictate performance. The bullet does that and using a thick jacket bullet or solid in that is going to give you poor performance on a bear.

@@longrangehuntinggroup7223 so you come on here telling people what to use, not from personal experience, but second hand knowledge from people shooting tiny black bears. If you wanna know what to use, since you have no experience, call Sam Roher, Paul Chervenak, or Munsey bear camp in kodiak. I’ll stick to getting advice from people I know that actually kill giant bears year after year, not someone on RU-vid

@@bearpaw9204 you said that Bergers don’t work on grizzlies. Yet I know people who kill their grizzlies in Alaska every year with them. I don’t use Bergers I’m addressing your ridiculous claim that they don’t work and will result in tracking them. 😁

😂