Recommendations for Spring Bear Rifles: Starkey Unit/Blue Mountains...

[tkdguy]

North and East of Fly Valley. Thinking of taking 2-3 rifles because the terrain is variable. Idea?

270 Winchester 4 x 12 scope shoots 1 minute of an angle at 8.4 pounds

308 Winchester Remington 750 semi auto shoots 1.25 minute of angle with 2 x 10 scope 8.5 pounds

338 Winchester Winlite 1.5 minute of an angle 4 x 12 scope 8.25 pounds

Brush gun: Rossi R 92 44 magnum 20" barrel Or lastly...

Weatherby 300 Winchester Magnum with 4 x 16 scope and weight is 10.25 pounds; one minute of angel

Thinking of walking and glassing, sit and wait, or walk remote thicket and abandoned forest service roads

Time of day: 11-2 pm and dusk

Ideas? Much Thanks.

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[BaggerRyder]

Shotgun with a turkey tag in your pocket and the .300 WM.
You'll be sitting and glassing or driving and glassing so the weight of your Weatherby shouldn't be an issue unless you plan on hiking miles on some of the closed roads.

My experience with bear hunting isn't busting through deep timber or miles on boots. Nice easy hikes to glassing points or driving to glassing points and getting out and sitting.
I actually think you can't go wrong with any of your rifles. Maybe pick the one that doesn't rust when your eyes water and the one you shoot the best.

Good luck with your hunt! I have a tag for that unit as well.

 

[osprey]

Put a variable scope with lower bottom magnification on that .270 and call it a day.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Out of the rifles listed....
Another vote for the Winchester in .270....with a lower power fixed scope something like a 4X or 6X...
Or lower power variable scope in the 2X-7X or 3X-9X range .
Andy

 

[Val1884]

338 in case that 400+ lb bear gets in the way. Tracked too many wounded bears ima 338 guy now

 

[Tlock]

338 in case that 400+ lb bear gets in the way. Tracked too many wounded bears ima 338 guy now

They can be tuff critter. I killed a 560# black bear with a subsonic 22 with 1 shot

 

[Val1884]

Spring snare or foothold ?

They can be tuff critter. I killed a 560# black bear with a subsonic 22 with 1 shot

Yeah some critters just don't wanna die. Seen one in the brush that had a broken back double shoulders an lung shot an he still was popping jaws an wanting a piece of me as I finished off that ornery bear.

 

[BaggerRyder]

My 250lb boar was the same way. Hit him through one lung and shoulder with .338. He dropped but got up and headed down the hill towards me. 2 more shots to keep him down.
He had broken incisors, a tore up ear, scars all over his face and raw skin around his neck that the ODFW check in guy said was probably from a snare. Tough SOB.

 

[Tlock]

My 250lb boar was the same way. Hit him through one lung and shoulder with .338. He dropped but got up and headed down the hill towards me. 2 more shots to keep him down.
He had broken incisors, a tore up ear, scars all over his face and raw skin around his neck that the ODFW check in guy said was probably from a snare. Tough SOB.

That's crazy! No one I know uses neck snares for bears and his head would be to big for a coyote snare. All bears are caught in culvert traps or foot snares.

 

[BaggerRyder]

The employee at ODFW didnt think a snare specifically for a bear. He just said maybe had gotten into a snare or something that he wore for a few years before it came off.

I thought it looked like it could have been from a collar. He didn't think so.

Either way this fella was either a brawler or got himself into a lot of trouble on the neighboring ranch property over the years before I got him.

 

[tkdguy]

I think I have figured this out with your help. Going with 270 Winchester and 338 WM; the former if encounter Cougar while Bear Hunting. The 338 as the main sit and glass rifle.

 

[TTSX]

I have a .375 Ruger for a brown bear hunt that will probably never materialize. Inside of 300 it well overpowers .338 WM, But further than that it tapers off fast. Terrible BC. I feel very comfortable with it, MOA shooter. Probably more than you need and it's a reloader's cartridge...

 

[Koda]

I think I have figured this out with your help. Going with 270 Winchester and 338 WM; the former if encounter Cougar while Bear Hunting. The 338 as the main sit and glass rifle.

why chose the one thats less accurate and most recoil? The 270 will take any bear.

 

[Kcee]

I wish I had a quad with tracks when I did forestry, lol!

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6McM9ibUe4

 

[tkdguy]

why chose the one thats less accurate and most recoil? The 270 will take any bear.

TAKING BOTH; 338 AS THE SECOND FOR BACKUP IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE 270.

 

[Koda]

TAKING BOTH; 338 AS THE SECOND FOR BACKUP IN CASE SOMETHING HAPPENS TO THE 270.

Ah, got it now. A backup rifle isnt a bad idea out there...