bear rifle

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Ucanrun,
Sorry I am also guilty from drifting a bit out of the topic with the AR options. There are other very affordable and capable options but you are right we should not be drifting from the goal and provide you more accurate advice. I see this everywhere where it is hard to stay focused. With all that said I think I would go with the winmag due to availability of choices, better value/cost and versatility for the intended purpose. IMHO, anything bigger than that it is over bored in the 308 caliber.
 
The OP was what one out of the three? 300WSM, 300Win Mag, 300 Weatherby. Between the three i would go with the 300Win Mag first. 300WSM 2nd. I am not a big fan of 300Weatherby. Reason being, if you're on a hunt and need more ammo for some reason. Someone in your camp is more likely to have the Win Mag. The Weatherby cost way to much to shoot.
 
I agree with your reasoning but not bc of cost because i do handload to offset that cost
 
I have to stand up for a Weatherby i have taken a fair bit of game with my 300 WBY Mag & for under $500 what more would anyone need JMHO the Vanguard is offered in lots of the standard calibers . If hunted with a standard caliber it would be a Vanguard
 
I would load for my 300 WBY & then i would have plenty of rounds its so much cheaper than any factory load on the market& so much better i think at wally world a box of Remington in a 180 grn load $42.96 i can just about buy the bullets & powder for the price of just 20 rounds. Buy 100 bullets i use Remington PSPCL 180 they cost $20 here & a pound of Ramshot is about $ 17.99 i order a 8 ib can of the Ramshot Magnum & that will load 100 rounds i order several pounds of powder & 3 bricks of primers & iam set for months 5 boxes of the Wal-Mart Remingtons is $215.00 + Tax
 
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I've read, from Jack O'Connor, that Remington Core-lokt 180 grain in 30-06 will shoot through brown bears (grizzly), so contemporary 308 premium loadings ought to be enough for hunting when the bear is surprised, isn't enraged, but I can see the merit in hand loading delayed expansion 220 grain bullets in 300 Win Mag, that also can be bought off the shelf for $1 to $2 per cost average when needed: For bone breaking shots up close to dispatch an angry and wounded bear, in the close cover of woods, the more good practice a hunter has had with hard hitting bullets the better the outcome might be.
 
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i was under the impression we were talking about bear hunting, not bear defense? thats a real question not trying to be a smart ass.
 
I own both a 300 win mag and a 375 h&h mag. Both are available where dangerous big game is hunted. The weatherby offering may or may not be. As for stopping close, charging bears in the brown, kodiak size range I would use the biggest I could get. IE: 200 to 220 gr out of any 30 caliber rifle.For the really big bears though I would much prefer my 375 over any 30 caliber. That wasn't the question though so I would say a 300 win mag. FRJ
 
If I were to be in bear (big browns or grizzlies) country and hunting them in particular I would choose the 35 Whelen or one of the 338s. The reason I would choose these or maybe even bigger is because of the possibility of happening upon one of these big boys at really close range in a surprise situation. If you get surprised like that your shot may not be the well aimed planned shot you would be able to make from a stand or good vantage point. In that case I want a decisive fight stopper.

Now in answer to your question no it probably isn't but I would get the bigger caliber and pass on the 30.
 
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I own a Browning BLR in .300 WSM, but I don't consider that a bear rifle, it is my elk rifle instead. I wouldn't have any problem using it if that was all I had at the time a bear decided I was going to be his lunch, but I consider it nothing more than a supercharged 30-06. With 180 gr bullets, it can get the job done, but if it is grizzly, I want something with higher penetration. In reality, I would prefer my chances with my Marlin .444 loaded with Buffalo Bore 335 gr. Many scales place this higher on the list of stopping a bear.

In any case, I certainly wouldn't throw my BLR on the ground, but I just don't think of that rifle as my bear stopper. Of the three choice, the .300 WinMag has more ammo choices up to 240 gr and over 3500 ft-pds muzzle energy. Even this is on the low end of the scales for bear stoppers. .338 magnum and .375 H&H magnum is the usual criteria.
 
Maybe I missed it, but are we talking black or brown bear?
For black bear, .348 Win. (though tough to find) is Big Time Serious Black Bear medicine. Can't get one of those, get any .30-06. For Black or brown, a well placed shot with the right bullet a .30-06 will do the job.
 
I've hunted/shot/killed both blk. and brown bears, any of your choises will work just fine for any bear, "if" you load it with proper bullets, as it's the bullet that makes all the difference!

A "properly loaded" 30-06 has enough penetration to kill any big bear on the planet, and all three of your choises are more powerful than a 30-06. SO, choose the one you like, and NO i don't think the Wby. ammo is worth more than the Win. mag. ammo!

DM
 
I've shot three black bears with a .338 Win Mag. Absolutely unreal what is does to a bear with a 200gr Nosler Ballistic Tip.
 
.300 Win mag/.300 Wthrby

Win mag all the way, it will pretty much duplicate the weatherby for all practical purposes and cost less, it really shines when you handload and tailor it to your rifle and style of shooting.
 
I see nothing wrong with a 300 win mag for black bear, though I take my 338 win mag since I already own one. I think a good bullet like a Nosler Partition or something equivalent for busting through the shoulders in the 300 win mag is going to be just fine. Opinions vary, but thats my .02
 
I see the most important question was never answered.

Are you talking black bear, grizzly or brown Kodiak bear? Any of the 300 mags will easily take any of them. I actually like the WSM best. For black bear, any would work, but are WAY more than needed.
Click to expand...

Huge difference between black and brown bears. Black bears are often hunted with .357Mag revolvers so virtually any deer rifle will do. You certainly don't need a cannon for them. Brown bears are another matter entirely.
 
To answer your question I would go with the 300wm .Simply because its been around longer, more common, and will do anything the other 2 will do. I love how a thread with the word bear in it goes crazy.
 
Unless you purchase a rifle with a 26" barrel, skip Weatherby. If you have to have a magnum, go the .300 Win Mag. It is common enough you won't have issues locating ammo if you decide not to reload.

Geno
 
Answering to the OP question, in a 24" barrel rifle like the excellent Weatherby Vanguard (I own one in 338 Win Mag) you are not going to see any advantage in using the 300 Weatherby Magnum over the 300 Win Mag. Even in a 26" pipe the advantage is marginal and questionable at best.

The Win Mag round cost less (if you do not reload) and it is easier to find (they even sell it at Wal Mart around here).
 
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Well to settle this i ended up buying none of them and got a tikka t3 in 7mm rem mag lol. After looking at ballistics i decided thats what i wanted
 
Yea at the time i had my mind set on a .300 then i did more balistic research and found the 7mm a better option at long ranges
 
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