Bear Gun?

To the group:

Just a quick question. What would be the minimum caliber recommended to hunt black bear?

Black bear aren't particularly tough...A 30-30 Winchester is plenty.

I would say the 7mm caliber. This would include the 7mm Mauser and the 7mm-08. As an added benefit, I would use a fairly heavy bullet. A premium bullet such as the Nosler Partition in 160 gr. or 175 gr. would be my choice.

Bob Gourley

Any weapon that would work for a whitetail deer would be fine for black bear as well.

How will you be hunting these bears? If over baits I prefer a 45/70 or 444 Marlin. If a spot and stock out west I would use a flat shooting caliber that can reach out to 400 yards.

In the thick stuff: 30-30. The all-time Pennsylvania record black bear - over 600 lbs liveweight - was taken with one shot from a 30-30. Out in the open field: 6.5X55 Swedish Mauser. 'Way over yonder: whatever can deliver at least 140 grains to arrive at at least 2100 fps within 4' of your intended impact point. As soon as your setup (of which you are a part) cannot do all three, the black bear is beyond your effective range.

You did specify 'recommended minimums'. As a rule of thumb, 'most anything that works on whitetail or mule deer in a situation will kill black bears in the same situation, as long as you stay away from really lightweight bullets.

Or do I misunderstand your question? Are you looking for an excuse to buy another rifle?