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270 for bear

5K views 46 replies 24 participants last post by  hunterdan199 
#1 ·
Now I love the big bores but I have a 270 carbine that shoots lights out with Barnes tsx 150 grains. Would you guys feel under gunned for bear in pa ??????
 
#7 ·
The nut behind the bolt makes a big difference. You're using a good penetrating bullet so as long as you can make a good shot it should be fine. IMO it's important to take out BOTH lungs on a bear. Even a deer can go a long way with a one lung hit. Having spent a good amount of time in a Maine bear camp I've seen several non-recovered with hits from 270s.... but there's lots of variables. The guide there will no longer guide hunters with less than a 28 caliber shooting at least a 170 grain bullet. Quite a few lost with bow hits also. Take from that what you will. I do not think a 270 is plenty, but it should do the job with the bullet you're using and a double lung hit.
 
#24 ·
The 270 in any reasonable bullet is way more than needed for any black bear. I've taken B&C black bear using 270Win 140 accubond, also taken a B&C bear at 165 yds with a 257 barnes 100. Hunted in the high arctic with eskimos and their preferred round for polar bear and interior griz was the 243. As they say too small for a white man but just right for an eskimo.
My main concern would be using such a long bullet like the .277 150 barnes unless I had a fast twist barrel. Barnes says that bullet requires a 1:9.5 twist. Most 270's are 1:10. The bullet may fly accurate and make round holes in a paper target but probably when it hits mass it will destabilize and tumble, there is a reason they are specifying it requires at least a 9.5 twist. The penetration path will not be straight and you'll end up with a bent bullet rather than an expanded tip. I now use barnes 130 lrx in my 270wsm. These are more than capable of handling anything in North America.
 
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#27 ·
I agree completely. I should have quoted the post previous to mine which made it seem as though some bullets “tumble” after entering an object while others don’t. This was attributed to the twist rate recommended by the manufacturer. Although I strongly agree twist rate affects stability of a bullet in flight, I question how much it affects the bullet post penetration. The Barnes TSX is a great penetrating bullet.
 
#29 ·
If your hunting in thick stuff I would imagine your shoots aren't going to be past 75 to100 yards. That said, if your 270 shoots that 150 grn. Barnes bullet accurately and you can get an accurate shot on a bear put that bullet right through both shoulders and I'll guarantee you'll have a dead bear right there.
 
#30 ·
I shot two bears in New Brunswick, Canada with a .270, albeit smaller bears. This outfitter and guides do not care for the .270 because they have seen a lot of wounded bears with this caliber. I don't make it a habit of using this caliber for bears, but wanted to prove that it could be done. As always, it's all about shot placement. Note, the bear in my picture was not killed with a .270 :) (that was a 300 WSM).
 
#33 ·
For what it's worth - Please consider your hunting scenario/ types go shots you may take. My belief is with a properly constructed bullet you need a minimum of 1,900 lbs/ft of energy at the point of impact to ethically harvest bear and elk- sized game. Also, your bullet must be at a high enough velocity to properly expand. Thus, this eliminates just about all 6mm cartridges. For the most part these rifles cannot produce that energy at the muzzle or lose that within 25 yards. Although, I do not condone it I did have a friend harvest a 220lb sow using a 6mm Rem with a well placed shot in the boiler room.

If you are using a rifle chambered for a cartridge that is on the marginal side for MINIMUM energy (6mm, .243, .257 even 30-30) , consider using a more powerful cartridge that you can confidently shoot. In PA Bear hunting where the shots are within 100 yards a .270, .308, .30-06 are great. Even better are .32 W.S. , .35 Remington, .35 Whelen, and 45-70. If your shots are longer than 150 yards 7mm Mags and up are what I would consider appropriate. Beyond 350 yards and I would suggest 300 Mags and up. Bear are tough animals period.
 
#34 ·
If you are using a rifle chambered for a cartridge that is on the marginal side for MINIMUM energy (6mm, .243, .257 even 30-30) , consider using a more powerful cartridge that you can confidently shoot. In PA Bear hunting where the shots are within 100 yards a .270, .308, .30-06 are great. Even better are .32 W.S. , .35 Remington, .35 Whelen, and 45-70.
If using energy as a gauge of effectiveness, I really don't see how you would put the .32 Special and .35 Rem as superior to the .270 Win., .30/06, and .308 Win.. While I have a lot of love for the .32 WS and .35 Rem., ballistically speaking the other calibers are superior.
 
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