is a 243 win shotin hornady a leathel gun against black bears or is a 7mm mag shotin remingtons

[Kelzey Gallagher]

is a 243 win shotin hornady a leathel gun against black bears or is a 7mm mag shotin remingtons

[Hunter4life]

both would be lethal at close range with one shot to the heart. A shot in the face, niether gun would kill it. Shot placement is key. a 243 to the heart is way more deadly than a 300 win mag to the face, because the bullet bounces off of the skull because of the angle of the skull. Been there done that.

[Bo]

I, for one, would be reluctant to use a caliber as small as a .243 for any animal which, when injured could become irritated, and therefore, dangerous. Shot placement is always key, but my old friend Mr Murphy will do his best to make sure that the all important shot will be off just a little bit. Can a .243 kill a bear. In a perfect world, yes. But, we do not live in a perfect world and stuff happens. If you are hunting bear, you need a bigger gun. I'm not sure I would trust a 7mm mag except at close range. You need a caliber that at the very least starts with .3 and it would be good if it has mag somewhere behind it, like .300 win mag or .338 mag. You want as much energy as you can when you are hunting a potentially dangerous animal like bear. Even black bears when irritated can hurt you really bad. You need to kill him, not tick him off.

[nickd56]

Agreed, a .243 is too light a caliber for a black bear...If you're concerned with recoil, try a .35 Remington or the old standby, a .30/06....Bo is dead on regarding shot placement, whichever you choose (other than the .243) shot placement is very important, so be sure to practice and be sure you understand shot placement. There is alot of information on line about bear anatomy....being a sharpshooter won't be help much if you don't know where to shoot! Good Luck!

[Sharkfin]

Why would you shy away from a 7mm Rem Mag? At 200 yards a 300 Win Mag delivers 2578lbs of energy, the 7mm Rem Mag delivers 2520lbs. A 7mm Rem Mag will make a bear just as dead as a 300 Win Mag.

[rrmont]

I would stay way from the .243, the 7 mm mag is enough gun to take bear hunting. I would also use a bonded bullet, you don't want one that will come apart on impact.

[bear hunter]

I'd go with the 7mm but a .243 can kill em

[Bo]

SCHuntman,
It's a personal preference, I like the larger bores for the more critical situations. 7mm is a smaller bore than any of the .30's it runs .270-.280 which is fine for deer and elk. I prefer to know that the bullet has a larger diameter. I feel the same way about handguns and don't carry anything smaller than a .44 caliber except when I'm shooting .22. I don't own any middle ground calibers. I start with a .22 then jump to a .44 or .45. It's just gut feeling I picked up over the years and I admit it may not be scientific but I am much more comfortable with the bigger bores on potentially dangerous situations, and bears have a potential to be pretty dangerous. And Mr Murphy seems to keep away from me when I use the bigger bores.

[Big O]

I'd stick with the 7mm. Bears have got teeth and claws.

[chrisb9381]

1. Check your local game laws. In WA state where i live there is a .30 caliber minimum required for blackbear season so a .243 is illegal

2. Personal opinion: when hunting something that can hunt you back carry all the gun you can handle and shoot well (AKA accurately).

3. it doesnt matter how big or small the rifle is if the shot placement sucks the bear isn't going down.

[CCMJS]

Bring enough gun.

[Bull Elk]

You are certifiably nuts to hunt bears with a .243. I'm sorry if my comments are too strong for some, but undergunning for a predator such as a black bear is not only unwise and ill advised, it is plain unfair to the bear. If your shot is not well placed in a kill area the bear could suffer and you may spend a long time tracking it. As hunters, we have a moral and eithical obligation to the animal to do our best for a clean and immediate kill.

[WildBill404]

"1. Check your local game laws. In WA state where i live there is a .30 caliber minimum required for blackbear season so a .243 is illegal"

That's not true. WA's requires a minimum .24 caliber. If that were true then all the bears killed in this state with .270's and 7mm's would be illegal.

For the original question, I'd rather not use a .243 on bears. If it was all I had, I guess I'd use it and just be very selective about my shots.