Big Bore Lead vs Jacketed bullets

[MtnMike2]

I own a Winchester Model 1886 in 45-70. I reload and want to put together some cartridges for black bear. There are some hot rounds on the market that use pure lead bullets - Garrett, Buffalo Bore, even Cor-Bon seems to be a lead bullet. Is there any advantage to using a pure lead / alloy bullet as opposed to a jacketed bullet ?

[Rocky Raab]

Several, actually.

For one, most rifles in .45-70 are designed for cast bullets. The leade, rifling and twist rate are optimized for lead.

For another, cast bullets will generally give a bit more velocity at lower pressure than jacketed. That can be important for some rifle designs, where a somewhat weaker design can be offset a bit by the performance of lead.

Finally, almost nothing penetrates better than a hard-cast lead bullet. Most jacketed designs are designed to expand. That may be fine in some game, but in tougher critters like black bear, it is usually a mistake. Deep penetration through the vitals is called for, not a shallow wound.

[bsterns]

I would like to know what size caliber to use for black bear. I have a hunt lined up for next September in Minnesota. Tree stand over baited area. 338-06 and 8mm mauser are my largest calibers. I have loads of 185gr. and 220 gr. for the 8X57 and 200, 225, and 250 gr. loads in the 338-06. I also have 300 Win Mag and 7mm Rem Mag. I would appreciate any comments on the proper caliber and bullet type. Thanks.

[Rocky Raab]

From a stand over bait, any rifle from the .30-30 and up will do fine. Pick a heavyish standard bullet or one designed for penetration (Partition or Barnes TSX, for example) and try to put your shot between the shoulders.

[RugerNo3]

If it's into late afternoon towards dark, a second followup is better insurance. Anchor it for sure. If he gets out of sight, there's no telling how much fight is left in him. They die hard.