Rifle question for black bear

[ddd-shooter]

I have looked at the backfire recoil pad, seems like a good inexpensive up grade? Thank you guys for all the replies, currently shooting out to 100 yards, last summer and fall. Once basketball and wrestling get over we will get back out and see what our effective range will be but I am thinking 200 is a good poke for a younger shooter at this point.

I’ve got a friend who prefers the .243 for bear. Stacked up a pile of them also.
He switches to the 7mm-08 for deer.
Go figure

 

[SloppyJ]

It's 50% more recoil according to Backfire's calculations. You have to be very selective in your comparisons to claim that 7-08 is double the recoil of 243.

I also shot 12 gauge, 30-06, and even 45-70 before I was double digits in age or triple digits in weight, and I wouldn't hesitate to let others do the same as long as that's not the only shooting experience they have. Just because you give her a rifle with 15 ft-lbs of recoil doesn't mean it's the only rifle she can ever shoot. She still has a 243 (and maybe other things?) to practice with and continue to learn fundamentals. I don't ONLY take magnums to the range just because I own magnums.

The 243 will work for bear. If you really want to get her behind something she can hunt everything with for the rest of her life, the 7-08 is a great choice. A good recoil pad and a brake (my preference) or suppressor (I'm not a fan) will make the felt recoil right on par with the 243.

Basically, @Kshusker, I don't think you'll go wrong either way.

His post was about a 6.5prc..... reading comprehension.

 

[DosAmigos]

Get her comfortable shooting the 243 from different field positions and you will be fine.

 

[Poser]

I agree with many others that the .243 is sufficient. Black Bears aren't particularly "tough" as you might intuitively expect. A whitetail round is sufficient. I hunt bear with a 25-06. If you want a new gun, the 7mm-08 would also be entirely sufficient.

 

[Snowwolfe]

Won’t argue that black bears are easy to kill. But they are way easier to track if there is an entrance and exit wound hole.
7mm/08 would be my choice if the rifle fit her and the recoil did not bother her.