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Top black bear hunting cartridges for 2024

Ron Spomer believes a good old .30-30 Winchester remains a fine option for hunting black bears. This hunter used a M464 Mossberg lever-action loaded with Hornady’s 140-grain copper Mono-Flex bullet. (Photo courtesy of Ron Spomer)

Black bear hunters are endlessly trying to figure out which rifle/cartridge/bullet is best, and we have the simple answer: most all of them.
I’m being facetious here, but to make a point: black bears are not tanks. Most whitetail cartridges suffice for terminating black bears. The bullets, however, sometimes leave much to be desired, specifically having adequate expansion, coupled with penetration.

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