Bear Vitals: The ideal double lung vital shot to take is when a bear is broadside with his closest foreleg moved forward so you can follow the back of that leg up and aim between ⅓ and ⅔ of the chest cavity, slightly behind the line of the leg.

A bear’s most vital area is an 8″; circle behind the front shoulder. The best shot opportunity is a broadside shot or “quartering away” for penetration into the vital organs. To take your shot, wait for the bear to step forward with the near side leg exposing the heart/lung area.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is an adequate cartridge for hunting black bear as long as shots are taken within 500 yards. Black Bear have heavy shoulder bones, so use a heavy bullet of at least 140 grains and a controlled-expansion bullet, but most hunters report the 6.5 Creedmoor performs well on black bear.

308 Winchester. If you’re looking for a one-cartridge answer for all methods of black-bear hunting, it boils down to the . 308 Winchester, as it does for just about every other type of big-game hunting in North America.

The most effective shots are delivered to an animal’s vital organs—heart and lungs. In large game animals, these organs lie in the chest cavity behind the front shoulder. A lung shot is the most effective shot for big game. The area of the vital organs also contains major blood vessels and arteries.

If you hope to hunt and then shoot a big bear at a reasonable distance, the . 308 will kill him just like it will kill an elk. Look, if you want to shoot big game animals out beyond a quarter of a mile with regularity and success, again you’ll need a specialized rifle and cartridge.

The Best Ammo for Black Bear Hunting

• 10 | . 375 Ruger. Do you want a big gun?
• 1 | 6.5 Creedmoor. This is the “new kid on the block.” Born in 2007, it isn’t an old ammo option.
• 2 | . 270 Win.
• 3 | . 280 Rem.
• 4 | 7mm-08 Rem. This caliber was introduced approximately 40 years ago.
• 5 | . 308 Win.
• 6 | . 30-06 SPRG.
• 7 | . 300 Win Mag.