I didn't say a 300wm wouldn't kill a coastal brown bear but insinuated that it would be questionable if the bear would die before the shooter. During my four year stint in Alaska, I was part of a sportsman's club that would meet during the middle of winter for show and tell sessions. Of some 50 or so stories about coastal brown bear hunts, not a one was put down first shot. These were all with .375 H&H or .458 wm's. In every instance the bear would charge the direction that the shot came from. The taxidermist that was a part of the club brought in bear skulls and showed that the skull of the adult browns are solid bone 5" or more thick in the front between the eyes. He explained that the only possible way to get to the brain from the front is to shoot through the nose and sinus cavity or the optic nerve canal. He personally found out that was not a good idea when a brown bear charged down a hill at him while hunting Sitka deer. The target was bouncing all over the place, he wasn't sure he even hit the bear. About twenty yards away the bear turned and ran into tall brush. He didn't find any blood. A professional guide who was a part of the group said that he would require his clients to be able to hit four swinging plates within ten seconds from the first shot with 375 H&H or bigger cartridges. The targets were at 100, 75, 50 and 25 yards. The guide said he was tired of soiling his pants and was having a custom 50 cal built. Two army officers had slides of their unguided hunt the first year an area was reopened. That first afternoon they went out after having decided who would get the first shot at a brown bear. About a quarter mile from camp a large bear head was visible about a hundred yards away and the shooting began. Between the two of them they had expended fifteen rounds of 375 & 458 ammo before the bear rolled into the stream dead. While skinning the bear and discussing the adventure they realized that their rifles were about twenty yards away on the bank and they only had twelve rounds of ammo left with the rest of it back at camp. This is real world brown bear hunting. Underestimate brown bear and you stand a very good chance becoming the bear's last meal.
