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Here’s a detailed look at the top black bear cartridges for rifles and handguns.

If there were ever a classic rifle design—one that would go on to spawn innumerable copies—it is the Mauser 98. While the vast majority of American hunters rely upon the multitude of popular American bolt-action rifles, they owe a huge debt of gratitude to Paul Mauser’s turnbolt design.

In 2003, Finnish firearms manufacturer Sako released its own variant of the 9.3mm rimless cartridge: the 9.3x66mm Sako, or as it is known in the U.S., the .370 Sako Magnum. It delivers performance on par with the beloved .375 H&H in a package which can hold one additional round in the magazine in a lighter rifle.

While there are many great predator cartridges to choose from, these practical choices rise to the top.

Each shooter’s recoil tolerance level is different, and some people appreciate flexibility over specific application, but these five cartridges will cleanly take any dangerous-game animal on earth.

The .350 Rigby Magnum is vastly overlooked even among rifle cranks but was at one time as popular as the .375 H&H Magnum. Released in 1908, it is an entirely original design, and was the first to feature the sharp 45-degree shoulder which is the hallmark of the Rigby designs.

Created for the battlefield, this military-turned-hunting cartridge is a top choice when pursuing big game both near and far.

There’s no denying that modern bullets are nothing short of amazing, but does that mean the older, classic designs are obsolete? Let’s take a closer look at the real-world differences between various bullet designs when used at hunting ranges.

Introduced in 1989, the .416 Remington Magnum is fully capable of handling any and all game, including the heavyweights like elephant, hippo, buffalo and coastal brown bears. Its trajectory is flatter than most would think, and recoil isn’t much heavier than the .375 H&H, yet the terminal results are visibly greater.