Any Bear Tips?

[Capt. Fred]

Hi Guys. I've got an invite to hunt a farm in my area that has had some issues with bears. We have a lot of bear in the area and they are huge for black bear. 500 and 600 pounders are taken every season with some even bigger than that taken in this area.

I shoot a .54 roundball with 90 grains FFF. As I understand it, the vitals on a bear are a little higher than midway up. Is that true?

I'll be either stalking or stand hunting and I don't plan on shooting past 50 yards.

It seems like the ideal shot would be quartering away and broadside would be second. Any other thoughts?

Thanks.

 

[Little Wattsy]

Big bears have ALOT of hair, hide, fat, meat, and bone just to get to the vitals.... I like a more broad-side shot then not. Just :2
Good Luck! :thumbsup:

 

[Shifty]

Hey Capt, I live right over here in East Tenn, I'd really like to join you some time when I get my new 58 Hawken finnished. Try directing your ques to Green Mountain Boy I think he could ans . Shifty :grin:

 

[saber]

in deep snow they will drag there bellys broadside is ok just wait till they move there leg forward 50 yards or less butt of the ear works good

 

[biliff]

The vitals tend to lie a little further forward than what most people are used to for shooting deer. The belly hair can also throw you off as to where the hair ends and the bear begins.

 

[Capt. Fred]

In that picture it seems like I am really going to want that near leg to be forward.

Shifty, I'll see how it goes over there! :thumbsup:

Saber, it is funny you should mention the belly thing. I spoke to a taxidermist friend of mine and he told me that one of the bear that was shot in the early season didn't have any hair on its belly. He asked the hunter why and the hunter told him that the bear was so fat that it had worn all the hair off from dragging its belly on the ground. The taxidermist didn't believe him so the guy produced a picture taken by a game camera and it showed the belly clearly dragging on the ground!! That bear was way over 700 lbs.

These bear are living on peanuts,soy beans, and sweet potato.

 

[paulvallandigham]

Consider using a ball cast of wheel weights, so that its extra hard. That makes for better penetration through thick fur, skin, and fat to get to the vital organs. Then, you might want to up that powder charge to at least 100 grains, if accuracy stays good.

I think the hardest problem you will have is accurately estimating the size and weight of any bear you see. Even the small ones look bigger because of the dark fur. ( Not all "Black Bears" are black. Colors range from coal Black, to honey Brown.)

The distance between the ears should be longer than the ears are tall, for the big ones. You want the head to look wider than the neck. :thumbsup:

 

[Capt. Fred]

Good tips. Thanks Paul. I've got a friend who is an experienced bear hunter and that's what he says too. It can be really hard to tell the size.

I'll check a 100 grain load to see how it shoots.

Most of this is going to be for next year. There's only one week left in the season this year and I'll probably only get to hunt over there one or two days next week. Next year though, I'll be better prepared.

 

[Pete Gaimari]

Don't miss.

 

[BrownBear]

With a 54 cal and your load, I don't think I'd even bother with hard balls. The angles of shots you're taking won't require stem to stern penetration, and there could be a lot of value kill-wise in a ball that expanded a bit.

I happen to be using 90 grains of 3f in my favorite 54 too, and the attached photo shows a Hornady RB I recovered from a large buck. It smashed completely through the spine front-to-back low in the neck, stopping under the hide. That was at 55 yards. We're talking somewhere around 18" and as much bone as you could find on a deer with radar. On a broadside bear shot you won't be seeing near as much bone, and I'd expect it to expand less while penetrating a whole lot more. I'd cover a bet that you'll get full penetration on broadside shots.

 

[Capt. Fred]

Yikes! :thumbsup:

 

[BrownBear]

Yikes is right. You have a good rig and load there. I'd use it with confidence. :thumbsup:

 

[Cheyenne]

Only other thing I can think of is to always take along someone you can out run. :thumbsup:

 

[texcl]

Last year I shot a bear with my .58 virginia with a slightly hardened rb. I put the ball right through the shoulders breaking all sorts of bones the ball exited not to be recovered (and I dug for a while to find it)The load was 90grns of 3f and a .562 round ball if I remember correctly. Now I use 85grns. for everything since I've never recovered a roundball from any animal with the .58( and I shoot alot of animals). I've seen alot of new bear hunters shoot too low because of all the hair and fat that hangs down. I judge where I shoot from the back down not the brisket up like many do with deer.

 

[Capt. Fred]

That's how I do it on deer. I line up with the back and then drop down to where I want to be. Texcl, how's the recoil on that .58 with that load?

Cheyenne, I'm not sure I could find anyone who runs slower than me!

 

[Shifty]

Hey Capt, I my older Hawken I shoot 90 to 110 grns. FFG with .570 RB 10 or 12 thous pillow tick patch mink oil lube , recoil is not bad for first 5-6 shots after that I start putting some padding on my shoulder but you want need that when hunting youll just have a good shove. Buy the way this Hawken will put 3 balls into one ragged hole at 50 yds with the 110 grn load. Good enuff for me. Shifty

 

[saber]

Just remember some times you get the bear and some times the bear get you or at least that is how it works up here but at 50 or less yrds you should beable to shoot right through him never had trouble with a black bear but I do not pick on a grizz unless it is a must shoot thing and only from rest 50 yrds close and he has no idea I am there ear only

 

[Shifty]

Hey saber, I don't know if I could shoot a Grizzly with a ML without a good cool back up that I really trusted you know a lot more about them than me ,when I was out in Montana a few yr ago hiking in Glacier there was a few times that my hair would stand on end and everyting would be silent those Grizzly scare the shxx out of me . Shifty

 

[courdebois]

A couple yrs ago i shot one with my 58 flinter(yeager) 100 grns ffg,neck shot at 25 yds, over bait so the distance was almost constant,i practiced by shooting from the top of my garage at targets so i was confident of my shot placement,the only problem was my taxidermist had to sow up a big hole. the bear did not move,fell rite on the spot

 

[Capt. Fred]

From what I've read, the .58 is a ruthless roundball caliber out to 80 or 100 yds or so and then drops off quickly unless you really pack in the powder. I found an article on line where somebody chronographed it and it had a crapload of energy at the ranges we generally shoot compared to the .54. At 25 yards I'll bet that bear dropped!!

I'm collecting parts to build a Mike Brooks Klette and I'm seriously considering a .58 barrel for it. It should be ready by next season and I would feel a little better having it sighted in for close range. My .54 is sighted so it is a little high at 50 and a little low at 100. I think I'd prefer the .58 sighted right on at 50 yds for these critters. I know the .54 will do it if I do my part, but no reason not to have that extra energy if possible.

Shifty, it's good to hear that your .58 isn't too bad. The Klette will have a BIG wide butt plate on it so that should help too on the recoil issue.

:thumbsup: :thumbsup: