Roundball Bear Load

[longcruise]

After looking at the bear photos in rawhide's topic, I seriously doubt that my .54 charged with 85 grains 2f would break through a shoulder for a quick kill. Would a .62 loaded with a roundball and 100 grains 2f?

I think we may go a bit overboard with concern about what it may take to kill a black bear. A bear that weighs as much as a full size cow elk would be a huge bear and we kill big elk with 54s all the time. In fact it seems to be the most commonly used caliber for elk.

Bear bones may be a bit heavier, but not by much.

We also seem to get a bit over excited about the outcome of a confrontation with a black bear but incidents of that type with black bears are very, very, very rare. No more likely to happen while bear hunting than when squirrel hunting.

 

[Tony Logan]

I think Davey Crockett used a .48 caliber. He took over 100 bears in West TN one season, if I remember right. One was around 500lb. I would have to read the autobiography again. Maybe someone else knows these figures

 

[cratwelder]

I have taken bear with a recurve, a flinter, and a caplock, and a 30-06. Still hunt em in WA and ID. My flinter is a 45 with a 445 roundball over 70 grains 3f...has killed 3 deader than last weeks mackeral. My recurve pulls 48 lbs(Last time I shot a bear with it was early 90's over bait in WA) and that cedar shaft never slowed down. Black bear are not extraordinarily hard to kill. Between my wife's cousin Mark and I, we have taken 17 between us....wait for a broadside shot and lung em....just like you would with an arrow...if you pop both lungs average time to death rattle less than 60 secs...heart shot they last a little longer but not much.
Just my experience. I am not a pro bear hunter, this is just my personal experience after harvesting 7 of em in the past 20 years(1 with 30-06, 3 with flinter 45,2 with the recurve, and 1 with a borrowed 50 TC Hawkin shooting a patched RB)

Enjoy the hunt have fun...and be safe.

 

[Tony Logan]

45caliber bear gun. Now that sounds interesting, I am going to NC this winter on a hound hunt and was planning on taking the 66 smooth bore, guide says he gets 300-400 lb bears on NC coast. I think it might be overkill, maybe I should check to see if the 45 is legal in NC,like it is in TN. I plan to field test it on some whitetails between now and then.

 

[cratwelder]

400-500 pounders???....my biggest went 300 maybe live weight......500 pounds?? I am thinking my rolling block in 45-70 with really stout loads!!!

 

[laufer]

i am leaving monday with .62 gun (.600 ball over dry patch, over wad, over 80 gr of ffg) and .62 back up pistol (.600 ball over dry patch, over wad, over 40 gr of fffg.

 

[Tony Logan]

I am talking live weight. My personal goal is to kill one as big as me. 190lbs -200lbs depending on how close it is to the holidays when I weigh myself. I am still looking to see if the 45 caliber is legal in NC
I am not bullsh$%ng ya, I read that Davy Crockett killed one around 500 lbs maybe it was the year he killed over 100 bears in West TN near the MS river.
I hope I dont see a 500 lber I at least want it to be up the tree when I shoot it, not lying on its back sweating and trying to catch his breath from getting run by the dogs

 

[nchawkeye]

Your .45 is legal here...He's not bsing...We have 3 farms in Gates County (south of Suffolk, VA)...There was one killed a couple of farms over that went over 500...Eastern NC is getting a name for larger bears...Funny, in the late 60s it was news if someone saw a bear...