Will a flintlock stop a bear?

[hanshi]

:hmm: Hmmm, "will a flintlock stop a bear?" Yeah, but you're gonna have to shoot him with it! :wink:

 

[BrownBear]

I resisted telling this story when the thread was new, but can't resist now. It's pretty fitting.

Back in the 70's I was in my favorite gun shop, discussing the shape of the world with the owner over cups of coffee. He's the nicest guy in the world, easy going and soft spoken.

The door opened and this young guy kinda slides in sideways, the last thing to appear being a relatively new cast on his right hand and forearm.

"Is it here yet?" he asks.

The soft spoken shop owner bridled like a pit bull and growled "I told you I'd call you when it was here, dammit!" The guy fled back out the door.

I was shocked speechless. I'd never heard this guy raise his voice, much less mistreat a customer.

I had to ask, and here's the answer I got:

"That stupid #$!@#%!!!!. He's not just lucky I'll even talk to him, he's lucky he and his girlfriend are still alive."

What the.....

It turns out the guy and his girlfriend were out for a Sunday drive and saw a brown bear in a snowy field. It was bear season and he had a tag, so he pulled out his TC 50 cal Hawken and shot it at about 75 yards. The thing pitched forward and landed on its nose in the snow, and lay there.

Our hero got all excited, grabbed his camera and girlfriend and ran forward for a trophy photo. He was standing there with his foot on the head and the Hawken in his hand while the girlfriend shot a picture.

Then the bear woke up. :shocked2:

He hadn't reloaded and his supplies were back in the car. He spun the rifle around and did a real Davey Crockett. He whacked it over the head and knocked it down, breaking off the butt stock in the process.

Are you getting the picture now?

He ran all the way back to his car, reloaded the Hawken with "lots of powder" and ran back to his girlfriend and the now up and staggering bear.

He stuck the barrel in its ear and pulled the trigger.

Sure enough killed the bear, and he was happy in spite of the recoil breaking several bones in his hand and fingers in the process.

He had come back to the shop wanting either a refund on the gun or a free replacement stock from TC.

Far as I know he eventually did get a free stock, but the owner's last words to him were that TC warranty didn't cover replacement girlfriends. :rotf:

 

[larry wv]

Good story BB sounds like he needed to buy a lottery ticket. :rotf: Larry Wv

 

[longbow1]

I don't think so-----------------bears weren't around until the percussion rifle showed up. :rotf:

 

[Stumpkiller]

Staghold patented the flintlock harpoon gun in 1772 and it was a successful design that changed whaling.

Beat that - a 35 ton animal killed all over the place with a smoothbore flintlock!

:blah: :blah: :blah:

Or how about a 4 bore elephant gun - GunBroker just had a 4 bore flintlock! (Another smoothbore!) :rotf:

 

[longbow1]

Just forget the rifle ------------------You will need a very sharp knife so you can cut your own throat so you won't know what he is about to do to you

 

[2001guns]

In the late 1800s Sylvester "Bear" Scott, in northern California, killed HUNDREDS of gris, blackies and mountain cats, with his .54 caliber S. Hawken. All this is well documented in numerous news articles. He died in 1903 from "consumption, In bed, boots off.

 

[Grenadier1758]

It's different if one is hunting the bear or if the bear is charging.

 

[FlinterNick]

I’ve kinda got hooked on the TV show “I Shouldn’t Be Alive.” Several of the episodes deal with bear attacks in the woods. Some of the people are hunters with high powdered rifles some are unarmed, The ones with high powdered rifles didn’t fair any better than the unarmed people.
That begs a question. Do you think a flintlock would stop a griz or brown bear with one shot? You are a deer hunter. I know there are extenuating circumstances involved but say you are surprised at close range and you have a .54 cal, or so, flintlock in your hands, are you lunch?

Give it a try let us know how it goes !

 

[Salt River Johnny]

About 1818 a hunter in Kty had a round with a bear... One day I got badly scared. I shot a bear in the loins. It made a terrible squalling and snapping at the place where it was wounded, and tried to drag itself to a thicket. I started to head him off until I could load my gun, and had reached a point about ten feet below him. He made no halt, but came straight at me with his mouth open. The hill being very steep and the ground covered with frost, my feet slipped and I fell on
my knees. I struck at him with my gun and threw myself forward on the ground. He ran over my back, and made no stop until he reached the thicket. I must have struck him a hard blow, as the stock of the gun was badly shattered; the lock and breech, however, were all right. After loading my gun I went to within ten steps of him, but for my life I could not take aim. I had the "buck thumps." I had to go thirty steps back to get a rest for my gun.

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[Rudyard]

About 1818 a hunter in Kty had a round with a bear... One day I got badly scared. I shot a bear in the loins. It made a terrible squalling and snapping at the place where it was wounded, and tried to drag itself to a thicket. I started to head him off until I could load my gun, and had reached a point about ten feet below him. He made no halt, but came straight at me with his mouth open. The hill being very steep and the ground covered with frost, my feet slipped and I fell on
my knees. I struck at him with my gun and threw myself forward on the ground. He ran over my back, and made no stop until he reached the thicket. I must have struck him a hard blow, as the stock of the gun was badly shattered; the lock and breech, however, were all right. After loading my gun I went to within ten steps of him, but for my life I could not take aim. I had the "buck thumps." I had to go thirty steps back to get a rest for my gun.

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I only shot one Black Bear with a 451 conical at perhaps 25 yards with my Ml rifle It likley didnt see me I did need meat but Ide rather have gone without as "Ive regreted it ever since I regard them as' furry people' many times Ive had them near me one even woke me up in my Moskito net camped on a River bar on the Homathka River BC Don't know who was the most frightened 'I gave it a right mouthfull of unkind abuse but I feared Moskitos more than Bears I've been weeks amongst them you see the tracks & claw marks but I was just passing though for adventure 12 to 17 day long" Passages' as I called them. I hitched the Alaska highway to Dawson City camped out all the time got snow on the Klondike but not enough to bother I was used to camping by suitable spots .I became the'Lord Mayor of Glenora ' on the Stikine on the way back South & a Taltan shared my camp at Edwards River Junction still in snow didnt have a gun ide been working in Calgary & just thought Ide have a' looksee' at Dawson ice was breaking on the Yukon river broke out but still 4 feet or more deep in thickness No Bear ever really seemed a threat The Tag was just 50c but I would never think killing a Bear as' gloroius 'its murder .There not evil we are My same gun faced a curois Bull moose right up close & personal but Ide no desire to kill it gun just had a few grains & a ball anyway .but I talked it out of further action & it left back to the Cow in the Mosley Creek This seems familiar might be Oh well makes my point .
Regards Rudyard