We have not yet had a good bear thread this week. I will toss this one out and offer up the following images of the advice rendered in 1951 by the guys at Hunting & Fishing magazine. (Jeez, that is 70 years ago.)
Shooting dangerous game is different than shooting deer. A heart shot is often not an immediately incapacitating shot. A double lung shot, even low, may leave 20-30 seconds of aggressiveness. The rule usually is break at least one or both shoulders to restrict movement, and then keep shooting for the kill.
However, if you know where the spine is, and that is difficult on a bear, especially if it has a big shoulder hump, a CNS shot is lights out.
These suggested shot placements, with priorities (1,2) are spot on. Notice they go for a shoulder or spine.
From 325 yards a buddy shot a big golden black bear feeding uphill and away from us. He hit the spine just in front of the hips. The .300 Weatherby Barnes TSX broke the spine, plowed through the diaphragm, exploded the heart and exited the front chest. The bear roared, rolled downhill paralyzed about 25 yards and died.
This was after he took a broadside shot at another bear at 100 yards, standing. He aimed for and hit the neck between the skull and the shoulder. Bear dropped right there, lights out. I did the same thing when I was 16. The bear was paralyzed so I put an anchoring shot in his heart.
I’ve seen another bear, running, hit with a .300 in the heart, run 100 yards into the woods before dying.
Shoulders to impede mobility and if missed will likely hit a vital area.
Been within about 30 yards of one, unintentionally in remote woods. Stopped my truck on a logging road to answer nature; went back into truck and looked in rear-view mirror and there the big fella just curiously stared at me while slowly crossing the path. I am fairly certain I woke it up when I closed the door the first time...all I had on me was a 642 and a song in my heart
This is the skull of a North Carolina black bear that was killed by a fallen tree or tree branch during a storm. It weighed in at 500# +/- and the ranger said it’s head was twice the size before it was skinned. The brain cavity is in the rear of the skull. A head shot on a charging bear appears to me to be difficult. I believe it was Wyatt Earp who said “take your time, in a hurry.”
I guess it is my age, but what came to my mind was from my childhood: "Wake up Jacob, Papa shot a bear, where did he shoot him at? Right in there.." This was followed by a rib tickle, of course.
I'm sure this was definitely NOT an anatomical paradigm to be followed while hunting bear.
Of the 2 grizzlies I was involved with...Both were wounded. First I wasn't sure of.. bear came at me angled a bit to the left. Bullet went in just to the left of the head and down the spinal column. An absolutely lucky shot with my 41 mag as he was DRT..again luckily. 2nd I shot was definitely wounded and I broke both shoulders with the first shot from my 375 H&H. 2 more JIC through the lungs. Many years ago in a galaxy far far away. Your adrenaline is spiking for certain. I have never intended to hunt grizzlies on purpose. But we do have quite a few in the area I hunt elk in. This may be my last elk season. I'm 74...too much work getting an elk
My BIL lived up in Alaska for about 7 years. He thought a .300 Win. made a might fine rifle for big game. He wouldn't listen to me. I tried to tell him a bolt-action was all wrong. He wouldn't listen! Personally, I'd grab my nice ever reliable always loaded and ready to go M-1 Garand and point the front sight end of the rifle at the bear and then proceed to pump nice .30-06 Armor Piercing round through his hood ornament. I figure after the first round, he wouldn't have any sinus problems ... headache or anything else to worry about. In fact, from just about any angle of presentation, that AP stuff will go in and through and right on out. I've used common plain Jane factory .30-06 to shoot deer, alligators, etc. from various angles. Complete penetration has been the norm. Even with Texas heart shots ... bullet just goes in making nice little hole and then out the other side ... leaving a bigger hole Shot one in the left hip to the side of the tail pipe and the bullet exited the right front shoulder. If I'd used AP ... it would have had enough zip to go right through any other deer standing down range. If my BIL had listened to me, he would have been able to use the M-1 for general shooting of game animals ... and if he ran out of ammo, he could stand there like a man and butts-stroke that animal in the head and then shove 8 inches of cold steel into its heart! But, my BIL just wouldn't listen. What a waste! What a waste! JMHO. Sincerely. bruce.
If I ever shoot a bear it will be self-defense. In that case, I will shoot at BEAR. I will shoot many times and it will be my intention to put more holes in the bear than he has fingers to plug them.
I had the biggest black bear I have ever seen on my deck just after bedtime last night. Actually, it was brown in color, but let's not quibble. BIG! My best ammunition is Cinco the Border Collie - who of course was on the inside of the door/window. Bark! Bark! Bark... Porchlight. What is that screaming? Oh, it's me! BIG bear kind of glances toward the window and nonchalantly ambles his bulk down the stairs. I like the thought of bears in the woods, and what they do in the woods ... just stay off my deck!
PS: It's kind of funny about these all too frequent bear encounters through the glass. Cinco is all ferocious until the bear leaves, then he is kind of sheepish after. What's that about? I'll be carrying a flashlight and a backup when we go for our evening walk in a few minutes.
The official Alaska Parks target is
indicating to shoot for the softest
parts of the bear's face, the cheeks,
eyes, mouth. Gives the best chances
of putting a bullet into the brain pan.
And besides, Grizzly Adams used to
say "it ain't sporting until you can
smell the bear's breath."
The official Alaska Parks target is
indicating to shoot for the softest
parts of the bear's face, the cheeks,
eyes, mouth. Gives the best chances
of putting a bullet into the brain pan.
I believe the thinking is more broad than that. Any bullet placed within that circle with sufficient penetration will hit shoulders or vitals if it misses the brain.
Bears have relatively thick skulls, but they aren’t elephants. A decent bullet will penetrate. Most bears in Alaska are killed with the .30-06.
If someone overthinks this and believes they have to somehow shoot past the head into shoulders or vitals, they’ll almost certainly miss, and an unpleasant experience will ensue.
I saw this thread and thought about where to aim before I saw Absolum's post with the bear target.......I'd already thought that if I had to shoot a charging bear "straight on" I would aim at his nose. Hopefully it would kill/disable him or if not at least he would have painful time trying to eat me.
He WAS shooting; unfortunate for him, it was a DSLR camera instead of a gun.
The story on that photo is grim; it's not a Photoshop. I can't remember the name of the guy, but he was a noted nature photographer and that was the last picture he ever took. Seems like it was about ten years ago.
One deer/bear season two hunters came from two valleys over looking for a wounded bear they shot, it was bad heavy pouring rain. I took them to where they were staying. At my camp the three of us went looking for a wounded bear, I’m packing a 338 wm, 225gr win sp. we went through all our dry clothes that day had to hit the laundry mat that night. Couldn’t find the wounded bear. The following season we shot a bear five minutes from my camp. Upon butchering I found a perfect 30 cal bullet intact in its back side. It healed over. It was logged in the meat and stopped. My 338 bullet entered broke four ribs on exit and left a silver dollar hole. I put my shot in the boil maker.
If we’re going bare hunting what temp is it? I seen the weather midday go from a sunny warm day to a snow sqawl around 4:00 pm. I had a long john top with a flannel shirt all my warm clothes were at the camp. I been bear hunting since ‘73. I had close calls many times it never scared me. We
I can tell you if you have a bear at very close range like the picture of the Alaska G&F target...you are going to have a a lot of fear helping to ruin your shooting. When a grizz is PO'd they are savage and you have to put lead where it matters. And according to a Tlinglit I knew even black bears are hard to stop when they want to kill you. I think he had a bit of experience with bears. My camp and overwatch gun is a M-1 Super 90 Benelli with extended mag tube length of the bbl with a stock like an AR. By overwatch I mean while we are field dressing an elk or deer up on the mountain...one of us stands guard. Grizz think the dead animals belong to them...but they have no real fear of man here. Not as much trouble in places they are hunted I think
Does anybody know where Hugh Glass shot the bear? I would like to know in order not to shoot there if confronted. Also, I want to shoot it where it does not die on top of me!!
Sixty some years ago I had to shoot a big old black bear. Rendering plant
estimated his live weight at 550# and extra large in Boone & Crocket.
He had killed a cow and torn the bag of another cow. The rancher bribed
me to take care of his problem. I was shooting a Winchester Model 70
with Winchester's 180-Gr. silver tips. The bear was retreating so I hit him
right in the rear end. That immobilized him, so he was dragging himself
along by his front claws. The Coup de grace shot was right under his ear.
Does anybody know where Hugh Glass shot the bear? I would like to know in order not to shoot there if confronted. Also, I want to shoot it where it does not die on top of me!!..
I'd like to know what Glass shot the bear with. I assume a flintlock or a percussion cap rifle, but what was the load? And how does it compare to the ballistics of a modern rifle?
I'm guessing the rifle and load he used was a pretty weak performer compared to a modern rifle and ammo.
50 caliber round ball is easily pushed about 900 fps from a muzzle loader, Flinter or Percussion. RB penetrate in a straight line unless deflected as they do not tumble. It isn't that Hugh Glasses load wasn't strong enough to kill the bear it was the damage the bear inflicted before realizing it was dead.
If You HAVE To Shoot A Bear, Where Would You Aim?
...Ben
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