Author Topic: Back in Black (Bear) (Read 9522 times)

Jeff Peters · « **on:** June 04, 2009, 04:10:34 AM »

I hope I got this photo bucket to work
I just returned from a Black Bear hunt in Maine & New Brunswick with my Son Chris who just graduated from college of Forestry at Penn State.
We had a great week.
I got a shot Weds at a bear at 8:05 in the pouring rain with the long rifle shown in the photos, a 54 cal, 44 inch swamped Rice Barrel, Chambers flint lock, 80 grains of 2-F goex, patched round ball, right behind the shoulder at 75 yards plus, while slightly quartering away. I pulled the shot a bit high and spinned him. He dropped like a rock. When the smoke cleared I didn't see him at first then saw him spread out like a rug on the ground all 365 lbs.
My son Chris waited until the last hour of the last day to even see one. The guide and I went up the hill and around the last corner that night and he wasn't in the spot where we usually picked him up. We continued down the road a piece and there he was on the road down from his ground blind with the most deject down trodden face ever. Eric, the guide, rolled down the truck window and we both asked "did you see anything". Chris' reply "I didn't see a thing" and he paused. Both Eric and my hearts sunk to our feet. The whole purpose of this trip was for Chris to get a bear and we had been doing all we could to help him and he hadn't even seen one all week. Then Chris continues "that could survive a shot like that". He then went on to explain that he first saw it about 8:10 etc.... and it took a minute for it to set in with me but I jump out of the truck and run over to hug him. Poor Eric didn't understand Chris was yanking our chain at first, his French was good but he missed something in the English translation, but he soon caught on and piled out of the truck asking "were is he" And yes Rodger it was with a suppository gun 30-06. Chris hasn't had time to practice with the longrifle that I made him while studying for chemistry finals, beer and other college things. He didn't want to take a chance of missing or worst yet wounding one, and he knows his 30-06 very well.
It was a great trip with a great outfitter and guides. Best of all spending time with my son, and the icing on the cake seeing him get a bear. Shooting a 365 pounder with the flint in the rain wasn't bad either.

Jeff

C. Cash · « **Reply #1 on:** June 04, 2009, 05:40:25 AM »

Congratulations!! Spending time with your boy and killing those bears sounds like the best. Thanks for sharing those.

Ben I. Voss · « **Reply #2 on:** June 04, 2009, 06:07:52 AM »

Now that is what a longrifle is for! Looks like fun!

Daryl · « **Reply #3 on:** June 04, 2009, 04:17:45 PM »

Jeff - that is a great bear - even better due to the rifle used - 365 is an excellent weight - and a good mature bear at that. Do you know what he squared? Here, we measure nose to tail, front foot pad to front foot pad - add and divide by 2- that is the bear's square. You're looks like a good 6 1/2 footer.

Jeff Peters · « **Reply #4 on:** June 04, 2009, 04:38:04 PM »

Daryl,
Thanks, wasn't bad for my first rifle, she has three deer and now one bear
We didn't measure the hide, but the taxidermist estimated it at 7 feet plus.
The head is huge, I want to get the scull scored, but it needs to be cleaned and dried first
Jeff

Roger Fisher · « **Reply #5 on:** June 04, 2009, 04:46:28 PM »

Nice going!! Very nice going!!! Great shot with that flinter!!

Gotta ask! What was the penetration with those 80 grains?

hanshi · « **Reply #6 on:** June 04, 2009, 05:52:22 PM »

I've always been convinced the killing power of the prb was far beyond what the paper ballistics suggest. This is proof again. 80grains in a .54 is not a heavy load yet it floored a huge bear that many modern centerfires would be considered underpowered for. Congratulations.

Jeff Peters · « **Reply #7 on:** June 04, 2009, 11:29:11 PM »

Rodger,
I stayed with the 80 grains because it was the most accurate load that the gun likes
Shot placement was important to me. I figured if I get it in the boiler room I'd do OK
The shot hit bone and the ball flattened out. I'll try to get a photo and send it

And yes the 30-06 180 grain went clean through my son's bear. He had a perfect broad side shot right behind the shoulder, but that's totally diffent

Jeff

George Sutton · « **Reply #8 on:** June 05, 2009, 04:15:14 AM »

Jeff, that is a nice black bear, congratulations.

Centershot

Jeff Peters · « **Reply #9 on:** June 05, 2009, 04:18:26 AM »

Rodger,
I meant to say it went through the ribs which deflected it a bit and then hit the spine. The ball stayed together but flattened out to about 2 to 2-1/2 times the size.
They are a tough animal

Jeff

Dphariss · « **Reply #10 on:** June 05, 2009, 09:02:25 AM »

Nice bear.
Congratulations.

Dan

Pat_Cameron · « **Reply #11 on:** June 05, 2009, 07:35:42 PM »

Nice Bear,
Thanks for taking the time to share the photo's

Pat

t.caster · « **Reply #12 on:** June 05, 2009, 07:55:59 PM »

Jeff, welcome to the club! That's a great black bear and an excellent adventure with your son...you will never forget! Getting one with a flintlock is...Priceless!
Should easily qualify for NMLRA's Longhunter record book. 18" skull is minimum and yours look like a 19" plus!

I got a big one like yours in Quebec, to commemorate my 50th birthday, with my .62 Jaeger.

doulos · « **Reply #13 on:** June 06, 2009, 01:11:09 AM »

Wow thats a big bear!
I just have a question to those who have hunted with patched roundball longer than me. Would a hardened ball cast from wheel weights or tin added to it fully penetrate a bear that big with that caliber and load?

Daryl · « **Reply #14 on:** June 06, 2009, 06:34:44 AM »

Possible doulos - but - alloyed balls are difficult to get to shoot in the smaller bores with cloth patches.

The initial velcity of the ball wouldn't be much more than maybe 1,300fps. Even a .50 with a 42" barrel only puts out about 1,400fps with 80gr. 2F - results from Taylors Virginia. At that speed, a .530" or .526" hardened ball would probably not exit on a large bear, even if not hitting ribs. Bear ribs are small and easily shot through, as ribs go. I doubt you'd find an accurate load with any WW ball larger than .526". That one might allow enough patch to seal.

On bear and moose & with a .54, I'd be using 120gr. to 130gr. 2F and a .535" patched pure lead ball. Flat trajectory plus descent hitting velocity are important to me.

doulos · « **Reply #15 on:** June 06, 2009, 06:10:15 PM »

Daryl
Thanks
Right now I do most of my hunting with either .54 0r .58 cal Hawkens. Ive only killed a few whitetails with prb . My loads have been 110 goex 2f in the 58 and 90 in the .54.
The reason I asked was because I was eyeing my first flintlock longrifle and its a .54 and was wondering about the loads people use for bear in that caliber.

Osprey · « **Reply #16 on:** June 06, 2009, 09:08:01 PM »

Congrats on the bear and the hunt, that's a nice one! Hope to have some pics to add myself come fall, both of the .54 I'm working on and a Maryland mountain bear if I draw a tag.

Berks Liberty · « **Reply #17 on:** June 07, 2009, 04:30:06 AM »

Now that is the way is should be! And guys I hunt with say that a flintlock can't kill a bear. Way to go and congratulations to the both of you!

Daryl · « **Reply #18 on:** June 07, 2009, 04:08:20 PM »

Doulos - the 90gr. charge will work just fine on black bears. I merely prefer a bit more oomff - harder hitting and flatter trajectory. 225gr. ball driven at 1,400fps will be fine - 1,800 to 2,000 fps is even better, but the ball/patch combination must be up to the increased pressure.

t.caster · « **Reply #19 on:** June 08, 2009, 07:49:54 PM »

Quote from: Berks Liberty on June 07, 2009, 04:30:06 AM

Now that is the way is should be! And guys I hunt with say that a flintlock can't kill a bear. Way to go and congratulations to the both of you!

I here ya there! I got a LOT of GUFFAWS for using a one shot ML, and a flint to boot. But I laughed at (more like a snear) the bowhunters thowing sticks at the bears and loosing 75% of the blacks they hit! I know a feller who has killed a lot of bear with his .50 mnt. rifle and 110 grs. Of course he swears by the head shot.
The thing is we shoot these things all the time and know we can split cards and drive tacks on a consistant basis. It's the "aim small, miss small" principle.

longcruise · « **Reply #20 on:** June 09, 2009, 04:49:48 AM »

Nice bears and a great hunt story. Thanks for posting.

hatchetdan · « **Reply #21 on:** June 09, 2009, 06:39:22 AM »

Your shot may have been a bit high, but your pictures show the best place to shoot a 365 pound bear, by a forklift!!!

Jeff Peters · « **Reply #22 on:** June 09, 2009, 01:23:09 PM »

The loader came in Handy the day after we drug him out out the woods
It took all we had to drag him up hill and get him on the truck the night before
One guy pulled the rope while the other two pushed him onto the tailgate

Jeff

Pat_Cameron · « **Reply #23 on:** June 11, 2009, 05:47:08 AM »

For your friends that don't think you can kill a bear with a flintlock, send them here.

As soon as the time come for them to quit their houses and come out again in the spring, I took a notion to hunt a little more, and in about one month I killed forty-seven more, which made one hundred and five bears I had killed in less than one year from that time.

Not bad for a 40 cal flintlock

http://etext.virginia.edu/railton/projects/price/crockett.htm

Quote from: Berks Liberty on June 07, 2009, 04:30:06 AM

Now that is the way is should be! And guys I hunt with say that a flintlock can't kill a bear. Way to go and congratulations to the both of you!

Daryl · « **Reply #24 on:** June 11, 2009, 04:09:15 PM »

Quite a story, Pat.

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Author Topic: Back in Black (Bear) (Read 9522 times)

Jeff Peters

C. Cash

Daryl

Jeff Peters

Jeff Peters

Jeff Peters

Daryl

Berks Liberty

Daryl

hatchetdan

Jeff Peters

Daryl