Author Topic: Bear Load? (Read 12523 times)

hanshi · « **Reply #25 on:** June 11, 2020, 01:04:57 AM »

One thing is absolutely true; there is no such thing as too much gun (for the game animal, that is). Never killed a bear but have had some funny close encounters with them. If I did hunt bear either my .45 or my .50 would be equally comforting.

Daryl · « **Reply #26 on:** June 11, 2020, 08:25:25 PM »

Buddy of mine, when dating his future wife, was out hiking with her and they walked into a grizzly on the logging block road. Keith
wasn't feeling too well armed as he was packing a caplock .45. They slowly backed away, the bear stood his ground, not moving until
they were out of sight of it. They waited a few minutes, then proceeded back towards where it was and it was gone. He packed the
.54 from then on. Then, after Taylor built my .69, Keith had Taylor build him a .75. It turned out to be a heck of a great moose rifle for him.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #27 on:** June 11, 2020, 09:55:52 PM »

Though most of my bears have been shot with longbows, I have harvested several too, with muzzleloading rifles. The last one was just south of Quesnel BC in my buddies oat fields. The bear had a habit of feasting on oats, then waddling off into the bush for a siesta. then some time later he'd return, always down the same path, through a hole in a fence, and back out into the oaks. So I ambushed him at the hole in the fence. I was using my Jaeger .60 cal. with a stout charge (86 gr. FFg GOEX .595" pure lead ball and .022" denim patch oiled with mink lube. through the hole in the fence, I could see him waddling along the path coming directly toward me. When he stuck his head through the fence, I gave him another eye right between his two originals...distance about 6'. He dropped dead immediately. I'm certain a .50 cal would have produced the same result in this case.
I used his hide and those from two longbow shot bears to create a new coat for myself.
Bear meat is excellent fare...I have my butcher remove as much fat as possible, then make 1/3 into hamberger, 1/3 into stew meat, and 1/3 into Bavarian smokies.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #28 on:** June 11, 2020, 10:04:19 PM »

You shot him between the eyes? That's different.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #29 on:** June 11, 2020, 10:14:23 PM »

That was the shot I had...so that's what he got. I do not like shooting game in the head. A lot can go wrong with an off shot. It worked fine in this case.

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #30 on:** June 11, 2020, 11:44:32 PM »

I love hearing folks telling you how much powder to use, not knowing what the twist rate is in your barrel. My .50 has a Montana barrel on it with a 1 in 72” twist. It doesn’t even start tightening its group up until you get south of 90 grains of 2F. A 1 in 48” twist 50 cal. would be struggling to keep the ball from stripping the riflings with that hot charge. Sounds like you know what your gun will, and won’t do, so be safe, pick your target, and kill a bear.

Hungry Horse

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #31 on:** June 12, 2020, 03:04:13 AM »

I agree if I was asking about a load for my gun. I was just asking to see what kind of loads were working in a .50 for bear.

It turns out I was probably using more load than needed in my old .54 but it was also my elk load. I like to make one load the gun likes and use it for everything. As long as it's enough power for the biggest game I hunt which is pretty much always elk.

This time with a .50 I can't use it on an elk in Colorado. So, less power is needed for bear and muley's.

I have it worked out now.

Thanks everybody.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #32 on:** June 13, 2020, 06:59:13 PM »

I eliminated the question by selling the .50 and buying a new GPR LH .54. Now, i'll just use my old bear load that I know that works. Providing the new gun likes it like the old one did.

I don't suppose the QC has gotten any better? Anybody bought one lately?

Daryl · « **Reply #33 on:** June 13, 2020, 07:45:50 PM »

There was a thread or mention about the newer GPR's a short while back. It was not favourable. Hope yours gives no problems.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #34 on:** June 13, 2020, 08:00:13 PM »

I know i'm expecting too much. Why would they improve them when they can keep selling them crappy.

Well, its nothing that can't be fixed.

Other than a custom build. It's my only option for a LH .54. I could bother Dennis again to buy his gun but he seemed glad I didn't buy it last time.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #35 on:** June 13, 2020, 11:47:20 PM »

Well, the GPR is ordered. I'll have my friend match the wood-metal fit and brown all the metal. That will perk it up.

Graf's had a good price on the gun. I went ahead and order 5lbs of Goex 2F too. That should be ok for this year.

Dennis Glazener · « **Reply #36 on:** June 14, 2020, 02:12:00 AM »

Quote from: OldMtnMan on June 13, 2020, 08:00:13 PM

I know i'm expecting too much. Why would they improve them when they can keep selling them crappy.

Well, its nothing that can't be fixed.

Other than a custom build. It's my only option for a LH .54. I could bother Dennis again to buy his gun but he seemed glad I didn't buy it last time.

Nope, its still laying on the bench with the wooden box lid screwd down ready to go. Even has the Feddx label addressed to you still on it☺

I hate to unpack it with all the foam packing still in place, planned to put it back up for sale but have been too busy to get around to doing it.
Dennis

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #37 on:** June 14, 2020, 02:33:27 AM »

I wish I had known before I ordered the GPR. I think your gun would have been easier on my back. I got the impression you wanted to keep it.

Oh well. Another bad decision on my part.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #38 on:** June 14, 2020, 02:52:23 AM »

Ok, back on the deal with Dennis for his Isaac Haines.

A proper longrifle.

Bob Roller · « **Reply #39 on:** June 14, 2020, 03:14:12 AM »

IF I were going to hunt a critter that viewed me as a menu item I would want at
least a 58 caliber with a load that would cause the last 3 inches of the barrel to turn red
when it went off

.
HH's 50 with a 1 in72 twist can easily duplicate the ballistics of 50-110 WCF and would be adequate.

Bob Roller

Darkhorse · « **Reply #40 on:** June 14, 2020, 01:47:23 PM »

Quote from: OldMtnMan on June 14, 2020, 02:52:23 AM

Ok, back on the deal with Dennis for his Isaac Haines.

A proper longrifle.

A proper longrifle. I agree with that. My favorite stock for shooting and hunting. I have one in .40, and one in .54

bob in the woods · « **Reply #41 on:** June 14, 2020, 03:24:08 PM »

Looks and handling aside, I would much rather depend on the lock used on Dennis's rifle than that of the GPR. A " klatch" is a horrible sound when bear hunting

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #42 on:** June 14, 2020, 04:45:25 PM »

It looks like I can't get out of the GPL sale. Another problem with Denis's gun that I forgot or never noticed when Dennis told me. It's the 13 1/2" LOP. That's too short for me. The GPR is 14" and that's the bare minimum I can use without having my nose against my thumb. 14 1/2" is even better.

So, it looks like it's going to be the GPR. I'm thinking my back will be in trouble if I shoulder the gun on a regular basis. So, i'm thinking of using sticks. Do any of you hunt with sticks? How's it work out?

Bob.....I understand you're concern. I've had it for years hunting for bear with a .54. I shot one that ran right at me. I was half behind a tree and that saved me from being run over. It's pretty hard to knock a bear down. They always run when I hit them. Even with perfect double lung/heart shots. It takes a while before they know they're dead.

I suppose I could always just hunt for muley's alone and hunt for elk with my Lakota friend to help me get the meat out. Some bear meat is pretty hard to eat if they've been feeding on gut piles and fish.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #43 on:** June 14, 2020, 07:38:45 PM »

After giving it more thought. I'm getting Dennis's gun. If the LOP won't work the way the gun is. I can always wear a shoulder recoil pad to make up for it. With an added benefit of absorbing less recoil.

Ok, it's a done deal. I'll be hunting with an Isaac Haines in .54.

@!*%! Decisions get harder as you get older.

Daryl · « **Reply #44 on:** June 14, 2020, 08:37:18 PM »

Isaac Haines rifles are nice handling guns. Good choice.

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #45 on:** June 14, 2020, 09:01:14 PM »

I hope so. I just paid for it, so it's mine now.

bob in the woods · « **Reply #46 on:** June 15, 2020, 01:13:34 AM »

Hunting season here usually means cold weather which means additional padding of sweaters, jackets etc so I'd much rather have a rifle with a LOP on the short side than one too long

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #47 on:** June 15, 2020, 01:28:56 AM »

It's mid-Sept here Bob. It can be quite hot still or snowing. I hut at 11,000ft, so no way to predict the weather.

The bear hunt is the whole month of Sept. It's actually a rifle season. The muzzleloader bear season is just like mid Sept like elk and deer and only 9 days long. Hunting all month is not as good as the whole month, so I always hunt for bear in rifle season.

So, I always just hunt in Sept. the rifle seasons in Oct and Nov as so crowded. I'm glad I don't do them anymore. Another advantage of hunting in Sept is the deer are still up high and the elk are in the rut. That makes the deer easier to find and the elk really easier to find.

Panzerschwein · « **Reply #48 on:** June 23, 2020, 06:25:37 AM »

90 grains or so if it will shoot well.

Craig Wilcox · « **Reply #49 on:** June 23, 2020, 06:50:43 PM »

Curious - Would it be feasible to "double shot" a ML rifle when going for dangerous game? NOT double powder, but double lead patched balls.
Or would one blow up a barrel doing that??

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Author Topic: Bear Load? (Read 12523 times)