Author Topic: .54 cal vs grizzly bears  (Read 18084 times)

Offline Stoner creek

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #125 on: May 17, 2022, 04:17:36 AM »


NRA May issue of the American Hunter says all you need is a 50 and some pyrodex…. Where can I get one of those odd looking guns and some pyrodex?

 Continue on with the article, it was a trophy class koala bear 🐻!
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Offline smylee grouch

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #126 on: May 17, 2022, 05:32:22 AM »
I would surly love to hunt the G. Bear with a Muzzleloader and if I still had both legs I would even if I had to borrow the money to go. For all those who think a Muzzle loader is not up to the job please read Dan's post about the great African hunters using proper sized and hardend balls. Risky, maybe but we all take risks every day and some of them are more risky than any hunting. Ask a cop on todays mean streets

Online Daniel Coats

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #127 on: May 17, 2022, 05:55:36 AM »
The risk hunting grizzly bears isn't about the bear getting you it's about the bear getting away! Why wound a grizzly bear with a muzzleloader so that the guide has to kill it for you. Something to think about.
Dan

"Ain't no nipples on a man's rifle"

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #128 on: May 17, 2022, 06:08:31 AM »
Thats a good point Mr. Coats and thats why you should use a proper sized and hardend ball. And I might add that regardless of what you use proper shot placement. Thats where Hunt comes into play. G. Bear hunting should be a serious undertaking for sure and the hunter should be prepared for it.

Offline WadePatton

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #129 on: May 17, 2022, 01:11:36 PM »
A "DIY" 50 cal at that.  Wonder how many bears the writer has indeed taken.
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Offline Daryl

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #130 on: May 18, 2022, 12:22:51 AM »
I suspect hunting koala bears is not very difficult  nor rewarding.
Daryl

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Offline Daryl

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #131 on: May 18, 2022, 05:07:36 AM »
I would also suggest some form of a club, rather than a rifle  that is, if you felt the need or desire to kill one of the adorable little beasts.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline oldtravler61

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #132 on: May 19, 2022, 03:05:20 AM »
 Daryl you know they are the scourge of eucalyptus leaves.
Thus they should be shot on sight. Far more dangerous than a 1000 lb grizzly ever was...!  Only a four bore for them critters...
   Oldtravler

Offline Daryl

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #133 on: May 21, 2022, 07:07:27 PM »
Dangerous indeed. Apparently, well known as Jump-Bears.
Don't walk under the gum trees.


Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Jakob

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #134 on: May 21, 2022, 07:54:14 PM »
Ah, but what about the Australian Drop Bear. Far more dangerous.

Offline hanshi

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #135 on: May 21, 2022, 09:09:11 PM »
I read somewhere about a guy that tangled with a koala bear and ended up smelling like a cough drop for nearly a week.
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Offline Daryl

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #136 on: May 21, 2022, 10:43:27 PM »
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA !
Daryl

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Offline Bob Roller

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #137 on: May 22, 2022, 05:00:44 PM »
The reason for killing this little critter IS????? Getting back to real bears that view us as a delicacy,I want NO part of any rifle that takes way too long to reload.Double rifles are ideal IMHO and I did own a Rigby that was considered as a big game rifle  and widh I had not sold it.
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Offline Rusticbob

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #138 on: May 22, 2022, 10:14:14 PM »
How did we get off the subject.
I have seen a lot of stupid stunts done in my day, but shooting a real live grizzly bear with a muzzleloader kind of tops the list. Show some respect for your prey!

Do what you can, with what you have, where you are, TR

Offline Daryl

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #139 on: May 23, 2022, 02:01:21 AM »
LOL - no judgements made here. ;)
But truth be known, for some people it just might be so.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #140 on: May 23, 2022, 02:28:13 AM »
I wonder if all those old time African hunters that used Muzzle Loaders thought it was a stunt.  :-\

Offline Ezra

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #141 on: May 23, 2022, 11:08:57 PM »
I wonder if all those old time African hunters that used Muzzle Loaders thought it was a stunt.  :-\


Well, it’s all relative to today and the tools we now have.  Personally, I’m not killing anything that’s not threatening my survival or that I cannot eat.  But hey, that’s just me.

Ez
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Offline Daryl

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #142 on: May 24, 2022, 01:58:11 AM »
Exactly!
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline bob in the woods

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #143 on: May 25, 2022, 01:18:13 AM »
Aside from the critters that are after my chickens , the things I shoot are all made of meat  ;D

Offline Duane Harshaw

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #144 on: May 25, 2022, 03:04:59 AM »
  I have been within five feet of a wild grizzly, sorry but no muzzleloader for me...
Coaldale Alberta Canada

Offline Daryl

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #145 on: May 25, 2022, 04:19:09 AM »
Haven't been that close, Duane.  15' was the closest. 6 within 30yards while fishing. They were too, so NP, even though it was a couple
sows with 3, 2year old  cubs. All were fishing and very successful. I let mine run downstream and broke it off to not raise a fuss. They were
on one side of the river and I & a number of other fishers were on the other.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline smylee grouch

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #146 on: May 25, 2022, 04:47:42 AM »
Five feet would probably raise the Pucker factor to some upper limits.

Online Daniel Coats

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #147 on: May 25, 2022, 05:14:22 AM »
I've had them walk by a few feet away when standing on the bank of a salmon stream in SE AK. During times of plentiful food these bears will tolerate others. The trick is not to make direct eye contact and they do the same.
Dan

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Offline Daryl

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #148 on: May 25, 2022, 08:30:30 AM »
That is a good point, Dan. Can be some trick, though. Although that goes with all game. Eye contact means you see them - with all game.  Once you see & acknowledge them & they you, then it's the fight or flight reaction.
If you are the king well, maybe flight - likely fight.
Daryl

"a gun without hammers is like a spaniel without ears" King George V

Offline Dphariss

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Re: .54 cal vs grizzly bears
« Reply #149 on: May 25, 2022, 04:43:34 PM »
The risk hunting grizzly bears isn't about the bear getting you it's about the bear getting away! Why wound a grizzly bear with a muzzleloader so that the guide has to kill it for you. Something to think about.
If the shot is placed properly the ML is just as deadly as any modern rifle. So long as the ball is properly sized for the game.  Part of the problem, like Turner Kirkland’s Elephant hunt with a 4 bore, is in using soft lead balls on large game. While we read of John Taylor killing a number of African Elephant and Rhino with a 10 bore and hardened balls. Kirkland shot an Elephant twice with soft lead from the 4 bore and the PH had to finish it off due to  insufficient penetration. Poor bullet/cartridge selection is a problem with brass suppository guns as well and bad shot placement certainly is.
The average American hunter going to the Western Mountains in 1835 would likely take a 54. Its not all that great but it works for almost everything so long as shot placement is good. And moist American in the East saw little reason to shoot. A ball size larger than 38-40 to the pound. Larger boires were to expensice to shoot. But like Taylor stated, facing a charge with something a little too small, and a 10 bore was pretty small for a ML in Africa, with only one shot,  was not something he would have wanted to do.
Shot placement.  With a proper caliber I would not worry about a shoulder shot on a bear. According to reports it works and a medium high shoulder shot will anchor just about anything you would find in NA if penetration is adequate. I can’t go on without getting too far into brass suppository territory. But remember that Lewis and Clark were shooting pretty light loads in the short rifles, based on Lewis being shot with one. So the effectiveness on Gbears may have been poor penetration if the penetration in Lewis’ butt was any indication.
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