Flintlock bear

[Dutch]

I took my first bear recently with my .50
40 yd shot .495 prb - 90g FFF
Went 20 yds and fell over - 176#

[smylee grouch]

Congrats to you. Hope you saved the meat AND  the fat.

[Daryl]

That's a good eatin' size.

[StevenV]

Nice job, memories for a lifetime

[Jeff Murray]

Must have been a very satisfying day.  Congratulations.

[beerd]

most excellent!
where was ya hunting (more or less)
..

[Ben I. Voss]

Very cool! Good job.

[MuskratMike]

I am not questioning you but just asking for clarification. You use 90 grains of 3F in a 50 caliber? Everyone is different but I shot my black bear in Idaho this year with a 54 caliber using a .530 round ball, ticking patch 50/50 mix of neatsfoot oil and Mink oil for a lube and 75 grains of 3F (which amounts to 92 grains of 2 F). When I shot it blew the rascal out of the tree and landed dead at my feet. Even though my wife isn't the biggest fan of wild game she said the roast from the hind leg was one of the finest pieces of meat she has ever ate. If you do use that much 3F in your 50 caliber what kind of accuracy do you have at lets say 50 yards offhand? Always looking to improve what I have. By the way great bear and it will provide some darn fine eating.

[alacran]

Congratulations Dutch! Hunting bear on the ground with any kind of weapon is not an easy endeavor. Doing it with a flintlock is enviable.

[Dutch]

This kind of accuracy
Each hunter needs to be accurate and confident in their ability and equipment.  This rifle and load has taken many deer over 35 years and I have never had to track anything farther than a few yards.

This is a western Pennsylvania bear

[Pukka Bundook]

Very nice work and photos Dutch!

When I had a .50, I used 55 grs for target and doubled it for hunting
Same accuracy but shot a tad higher with double dose.

Best,
Rich.

[Daniel Coats]

Dutch all that prep paid off big congratulations!

[ScottH]

Great job. Congrats! 

[Daryl]

Good job, Dutch. Dead squirrel, too, every shot. Wouldn't have survived any of them.
A man who works up an accurate load for his rifle and then uses it, will "win" more often than
someone who simply picks a load and uses that one.
After being in the game for 50 years or more and have worked up loads for a LOT of different rifles and smoothbores,
will come away from that experience with combinations that work quite well in a huge variety of guns, then goes from
there if unsatisfactory for individual's "taste".

[wattlebuster]

Congrats to you. Beargrease galore

[okawbow]

Great bear! Good shooting! I use bear oil for patch lube hunting. I rendered out 2 gallons of it a couple years ago.

[NDduckhunter]

I killed a nice cinnamon colored black bear years back with one shot from my .58 cal VA rifle. If I recall the load was less than 85gr of powder and a round ball. It fully penetrated and the bear died right below my stand. I wish I had rendered the fat, at the time I didn’t know what I was missing, lol!

[smylee grouch]

I just finished half of the 4 one gal zip lock bags of bear fat ( 2- one gal zip lock bags ) and I got 1 gal of rendered fat/oil from that. Let it set for a week unmolested and the oil separates from the shortening and rises to the top as " Bear Oil " . I have found what is left on the bottom is still good patch lube. 

[smylee grouch]

Welcome NDduckhunter to the ALR.  Check your Personal Message file.   

[tunadawg]

Congrats.

[Osprey]

Congrats!  I was out in MD last month with my flinter for bear season but couldn't find one this year, glad you found some up your way!