Tim s, he is a good shot with his 6mm. It was a good shot on the deer, he hit her right behind the shoulder as I instruct him too. He didn't start shaking until after the shot, which is funny because he didn't get so excited last year when he shot stuff. The deer had only gone 50 yds or so, but was out of sight for us as it was over knoll. The bear just found it first. In a sense I also agree with you. I think my posting here is asking or trying to ease my unrest with the 6mm. Would it really do the job and am I worrying about nothing?? I let him shoot my .308 today, and he hit right where it was supposed too. problem is it kicked him pretty good, he didn't want to shoot it again. but tonight he mentioned he would hunt with it, no problem. I just know I am a good shot, and I felt a little uneasy with only a 6mm!! I am still torn, but i don't think he won't notice the recoil hunting like shooting on a bench. then I don't have to worry as much. I might also let him take my 6.5x55. it's not a sharp on recoil as the .308!
bear hunting-gun advice
- Thread starter FryeGuy
- Start date
People that don't think black bears are dangerous animals have not spent much time around them. They are unpredictable. One time the bear might run off at the first hint of a human being around and the next time the same bear might just come after you putting you out of his territory. If you mess with a cub mom will kill you in a heart beat. Bears that have been interacting with humans, meaning being fed, can be the meanest. They have lost their fear of humans. No matter what the reason, hunting or hiking when I am in the woods my Ruger 45 Colt with heavy hand loads alternated in the chambers 250 Cast SWC and the next chamber 250 Hornady XTP is always on my side because of bears that are around.
I agree with you about bears of any color being mercurial, but I'd not carry a gun for them. Way better track record with bear spray and you don't get all the attention from wardens, other hikers, etc. as you do when packing a big revolver that makes it look like you're a poacher.
Dans40X
Welder
esp42089-
Any bear DOES NOT have to be down wind of you to scent you like a or cat,wild or domesticated.
Use your Tabasco sauce in the pressurized can as you see fit.....but don't stake yours or someone else life on it.
(hint....a pressurized/stadium AIR HORN will/& has worked on numerous occasions with the coastal BROWN Bears in AK.)
Whom ever mentioned in the previous posts to shoot a bear low in the chest & behind the front shoulder hasn't a CLUE & has not hunted/harvested bears in their life time.
At any distance,with any caliber or gauge shotgun,you will NOT knock any bear off it's feet.
I'll take my chances with a sow Grizzly w/ 2 cubs over a black bear any day of the week.
You'll hear the Grizzly sow.
You wont hear the black bear until it taps you on the shoulder....then you have 1 option....fight to your last breath.
My caliber of choice to harvest black bears in AK is a 243 Win w/ 105gr hand loads.
1/2" below the ear opening....a 1/4" through hole....3/8" of the base of the skull is sucked in as both lungs are collapsed......feet still under neath them......not a twitch....DEAD.
The FIRST thing that you look at when judging the size of any bear is it's EARS.
If the bear appears to have german sheppard sized ears...it is a 4-5 year old adolescent/punk.
If the bear appears to have thumb sized ears on the sides of it head....it is a bucket head.
The size of a bear is measured by SKULL size not by weight.
The age of a bear is judged by pulling a molar tooth & cutting it in half to count the annular rings....like in a tree trunk.
Any bear DOES NOT have to be down wind of you to scent you like a or cat,wild or domesticated.
Use your Tabasco sauce in the pressurized can as you see fit.....but don't stake yours or someone else life on it.
(hint....a pressurized/stadium AIR HORN will/& has worked on numerous occasions with the coastal BROWN Bears in AK.)
Whom ever mentioned in the previous posts to shoot a bear low in the chest & behind the front shoulder hasn't a CLUE & has not hunted/harvested bears in their life time.
At any distance,with any caliber or gauge shotgun,you will NOT knock any bear off it's feet.
I'll take my chances with a sow Grizzly w/ 2 cubs over a black bear any day of the week.
You'll hear the Grizzly sow.
You wont hear the black bear until it taps you on the shoulder....then you have 1 option....fight to your last breath.
My caliber of choice to harvest black bears in AK is a 243 Win w/ 105gr hand loads.
1/2" below the ear opening....a 1/4" through hole....3/8" of the base of the skull is sucked in as both lungs are collapsed......feet still under neath them......not a twitch....DEAD.
The FIRST thing that you look at when judging the size of any bear is it's EARS.
If the bear appears to have german sheppard sized ears...it is a 4-5 year old adolescent/punk.
If the bear appears to have thumb sized ears on the sides of it head....it is a bucket head.
The size of a bear is measured by SKULL size not by weight.
The age of a bear is judged by pulling a molar tooth & cutting it in half to count the annular rings....like in a tree trunk.
Unpredictable is the best word. All wild animals are unpredictable. Living in a state that has a healthy population of wolves and bears, I do think a bear, especially a mom with Cubs COULD BE of potential concern more so than a wolf or wolves. Saying that, black bears are curious and can be territorial especially with Cubs or even at a baited location. I've scared off several bears walking into my deer stands early in the dark while they were eating under beech trees. They scared me more than I probably scared them. I've also run them off my bear baits, only to have them return later, knowing I was in my stand. None have bluff charged or stood their ground. Only incident I've had was a mother and cubs when a cub ran up the tree I was in. Mom didn't like it. 99.5 % of the time they run the opposite direction and rarely look back.
Yep Dans40x, I was given the same advice from the old bear hunters where I live year ago. "Shoot them in the head". Most all the bear hunting done here in the mountains of TN is with dogs and bears are treed. Shots are usually below the ear upward or under the chin upward or base of skull upward. Bang and out of the tree they come and are dead when they hit the ground and they don't hurt or kill dogs. You would rather slap your momma than let a bear hurt or kill one of these old bear hunters dogs. LOL You see a bunch of leaver action 30-30 Win, 35 Rem and 45-70 rifles in this crowd. Many carry 44 & 45 cal pistols just in case but you have to be a proven good shot with a pistol before you will be allowed to shoot a treed bear with one.
Mulligan
Silver $$ Contributor
@FryeGuy
Kudos to you for spending the time with the young lad.
That will mean so much to him in a few years. I work with troubled youth from across the country every day. That time with the electronics turned off and him getting acquainted with the outdoors is the best investment of your time you can make.
The 6mm with a good bullet will work, no worries.
Enjoy your time and do not worry about the nay-sayers.
CW
Kudos to you for spending the time with the young lad.
That will mean so much to him in a few years. I work with troubled youth from across the country every day. That time with the electronics turned off and him getting acquainted with the outdoors is the best investment of your time you can make.
The 6mm with a good bullet will work, no worries.
Enjoy your time and do not worry about the nay-sayers.
CW
Thanks Mulligan! Thanks for doing what you do with kids. I have been taking kids for a while now. It all started with a landowners son, then my wife's little cousins, those two girls were deadly as well. It's a lot of fun hunting with kids.
someone mentioned reduced loads, and I don't know why I didn't do that with the .308, especially since I have a box of Hornady reduced loads sitting on the ammo shelf. I did the same thing at the range last year with him and the 6mm, and the year before. very reduced loads and lighter bullets so he could shoot more and get comfortable behind it. I just loaded some 6.5x55 reduced loads. 100grain HP sierras with only 37.5grns of IMR4895. that's a lighter load with same bullet weight than his 6mm. will try to take him to the range this afternoon before rain gets here. it's a heavier gun too. then I'll politely slip in a 120prohunter or 130gameking for the hunt.
someone mentioned reduced loads, and I don't know why I didn't do that with the .308, especially since I have a box of Hornady reduced loads sitting on the ammo shelf. I did the same thing at the range last year with him and the 6mm, and the year before. very reduced loads and lighter bullets so he could shoot more and get comfortable behind it. I just loaded some 6.5x55 reduced loads. 100grain HP sierras with only 37.5grns of IMR4895. that's a lighter load with same bullet weight than his 6mm. will try to take him to the range this afternoon before rain gets here. it's a heavier gun too. then I'll politely slip in a 120prohunter or 130gameking for the hunt.
That's bad advice. Middle of the middle, holding a bit to the left. A bears shoulder is much farther forward than the shoulder on a deer.
Broadside.
Dans40X
Welder
284winner-
Reason being shot placement of a Grizzly/Coastal Brown is different from a black bear is you are attempting to break down a grizz/brown by breaking the shoulders to anchor it where it stands.
Which 9.5 out of 10 times it does not work that way.
A bear will ALWAYS leave an area from the same direction that it entered.
To anchor ANY bear or animal where it stands, a shot placed to break the spine/neck from behind the ears to the base of the neck....works every time.
A broad side shot on a black is placed center mass of the body moved 4" forward to take both lungs & top of heart.
Reason being shot placement of a Grizzly/Coastal Brown is different from a black bear is you are attempting to break down a grizz/brown by breaking the shoulders to anchor it where it stands.
Which 9.5 out of 10 times it does not work that way.
A bear will ALWAYS leave an area from the same direction that it entered.
To anchor ANY bear or animal where it stands, a shot placed to break the spine/neck from behind the ears to the base of the neck....works every time.
A broad side shot on a black is placed center mass of the body moved 4" forward to take both lungs & top of heart.
Thanks for the education.
Do you have an iron sighted rifle or failing that a low power variable rifle. like someone else pointed out a 30-30 would be a solid choice.
i subscribe to the practice of using irons or low power scope for bear so at the time of the shot i avoid seeing one big black or brown patch blocking any reference to where on the animal i am aiming.
- Heart and lungs are always the best location on any game animal aggressive or not.
- For bears and to a less extend on other big game don't admire the shot. If it is not down with the first one follow up quickly with a well placed 2nd or 3rd.
Like Dans40x i understood for browns and grizzlies to hit the shoulder, but it was to prevent the bear (P'd off bear) from coming at me; here is what Alaska F&G have to say about shot placement
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.shot
Trevor
i subscribe to the practice of using irons or low power scope for bear so at the time of the shot i avoid seeing one big black or brown patch blocking any reference to where on the animal i am aiming.
- Heart and lungs are always the best location on any game animal aggressive or not.
- For bears and to a less extend on other big game don't admire the shot. If it is not down with the first one follow up quickly with a well placed 2nd or 3rd.
Like Dans40x i understood for browns and grizzlies to hit the shoulder, but it was to prevent the bear (P'd off bear) from coming at me; here is what Alaska F&G have to say about shot placement
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.shot
Trevor
good news is he shot my 6.5x55 with really light loads today and thought it didn't kick as much as his 6mm. Thanks for all the references. I have googled and looked at diagrams all day to show him. the scope goes down to 2.5x,with a pretty wide field of view. pretty sure he is good with either. I did catch him flinching, which I thought he was doing, then the .308 really made it worse. I worked on that a lot today. I think unless he's hunting it's only going to be the .22 at the range, until I can get a .222 or something small, in a varmint barrel.
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