PRB for fall black bear

[mnbearbaiter]

Hey everyone, been away for awhile. So this fall I'm planning on cashing in on my numerous MN bear points and plan on hunting our fall bear season. It's alot of work driving the 6hr( one way) trip every weekend and lugging bait, hanging stands, cutting logs, etc but well worth it. I'm wanting to use my 54cal TVM Leman 36" brrl perc rifle for this although with some skepticism??? I'm shooting a 530 ball and pushing it with 90-100gr of ffg T7. Ranges will be close(20-25yds), bear are usually pretty fat, lugging 3-4" of penetration hindering fat around that time of year. I've hunted bear before, they don't bleed well usually and an exit wound is extremely helpful with trailing. I'm concerned with the prb under these circumstances. Any advice?

 

[csitas]

If your worried about penetration, use a head shot. I've killed several blackies with a bow. Shoot only a double lung , broadside. Never had to trail one yet. %0 or 60 feet max.

 

[azmntman]

No shoulder shots, head or double lung. No photos and we will claim you missed!!

 

[mnbearbaiter]

Yeah and the vitals on a blackie are a touch back so I'll be treating it like im toting my longbow. I'd love to get a hold of some of those 54cal Ball ets and work up a load for bear. They weigh a good bit more than a rb. A gentleman on here sent me 10-12 of them, but I have yet to shoot em. If anybody has any for sale or knows of someone who does please let me know.

 

[mnbearbaiter]

Or maybe some Lee REALs???

 

[Walkingeagle]

Been hunting and guiding Alberta bears since ‘87. They die easy. Double lung and a 30-40 yd recovery. Death moan gives away their location. Prb from a .50 or .54 broadside through both lungs at reasonable distance will exit. It’s the hair and fat that make for a minimal blood trail. Use a conical if you’re worried about tracking, but then shoot broadside through both front shoulders so they can’t get up. No tracking required.
I only had one serious tracking job, on a brown phase black shot at a quartering angle with my old .50 flint at 12 yds from ground level. Only got a single lung and was forced to track through dog hair think alder and willows on hands and knees, with only that same flinter in my hands. Long story short my next shot was literally at point blank as the muzzle was touching his hide. Don’t need that much excitement in my life again. Some of you may remember that whole story on another site roughly 10 years ago.
Walk

 

[Blind Dog]

I killed my first bear this year, a large Colorado boar. I was amazed how small the cardio-vascular system is on a bear. Compared to as elk or even that of an eastern whitetail a bears’s lungs are much smaller for such a large animal. My impression is a 50 + round ball from reasonable range will put one down very quickly.

 

[mnbearbaiter]

My rifle shoots the same out to 50yds with 90-100gr of ffg T7 and my fixed sights. I sighted it in with 95gr when I worked up a load, but found it didn't really favor any one single powder charge between 90-100gr. For penetrations sake do I back off to the 90gr of powder which according to many will add to penetration vs expansion or go with the 100gr which would add to expansion and damage on thin skinned game, but in some people's opinion reduce penetration? Prly splitting hairs, but 10gr of T7 is like 15-20gr of real BP?

 

[No Deer]

I took a 200 pound bear at about 20 yards with my 20 ga. trade gun using a patched .60 round ball. It only went about 30 yards and went down. Lung shot will do it for you.

 

[necchi]

Any advice?

Yeah, you should worry about other parts of it all like the baiting and hunt because your load combo is more then enough.
(been there, done that,, 535 and 80grns of accurate,, twice with Minn Bear)
Attend some of the seminars and ask, I did way back in the 90's. When it came to Q&A I had the same concern and asked about my traditional ML load. The guy presenting the DNR sanctioned seminar looked at me and smiled,,
,,he said; "Perfect,, my first bear was with a 45 cal ML round ball"
Problem solved. The biggest part of the bear hunt to think about? Is the nose-knows,, get it?

 

[mnbearbaiter]

I've baited/hunted bear several times. Killed with modern rifles and in****ml, just never my trad guns. Thanks for the example and reinteration.

 

[necchi]

I've baited/hunted bear several times.

(head-slap)! I should have figured that one out, , Doo!
Both off a stand 15-16`, 25yrds or so. 1st was a complete pass through,broadside took out top of the heart. 210 dressed(no monster)
couple years later same set-up,, 1/4 towards me and wouldn't move as the light left,, took out near shoulder and far side ribs low,, made a mess.(stinky) Smaller, never weighed it,, all sausage meat.

 

[Lobo]

Patience, patience, patience...that is the best advice I can give you. when a bear comes into the bait,.. WAIT for the perfect broadside shot. I've killed 6 bears with a traditional bow and flintlock and never had one go more than 50yd's after a double lung shot. They almost always give out a death moan that lets you know they are down and out.