Black Bear with my 510 GNR Revolver in Maine

[S.B.]

teddy12b, I hear that! Been to Montana on my honeymoon but, haven't been able to afford a return trip, yet. Beautiful country.
Steve

[teddy12b]

I've been out west several times, but always with family.  I'd like to go out there on a hunting/camping trip and really enjoy the land without seeing the tourist traps. 

Redhawk1,
       Could you explain a little more to me about that hand cannon you were using.  I'm not familiar with it at all.  What kind of bullet weights & speeds do you get?

[Redhawk1]

I've been out west several times, but always with family.  I'd like to go out there on a hunting/camping trip and really enjoy the land without seeing the tourist traps. 

Redhawk1,
       Could you explain a little more to me about that hand cannon you were using.  I'm not familiar with it at all.  What kind of bullet weights & speeds do you get?

The 510 GNR is a custom round designed by Gary Reeder a custom gun maker. He built my gun as well. It is a Ruger black hawk that has a new cylinder, barrel, and grip frame made by Gary Reeder, as well as a bunch of other upgrades on the trigger, and action.  It is a shortened 500 Linebaugh. I am using 350 gr. hard cast bullets from Montana Bullet Works, they are .512 diamiter bullets. The volicity is 1200 fps. It is a light load for the 510 GNR.
I can load it up to 1500 fps with no problem. I can also shoot 435 gr. bullets as well in the 510 GNR. Gary Reeder has a web site you can go to to see his guns and chamberings.

[teddy12b]

Sounds like a real cannon.  My super redhawk 44 with grizzley 320gr cast is about all I think I can handle accurately out of a handgun.  I can't imagine a 435gr bullet out of a handgun.  Anything bigger than that 320gr and I doubt I could hit much of anything. 

Have you ever done any kind of a penetration test with that cannon?  Other than your last bear that is.

[Redhawk1]

I shot some wet news print, 18 inches thick, and the bullet went through all of it. That was with a 350 gr. hard cast LFN bullet at 1200 fps. But the was the extent of my penetration testing. I thought that should work on anything in North America.

[teddy12b]

Wow,
       I don't think you need the North America disclaimer anymore.  There's probably people that would hunt elephants with something like that.  Sounds like you don't want your animals to suffer and that's a good thing.

[Redhawk1]

I am all about a quick and humane kill. Big holes and good shot placement is my goal. That is why I practice so much as I do.

[teddy12b]

I agree about trying to make quick and humane kills.  Someday I'd like to hunt black bears with my 44mag and a stout hard cast bullet.  For some reason I've taking a liking to those 320gr cast bullets.  I need to run those through a cronograph out of my super redhawk.  I get mid 1500 fps out of a 20"puma, but it'd be completely different to hunt bears with a handgun.

[Redhawk1]

I agree about trying to make quick and humane kills.  Someday I'd like to hunt black bears with my 44mag and a stout hard cast bullet.  For some reason I've taking a liking to those 320gr cast bullets.  I need to run those through a cronograph out of my super redhawk.  I get mid 1500 fps out of a 20"puma, but it'd be completely different to hunt bears with a handgun.

Up where I went, the handgun is a great way to hunt them bear on the ground, you should check them out if you decide to go back for black bear with a handgun.

[drdougrx]

Red...

Oxbow lodge.

http://www.oxbowlodge.com

[Redhawk1]

Red...

Oxbow lodge.

http://www.oxbowlodge.com

That is close to where I was, I went a little more north and east of you.

[navylawdog]

Congratulations on your Maine Black Bear. You are doing better than me. I have lived here for almost three years now and I still haven't seen a bear. See moose all the time but never a bear.

Navylawdog

[Redhawk1]

navylawdog, where you at in Maine?

[Glanceblamm]

Redhawk1, Congratulations on that bear!...it is more than I ever did.

Maybe someday though (for myself) Do they allow for two firearms while on stand? (rifle/hangun of course) I always figured that I would take my traditional muzzleloader for the bears but those bratty little handguns want to do everything now a day's and they have done it well for me over the last four years on the deer.

[Redhawk1]

Redhawk1, Congratulations on that bear!...it is more than I ever did.

Maybe someday though (for myself) Do they allow for two firearms while on stand? (rifle/hangun of course) I always figured that I would take my traditional muzzleloader for the bears but those bratty little handguns want to do everything now a day's and they have done it well for me over the last four years on the deer.

glanceblamm, for bear hunting I have seen people take 2 firearms with them in the woods when hunting. I read through all the Reg's and did not find anything saying that it cannot be done.  But to be sure call the Maine Department of inland fisheries and wildlife. 207-287-8000.

When I was bear hunting other times in Maine, I seen guys in the hunting party take a rifle and a handgun and there were a few that took bows and handguns.

[navylawdog]

navylawdog, where you at in Maine?

I am located in the western mountains near Sugarloaf USA. The town I live in is Phillips.

Navylawdog

[Redhawk1]

navylawdog, where you at in Maine?

I am located in the western mountains near Sugarloaf USA. The town I live in is Phillips.

Navylawdog

I hunted out that way a few times, I hunted black bear by Flagstaff lake.

[Redhawk1]

Not easy to judge the size of bears.  That's for sure.  Was that 168 live weight or field-dressed?

My bear was 168 pounds when we put it on the scale's. From the ground, I surly thought it was bigger. It is hard to judge bear, at least for me it is.
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I just got a call from my outfitter, his scales were off, he recalculated the weigh of all our bear and mine was 206. When George and I got home, we looked at my bear taken last year that weighed 175 lbs and this bear was bigger that I took this year. So I am glad I got that information to pass on.

[navylawdog]

navylawdog, where you at in Maine?

I am located in the western mountains near Sugarloaf USA. The town I live in is Phillips.

Navylawdog

I hunted out that way a few times, I hunted black bear by Flagstaff lake.

I work right there at the mill in Stratton and my in laws are from Stratton. I am glad that you were able to come up here to Maine and have some success. Congratulations!

Navylawdog

[Redhawk1]

I love Maine, my wife told me no, she does not want to move up there, too cold......

[Smokem]

Ah yes! The Great State of Maine!...I go to a camp in the Old Town area. Hunting off the Stud Mill has been my destination for the past 23 years. The hunting is tough but I wouldn't go any where else.

[Sweetwater]

Wow!! Great Hunt!! I watched the hunt video of your pal's from Texas - way cool!!

Navylawdog - Used to have friends in Eustis, Bingham, Rangeley and New Sweden. Don't know where they are now as I left for Wyoming in '85. The warden in Jackman (30 years ago) was a personal friend of my Dad's from Machias, named Feeney. His dad was also a warden, but in Washington County.  I only saw 2 bears in 35 years of living and hunting in Maine, but I wasn't hunting bear then, either. I had a namesake (Jeff Dunham) from Phillips at the University of Maine in Orono my Freshman year (Fall '68). His folks had an Orchard over there somewhere. The Rexall Drug stores, owned by the Treworgy family, came out of Calais. I knew them in Grade School in Calais. Might be a Mike Frost or a Chuck Frost in the area there, somewhere. All old school and Boy Scout pals.

I hunted off that Stud Mill Road in the Old Town area (Milford), and raced CJ5s and Broncos back in the '70's in between the many logging trucks (in the chapter under young and foolish). My last Whitetail Buck came from very near the Oxbow on Sunkhaze Stream. Back then I worked at UPS and ran a grocery store in Stillwater, at the south end of the bridge.

You all are making me want to 'go home' and get on a bear hunt, for old times sake!! Maybe I should go check on the family a bit. Those were great hunting pictures and a great writeup!!!!

Regards,
Sweetwater

[drdougrx]

5 more days and I'm gunn'n for bears in ME.  Hope the weather holds!!!

[Glanceblamm]

Redhawk1,
what are your plans for this bear? a rug perhaps?

[Cottonwood]

Redhawk1 - What kind of digi cam were they using for that filmed hunt, that work was awesome.  I know Gary from a bowhunting forum board I used to attend, I have a Sticks N Limbs T-Shirt from them.  But since I can no longer bowhunt, it's handgun hunting!  Now I only wished that they had video'd your bear hunt.  I'm gonna try and find some DVD's that are nothing but Handgun Hunting.  I'm hoping to get mine on my JVC Digi Cam if I am able to connect with a black bear.  We can not use anything to draw them in with here in Montana, so it is a complete spot and stalk, or sit in a blind where there has been bear activity here.

[Redhawk1]

Redhawk1,
what are your plans for this bear? a rug perhaps?

I am getting a shoulder mount with this one, I already have a one that is rugged, I also have two life size mounts.  If I get a bigger one next year, I will have it life sized.

[Redhawk1]

Redhawk1 - What kind of digi cam were they using for that filmed hunt, that work was awesome.  I know Gary from a bowhunting forum board I used to attend, I have a Sticks N Limbs T-Shirt from them.  But since I can no longer bowhunt, it's handgun hunting!  Now I only wished that they had video'd your bear hunt.  I'm gonna try and find some DVD's that are nothing but Handgun Hunting.  I'm hoping to get mine on my JVC Digi Cam if I am able to connect with a black bear.  We can not use anything to draw them in with here in Montana, so it is a complete spot and stalk, or sit in a blind where there has been bear activity here.

The bow hunt was filmed with a Sony mini video tape, Marty the bow hunter did his own filming and editing. I filmed my hunt with my Sony mini DVD recorder. So I have it on a mini-DVD. I sent a copy to Marty to have him edit it like he did his, and hopefully he can get that done for me. He said if he gets it done, he will host my video on his web site. I will post the link when I get it.

[navylawdog]

Wow!! Great Hunt!! I watched the hunt video of your pal's from Texas - way cool!!

Navylawdog - Used to have friends in Eustis, Bingham, Rangeley and New Sweden. Don't know where they are now as I left for Wyoming in '85. The warden in Jackman (30 years ago) was a personal friend of my Dad's from Machias, named Feeney. His dad was also a warden, but in Washington County.  I only saw 2 bears in 35 years of living and hunting in Maine, but I wasn't hunting bear then, either. I had a namesake (Jeff Dunham) from Phillips at the University of Maine in Orono my Freshman year (Fall '68). His folks had an Orchard over there somewhere. The Rexall Drug stores, owned by the Treworgy family, came out of Calais. I knew them in Grade School in Calais. Might be a Mike Frost or a Chuck Frost in the area there, somewhere. All old school and Boy Scout pals.

I hunted off that Stud Mill Road in the Old Town area (Milford), and raced CJ5s and Broncos back in the '70's in between the many logging trucks (in the chapter under young and foolish). My last Whitetail Buck came from very near the Oxbow on Sunkhaze Stream. Back then I worked at UPS and ran a grocery store in Stillwater, at the south end of the bridge.

You all are making me want to 'go home' and get on a bear hunt, for old times sake!! Maybe I should go check on the family a bit. Those were great hunting pictures and a great writeup!!!!

Regards,
Sweetwater

Sweetwater,

I know a Laura and Howard Dunham. They live over by Kingfield and she writes for the paper. May be some sort of relation to this Jeff that you know. Also there is a Frost that owns an antique shop over by Farmington. I can talk to my mother in law and have her talk to Laura. See if they know a Jeff Dunham.

navylawdog

[nomosendero]

Thanks for sharing that hunt & congrats. I sure like the looks of that 510!!

[Redhawk1]

Thanks for sharing that hunt & congrats. I sure like the looks of that 510!!

Thanks, it is a very good shooting gun as well as looking good. I just sent off another gun to get customized by Gary Reeder. Going to get a Ruger Super Blackhawk dressed up in 475 Linebaugh with a 5 shot cylinder. All vapor honed stainless steel with black Macarta grips.