Author Topic: Would YOU hunt bear with a single shot?? (Read 3530 times)

Lost Oki · « **Reply #30 on:** January 08, 2010, 02:30:49 PM »

Yet to score on a bear but I made two trips to Montana with my .54 hawken for black bear. Guide was an experienced BP shooter and felt that the .54 with roundball was fine out to 100 yrds. But should we run across a Griz...1. don't run, 2. If they charge, roll the hammer back, wait till it is right on top of you, do your best to shove the barrel down their throat a pull the trigger...then relax for the impact....other than that, I could try to out run his wife (my guide) cause all she carried was a pocket knife....She walked my tale off going up the mountain...no chance of out running her.... Bear with a Single shot...sure...being able to reload a single shot as fast as a bolt....Any one with bolt action experience should get off two to your one. Just my opinion and I have hunted with H&R Single shots and bolts for a number of years.

SwampThing762 · « **Reply #31 on:** January 11, 2010, 03:11:45 PM »

Single shot for a bear? Of course. My Handi-Rifle in 500 S/W with a Lyman #2 hard cast and heat treated 440 gr LFN bill over a max load of Longshot. Shots on 2 hogs gave 2 passthroughs.

ST762

qweeksdraw · « **Reply #32 on:** January 21, 2010, 02:36:58 AM »

I'm with Archer, Had one try to climb my tree & only 7 ft. off the ground. I scared us both to a smooth creamy consistancy haha. Shot the next one 300+ lbs at 12 yrs with my recurve, and that one was going to climb my tree too.... Ceder arrow razor sharp broadhead floresent yellow feathers burried deep behind the shoulder. Thats a vision you never forget. Now I'm startin to shake real bad, thats when 2 more showed up! Yikes!!! Four bears at once. Way cool.

My mistake- Never dump anise oil at the base of your tree, Bears love it!!! and so do I.

qweeksdraw

Sourdough · « **Reply #33 on:** January 23, 2010, 09:09:25 AM »

I live in Grizzly country, few Black Bears, Grizzlies kill them off. I carry a H&R Handi in 30-06, H&R Ultra in .223, or a TCR in .338 Win Mag, all single shots. My long range gun is a bolt action, but it never comes out of the case till I get to the blind. 90% of the time I am carrying a single shot Handi in either 30-06 or .223. If the oppertunity arose I would not hesitate dropping a Grizzly with the .223, or the 30-06. You use what you got in your hand at the time.

I know more than one person who has taken Grizzlies with .223s.

Graybeard feels I am destined to be Grizzly Poo. Oh Well, think of the adrinaline rush.

Swampman · « **Reply #34 on:** January 23, 2010, 09:38:34 AM »

Like I always ask "what do you want to do live forever?" Living in fear of dying isn't living at all. To Mr. Griz I say bring it.

Sourdough · « **Reply #35 on:** January 25, 2010, 06:33:21 AM »

Last time I tried to run a bait station, we had two Black Bear get into a fight on the bait. It was after dark and we could not see what was happening. Then one climbed up into our tree. The second one climbed up and into our tree house. We vacated out onto limbs, where we spent the night.

crazy Al. · « **Reply #36 on:** January 25, 2010, 12:15:05 PM »

Yes I have used a single shot on bear here in Tn. T.C. pro hunter 375 H&H
and a 416 Rigby mag. Would I hunt a Griz. YES with these cal. no problem if you know your gun and what it can do.

Swampman · « **Reply #37 on:** January 25, 2010, 12:51:50 PM »

Any deer rifle is enough.

Redtail1949 · « **Reply #38 on:** January 31, 2010, 05:20:56 AM »

yep, however i always have a pistol as my own back up. grizzley or a brown bear you would be a fool if you had no other weapon or a backup rifleman with you. black bears while it seems many feel they do not amount to much in the way of danger can outrun a horse and do much damage in a matter of seconds to anyone they want if not broken down.

they are not noted for such fights to the finish as the grizzley but i have seen many killed at very close range that took to the dogs or in a couple of cases another bear when they were shot. there speed was blinding and their attempt to kill what they though harmed them was a sight to see. lucky very lucky for the hunters standing near that they were not the target of their anger.

tree stands no big deal on the ground at long range no big deal up close on the ground you would be wise to have a big bore pistol at least.

bigbore442001 · « **Reply #39 on:** March 28, 2010, 02:29:31 PM »

All of the black bears I have taken were with a single shot handgun, the TC Contender. So the answer is yes.

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #40 on:** March 29, 2010, 06:12:46 AM »

I am going to take my 378 GNR this year. It is a single shot Encore 18.5 inch barreled rifle. But then again, it is only black bear I am going after...lol

S.E.Ak · « **Reply #41 on:** March 29, 2010, 07:29:53 AM »

Many it seems believe the words single shot mean fire the gun then throw it down and grab your knife. Fact is many single users can fire that second shot about as fast or as fast as the man with a bolt action.

Buckskin · « **Reply #42 on:** March 29, 2010, 08:07:29 AM »

The two black boars that I've shot have fallen to a slick-trick laced arrow. What's just as fun is tracking them at night with no weapon, but with guys who are a step slower than you!

jlchucker · « **Reply #43 on:** March 29, 2010, 08:23:14 AM »

Quote from: S.E.Ak on March 29, 2010, 07:29:53 AM

Many it seems believe the words single shot mean fire the gun then throw it down and grab your knife.

Isn't that what Davey Crockett used to do back in the day?

LOL

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #44 on:** March 29, 2010, 12:16:07 PM »

Quote from: S.E.Ak on March 29, 2010, 07:29:53 AM

Many it seems believe the words single shot mean fire the gun then throw it down and grab your knife. Fact is many single users can fire that second shot about as fast or as fast as the man with a bolt action.

I agree, I have shot some quick roaded shots in my single shot. For the longest time I used a single shot shotgun and did will on ducks, and I learned how to be quick reloading the gun.

Cheesehead · « **Reply #45 on:** March 29, 2010, 12:23:01 PM »

WOW Redhawk, 10 posts to go and 10K.

Cheese

Redhawk1 · « **Reply #46 on:** March 29, 2010, 04:46:33 PM »

Quote from: Cheesehead on March 29, 2010, 12:23:01 PM

WOW Redhawk, 10 posts to go and 10K.

Cheese

Did not even see that until you pointed it out, heck I was gone for about a year and then came back, i would of been over 10000 about a year ago...lol

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #47 on:** April 05, 2010, 12:21:08 PM »

Guess this would depend on a number of factors, all of which can change in an instant.

Enjoyed Easter dinner yesterday with some good friend, hosted by the family who have been in the guiding busness here in Idaho for a goodly number of years.

They along with some other friends made a trip to Alaska 3 - 4 years ago for Spring Browns, hunting the islands along the coast.

Lennie, got a very beautiful but smaller bear, while Arla took a big, ugly, mean and nasty tempered OLD boar.

Arla, her husband who was not hunting and the guide spotted the bear swimming toward one of the islands, so they beached to see just what might happen.

Well, the boar did come ashore, but arrived mad as hops. Stood to his back legs, let out a roar, dropped to all fours - water flying - and headed for them at a run.

No time to make a choice about shoot or not shoot, as it was instantly a self preservation situation.

Arla was shooting a .338 and the guide was shooting a .375H&H both of which were empty in seconds, leaving everyone scrambling for ammo.

Thankfully, by that time, the bear was already carring an overload of lead.

Andre said he never again wants to be in such a situation, unarmed.

The bear is now a full body mount in their wonderful, warm and cozy hunting lodge, while the skull shows teeth in bad shape, probably providing the reason for the big Ol'critter's nasty frame of mind.

The point of this is, as much as I like my single shots, it might have been a close call in that situation.

Keep em Coming!

CDOC

S.E.Ak · « **Reply #48 on:** April 05, 2010, 12:55:35 PM »

What could one say about that.I guess as I live on those islands I better start carrying two rifles.

Darrell Davis · « **Reply #49 on:** April 05, 2010, 01:08:01 PM »

Well S.E. Ak, you surely know your area and game far better then I, but was just relating what happened in one situation.

However, likeing my single shots and presently working with a 45/70 in a RUGER #1-s, the rifle would be up to the task even if I might not be.

Close as I will ever get to Alaska was one of the hunters in this adventure was packing my Redhawk.

So, my .44 with 310gr hard LBT bullets made it even though I won't.

Keep em coming!

CDOC

RON17T · « **Reply #50 on:** April 05, 2010, 04:25:30 PM »

Sure would! My hunting rifle is a bolt action but I never have to shoot it more than once at an animal. When I was young my Dad would only buy me singleshot guns. He said that way you learn to make the first shot count.

S.E.Ak · « **Reply #51 on:** April 06, 2010, 04:30:53 PM »

When a bear has a head of steam up they can be a hard target. Your #1 like my #3 in 45/70 will do the job nicely with a good bullet. I try to take out both front shoulders and then all is well.

kctibs · « **Reply #52 on:** April 19, 2010, 02:45:47 PM »

I use my 50 cal muzzleloader every year for black bear and do good about every other year or so. I hunt spring Alaskan Brown bear several years ago and use my 375 H&H model 70. But I would have no problem using a single shot for brown bear. Not sure about my muzzleloader though?

S.E.Ak · « **Reply #53 on:** April 19, 2010, 04:32:14 PM »

All the archers I know who have taken brownies used a single shot

petemi · « **Reply #54 on:** May 05, 2010, 07:28:27 AM »

I've got enough preference points, I'm sure I'll draw a tag for Black bear here on the U.P. of Michigan for this Fall. I'll be useing Handi Rifles from a ground blind or tree stand in .45-70 and .445 Super Magnum. Shots will be within 100 yards. I have bolts and leverguns, but they'll stay home. My .357 Blackhawk will be along for the ride.

I've never killed a bear with either the .45-70 or the .445, but I did kill a rampaging domestic boar hog with one .45-70 LE from the Handi. The farmer said it went 800 to 900 lbs. I also shot a 1400 lb. bull for another local farmer under similar circumstance with the same one shot round, so I have confidence they'll work for bear.

It's "bear time" here now, they're on the farm, so we don't go out back without a bear stopper. We're not afraid of them, just want something to run off that P.O.ed sow and her cub(s) or a cranky boar.

Pete