Vortex!
Well-Known Member
Black bear only. I have no plans to hunt grizzly bears. Maybe someday if I have the time and the money... Until then, I will just hunt black bear. 
Heavy hardcast lead for bear?
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xsn10s
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You could use a standard 405 gr Winchester JHP or any 300-405 gr exposed lead flat point or JHP.Black bear only. I have no plans to hunt grizzly bears. Maybe someday if I have the time and the money... Until then, I will just hunt black bear.
Vortex!
Well-Known Member
Keeping my eyes open whenever I get to the local gunshops or Cabela's. We'll see what I find. Thanks.
Before I cast my own lead bullets in 45-70 I used Cast Performance 405 gr bullets,wide meplat so it knocked deer off their feet and none ever got up to run away.My 405 gr mold does not have a wide meplat so it don't get used much.
Besides Montana Bullet Works check out Beartooth Bullets.I used their 350 gr Pile Driver and it did the same as the 405 gr.
Besides Montana Bullet Works check out Beartooth Bullets.I used their 350 gr Pile Driver and it did the same as the 405 gr.
xsn10s
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- Joined
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I loaded up these for a friend shooting Texas whitetails. He felt it was too much afterwards. Generally speaking many say black bears will drop to a deer load. So look around and see what others say. https://www.bluecollarreloading.com/collections/hornady/products/hornady-45cal-300gr-hp-4500
I have used those Hornady 300 gr bullets on black bear and they work wonders.Not huge blackies but 200-250 lb bears
I used 405 gr. .458 hardcast on a cow elk out of my muzzleloader. Went in at front right shoulder and exited rear left ham. It wasn't a quick kill, she went 200 yards or so, but it worked. My bullet had a bigger meplat. With yours, I'd aim for a shoulder to stop the bear and follow up if needed with a lung shot. Often, the bone will shatter into the lung for a quick kill. In my experience, black bears aren't that difficult to kill, but I've always used center fire 7mm.
When shooting heavy recoiling rifles off the bench, I put a sandbag behind the stock to take the recoil. When hunting, you won't feel it.
Frank Mayer wrote about buffalo hunting back in the day. He was using 500 gr. round nose bullets supplied by the gov't with 120 gr. of black powder. I believe they had a BHN of aroud 11, which is softer than a hardcast. I've used pure lead 400 gr. pointed bullets on elk, and found they left almost no entry wound, and expanded to over an inch, so no exit wound either.
Outlaw State bullets made me some subsonic 405 gr. Remington hollowpoints (although not available now). They drop elk in their tracks at about 1750 muzzle velocity and 1250 terminal velocity (at 225 yards).
When shooting heavy recoiling rifles off the bench, I put a sandbag behind the stock to take the recoil. When hunting, you won't feel it.
Frank Mayer wrote about buffalo hunting back in the day. He was using 500 gr. round nose bullets supplied by the gov't with 120 gr. of black powder. I believe they had a BHN of aroud 11, which is softer than a hardcast. I've used pure lead 400 gr. pointed bullets on elk, and found they left almost no entry wound, and expanded to over an inch, so no exit wound either.
Outlaw State bullets made me some subsonic 405 gr. Remington hollowpoints (although not available now). They drop elk in their tracks at about 1750 muzzle velocity and 1250 terminal velocity (at 225 yards).
I'd definitely go with the monos. I like the Barnes, TSX, 300 grain FBHP, they work!! We've shot four or five bear with them, large entry hole and larger exit hole. I'm going to try Hammer bullets, just have not had that opportunity yet. The photo is an exit hole from the Barnes.
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My son and I hunt together. We don't shoot Barnes bullets all year long because they are too expensive. We also use them in the 30-06's and the 35 Whelens so they're not a cheap date at the range if that's all we shoot. When we are just plinking we will use something a lot less expensive. The folks at Hammer were really good to me this year and they did get some of their Hammer Hunter bullets out to me for the 35 Whelen. It was a last minute change for me, I loaded 50 up and took them out but did not get a chance to use them. We hunt with either the Whelen or the 45-70. We both anchored two nice bear this year, both with the 45-70s, total pass-through shots, no difficulty finding a blood trail or.....the bear!! We had a third hunter with us this year, he shot a 362lb black bear with the Whelen (Barnes TSX, 225gr bullet), that bear went about 30 feet from where he shot it.
When you wrote about being a skinflint, my thoughts for me are that this is a hunt for us (son/myself) to make memories that will last long after I am gone; and in couple of weeks I'll have orbited the sun 75 times. How much is that worth????? Also if you have a trophy of a lifetime, it comes out, you take the shot and then cannot find the bear due to a poor blood trail, and......"IF" you have the opportunity to do a retake on that bear of a lifetime, would you be shooting it with a $1.00 or a $2.50 bullet??? You will have and I have had people tell me that black bear are easy to kill, this had NOT been my experience. The bear that I shot this year was 225lb bear from about 60 yards away with the 45-70. I hunt a ground blind so my shots are from shoulder to shoulder pass-throughs. Before I could recover from the recoil this bear was no where to be found. I heard it crashing through the woods, it seemed like it was traveling forever before I stopped hearing the crashing. All the time that I heard this bear going into the Maine jungle I am say, "Come on you SOB stop running, stop running!!!" I finally heard the crashing stop and then the bear bawled for a minute and I heard nothing so I knew he was down. That bear ran about 30-40 yards before it died. When it was dressed out a look at the heart looked like a hand grenade had gone off inside of it, yet.....that bear managed a 30-40 yard sprint through thick woods and brush. It took us at least an hour to drag him back to where he was shot, but.....there was no difficulty finding that bear due to the through-and-though shot and large entry/exit holes. I would like to say that I am not an expert, what I have written here is based upon my experience black bear hunting.
Vortex!
Well-Known Member
I am very doubtful that I'll have a trophy bear come around since it's public hunting land in PA. I'm only 22 so unless I get killed soon I will have many more opportunities to go black bear hunting. That being said, I will do my best to shoot well and let the bullet work it's magic on ole Smoky. Good luck to the rest of ya that are planning to hunt bear this year!
Anything you shoot and recover will be a trophy to you.
Memories that will last a life time!
Memories that will last a life time!
Here is a pic of the Cast Performance/Grizzly bullet I use.
Horrible pic but great bullet with wide meplat
www.grizzlycartridge.com
Make sure you slug your barrel to make sure a .458 will seal the barrel.
Horrible pic but great bullet with wide meplat
458/405gr WLNGC 50ct - Grizzly Cartridge
458/405gr. Wide Long Nose Gas Check Sized to .459 Nose .455 Meplat .360 50/box Will fit new Marlin 1895 and Win. 1886
www.grizzlycartridge.com
What are you shooting this bullet out of, rifle?Here is a pic of the Cast Performance/Grizzly bullet I use.
Horrible pic but great bullet with wide meplat
Make sure you slug your barrel to make sure a .458 will seal the barrel.458/405gr WLNGC 50ct - Grizzly Cartridge
458/405gr. Wide Long Nose Gas Check Sized to .459 Nose .455 Meplat .360 50/box Will fit new Marlin 1895 and Win. 1886
Varmint Hunter
Well-Known Member
I've shot a load of bears over the years with my 45-70. Black bears are easy to kill and anything that works on deer of the same weight will work on bears. Personally, I like the Speer 400gr JSP for shooting bears over bait. The bullet is inexpensive, accurate and easily expands at moderate impact velocities. The Newfoundland black bear in my avatar was taken with one. The shot was about 50yds and caught him broadside through both lungs The bear ran 30yds before he piled up.
I've seen expansion up to 90 cal while the bullet held together on a large Georgian hog. I have never recovered one in a black bear. They just expand and penetrate.
Your 500gr slow poke round will easily kill a black bear but I'd expect it to run a distance before dropping unless you go through his shoulders with that big hunk of lead. Higher velocity impacts do generate a more immediate response from a game animal IME.
I've seen expansion up to 90 cal while the bullet held together on a large Georgian hog. I have never recovered one in a black bear. They just expand and penetrate.
Your 500gr slow poke round will easily kill a black bear but I'd expect it to run a distance before dropping unless you go through his shoulders with that big hunk of lead. Higher velocity impacts do generate a more immediate response from a game animal IME.
