What went wrong?

[Ron.C]

sorry you lost the bear. It happens and all you can do is learn from it. And thanks for sharing. Most won't share an experience like this so in doing so you'll help others.

Nothing wrong with your rifle/bullet combination or range the bear was shot at, if you are shooting for vitals. Seen plenty of vancouver island bears taken with similar and lesser combinations but the shooter targetted the lungs and stayed well back of the shoulders.

Leaves one thing, shot placement. You said yourself " holdover was on the shot was top of the shoulder inline with his leg"

I can only guess but I'd say you either hit one shoulder and it didn't penetrate into the offside or you were just behind and probably above the lungs "if this were the case the bear could very well survive".

Small margin of error for shot placement shooting for the shoulders "assuming thats what you were trying to do" you pretty much have to blow out both scapulas to put them down. You can take one shoulder out completely and they will go on three legs forever.

Compared this to shooting an inch or two forward of middle/middle, where you have a huge lungs to hit with a much larger marging of error. Been in on allot of Vancouver Island bear kills and nothing beats a broadside double lung. May run a short distance (usually no more than 40 yards) but there is lots of blood and they are all stone dead when we get to them.

Allot of inexperience bear hunters think the vitals on a bear are the same as a deer and hope to drop a bullet in slightly low just behind the shoulder.

 

[DawnPatrol]

my holdover was on the shot was top of the shoulder inline with his leg

As others have said, you were holding unnecessarily far forward.

I don’t think your bullet selection was bad per se. I shot a large black bear with a ballistic tip bullet once from an 30-06 and it was immediately and catastrophically fatal, but I didn’t hit the shoulder.

My only other advice for shooting bears is to get close. Maybe not a popular opinion on the internet, but getting inside 100 yards seems to really up the odds of recovery for me and my friends. Big bears have a lot of fur and fat and it’s not always easy to know what you are aiming at, or where to hold over, especially from a long ways away.

I’m sorry you lost an animal. Sucks. Way to learn from it and take feedback like a champ.

 

[DenimChicken]

Compared this to shooting an inch or two forward of middle/middle, where you have a huge lungs to hit with a much larger marging of error. Been in on allot of Vancouver Island bear kills and nothing beats a broadside double lung. May run a short distance (usually no more than 40 yards) but there is lots of blood and they are all stone dead when we get to them.

This was my experience with the bear I took this year. A few inches forward of the middle of the middle and the bullet took out both lungs, made a large exit wound and the bear left a considerable blood trail for the very short distance it went before quickly expiring. Plenty pleased with the results and will seek to duplicate that shot placement in the future.

 

[roosiebull]

I now agree ! I will be working something more robust for next year! I'm thinking a monolithic or accubond Maybe something that burns more powder.

After studying this I realize the vitals are further back than the hogs I typically deal with.

I will buck the consensus and say the bullet is a good choice for bear, considering bear are softer than deer (extremely easy to shoot through) and you don’t want to aim near any “heavy” bone considering where their vitals are.

My best guess is you shot high, from what you describe, but obviously impossible to know without being there.

Honestly, it’s extremely critical to shoot bear in the lungs, if you do, they are easier to kill than any big game critters… don’t shoot them well they are insanely tough.

I prefer a soft bullet for bear, I don’t care about penetration because they are soft, and I want a big wound channel and not a narrow one… that’s more true with bear than anything imo.

Your shot didn’t hit its mark, the bullet has nothing to do with it, and no bullet would have improved your odds in this scenario

I also appreciate you taking some constructive criticism without getting offended, it’s always refreshing to see, especially in this day and age

 

[AKDoc]

Great job asking for honest feedback without being defensive nor offended when you got it. Good on you! Makes me want to add to your responses.

If you hit where you described you were aiming to hit (shoulder shot in line with the leg), then I strongly suspect that your shot placement was the major factor. As mentioned by others, a shoulder shot on a black bear is not where to aim. Black bears are not hard to kill when you hit them in the vitals behind the shoulder (at least in my experience), and their hide is nowhere near as heavy/thick as a grizzly.

I've cleanly taken a number of spring black bears on the snow slides with a 257WBY, using 100gr TSX handloads...shots were in the vitals behind the shoulder, mostly 100-200 yds out...one was nearly 300.

Grizzlies are a different story...For me, it's always been in the fall with a 375H&H, using 270gr TSX handloads, shots in the vitals...all within a hundred yards. I've taken two, and helped two friends take theirs with back-up shots. My son took his with a 338-06 using a 210gr TSX handload...heart shot at 50yds. I've not shot a grizzly in the shoulder, but I have heard from others with experience (and also using a large caliber cartridge) suggest that breaking one down with a shoulder shot has been a good first-shot plan for them...I prefer the vitals.

We all live and learn from our experiences when we're honest with ourselves...good on you for asking and being honest. Also, I would have spent all day looking the day after. The very best to you for future adventures sir!

 

[OpenCountry]

A few inches forward of the middle of the middle and the bullet took out both lungs, made a large exit wound and the bear left a considerable blood trail for the very short distance it went before quickly expiring. Plenty pleased with the results and will seek to duplicate that shot placement in the future.

Always should be just forward of the middle of middle as stated right here. I’ve had buddies shooting big 30 cals loose bears because of trying to shoulder shoot them and being to far forward. I think your bullet choice was fine for bear if you were in the middle of the middle. A bonded bullet might not be a bad way to go next time (Accubond, Trophy Bonded Tip, Scirocco II) just for some extra insurance.

 

[Leadfeather]

I appreciate your info fellas..im54 yes old and have come to realize I don't know everything ....I will apply all that I have learned

 

[MHWASH]

I will buck the consensus and say the bullet is a good choice for bear, considering bear are softer than deer (extremely easy to shoot through) and you don’t want to aim near any “heavy” bone considering where their vitals are.

My best guess is you shot high, from what you describe, but obviously impossible to know without being there.

Honestly, it’s extremely critical to shoot bear in the lungs, if you do, they are easier to kill than any big game critters… don’t shoot them well they are insanely tough.

I prefer a soft bullet for bear, I don’t care about penetration because they are soft, and I want a big wound channel and not a narrow one… that’s more true with bear than anything imo.

Your shot didn’t hit its mark, the bullet has nothing to do with it, and no bullet would have improved your odds in this scenario

I also appreciate you taking some constructive criticism without getting offended, it’s always refreshing to see, especially in this day and age

I concur 100% with this statement. We have killed several bears with Ballistic Tips. All on shot kills.

 

[amassi]

Stop shooting bears in their shoulders regardless of size there’s nothing vital there. Shoulder shots have helped this myth of the tough bear.

Slightly forward of middle/middle and they die without fanfare.

You had the right bullet as has been said, they aren’t tough animals and a rapidly expanding bullet is best.

Don’t worry about exits, fat and fur is exceptional at hiding blood trails regardless of exit wounds.


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[amassi]

Always should be just forward of the middle of middle as stated right here. I’ve had buddies shooting big 30 cals loose bears because of trying to shoulder shoot them and being to far forward. I think your bullet choice was fine for bear if you were in the middle of the middle. A bonded bullet might not be a bad way to go next time (Accubond, Trophy Bonded Tip, Scirocco II) just for some extra insurance.

Bonded is the opposite what you want. Their skin is paper thin and since we’re avoiding the shoulder and shooting them in the heart/lungs a rapidly expanding bullet is best


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[OpenCountry]

Bonded is the opposite what you want. Their skin is paper thin and since we’re avoiding the shoulder and shooting them in the heart/lungs a rapidly expanding bullet is best


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Yea you’re right. Accubonds and TBTs haven’t killed my bears just fine They aren’t going to pencil through like I’d be worried about with coppers and shooting bears where described.

I told him I thought his bullet of choice was fine for bear. Reread the post.

 

[amassi]

Yea you’re right. Accubonds and TBTs haven’t killed my bears just fine They aren’t going to pencil through like I’d be worried about with coppers and shooting bears where described.

I told him I thought his bullet of choice was fine for bear. Reread the post.

Yea you’re right. Accubonds and TBTs haven’t killed my bears just fine They aren’t going to pencil through like I’d be worried about with coppers and shooting bears where described.

I told him I thought his bullet of choice was fine for bear. Reread the post.

Then you said
A bonded bullet might not be a bad way to go…. For extra insurance.

It is a bad way to go. Re read your own post
A bonded bullet in a bear only insures slower kills and longer tracking jobs. Glad they worked for you. But they’re not the right tool for the job. Just because you can frame a house with a T ball bat doesn’t mean you should recommend it.


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[MallardSX2]

The only thing that went wrong in my opinion was that you didn’t hit the bear where you should have.

Next time either don’t shoot or try to get closer.

You don’t deserve to be shamed. It’s part of hunting and learning.

 

[OpenCountry]

TBT seems to leave an easy enough blood trail. That’s why I recommended it as an alternate choice to his already fine bullet. We can agree on shot placement @amassi and let the thread continue.