Canada black bear .62 cal flintlock hunt success!
On May 14th, I tagged this Spring sow at 12 yards with my TVM .62 cal (20 GA) flintlock smoothbore in Elk Lake, Ontario, Canada. By law, non-resident hunters must use an outfitting service, and my Canadian friend, Chris, set us up with Trapper Mick's Bear Camp. I can't say enough good things about Mick and his work Our baits were freshened up every day. We were also shown pics from the trail cameras by the bait sites daily, as well, to determine the best stands to sit based on current winds and activity. Mick and his wife were excellent hosts, and the cabin we stayed in was perfect for our needs. I can say with confidence that you should check him out on Facebook if you are looking for a Spring or Fall bear hunt.
Load data:
- .600" (~325 gr.) pure lead round ball
- 75 gr. Goex FFg authentic black powder
- .010" Ox-Yoke Originals Wonderlubed patch
- English flint
She ran about 100 yards straight away at the shot and piled up nicely. As is standard with traditional black powder arms, penetration was complete, but the blood trail was pretty sparse. It was ample to find her, but you need to have a sharp eye during tracking to stay on the trail.
If you were wondering what a .600" lead ball does to a bear and its lungs...I learned that with a bear, you should NOT shoot tight to the shoulder like you would for a deer. Rather, the target point to hit the front of the bear's lungs in "the middle of the middle", as their lungs sit further back in the rib cage than a deer hunter would expect. About 4" back from the leg, splitting the distance between the leg and the last rib is where I was told to aim. I had to put faith in the outfitter and Chris' experience on this one. It felt odd to shoot that far back, but as you see from the lung hole, that hold point worked perfectly.
Hunt video:
Load data:
- .600" (~325 gr.) pure lead round ball
- 75 gr. Goex FFg authentic black powder
- .010" Ox-Yoke Originals Wonderlubed patch
- English flint
She ran about 100 yards straight away at the shot and piled up nicely. As is standard with traditional black powder arms, penetration was complete, but the blood trail was pretty sparse. It was ample to find her, but you need to have a sharp eye during tracking to stay on the trail.
Needless to say, I'm pretty stoked with this gun. That's two kills (one turkey/one bear) in one Spring with it. As for the bear, she is one of only 25% of all black bears to sport a white chest patch on her beast, so I will be getting a shoulder mount. By law, I have to send two pre-molars off to the Canadian government for age and DNA analysis, which should yield some cool data that they will send back to me.
If you were wondering what a .600" lead ball does to a bear and its lungs...I learned that with a bear, you should NOT shoot tight to the shoulder like you would for a deer. Rather, the target point to hit the front of the bear's lungs in "the middle of the middle", as their lungs sit further back in the rib cage than a deer hunter would expect. About 4" back from the leg, splitting the distance between the leg and the last rib is where I was told to aim. I had to put faith in the outfitter and Chris' experience on this one. It felt odd to shoot that far back, but as you see from the lung hole, that hold point worked perfectly.
Hunt video:
Accuracy: because white space between bullet holes drives me insane.
2
Replies
Nice bear btw.
Nice hunt there Mr. Boon
I've said it before, you are the hunter I wish I could have been. Congrats on another fine adventure.
Sako
Should have carved a tree with your name and killed a bar rite her.
Zee
I posted this video for you a while back but you may have missed it, you were on the move.
https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=don+klien+video&view=detail&mid=F3B23F5934241C613EABF3B23F5934241C613EAB&FORM=VIRE
Oh, and as for Zee’s faceless flury of fauna, his stories have a flair all of their own, never to be duplicated. He gets a lot of great info from his cartridge application and experimentation. I just run around and shoot stuff
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
Words of wisdom from Big Chief: Flush twice, it's a long way to the Mess Hall
I'd rather have my sister work in a whorehouse than own another Taurus!
More concerning is the fact that, by Ontario provincial game law, you have to have your gun unloaded and cased if it is before/after legal shooting time. You literally have a club in your hands leaving the woods with multiple bears periodically passing through your area!
Gun control laws make about as much sense as taking ex-lax to cure a cough.
"The Un-Tactical"
Life member of the American Legion, the VFW, the NRA and the Masonic Lodge, retired LEO