Bears with a Flintlock
 

Any one here ever hunt bear with a flinter? I know Davey Crocket got one when he was only 3 but I'm going on 53 :rolleye0011:

Our season opens on Thurs and I was thinking of taking Ole' Betsy my Lyman GPR .50 Flintlock with me. I was planning on using 100 gr 3F Goex with a .495 ball. My bait is 50 yds from my stand.

What do you think? Good to go? Bear size can vary from 100 lber to 300 or larger.

HA

Well they killed Griz with the 50 cal. If you have them I would use a maxi ball or REAL bullet. They are a little heavier

The roundball can do it. But shot placement is critical. I have a friend that shot one with a .50 caliber percussion New Englander shooting a roundball and he said it did a great job. Although they had a long track from what I gather.

I would take only a broadside shot and then go for the heart. But I am sure you know bear anatomy.

My rifle is 1:60 the conicals don't fly too well out of it unfotuneately. I thought about some Buffalo Ball-etts that weigh in at 270 grains. They're shorter and might fly decently but I really don't have the time to work out a good hunting load for them.

HA

Definately broadside is where it's at. I've had bear run 60 yds with it's lungs hanging outside it's body after being hit with a .270. They're tough animals.

He didn't happen to mention what his load was did he?

Thanks,

HA

feel free to stop by my house and go into my back yard and shoot this lil bastard!

OHHHH How I'd love to take care of that problem for you!!!

HA

From what I remember he used to shoot 80 grains of Pyrodex RS and a roundball. The load was really accurate the few times I shot with him. In fact when he got the rifle I was the one that taught him to shoot it. He'd never had a muzzleloader in his life. Now it is all he uses to hunt with.

Thanks Dave,

My load is plenty accurate (same one I was useing at 100 yds)and should be plenty in the power department @ 50 yds but I have never used the flinter for them so I was just checking. It's the waiting for a good shot that will be the killer. I don't fancy chasing wounded bear's.

HA

When I hunted bear with my .54 caliber Renegade I used REAL bullets, but the twist allowed that. Although one day I just loaded up 90 grains and a roundball. I never found a good bear that year.. well I take that back, there was a sow and two cubs and she was a big sow, but that's a no no. And there was one little bear I could have shot but he was too small for what I wanted. We hunted over baits.