Bears with a Flintlock
08-30-2011, 05:48 AM
#1
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,392
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 
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
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
08-30-2011, 06:20 AM
#3
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
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.
I would take only a broadside shot and then go for the heart. But I am sure you know bear anatomy.
08-30-2011, 06:27 AM
#4
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,392
HA
08-30-2011, 06:30 AM
#5
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,392
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.
I would take only a broadside shot and then go for the heart. But I am sure you know bear anatomy.
He didn't happen to mention what his load was did he?
Thanks,
HA
08-30-2011, 08:55 AM
#7
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,392
08-30-2011, 09:39 AM
#8
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
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.
08-30-2011, 11:03 AM
#9
Nontypical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Renfrew County, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 1,392
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
08-30-2011, 11:12 AM
#10
Dominant Buck
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 21,193
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.
