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Minnesota Black Bear hunt, which rifle?

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grousemaster

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 08:58 PM

Greetings,

I am new to the website, and want to ask a quick question. I have applied for a bear tag in my home state of MN this year and have an excellent chance of getting one. I bump bears occasionally where I grouse hunt and have some good spots picked out....anyone on here have extensive experience hunting black bear? I'd love any advice you could give to a first timer.

Also, I have a Marlin 30AW 30-30 win. with a tasco 3-9x40 mounted on it, it groups sub inch at 50 yds and about 3'' at 100 yds. I also have a Marlin XL7 in .270 Win with Leupold 3-9x50 Vari-xII on top of it. This rifle shoots sub MOA and can stay on an 6'' target consistently at 250 yds. Which rifle should I shoot for my first bear hunt? I can't imagine a shot over 75-100 yds at the farthest as I'll be in the north woods. Any load recommendation for either caliber? Minnesotans will probably kill 10,000 plus bears this year, success rate is somewhere around 50% from what I have heard so my chances at getting a shot are pretty decent if I do my part.....

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Jul 18th 10
MN US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 09:07 PM

pic of 2 rifles in question...

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Jul 18th 10
MN US

dtkww

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 09:44 PM

I don't know how big a black bear would be, but with bears, I 'd use a more powerful rifle then the 30-30. I'd use my Remy 700 30-06 at least or my 458 Socom with a heavy projectile.

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Sep 14th 09
IN US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 10:00 PM

Bears up here are generally 250-400 lbs...with an occasional monster.

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Jul 18th 10
MN US

cohenj87

Posted: Jul 19th 2010, 10:02 PM

black bears are ALOT smaller than brown bears. id say a rough guess for an average weight would be around 200lbs and probably as big as 500 or so and thats a BIGGIN.

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Apr 19th 09
MN US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 01:11 AM

We took a 300 lb black bear last season with a 45 caliber bullet / 50 cal sabot out of a black powder rifle at 10 yards. My father used to hunt black bear in WI using a Win 30-30. 30 cal is more than enough for black bear. In VA, our black bear run 200 to 600 lbs. We just hunt them with whatever we are hunting deer with that day.

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Jan 8th 09
VA US

foxtrot

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 03:04 AM

Shot placement is more important than power! That said, I'd lean towards your 270. More accurate, and you do have better glass on it. Could be a serious advantage in some situations (certain sun positions, lower light, etc.)

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CO US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 11:19 AM

I agree with Fox on the shot placement vs caliber. I was still hunting when this black bear snuck up on me from behind in the brush. I was below him in a covered position, and there was no way to shoot. I was waiting to ambush deer on a known game trail. When I turned, the bear moved quickly up the hill towards my hunting buddy who was in a tree stand. I pushed the bear up the hill and my buddy took the shot with his Thompson/Center Omega 45 cal SST/50 sabot. He hit him in the ticker and the bear bled out in a full adrenaline run within 25 yards. He's now a cape rug.

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VA US

ETHRON-1

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 01:42 PM

Hey Room.....sorry man but I can't resist....
it's too hard....can't help it...sorry.

The faces have been changed to protect the bears family....HAHAHAHA

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Jun 8th 09
NE US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 03:10 PM

E,

I'm in the first pic unaltered. I won't post the face of the other guy without his permission.

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VA US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 03:14 PM

On the original post..... I'd think about taking the 30-30 on the bear hunt. At least here, the thicket is dense and a brush gun is easier to maneuver. The 30-30 round has matched ballistics for dense woods or thicket hunting. Unless you are hunting in the relative open, in which case you probably won't find any black bear, the .270 is probably going to be a hindrance in weight and length. And, you most definitely won't need the bipod. Bears have a keen sense of smell. Burn some cherry punks. Stay 25 feet up in a tree or play the wind on a hillside while still hunting. They use their sense of smell vs sight and sound. Just my two pennies.

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VA US

shamntgmry

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 06:51 PM

Guys, it may mean nothing to you but I am from Texas, and that is some great looking scenery and obviously great shots. congrats. Wish I could hit a black bear like that! Tell me more please.

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Oct 9th 09
TX US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 08:51 PM

SHAMNTGMRY,

Virginia truly is God's country. The landscape is stunning. The Blue Ridge Mountain range runs parallel to the northern border and provides fantastic mountain hunting opportunities. The vertical elevation change on any given hunt can be several thousand feet. While we have black bear all over the state, the population in the mountainous area where I live and hunt is healthy. A big game hunting license in the state of VA gives you deer, bear, and turkey. Bear season, for the most part, parallels deer season. So, when we go deer hunting, we are always on the look out for black bear. Each hunter gets one tag per season. Black bear are usually tough to come across, as they stay away from human contact. We don't have the rut to aid in our search for black bear like we do with deer. Typically, the bear is out foraging for food to fatten up for their winter hibernation period, so eating is on their mind. We can't bait with food beyond a few weeks prior to bow season, but scenting is legal. Cherry punks tend to do the trick for both bear and deer here. Bear are fast when they want to be over short distances. Typically, you won't come across sows with cubs in the fall, so the danger lies only in surprises the bear at point blank range. That bear was approximately 300 lbs, so you can imagine a 600 lb copy. Over 400 lbs, and you're typically talking about a black bear that is living off trash somewhere (VA). A few 500+ lb'rs were taken last season. You know bear are present by their foraging signs and scat. They will move logs and rocks looking for bugs and grubs to eat. Black bear are omnivorous to some extent, but they mostly rely on just bugs and berries with the occasional meat sandwich. As for the scat, it is shaped like a Coke can and will have berry seeds in it. The thicker the can, the bigger the bear. If you see steam rising, you know you are close. The bear is probably already aware of you and keeping a low profile. Don't forget to look up. Usually, the black bear will climb a tree to hide. They are excellent climbers. Their muscle is more dense than a deers, but any normal deer caliber will take a black bear. Shot placement is about the same as a deer. Aim for the heart and lungs just off the back side of the lower shoulder. Head shots don't make a lot of sense with a bear because since the meat is usually not desirable, most bear kills are for trophies. That being said, proper marinading and tenderizing coupled with correct cooking technique and bear can be an edible protein source. We usually donate the meat to the Hunters For The Hungary program where beggars can't be choosers seems to apply. Getting a bear processed is a lot more expensive than processing a deer. Skinning a bear is more difficult than skinning a deer. Field dressing it is about the same process. To drag a bear out of the woods without power requires dumping the very heavy gut and entrails. It took two of us and a field sled to drag that guy downhill 2 miles to the truck. Bear meat spoils much quicker than deer meat, so you can't leave a bear sit too long before spoilage occurs. If you hit a bear, the hunting day is over at that point, even if it's cold out. Also, due to the high quantity of meat in the leg regions, rigor sets in, so streamline the legs for dragging before it seizes up.

What else can I tell you?

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Jan 8th 09
VA US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 09:12 PM

best way to scout, bait? Best bait station arrangement, etc? Thanks!

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Jul 18th 10
MN US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 09:40 PM

Best way to scout is to understand their food source in your hunting area. Sounds familiar, right? Downed rotted trees and medium to large rocks are great sources for their grubs and bugs. Bears use trails if they are there. Look for scat (turds). On one particular hike a few months ago, we noticed bear scat all over a particular part of the trail towards the top of the mountain. I'll be hunting there this fall. Bait for bears is easy. They like human food, but I live by the don't tread motto, so I use cherries. I can't do it once season starts, but I can go on a camping trip up on the mountain and setup a game camera on a pile of cherries and see what feeds on them just prior to season opening. Then I know what's in the area. Cherries and VA go together, so that works here. Just modify it for your area. Also, check for claw marks on trees above the ground level. Try to identify what trees they use to nap in. You'd be amazed how many people never look up when black bear hunting.

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VA US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 10:03 PM

DTKWW,

30-30 bullets have about the same mass as 30-06 bullets. There are a few 180 gr 30-06 bullets available, but the difference at black bear ranges is negligible. The 458 SOCOM would be a great round for bear hunting, but the hide damage is going to be quite a bit more. If you want a rug, I'd stick with 30 caliber. 30-30 is just fine. BTW, that 45 cal 300 gr SST black powder bullet tore a huge hole in the bear's side at 10 yards.

30-30 150 gr MV 2390 Energy 1902
300 Savage 150 gr MV 2630 Energy 2303
308 Win 165 gr MV 2700 Energy 2679
30-06 150 gr MV 2800 Energy 2872

The energy or knock down power of the 30-06 is 800+ lbs more, but the size of the rifle producing those numbers is substantially bigger. That bigger rifle used for hunting black bear is not really needed, because most shots will be 25 yards or less for black bear. Hunting black bear is a thicket/tree experience, not a 'from across the field' experience. Anything with ME around 2000 is going to knock em dead.

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Jan 8th 09
VA US

grousemaster

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 11:21 PM

So 30-30 over .270? We can hunt over bait here....maybe a pile of bacon or something : )

If I'm not mistaken the MN state record black bear is like 860lbs killed with a single shot from a 30-30 Win....

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Jul 18th 10
MN US

Room 055

Posted: Jul 20th 2010, 11:33 PM

Both calibers will work. If you can hunt deer with it, you can hunt black bear with it. I'd take the 30-30 over the 270 for the overall length of the rifle. An 860 lbr is a true monster black bear!

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VA US

dtkww

Posted: Jul 21st 2010, 12:28 AM

Thank you for the clarification on the Black Bear size. Since I have only seen the Brown or Grizzly and noticed they're HUGE. Never seen a Black Bear before so no idea. Well, then I'd take back what I said, 30-30 is good enough.

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IN US

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