I was coming back down the mountain from test firing some guns today when I came around a corner and there was an avg size black bear off the side of the road next to a large section of berry bushes. I got out of the rig with my 454 and he sat up on his haunches watching me. At 50yds I was afraid he was going to break for it so I put the sights on his chest and touched her off. There was little reaction but he dropped to all 4 and started into the brush, I was able to squeeze another round off broadside but it was through heavy brush. I stopped and thought for a second and started scolding myself for taking a frontal chest shot. It was getting dark quickly so I got to where he had been standing and realized I was going in on my hands and knees through tunnels in the briars. I got about 10feet in and was losing light fast, I couldn't find any blood but I also know they can go a little ways before they start showing blood. I kept hearing small limbs breaking about 20-30yds away but visibility was a matter of a yard or so at the most. I decided the better part of valor was to back out and go back tomorrow morning with a machete to clear brush so I can follow up. It's supposed to go to a 50% chance of rain so I'm hoping it holds off until I can get up there but regardless as I was leaving I heard another limb break in the same area so at least I have an idea of where he might be. I'll let you guys know what happens but it's amazing when things happen fast like that sometimes you do things in the heat of the moment you know you shouldn't. I know this will be a long night, I've been playing it over and over in my head. I keep remembering the sight picture and the shot felt good and so did the follow up but when you don't know it's a killer. I keep second guessing myself and thinking why did I leave the 458 at home. Every other trip I've made up there this year I've carried a scoped Encore and since it's completion it's been the 458. I carry it because I've run into some big bears up there before but haven't been able to get a shot yet. For better or worse I'll have a report and if the outcome is negative then it can be a lesson to all and if it's positive it's still a lesson that I got lucky on a low percentage shot.

What a downer! I hope you are able to find your bear in the morning.

What's ironic is while I was testing customers guns I was testing a new load for the 44spcl I built my wife. It's a 255gr CP WFN over 19gr of H110. I didn't get it chronod but it shows 1189fps out of a 6" barrel and I'm running a 3.5" so I should still be close to 1100fps which is on the lower end of the 44 Mag. I built this gun and created this load as a back up gun for my wife and daughter and now they are both going with me in the morning to look for the bear although I hope if there is any need for defensive shooting I'm doing it.

Good luck Rod!

Good luck and be safe!

And people wonder why you build monster rounds… LOL

Rod, Got a feeling that when you go back you will find him about 50yds from where you left off. GOOD LUCK...

My best wishes and thoughts are with you Rod, Best of Luck and may the Good Lord watch over you and your wife and daughter at those difficult and dangerous moments, and always.

Gregg

Good Luck!

I don't know anything about bear hunting, but why is a frontal chest shot not good on a bear that is sitting up?

Seems like that would expose the vitals pretty good.

Thanks
MN

Well I'm getting ready to head out so we shall see. MN as for your question it's because it's a low percentage shot. For it to really be effective you either need to hit it in the heart or the spine. Most game animals can recover from a one lung hit unless you really blow it apart but I've seen deer gutted with and a broadhead was found in one lung healed over. I also had a friend that killed one and the deer had fallen on a dead branch and it punctured the lung and healed around it. That is why you really want to get both lungs and the only way to do that is broadside or quartering.

Right. I see what you mean.

MN

There's a really good chance you will find the bear (obviously if the placement of the shot was good). I have shot in low light, searched till it was pitch black and found the following morning that the animal moved off less than 50 yards when it died. I wish you luck, Rod.

good luck. it'll be dead if ya hit the vitals.

what load were ya using.

I'm sure you will recover your animal. Take it slow and be vigilant. We have all done things we wish we could correct so, don't be too hard on yourself. Good hunting!

good luck rod i think you will find that bear they will try to go in a den somtimes so go slow and look close.

Sounds like the shot was good you should have some mighty fine eatin on your hands.I like the center punch myself.

Hopefully the rain does not screw you, stay with it, trust your gut and you're shooting, most of all be careful. J.T.

Good luck, Rod. I bet you find him right close to where you left off. I helped track a wounded brownie here back in the spring through the thick stuff, and it sure makes a man move easy and look sharp.

Rod, you'll find it. I have a feeling that it will turn out well. Be safe!

Well guys I appreciate all the positive input but we found no sign or the bear. I can only figure that it was a clean miss or because of the shot I took it was a non lethal hit. I knew better than to take the shot I did but I was so startled and so excited I blew it. It's hard to explain but this area is loaded with bear and I chased a 400lb+ boar in the same area a couple years ago and I was within 10yds at one point and couldn't see him but I could hear him popping his teeth and making some generally unfriendly sounding noise and with my visibility only being a few feet I backed out of a bad situation. If they would legalize baiting again I'd score every year and in fact I found the reason the bear stuck as long as he did. The thing this area is most known for is it's Chinook salmon fishing and I found about a dozen salmon carcass's that had the filets removed. Some fisherman drove up the hill and dumped his waste instead of bagging it and putting it in the garbage.

We did find something interesting though that goes back to the affect of predation and I'll make a post with pics on that when I get a chance. Elk season starts in the morning and 4:30 comes early. Thanks again but this time I did make a "bad decision" but tomorrow is another day and a storm is moving in and that normally gets the elk moving. I'll let you all know how my elk opener goes. Good luck to the rest of you still hunting.

good luck with that ELK........rod

Hey Rod, it happens to all of us if we hunt long enough.

Good Luck; hope you get your elk!

Good Luck Rod, thanks for the update.

Thanks for sharing your bear story. I am soaking up as much handgun hunting stories as I can as I am new to hunting with a handgun. Hunted for years with a rifle but as I am learning, handgun hunting is much more challenging !Look forward to hearing about the elk hunt.