black bear shot placement

[commando668]

I'm going to be doing some black bear hunting soon and i was wondering were i should aim i want to put it down in the quickest way possible. i was thinking a shoulder or maybe a head shot.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

 

[daltrix99]

Notice the lung is relatively 'high and tight' when looking broadside vs an ungulate. I tucked my arrow up there with a bow this year, more high and anterior than I would with an ungulate. He died almost instantly.

 

[belshawelk]

Bears are funny.Some are really pissed and tough and some just roll over and die. Kinda like a big bull elk. Ideally you need to break down a bear, and bust his shoulder or preferably both. I have seen bears go along ways with a heart, lung shot. Very hard to trail because they bleed so little cause the fat plugs up the hole. The last one I shot I hit square in the chest (only shot I had) with my 300WM at about 50-75 yards. Completely flipped him over, he spun around a couple times and took. Ran 200 yards straight downhill crashing in a creek bed after going through thick brush over logs and anything else in his way. I took out the heart lungs and everything else. Found the bullet lodged against the rear hind leg just under the fur. 6' bear

 

[elkantlers]

Remember the bottom 3- to 4" or so is just hair. Aim a little higher than you would on deer.

 

[dgc1963]

The lungs are back more in bear than deer an elk I never shot one with a gun but several with a bow and it seems they dont go far then you take both their lungs out
when I take friends bear hunting I tell them to not go as tight behind shoulder as you would a deer but like I said never shot one with a gun but would stay away from head shots
And Belshawelk is right they do not leave much of a blood trail everyone of mine was within 75 yrds and almost no blood except on the arrow

 

[Gut Shot]

when I take friends bear hunting I tell them to not go as tight behind shoulder as you would a deer but like I said never shot one with a gun but would stay away from head shots

I've hunted them with hounds. The head shot is what the guys I hunt with prefer. They don't want a wounded bear on the ground with the dogs. But that is for treed bears and hounds.

 

[OzzyDave]

This diagram / picture was very helpful for me before my Canada bear hunt a couple of years back.

 

[Sask hunter]

Half way up the shoulder and right behind it. In my experience a double lunged bear dont go more then 40 yards when shot with a rifle. My experience is closer shot over bait and with a rifle. My favourite shots is when they are quartering to or away a bit and I can break that shoulder going in or out. That will knock them off their feet and they will roll around a bit before getting back up. Plenty of time to get ready for a second shot

 

[muskeg]

Look at OzzyDave's attachment pic. Take note of the front lower leg bone and how it points right to the heart. That's your shot. When finding the point don't find the top of the bear and sight down .. find the bottom, behind the front leg, and come up. The chart that wllm1313 posted up also suggests the same spot. But in that chart I like to stay in the lower part of the shaded areas, the angles with the check mark.
You don't want a head shot if your going to keep the skull or have a rug or mount done.
After the first shot be quick to get a bullet back up and get back on target. If it's moving ... shoot. On follow up shots just shoot center of mass. But it's been my experience that follow up shots, in the excitement, are usually just blowing up the tundra.

 

[Greyman]

Where to Shoot a Bear With a Bow

This is the best place to shoot a bear with a bow during archery season.

www.wideopenspaces.com