Hunting Grizzly with the 45-70

Slamfire said:
Interesting, they recommend a double lunger. Something about questioning the ability of typical small caliber high velocity bullets to be relied upon to overcome bone impact.
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Its called "aim for the big spot"...

I used to do a lot of neck shots on deer than one day on the biggest bodied mule deer buck I have ever seen I missed don't know how I did but I did.

The way it was standing is if I shot it in the lungs it would have taken out the off side shoulder I didn't want to ruin the meat so I aimed for the neck and promptly missed.

I now unless I have no other option aim for the "big spot" = most bears and deer I shoot now are double lung shots.

My last grizzly skull measured 24 3/16" was both lungs and out the off leg/shoulder with a 300gr Partition @ 2800fps out of a 375RUM and that bear still made it over 80 yards into the thickest bush I have ever tracked anything in.
 
Slamfire said:
Would want to keep some distance away from that!
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Sometimes you don't have any choice. The bear is right there. And if they don't know what people are? Or have never been shot at? They AIN"T SCARED OF US...
Big wolves? Same... That is why you do not want to be practising on a hunt.. Any hunt.
 
Slamfire said:
Would want to keep some distance away from that!
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The bullet took out both shoulders and dropped him, exit wound I was able to fit most of my fist into. It was a good shot and stellar bullet performance. He wasn't going anywhere but he was definitely tearing up the tidal flat with his rear legs.

He sure didn't get far. The point I was making is that not every shoulder shot hits spine.
 
medvedqc said:
not everybody is using a fast big bore with heavy and strong bullet ...
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Maybe they should? (not being a smart ass) if you are in a group or a guided hunt you have lots of back up?
There was a sow and 3 2nd year cubs feeding on berries in the deep grass. I almost walked right up to them??
Big fast bore with a heavy partition is what I want..
 
GUB said:
Maybe they should? (not being a smart ass) if you are in a group or a guided hunt you have lots of back up?
There was a sow and 3 2nd year cubs feeding on berries in the deep grass. I almost walked right up to them??
Big fast bore with a heavy partition is what I want..
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for that specific scenario a 30-06 with 180 gr corelockt worked for a friend a us but he is not on cgun .... and i wrote that story .... it is not because we love bigger guns than smaller ones are not working nothing will work better than shot placement ....

i ve seen more bears killed by double lungs than shot in the shoulder just my experience .... pneumothorax always worked when two lungs are affected ....
 
Slamfire said:
My objective is to smash through shoulder bone to sever the spinal chord. Just need to penetrate straight through to do that. Expansion may be preferred but isn't necessary with a heavy .45.

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That's a a risky shot on Grizz in my opinion, even if you have a .505 Gibbs with a soft point. Best shot is quartering away, vitals to opposite front leg, that is if you have a .338 or .375 Mag. Next best is heart / lung. The shoulder can work but you're very apt to run into what Gate saw and it's not all that fair to the animals. It's a tiny, very obscured target zone to do what you're suggesting. This stuff strikes me as rationalization for a .45-70 rather than the best way to put down a Grizzly, any centerfire on the Canadian Tire shelf above .224 will be more reliable on a vitals shot than a .45-70 attempted shoulder / spine.
 
I think some may be misinterpreting what I said. The shot was very effective, grizz did not go far. I don't think that or any shoulder shot is unfair to the animal. A lung shot animal can live just as long or longer.

Only thing is there is more margin for error. But if you need to dump an animal, a shoulder shot will do it if executed correctly.

I've killed big bears with all sorts of shots, quartering toward, quartering away, broadside behind the shoulder, double shoulder, head shot, neck shot, front chest while standing (that can actually be a dicey shot) and frontal when all 4 paws are on the ground. Key is knowing what your gear is capable of and making the best of your opportunity. And knowing when to hold fire, too.
 
You'd think there was some real controversy. The Old Ones made Grizzlies and Buffalo scarce with guns that people now wouldn't even consider. 44 Henry, 44 WCF, 50-70, 45-70.
 
MiG25 said:
You'd think there was some real controversy. The Old Ones made Grizzlies and Buffalo scarce with guns that people now wouldn't even consider. 44 Henry, 44 WCF, 50-70, 45-70.
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SHELL SHUCKER said:
Not to mention the .33 Win, 35 Rem, 303 Savage and of course, the 30-30 Winchester.;)
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Makes you wonder how they could have done that doesn't it?
 
Ardent said:
That's a a risky shot on Grizz in my opinion, even if you have a .505 Gibbs with a soft point. Best shot is quartering away, vitals to opposite front leg, that is if you have a .338 or .375 Mag. Next best is heart / lung. The shoulder can work but you're very apt to run into what Gate saw and it's not all that fair to the animals. It's a tiny, very obscured target zone to do what you're suggesting. This stuff strikes me as rationalization for a .45-70 rather than the best way to put down a Grizzly, any centerfire on the Canadian Tire shelf above .224 will be more reliable on a vitals shot than a .45-70 attempted shoulder / spine.
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Agree...
 
There is no doubt in my mind that a modern loading in a 45/70 will cleanly and effectively kill a grizzly... "IF," the user respects the limitations of the cartridge/load, their own accuracy limitations, and places the bullet well. Twer it me, I would be aiming at the lungs, perhaps with the offside shoulder as a backdrop, as Ardent suggests, and allowing for a "white-knuckled" and hopefully "short" bloodtrail.
 
SHELL SHUCKER said:
Not to mention the .33 Win, 35 Rem, 303 Savage and of course, the 30-30 Winchester.;)
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I was just at a friends house and he had the hunting channel on... this hunter was in Alaska stalking grizzly with a 30/30...I didn't get the name of the show but the guy was trying to get real close...
 
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