Black bear hunting as a noob

I remember one time I was using my deer grunt tube I had in my pocket.i could see down this trail in heavy brush. I could hear something moving down the hill fast. finally, it showed itself. a nice size black bear showed up. looked down the trail towards me and within a second he was gone .back up where he came from .
 
The op identified what not to do. Shot placement for bears is critical for success.

Suggest you do some research on bear anatomy and do not shoot them with a meat saver ungulate style shot. Be sure to sight very tight to, if not on the leg. Wait for front leg to be in forward position and aim mid body. Depending on the angles presented you may find yourself very quickly into a poor hit into the guts or non vital shoulder.

I note a preferred kill zone hovering less than 6" in my experience on average 5' bears. Because I have had those unfortunate events of poor hits on bears I suggest aim to break bone and wait for a slight quartering away shot when ever possible. MY 2c.
 
Yes I've been studying shot placement to make sure I make a quick kill, thanks for the tips, I'll be noting that.



The op identified what not to do. Shot placement for bears is critical for success.

Suggest you do some research on bear anatomy and do not shoot them with a meat saver ungulate style shot. Be sure to sight very tight to, if not on the leg. Wait for front leg to be in forward position and aim mid body. Depending on the angles presented you may find yourself very quickly into a poor hit into the guts or non vital shoulder.

I note a preferred kill zone hovering less than 6" in my experience on average 5' bears. Because I have had those unfortunate events of poor hits on bears I suggest aim to break bone and wait for a slight quartering away shot when ever possible. MY 2c.
 
Identity politics aside, your .300 is a fine choice, I'd probably choose a 180 gr Partition, but there are many good bullets to chose from beginning from 150 gr. and up.

Choose your scope's magnification based on the probable range at which you'll shoot, while considering the possibility of needing a wide field of view for a quick, close range shot. I think its beneficial to carry the rifle with the scope turned to it's lowest magnification, since a long shot invariably allows time to increase the magnification, by contrast, you don't have time to crank it down if the bear appears at 5 yards. If your rifle is equipped with iron sights, and if you've practiced with them, repeatable QD rings might prove beneficial if you find yourself in heavy cover.

When choosing you initial sight picture, aim a third of the way up the body, inline with the space between the front legs. This provides a simple way of preventing an aiming error if the bear, or other game for that matter, appears at an odd angle. If the bear is in a classic broadside presentation, the space is invisible, so just come up the front leg in the same manner, and if the bear has one leg ahead of the other, you again have the space between them as an index. A bear can be fired on directly from behind, and you'll either spine him or break his hip, although a finisher will probably be required, but you should always assume that to be the case anyway. When your fire, don't stand there admiring your handiwork. Cycle the bolt as quickly as you can without dropping the rifle from your shoulder, and if the opportunity allows, hit him again.

At this juncture, if you haven't iced him, the question always arises as to whether you immediately pursue the animal of wait for a while so that he stops and lies down. My instinct is to immediately go after him, but if I haven't got sight of him within a few minutes, then I'll wait for a half hour before again taking up the trail. Chances are when you find him, he will be hidden in some thick stuff, or partially obscured in a depression if cover is scarce. Approach from behind or from the side if you have a choice.

After the bear is down, approach it cautiously; firing into the shoulder, to make sure, does no harm. If you run up to a downed bear and immediately begin examining your trophy, an unpleasant surprise could be awaiting.
 
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Excellent advice. Spring bear is over and I didn't get anything unfortunately but I will refer back to this when the season opens again. Thanks.


Identity politics aside, your .300 is a fine choice, I'd probably choose a 180 gr Partition, but there are many good bullets to chose from beginning from 150 gr. and up.

Choose your scope's magnification based on the probable range at which you'll shoot, while considering the possibility of needing a wide field of view for a quick, close range shot. I think its beneficial to carry the rifle with the scope turned to it's lowest magnification, since a long shot invariably allows time to increase the magnification, by contrast, you don't have time to crank it down if the bear appears at 5 yards. If your rifle is equipped with iron sights, and if you've practiced with them, repeatable QD rings might prove beneficial if you find yourself in heavy cover.

When choosing you initial sight picture, aim a third of the way up the body, inline with the space between the front legs. This provides a simple way of preventing an aiming error if the bear, or other game for that matter, appears at an odd angle. If the bear is in a classic broadside presentation, the space is invisible, so just come up the front leg in the same manner, and if the bear has one leg ahead of the other, you again have the space between them as an index. A bear can be fired on directly from behind, and you'll either spine him or break his hip, although a finisher will probably be required, but you should always assume that to be the case anyway. When your fire, don't stand there admiring your handiwork. Cycle the bolt as quickly as you can without dropping the rifle from your shoulder, and if the opportunity allows, hit him again.

At this juncture, if you haven't iced him, the question always arises as to whether you immediately pursue the animal of wait for a while so that he stops and lies down. My instinct is to immediately go after him, but if I haven't got sight of him within a few minutes, then I'll wait for a half hour before again taking up the trail. Chances are when you find him, he will be hidden in some thick stuff, or partially obscured in a depression if cover is scarce. Approach from behind or from the side if you have a choice.

After the bear is down, approach it cautiously; firing into the shoulder, to make sure, does no harm. If you run up to a downed bear and immediately begin examining your trophy, an unpleasant surprise could be awaiting.
 
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