Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Who's killed a Black Bear with a .22 Centerrfire?

my uncle , lived in norther Maine, he killed over a dozen black bears, over 30 years in Maine and Canada and he used a 45/70 marlin loaded with 405 grain soft point ammo. he told us many times that the 45/70 marlin in the hands of a cool headed hunter was damn near perfect.
he laughed at the idea of using a 30/30, said it killed, but it didn,t seem to get their attention,the way a 45/70 did and he didn,t want some pissed off bear coming over to discuss his marksmanship at skinning knife ranges.
Im just suggesting a 22 center fires not ideal for the task

Likely because none have. I'm certain much is a mystery to you and just because you can't chew gum and walk, don't assume no one can.

I know of deer that were lost to those and larger calibers seems odd to me that bear which in my experience are tougher than deer would not be lost to the pea shooters too

So because:

- A guy took a admittedly poor shot at a bear at close range and wounded it using an addmittedly likely piss poor choice of bullet in a .22 CF.

- Another guy's uncle hunted a lot of bears, and he thought the .45-70 405 soft point was the only thing suitable to the task.

- Two unknown guys borrowed a 1903 Springfield from the Navy, and using God knows what for bullets(Hmmm military FMJ?...) then proceeded to get killed by a KODIAK BROWN BEAR.

- Other folks have seen, know of, or have wounded DEER using .22 CFs


then using good bullets, and taking reasonable shots you should not hunt BLACK BEAR using a .22 CF correct?


I just wanted to make sure I was clear on why not to do it.

This the 392 yard neck shot bear. It's what I call a rare opportunity and I made sure I didn't miss my chance. (Not the rifle I got it with)

Interesting thread, but I worry about the bravado that's going to be reinforced here. I wouldn't recommend shooting a bear with a 22. For the record, I used the 22 centerfires quite a bit early on in my hunting with good success on deer, but I did lose a bear to a 223. Shot was about 20 feet, to the neck to ensure a drop, but must have just grazed him. He was sick and hung around in the brush closeby, but as it was getting dark I flushed him out and he made away. All signs erased by overnight rain. Really bad judgement on my part to try it. I guess I just don't want to wound a bear like that and don't want to feel bad for using too little gun. You can do it, and it will work sometimes, but me personally I wouldn't go out in the woods singing about how well equipped I was. If I'd had more gun, I would not have taken a neck shot, but a body shot and would have had the bear. Get my thinking?

So you are calling the above posters liars? I know deer lost to larger calibers also, I don't know of deer lost to 22CF's.

Bear ain't any tougher, only more fluff.

So because:

- A guy took a admittedly poor shot at a bear at close range and wounded it using an addmittedly likely piss poor choice of bullet in a .22 CF.

- Another guy's uncle hunted a lot of bears, and he thought the .45-70 405 soft point was the only thing suitable to the task.

- Two unknown guys borrowed a 1903 Springfield from the Navy, and using God knows what for bullets(Hmmm military FMJ?...) then proceeded to get killed by a KODIAK BROWN BEAR.

- Other folks have seen, know of, or have wounded DEER using .22 CFs


then using good bullets, and taking reasonable shots you should not hunt BLACK BEAR using a .22 CF correct?


I just wanted to make sure I was clear on why not to do it.

Nope not liars as they are reporting on their own experience which does not encompass ALL shot bear. Simply pointing out that a relative few shot bear doesn't prove that pea shooters will not give up lost game from time to time.

Yes.

Hearsay and BS trump actual field experience everytime

Pretty bruin for sure. I still fail to see the reason or thought process behind taking a neck shot on a bruin @ 392 yds? Why didn't you just hit him behind the fronts or thru the shoulders I guess is my question?

IME the target of neck bone is awfully darn small on big game and there's a lot of neck territory that one won't find the quarry with a hit thru it. Especially on a bruin that isn't exactly well known for it's blood trails...

Not trying to bust balls but I sure don't track with your thought process.

Thoughts?

Dober