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Dirty
04-16-2006, 12:19 PM
I plan to go after Black Bears this spring with my bow and arrow. I want to get prepared for shooting a bear and was wondering if anybody has tips and tricks for shot placement. I found a link but I was wondering if there is any other suggestions.

Here's the link......................
http://www.bowhuntingnorthamerica.com/Shot%20Placement.htm

Shop Lord
04-16-2006, 01:02 PM
I've been out a couple times this year with my bow and I think the only realistic shot with a bow has to be a perfect broadside shot. To kill a bear quickly with an arrow you need a double lung shot ( a bear can live a long time on one lung) furthermore if you make a double lung shot there will probably be an exit wound to help recover the animal. I have a question on shot placement on bears using a rifle (grizz or black). I've shot 2 grizzlies- one broadside in the lungs the other in the shoulders. Niether one of them took another step. One grizzly guide told me to take out the bears shoulders so he can't walk then finish him off. Another told me to take out both lungs so you not tracking a dangerous, wounded animal. Which is better?

BlacktailStalker
04-16-2006, 02:49 PM
Over the hip is a popular shot from a tree stand. Its exactly how it sounds, shooting over the bears hip when its quartering away and you are elevated above it. Your arrow enters about 2/3's back and exits below the briskett and leaves an excellent blood trail as the exit wound is at the lowest point on the bear. I've never seen a bear drop in its tracks from a bow kill, live or on any dvd or show, they all seem to go at least 20 yards, unless you shut his central nervous system down, he's runnin'.

huntwriter
04-16-2006, 02:54 PM
Yep, pretty much the way BlacktailStalker says. Use a big broadhead, like Magnus cut to the tip or something like that which makes a good big hole and you should get a blood trail a blind man can follow.

love the woods
04-16-2006, 03:05 PM
i havent seen a whole lot of bears where the arrow passes clean thru.ideally double lungs is where i would go.If you can go right thru great,but for sure get the one lung hard, and give it that 30 minutes for them to go lay down,bears are stubborn.

youngfellla
04-16-2006, 03:25 PM
One grizzly guide told me to take out the bears shoulders so he can't walk then finish him off. Another told me to take out both lungs so you not tracking a dangerous, wounded animal. Which is better?

If your rifle is capable, break the shoulders on a grizz. They can go a long ways on a lung shot or even a heart shot because of their super slow heart-rate, and they still have plenty of time to make a run at you.:eek: They can't charge with two broken shoulders though.

Another good shot on a grizz is if he is facing you, and the conditions are good, put one right into his hump and you will break his back. Done deal.:cool:

BlacktailStalker
04-16-2006, 03:44 PM
Are we talking rifle or bow here? I was assuming bow as it is the bow forum.
Double lung is ideal on anything obviously but not always possible. I know a guy who has taken 2 grizz (rifle)and he always goes for the shoulders as well, shootin a 338 and it goes through into the vitals. The bear stood up on his hind legs, thrashed his paws ripping at the air and dropped to never move again.

adam moleski
05-27-2006, 07:45 PM
dont ever shoot a bear in the shoulder with a bow. that is a terrible shot. I have shot one grizzly and five black bears with a bow and my experience with them is that they dont bleed right away especially when there hides are thick in the spring. hug the shoulder and go for a double lung. I shot my grizzly at 15 yards and took a quartering away shot and he only went 5 yards and died. I shot a 7 foot b.c book black bear at 45 yards hugged the shoulder and he went about 25 yards. out of the probally 12 bears or more ive seen shot with a bow only two of them did not get complete pass through. if there close enough ( within 20 yards) aim low and shoot for the heart. make sure you watch the angle so the arrow does het both lungs thats why I hug the shoulder, but dont shoot the shoulder, just behind it! thanks

mark
05-27-2006, 08:38 PM
all good tips, so ill just throw in and experiece of mine. last bear i shot was a 7 footer. i made a perfect heart shot, .300 mag. 180gr. when gutting i couldnt find a piece of heart bigger than a marshmallow. it was all in tiny pieces. the bear ran over 100 yards across a wet swamp like i missed him, then fell dead.

youngfellla
05-28-2006, 08:51 AM
dont ever shoot a bear in the shoulder with a bow. that is a terrible shot. I have shot one grizzly and five black bears with a bow and my experience with them is that they dont bleed right away especially when there hides are thick in the spring. hug the shoulder and go for a double lung.

Read the posts more carefully guy. No one said to shoot a bear in the shoulder with a bow. Curliss asked a question specifically about shot placement with a RIFLE, to which a few responded to by saying a shoulder shot is a good one.:-D

Bow Walker
05-28-2006, 09:19 AM
Original question - "I plan to go after Black Bears this spring with my bow and arrow........and was wondering if anybody has tips and tricks for shot placement."

It might be good information about the gun hit/placement, but this is an archery thread.

Although the info about how a bear reacts from different shots is got to be great info for the hunter to keep in mind.

steel_ram
05-28-2006, 10:30 AM
Broadside tight in behind the shoulder and not to high on the chest. Bears have a lot of fat and hair and it takes a while for the blood to start running well. The only one that I've seen that didn't make a good run (arrowed bears) is one a buddy took at 5 m's as it walked down a willow choked spur road right in front of his ambush. That one was pumped out and down in 10m's!

To not hit them too low, you do have to consider that some bears have a lot of flab and hair hanging below their chest.

greybark
05-28-2006, 02:04 PM
When a bowhunter says he aims tight in behind the front shoulder he stands a good chance of hitting the leg bone . This is OK with a rifle and possibly with some of the higher poundage compounds but is a poor shot placement for a Traditional bow .
I try to pick a spot center between front leg bone and diaphram and half way up the body. This results in a lethal point with 6 to 8 inches surrounding it. Two inches forward from tight in behind the front shoulder risks a hit directly on that leg bone .


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