Bearwhackin'

[winmag]

Smoked another one.
423yds.
He'll go around 18", & over 300lbs.

 

[Tikkamike]

Awesome! what gun/bullet did you use?

 

[winmag]

Awesome! what gun/bullet did you use?

Well, kinda weird, kinda bad story.
My bearwhackin buddy brought a new guy this year. New guy is a bit "excitable". As in every stump, tree, shadow, & moo cow was a "BEAR!!!!"
So, when he started hollering "Bear! Bear! It's a Bear!" We just rolled our eyes & told the kid not to shoot until one of us confirmed it first. (Didn't want any dead black cows).
So new guy gets confirmation, & throws down off hand, at 423 yds. I put a stop to that.
We tried to get him settled down, & in a prone shooting position. Re-ranged it. 423, & said you spotted it so you shoot it. We'll back you up.
I'd barely got the bear in my scope when BOOM! New guy shoots way over the top. It went down hill from there.
I'm fuming mad at the way it all unfolded, but happy with the end result. Bear down, & I don't have to go looking for a "dead" bear in the brush.
Like I said, not a story I'm proud of, but good to know that my buddy, & myself, & our equipment can perform when it counts.

As for guns & bullets used,
Mine was my 300WSM & 180 Accubonds.
Buddy 300Win, & 190 Bergers.
New guy 338win & ? Box ammo.
Accubonds & Berger both performed as designed, & to my suprise, both passed clear threw. Very distinct difference in wound channels.

 

[Tikkamike]

I wouldnt be a bit ashamed of that at all. another guy screwed the pooch and you played clean up crew very well. Congrats and good shooting!

 

[HARPERC]

Good looking bear. Good story too. It sometimes goes that way especially with bears and new guys.

 

[stomp442]

So tell us about wound channels and bullet performance.

 

[winmag]

So tell us about wound channels and bullet performance.

The Berger wound channel was pink & frothy from just inside the skin till about 2/3 to 3/4 into the chest cavity then tapered off & blew rib out the other side.
the wound channel actually reminded me of bubbly lung blood. Very pink.

The bonded bullet left the typical augured wound channel with purple goo, bone chunks, & bloodshot inside, & surrounding it, & stayed mostly the same all the way thru with the largest part of the cavitation being 3/4+ thru the bear.

Hard to say which did more damage, but a distinguishable enough difference that even Ray Charles could tell them apart at a glance.

Ill stick with my Accubonds. I'm not about to change. But I did gain a lot of respect (first hand) for the Berger when it exited like that.

 

[royinidaho]

Way to go!

That. Bear ain't no New York model but neither is the other face in the pic

 

[jackem]

Sounds like you and your gear are tuned and ready for this fall's hunting seasons with a 400+ yard shot on a bear. Congrats on some fine shooting in a hurry!

Hunting bear has something about it that just makes it special.

 

[winmag]

Sounds like you and your gear are tuned and ready for this fall's hunting seasons with a 400+ yard shot on a bear. Congrats on some fine shooting in a hurry!

Hunting bear has something about it that just makes it special.

Thank you.
And ya, Bear Whackin' spot & stalk style is a special kind of hunt all on its own. I got bit with the Bear Whackin' bug a while back, & over the years it has become one of my favorite (if not The favorite) hunts I do every year. There is nothing like it. I love the high places where few tread.

 

[winmag]

 

[jackem]

I told my wife the same thing, she told me we're about out of elk meat.

Dramatic pictures!

 

[winmag]

Any one of those draws can hold a bear or two. No roads up there. You've just gotta be able to start at the bottom & climb 2-3000+ vertical feet for every 1-1/2 miles or less in to get to the ridge & glass a new series of draws every day. Plus pack em out after you whack em'. 2+ trips a day in up to 117* heat After you lay the smack down on one will humble you very quickly! Steep is an understatement. (See my signature pic).
Makes it real hard to do alone! ALOT of bloody socks, & bruised bones, & muscles so tired the literally give up on you. No matter how much drive you've got, it's gonna find your limit, & push you to it.
I guess it's all part of the allure.

 

[blhenson]

That looks like N.E. maybe Wallowa County? Good bear country, but tough, tough, tough....