.54 for Bear?

[CP]

I’ve been running into a couple of bears while out scouting for deer.  Hard to guess weight with all that fur but I’d say one is about 250#, the other is maybe 2/3 of that.  They appear to stay in the same general area or at least they keep coming back to it.  Lots of tracks, scat, and torn up garbage bags in the area.  They must make a good deal of their living from a nearby campground and/or nearby homes. 

Anyway come Aug. I might as well start carrying a rifle just in case I run across them again.  I’ve never seen a bear taken with a ML but I’m thinking that my .54 with a round ball should do the job.  Anyone taken a bear with a ML?

[Huckleberry]

I wouldn't use the round balls. Bears don't bleed much as it is and it's been my experience that round balls leave a small, clean hole. We've had troubles with them in the past and have switched to conicals. I'd go with a 405 grain powerpoint if your gun shoots them well. Excellent penetration and expansion with the hollowpoints and lots of blood.

[CP]

That’s a good point but I’m stuck with round balls with my ML.  1:66 twist and an odd bore size.  It’s either round balls or a different rifle.

[Slenk]

CP
That gun of yours will kill Bear!! Mine has  . Just Hit em hard and aim dang good.
No long range shots. Use as much powder as you and your gun can handle accurately. Change that thing over to use musket caps , will wake things right up. But if you really want to see one go down Hit one with a .62 cal smooth bore .
Did you ever find a mold?
Slenk

[CP]

Thanks Slenk,  I’ll plan on carrying it around come Aug. and see what happens.

I never got a mold, just bought a bunch of the cast .520 balls.  But my rifle shoots the un-patched swaged balls better and they are easy to find so I’ve been shooting those.  I should be able to put a ball in the right spot out to about 50-75 yards.   

[Slenk]

 
Sound like you have it figured out pretty good .
Good Luck.
Slenk

[Opportunist]

Have you shot two patched round balls at the same time? A friend of mine swore by it. He's a little on the wild side but he said they grouped well. I know he was shooting an old sidelock. Not sure the barrel length and twist.

Just a thought, I know I would want a little more knockdown than a patch round delivers, to shoot a bear.

I wonder what load Jeremiah Johnson shot griz with?

[Slenk]

If you shoot 2 patched round balls you want to make sure you shoot only the top ball with a patch . Other wise you can bulge your barrel or worse yet rupture it. Saw it happen a couple of times.
And ya I've done it they hit about 4" apart at 50 yrds.
Slenk