Black BEAR HUNTING over Bait – P3

So far in our current series, in P1 and P2, I’ve discussed my personal history in this type of hunting, why hunt black bears using bait, what bait works best, chosing locations and why, time of baiting, securing site, and spring or fall- which is best?

P3’s theme concerns: SETUP of bait and specific location, and WHEN to hunt – time of day and weather conditions.

After the general location has been settled: Private land or Public (Crown Land), it’s VERY important as to where the bait is located on that piece of God’s earth:

SETUP:

It was previously mentioned that on CROWN Land several stands could be placed at various angles to the bait SETUP with it still in view. The main reasons being: direction of sun (if visible) and wind, and to confuse bears. Bears can quite easily discern the exact location of a hunter if he/she is at the same spot each hour and/or day of the hunt. So the SETUP of the bait is critical for that reason alone as well as others.

1) It should allow the bear (you want to shoot) a sense of security in approaching the bait. They will be cautious anyway, especially the more mature ones. And if other bears of less maturity are attending the bait without harm, they will take note of that as an important indication of safety. But that alone is rarely sufficient for the one you may want to shoot to turn up during “rush hour”. Mature bears are independant and NEVER enjoy “crowds”! So they will choose the timing of their approach, and it may be after midnight!

So, I’m NOT talking of a commercial type setup like a “supermarket” for multiple bears, but rather a low-key single owner of a small corner store that sells the likes of chewing gum as you enter or are leaving the store. A “niche” store, if you will… The same idea for locating a bear bait in a niche in the bush or trees – unobtrusive and partially hidden where bears have to pick a “dark street” to find what and where their noses leads them to. A “crowd” will not be found there fighting for scrapes on Black Friday, but it’s a “store” where adults will go down that dark alley to find what’s “forbidden”!

Did you catch an image of what’s intended?

<This is 100 yards (lazered) downhill from my blind. Bears approached the barrel from behind-right, over the deadfall. In scouting out the area, I got to know where the bears were coming from. Yep, it worked!

2) Your stand should NEVER allow smell or sense to give you away! That means: The further your location is from that SETUP the better! Of course your hideout should be as hidden as the bait setup! And the more distance – that’s still reasonable within the confines of the chosen location – the better. In practice of that principle, 150 yards is much better that 50 yards. At 50 yards, the bear you may want to shoot will know your presence (whereabouts) long before he emerges into daylight. At 150 (minimum) he may feel safe anyway unless he’s previously been wounded or fired at by a hunter.

3) And a tree stand is better than a ground blind (where possible) under most conditions as it gets human scent above ground level, especially if several persons are involved in your hunt. And it gives a better view of the surrounding area.

Yet, in a DIY hunt, bears become accustomed to your smell and associate it with groceries being delivered. So I didn’t even try to camouflage my smell or be quite because those sounds made in the delivery of the goods was like a dinner bell!

The best TIME of DAY for hunting:

Actually, there isn’t! When they feel safe – and they’re smart and know when we’re in our blind or stand – we avoid those times if it’s too regular. So vary your timing! Once I started using trail cams, that was a mega lesson on when I should be in my stand… Variably!

And, if possible, have alternate geographical locations – for a bait setup on the same property or distinct properties – so as to give bears as much trouble as possible in getting to know your system. My two locations were too far apart (one Crown and the other private) for that idea to be practical, but what I did do was vary my days and timing at the same location. I might even skip a whole week of hunting or baiting to keep bears guessing – sometimes losing some but gaining others. In other words, vary your technique and practices within the confines of the timing of the hunt, whether that is for a week or whenever you can during the season.

<This blind has lots of very interesting stories to tell if it could speak. So I’ll just mention a few here and others in the next blogs. This is Crown Land in Haliburton Highlands, about an hour’s drive NNE of where we live. I purchased it new as a remnant piece of indoor-outdoor carpeting that might be used on a patio or deck. The artwork – bites and tears – was by a large male black bear that I hunted, off and on, for a couple years. It’s near the top of a ridge, facing west, with the bait setup 100 yards downhill. It was late October with a skiff of snow on the ground. The most prevalent wind direction was from SW, so scent was carried off toward the NE which was basically a crosswind. Stormy weather usually had easterly winds from which we were protected by the ridge still raising behind us, and thick woods.

That’s all for now but that’s my former, most beloved rifle in a Ruger No.1 .45-70 LT (long throat) with the fixed 4x Burris that had a 5.5″ eye relief (It’s now on my oldest son’s Winchester M94 in .356 Winchester). But the story to be told here is that I could leave this setup and sneak away for a walk, scouting or for food/drink/warmth in my van without being detected by a bear at or near the bait. The trail to this blind was distinct from the one below for bringing in food to the bait site.

Just something to consider in doing your own.

Here’s something interesting: Two boar bears showing up at private land bait sites, separated by two years and forty miles at the exact same time on the clock. Both are good males that could have been shot if the hunter had been in his stand!

And both images from my trail cam.

Till the next… RIFLES and CARTRIDGES for a bear hunt over bait… Plus a bear’s psychology.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

BLACK BEAR Hunting Over Bait – P2

In P1, I gave some background of personal experience and a plan for dividing this theme into various logical sub-topics – hence:

In P2 we’ll have a look at: CHOOSING a Suitable and Secure LOCATION, and the TIMING of placing baits.

<The owner of this old farm was into heavy equipment, so it was no longer in use as a farm. But a neighbour had permission to put his cattle here for pasture, and we had to deal with that one season. But the property was divided into several fields and pastures by tree lines and natural bush. In addition there were four resident horses. A partner and I started hunting here in 2006 and with the exception of one year I hunted this property until 2015 – often alone and sometimes with a partner. As recorded by my trail cam, in 2015 I counted eleven distinct bears that were attending this single bait. A couple were nocturnal, two were sows with cubs, and others a mixture of some young bears with a few large ones. I shot a good bear in early October – it could have been the one in this pic. The camera was about 10 yards behind the bait, attached to a sturdy tree that was part of a thick bush and woodlot, from which the bears emerged. My tree stand was to the right at 85 yards in a line of trees that separated two fields. For orientation, this is the west side of the same field hunted early on, on the east side with tree stands to the south in the line of trees separating fields to the south and north of that tree line. At times (hunting alone) my stand was on the south side of that tree line, facing south, where I also shot a very good young 6-footer.

CHOOSING a SUITABLE and SECURE LOCATION

As in any successful business, it’s “location, location, location”! Among the most important items for business success are: reliable and excellent service, unvarying quality, successful marketing of those features, reputation and LOCATION! The best restaurant in Ontario didn’t get it’s reputation in the middle of “NOWHERE”! First, there must be people, lots of ’em! And it must be attractive and VISIBLE to “lots of people”. It can have the best gourmet food at a decent price with the best service possible, but if it’s located in the middle of a big city slum… who will go there that has the $$$ to afford it’s gourmet dishes! Give it less than a month and it’ll look like the rest of the slum!

I pass by a restaurant going and coming from my hunts in Haliburton Highlands. Just about every year it has changed hands… on occasion I’ve seen a car parked there; it’s in the middle of nowhere! I’ve never stopped because I’m moving along at about 100 km! It’s outward appearance has changed from time to time; new coats of paint, new signs, etc. The only way it could ever succeed in that location (on a highway to lake cottages for Torontonians) would be unusually fine gourmet dishes, an attractive flashing sign 1/2 mile in advance, Internet marketing and prayer!

And prayer isn’t a bad idea either in choosing a suitable and secure location for baiting bear for hunting purposes. The obvious locations are on either private or public lands. I’ve hunted both. From 1988 til 2004 it was all Crown Land (public) with one exception, then from 2005 to 2016 it was private property with one exception. Since then I’ve hunted Crown Land, when possible due to the Covid-19 thing and some physical reconditioning. In all, I’ve missed a couple of years, but I hunted both the spring and fall bear seasons until the spring season was closed or I’d taken a bear in the spring. So all together, I’m safe in saying I’ve hunted black bear during thirty-five seasons, the vast majority having been in the use of the baiting method, the first eight of which I hired the same outfitter-guide in NE Ontario close to the borders of Algonquin Park. That’s where and how I learned the baiting game. Those experiences were nearly evenly divided between hunting Crown Land and private property – 19 on Crown Land and 16 on private. What are the advantages and negatives of each, if any?

CROWN LAND (Available to residents without cost but with certain stipulations. Also to non-residents with a hired guide or outfitter.)

<My favourite site on Crown Land, used for many years and several bears.

Positives: 1) Less restrictions – options are greater. Searching for the best locations (will be discussed later) is possible years in advance for both residents and outfitters.

2) Natural surroundings that put bears at ease.

3) The surrounding area can be searched at any time for bear sign.

4) Natural products, such a branches, deadfalls and rocks can be employed for blind building materials.

5) Locating a stand or blind can be optimized for prevailing winds and sun location during the latter hours of daylight and as it sets behind trees or landscape. Also a second or even third blind can be built in varying locations with the bait still in view. That can confuse bears and take advantage of prevailing drafts or wind.

6) The more remote it is the more secure it will be.

Negatives:

1) Accessible by anyone travelling in the area, such as other hunters, hikers, fishermen, or even anyone looking to cause havoc. For those reasons I’ve never used a trail cam on Crown Land, and only once my ladder stand.

2) Finding a good, secure location away from easily travelled routes may be problematic in the retrieving of a downed bear.

PRIVATE LAND

Positives:

1) The most secure as usually fences can be locked and any unauthorised persons kept out.

2) Authorization by the land owner should be written and signed with agreed upon terms and conditions. Even if it’s a verbal agreement with a friend who will defend your presence on his property, it’s still wise to have it in written form. This provides security in a number of ways in case you are stopped by a CO for questioning your presence on private land, or another unknown hunter shows up there. He can be challenged to show his authorization by the property owner.

3) The private land should be a proven haven for black bears and/or other wildlife. Usually this is a remote, undeveloped piece of property bordering a water source, or farm land with a large woodlot and water source adjacent to remote Crown Land, or nearby.

4) Crops and/or some animals raised for profit, such as cattle and sheep, attract preditors including bears, and most farm owners are more than happy to have some hunters on their land who can care for that problem – if for one reason or another they can’t do it themselves.

5) If the hunter(s) is respectful of both property and owner, and is successful in harvesting a bear, he will be welcomed back!

6) Removable ladder stands and trail cams can be used without fear of them being meddled with or stolen – usually!

** In this regard, a hunter who is observant of a fence down and fixes it, or calls attention of the situation to the owner, or is helpful in other ways, will be gladly welcomed should other hunts on that property be available, such as for deer!

Negatives:

1) Some inconveniences such as gates, locks, fences, and remembering details of the agreement/contract, and any other implications therein.

2) Family members showing up unexpectedly or inconveniently at crucial moments of the hunt.

3) Domestic animals interfering with the bait setup! There were four hobby horses on the property we did bear hunts on for eight years. And YES, they got into the bait barrel – though sometimes it provided extra entertainment and was hilarious! And one of the four – the black one – got killed by an aggressive bear we were hunting!

The TIMING of BAITING

This has reference to WHEN to start the baiting process for a particular hunt, and how OFTEN thereafter.

A lot depends on the season, location and when the hunter schedules his/her hunt. We’ll discuss more of this when we talk about SOLO hunts vs. with an OUTFITTER or PARTNERS.

Assuming for the moment that it’s a DIY hunt, as I did for several years, the spring season commenced the middle of April, so I was out scouting by April 1st. The problem with that was, while at my home the snow and ice were usually gone, one hour further north there was still snow and ice in the timber of Crown Land, and many bears hadn’t yet emerged from their dens! So what was the big hurry? Actually, my first hunt was with an outfitter the 2nd week of May and it was hot! But here I’m speaking of my 1st original spring season, without an outfitter, and a few others following until I learned that baiting could wait until the snow and ice were gone! After a few seasons – both spring and fall – the spring season was shut down by our Premier who was intimidated by a wealthy industrialist who threatened to expose him as a “baby bear killer”! So, I was left with the fall hunt only, which proved to be sort of a blessing in disquise! I missed the nasty and infamous “black flies” of May, and didn’t have to rush anything! The fall season began Sept. 1st and I started baiting the middle of August, and did so for many subsequent years, even after the Spring Bear Hunt was restored.

As a general rule, I’d say, have the scouting done several months to a year in advance, and start the baiting process a few weeks prior to opening day if you intend to start then. If your hunt is later than opening day, then still plan on a baiting start at least a couple of weeks prior, and a full month in advance would be better still. There are several variables of course: the weather and natural food sources for bears (don’t try to draw them away from that, but bait nearby), etc. Too early in the spring can mean extreme cold and wet conditions, depending on where you live and hunt. Yes, we’ve experienced that too! That’s another reason I came to prefer a September-October hunt; better weather and no bad bugs and mosquitos.

How often during the hunt? And that depends also on a number of factors: A DIY hunt is usual because of logistics and economics. So it’s not a commercial operation that often is seen on YouTube or in a magazine production. The whole idea of a “Do-It-Yourself” is efficiency and simplicity. No huge dollars invested. A few smaller containers or a single barrel job will suffice (see pics). If I’m alone, and the site is within an hours drive, I check it twice weekly and that tells me everything I need or want to know: I then hunt over “fresh” bait (may be smelly – it needs to be) taking some with me on each visit.

< You can see where bears were coming for a visit and food (at 2 o’clock in the pic). They make and follow their own trails, and other bears will follow that too. I had just refreshed the site with stuff from home. Yep, a couple of bears got shot there. This was our first location for baiting on that old farm mentioned above. I chose it based on my eight seasons experience with the outfitter, Norm Easto, in NE Ontario.

<I could back right up to the bait site. Note the bear trail coming in at the bottom of the pic. This was the same private land. The bait was situated about 80 yards further north on the same side of the same field – about a year or two later. I wasn’t using a trail cam at the time.

<And this was my stand location.

Til the next: Black Bear Hunting over Bait – P3

Shalom: And a blessed Christmas time and a happy-healthy 2023!

BOB MITCHELL

Black Bear Hunting Over Bait – P1

About 1/4 century ago I wrote a manual on this topic, but due to other more important events taking place in our lives at the time it never got the marketing it deserved. The full manuscript, including photos, were stored in my computer at the time, but that was several computers ago and despite attempts to find and retrieve several manuscripts, they appear to be lost – which may be a blessing!

Yet a few of my blogs published on Word Press have contained some of that material, which has been achived, but I’ll not do the tedious task of reviewing them or publishing their dates. Rather, I’ll start with a clean sheet, sharing what I’ve learned, and still learning, from thirty-four years of hunting black bears, primarily in the use of baits, but not exclusively.

<This monster was shot using bait as a lure. Over 600 lbs with guts in... not mine but by a fellow hunter.

And we’ll break it down this way in a series of blogs:

WHY use BAIT as a method for bear hunting?

WHAT bait is best?

HOW to use bait.

LOCATION of baits

TIMING of placing baits

SECURING of sites

SPRING or FALL?

SETUP

WHEN to HUNT (time of day and weather)

BEAR psychology

FIREARMS

OUTFITTER or SOLO or with PARTNERS?

RETRIEVAL & PROCESSING

The MEAT?

These will not all be separate blogs, but individual subjects within a selection of blogs in, more or less, a logical order. With a primary focus on one or more of these topics, there will necessarily be some overlapping.

Bait hunting of black bear is a common method in most of Canada, with few exceptions – British Columbia being a significant one. There are of course other jurisdictions in North America where baiting for bear in hunting is both legal and a common practice. If unsure, check with authorities.

The reason for baiting bear for hunting purposes is found in our first topic:

WHY use BAIT as a METHOD for BEAR HUNTING?

Notice, it’s “a” method, not the only! There are also spot-and-stock, tracking, still hunting, hunting over a carcus, running with dogs etc, which are common practices by hunters for other game animals or predators as well. Hunting over a carcus, of course, has the same motive as baiting. Then, as we know, most sport fishing uses lures or baits – with the same motive: insuring success!

While checking out a new area last year (Sept/2021) for placing a bear bait, I ran into a couple of grouse hunters coming out of the woods to their vehicle; they looked rather “down at the mouth” so I stopped, asking “How’s it going?”. They were seeing nothing they said, and asked if I had any suggestions. I made a couple, and added: “Watch out for bears in this area!”. ” Bears in this area? We’ve been hunting birds in these woods for years and have yet to see a bear!” To which I replied: “Neither have I except when hunting them using bait!”. They had some difficulty believing me!

<And the smart ones are nocturnal… note the time:11:31 pm!

While there are some “authorities” and influencers against baiting for bears, wolves, cougers, etc, success in such adventures would result in high expendatures in money, energy and time with little to no success in most Canadian wildernesses and forested areas unless bait is used. I’ve only seen one bear in the wild that wasn’t attracted to a bait, and that big male was responding to my moose call!

Bears, like most wild creatures, are attracted to food sources: natural, agricultural or as a gift from hunters, campers, hikers, etc. Their other main activity is induced by a powerful attraction for the opposite sex during the warmer months of June, July and into August. But bears spend most of their lives in looking for food and eating it! When they find a steady source they will live in that area, and females will bring their young there too, which assures that following seasons will find the same bears plus their offsprings at the same location, whether it be a corn field or bait location for bear hunting.

A practical and ethical advantage of using baits is that it gives an opportunity to see a bear close up in determining its sex and condition, and whether this is a bear I’d want to shoot. Some bears are “trophy” quality even though they may not be in feet and inches! The last bear I shot was in mid-October, 2015, and to me it was “special” and therefore a “trophy”. It was a relatively young six-footer that only weighed 200 lbs, but was very smart! In fact, for about two weeks that bear and I were in a contest as to who could outsmart the other! He wanted the bait but wouldn’t come to it as long as I was “there” in my tree stand! And I knew when he arrived every time I was there! I never saw him but he was given away each time by a red squirrel at 6 pm, not more than 25 – 30 yards from me, hidden away by the thick foliage and underbrush. Bears are silent when walking a trail or even through underbrush, but can sound like a bulldozer at work if they want to intimidate – more on that latter when we discuss a bear’s psychology.

< My “trophy bear”, and I finally outsmarted him!

WHAT BAIT is BEST?

Bears will eat almost anything. Therefore, we need to give that some thought when we choose locations. Dump bears will taste like dump food! We can’t hunt bears within 400 meters of ANY dump, private or public. But I wouldn’t knowingly hunt bears within a few miles of a dump because they travel in response to smells, and a few miles is an afternoon stroll for them.

Sweets attract bears like bees to honey – speaking of which: If you have a friend in the honey business, or such a business nearby (say, within 50 k/30 m) that processes raw honey, talk with them as to any refuse or what goes as waste. Usually it’s saturated with whatever can’t go into a container for sale. That’s what I did for +20 years, because bears are attracted to honey just like bees. And bears don’t seem to be overly bothered if they get stung in robbing bee hives! And there will be lots of hornets, wasps and bees at your bait site if you use a honey product!

And ice creme is a delicasie to them as well, melted or still frozen – we have a well-known plant nearby that throws out 5 gallon containers of “good” ice cream that didn’t go to stores – it wasn’t wasted on the bears even in liquid form.

Then stuff from your freezer that’s been there too long: Meats fresh or stale. Seasonal corn on the cob, other veggies and fruits (apples from old farm orchards), canned goods with the lid open enough for smells to escape – I’ve used canned cat food on sale, etc.

Oats in any form, often sold in sacs for pets and/or farm use. Pour in some bulk molasses on top. Use your imagination! A lot of leftovers (and good food) goes to the dump – instead, make a donation to the bear food bank!

< And they’ll attempt to eat the can as well as what’s in it!

We’ve had bears walk off with 5 gal. plastic honey buckets (empty of honey) filled with anything a bear will eat! Sometimes months, or even years later we find a bucket hundreds of yards from the bait site. And THAT tells us the direction of where bears come from during the season before heading for hibernation late fall/early winter.

5 gal. plastic buckets that once held raw honey, then in my vehicle were loaded with saturated honey filters, from the production facility. Each loaded bucket weighed 30 – 40 lbs -this became bear food!

< Just imagine the size jaw that clamped onto this 5 gal. bucket!

< This one is still on that knoll. As one of my bear bait buckets in that area, it has been used by deer, moose and bear hunters as a seat over the past 25 years – including by myself this past fall!

Which suggests some ideas on:

HOW to USE BAIT

Til the next… Black Bear Hunting over Bait – P2

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

The Saga of the 300gr TSX in Two .458 Caliber Rifles

Those rifles were a Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT, which I had an enduring relationship with, and still maintain pleasant memories of till this day. The other is my current Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum that has become a favorite.

Yet I’ve lamented not having more of those excellent 300gr TSX bullets available for hunting purposes. That’s not to suggest I’m poor in .458-caliber projectiles. Without counting each bullet individually, a quick count of 24 boxes of .458″ bullets – some still full but most with anywhere from around 20% to 80% still available – an educated guess would be around 500 available as hunting bullets. But the majority are intended for large and dangerous game. And some of those will find use in range shooting for testing MV and accuracy in the use of appropriate propellants, while others will get tested in various media for weight retention and penetration. Those are my current plans, subject, of course, to potential events over which I’ll not have control.

For hunting purposes in this area, bear will be the main target along with some potential predators. For that I’ll load up the 250gr MonoFlex from Hornady and the 300gr TSX by Barnes at about the same MVs. I could use one or the other without changing much, with the 250 for practice and short range hunting.

The SAGA: I first came across those 300gr TSXs in 2013 at the same store as the most recent find on the last day of November/2022. That was at EPPS a few miles north of Orillia in Ontario, about an hour’s drive NW of my home. I’ve done a lot of business with them over the past forty years or so. Originally, I bought four boxes (80) of Barnes 300gr TSXs at $29 and change for each. That works out to a bit over $33 with tax in – exactly what I paid last week for the only box remaining in their inventory nine years later! How’s that for inflation missing out on a chance to make me poorer over “the way things are going”?

Since my Number 1H in .458 is yet to be bloodied, that’s the best all-around bullet of my current “500” in .458-cal for hunting Central and Northern Ontario for the species I’ll hunt – God willing – over the next few hunting years left to me, if the Federal Government doesn’t steal my guns before that! (The Ruger No.1 is on the list of those to be banned!!! That’s not law yet, but it’s on an amendment list to Bill C21 that involves thousands of long guns!)

But let me tell why that relatively light for caliber TSX has impressed me:

1. Its MV
2. Its accuracy
3. Its toughness
4. Its penetration
5. Its recoil

In 2013 they were bought for my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT as a hunting bullet. Since that rifle had proven it could safely fire the 500gr Hornadys accurately at ~2200 fps, the 450 AF at +2300 fps, and the 350gr TSX at 2600 fps, I was quite realistic in believing it could shoot the 300gr TSX at 2700 fps. As a fact, my records show it attained 2645 fps/4660 ft-lbs from 68 grains of H4198 in March, 2014, and 2741 fps/5004 ft-lbs in April, 2014, from 70 grains of H4198. However, 68 grains of H4198 under the 300gr TSX became my “standard load” for that rifle over the next several years, though it shot everything well, including: 500gr Hornady RN Interlocs at ~ 2200 fps, 480gr DGXs at +2200 fps, 400gr Colorado Custom RN (original Barnes), 405gr Remington, 350gr TSX, etc.

From 10 ft, the 300gr TSX (on the right) was fired from my #1 in .45-70 LT into a box of dry books and glossy magazines at about 2650 fps and weighed 300 grains after that ordeal. It out-penetrated a 286gr Partition from my 9.3 x 62 by several inches, which retained 73% at 209 grains when shot from 10 ft at about 2640 fps – and it was quite disfigured (I think after it was “punched” by the 300gr TSX!)

< The 300 TSX on R, the remains of the 286 Partition in center. And a 286 Partition from a bear that also retained 73% at 211 grains. See the dimple in the disgruntled one? That’s where it got punched as it wandered into the path of the big fella on the far right! Do we understand the significance of all this… why that “little” Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT became my favorite all-time BG rifle?

And that “little” bullet was it’s perfect match!

Still, the Saga continues in it’s new found friend – another Ruger single-shot, the 1H in .458 Winchester Magnum!

It is singing a new song at a higher pitch!!< Add 20 fps for correction to MV as that number was recorded at 15 feet from the muzzle! And I’ve recorded higher than that but no pic was taken.

However, my current hunting load will be much milder: With four in the buttstock cartridge holder, overall weight will be 10.75 lbs, and that will assist in the reduction of the speed of recoil, down to around 14.5 fps with further assistance from those Mag-Na-Ports. In foot-pounds that will work out to 35. At this stage of my life (87 a few days after Christmas) every fps reduction in recoil thrust helps, though good accuracy will be foremost.

It has been repeated a zillion times that a lighter monolithic expanding bullet can do the work of an older and heavier type cup-and-core. I believe that, but also better than some premiums with bonded lead cores – subject, of course, to some variables that always seem to happen in any hunt. If there is a weakness with the TSX it’s their toughness – a perfect paradox! So…. they work best on tougher and larger critters when hit through the shoulders, or at an angle where penetration must be deeper and longer. That’s been pretty much established to cause adequate expansion of the petals. For that reason Barnes added the polymer tip in the cavity of some to initiate expansion more quickly as well as to increase the ballistic coefficient to maintain adequate velocity for expansion at longer ranges.

A fellow contributor to the .458 Win Mag thread on 24hr Campfire (“The great .458 Winchester Magnum… everyone should at least own one”) by the handle of “Cold Trigger Finger (CTF) has greatly impressed me with his use of that “little” 300gr TSX. You see, he lives and works with heavy equipment in some remote parts of Alaska and has had to defend himself against grizzly attacks more than a few times at “in your face” ranges! His weapon is a short-barreled .458 Win Mag firing handloaded 300gr TSX’s. He has stopped and killed several big bears with that “little” 300gr TSX at an MV of about 2700 fps!

Some will argue, of course, that they’ve had no problems with expansion of TSX’s in their experience. However, it’s very likely they’ve been shooting lighter BG with smaller calibers and light-for-caliber TSX’s. For example: a 130gr TSX BT at 3150 fps from a .308 Win on a 165 lb whitetail at 120 yards is still going 2867 fps at impact! That would be total devastation from any angle! And the bullet would never be found for examination. Without a second thought, I think that bullet would have retained 130 grains in a fully expanded form! The same for still smaller calibers and lighter bullets. Because they can be pushed faster than a “normal weight” bullet, and because they retain about 100% of unfired weight, no argument prevails against using a “lighter-for-caliber” projectile.

Yet for heavy and potentially dangerous game (an Alaskan grizzly) a 300gr/.458 TSX is also a light-for-caliber projectile that performs well above its weight expectations! It’s main fault, of course, is its relatively low BC of 234. And that means that despite stratospheric MVs, they plummet rather quickly! A heavy .458″ bullet will be started much slower but maintains its downrange speed much better. So it’s somewhat of a balancing act.

A light-for-caliber has a flatter trajectory with less recoil, but may lack the “punch” necessary at distance!

Here’s the scoop on my currently proposed load for that 300gr TSX from my Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Maganum:

Bullet: 300gr TSX

BC: .234

SD: .204

MV: 2752 fps/5037 ft-lbs (330 fps less than a top load from the same 300 TSX from six grains less of H4198)

Propellant: 75 grains of H4198, Rem cases, WLRM primers, 3.32″ COL. Three fired on Oct 8/19: 2734, 2728 and 2736. Add 20 to each for correction to MV. This load was fired on Oct 8, 2019 at our range. They went into 7/8″ (.875″) at 100 yards.

Recoil = 35 ft-lbs at 10.75 lbs.

Recoil velocity = 14.5 fps

As stated: 2 lbs extra weight isn’t to be feared, but 35 ft-lbs spread over 14.5 fps is considerably better than a 500gr at 2200 fps from an 8.5 lb rifle making 72 ft-lbs – that being my former love affair! But yes, that 300gr TSX at 2650 fps from the Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT was adequate for most things to 325 yards at 46 ft-lbs recoil – 11 ft-lbs more than in my current proposed load of 2750 fps (100 fps faster) in the Ruger No.1H…

So the trade off is (using the same 300gr TSX) 2750 fps vs 2650 fps – a 100 fps distinction. That’s about 25 yards difference for the same effect on the same game animal or DG = 350 yards to keep impact velocity above 1600 fps for the Ruger 1H in .458. Then, a saving of 11 ft-lbs in recoil for two extra pounds of weight! Was it worth it? To me… Yes! Another advantage: less pressure insures longer case life for the .458. And… 2980 fps from that “little” 300 TSX would only add another 60 yards to its effective range over 2750 fps.

And (again)…. in a full life of around 70 years as a hunter, the farthest I’ve ever killed anything with a rifle was…? 350 yards! Don’t tell anybody, but those were groundhogs… you know… woodchucks, NOT ground squirrels! There’s a big difference (at least to a .22 LR), a ground hog can outweigh a ground squirrel by 2 – 3X… that’s why I always choose a bigger cannon – not that we have ground squirrels in this part of the world – but my “larger cannon” was a .223 Rem! Have you ever been charged by a woodchuck? I’ve seen it happen… that can be frightening… it clamped its jaws tight on a hunting boot of my SIL! I didn’t dare shoot his boot with the latched-on-woodchuck because his toes were in there somewhere…

Till the next,

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

Recent Penetration Tests Special

Several readers of these blogs are aware that I had proposed another penetration test of some .458-caliber bullets that had been purchased since the last test on November 21, 2017. At that time I still owned my favorite rifle – the Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT, and that was the instrument for testing (in similar media as this recent test) the following eight bullets in .458-caliber: a 500gr Speer African Grand Slam, a 480gr DGX (non-bonded), a 500gr Hornady Interloc RNSP, a 400gr Barnes Buster, a 330gr Barnes Banded Solid, a 350gr Hornady RN, a 350gr Barnes TSX, and another 350gr Barnes TSX (modified by a slightly larger cavity to 340gr actual). I’ve written quite a bit about the results from that test, so will add nothing new here.

The recent test of November 16/22 was to involve five bullets, new to me, two of which were of more recent production, and three having a much longer history. The more recent products were: a 250gr MonoFlex by Hornady, and a 500gr Bonded DGX by Hornady. Those of a longer record were: a 600gr Barnes Original, a 550gr Woodleigh Weldcore SN, and a 450gr Swift A-Frame.

On August 10/18, I traded by beloved Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT for the Ruger No.1H in .458 Winchester Magnum. I’ve previously published details of that exchange on several occasions. It amounts to not lust but pragmatism: aging, less recoil, same ballistics, protecting one good eye, and dealing with severe arthritic attacks. I’d rather carry two extra pounds that reduces recoil from 60 ft-lbs to 40 ft-lbs. And that is my current test platform and hunting companion.

Some pics:

< All essentials for the test were brought from my SUV to the site (a prime bear bait site) on my sno-sled. It’s also great for transporting medium size fall-winter game to my SUV.

< The location: I was standing in a few inches of wet snow, below the box that was almost eye level at about 10 feet from me. The box was tilted slightly back so bullets wouldn’t go out the bottom. The fall bear-bait site was on the relatively flat area just above and back of the box.

< Up close.

RESULTS:

LEFT to RIGHT: 250gr Hornady MonoFlex; 450gr Swift AF; 500gr Hornady, and 550gr Woodleigh

1) The 250gr MonoFlex penetrated 4″, 94% weight retained, expanded to .8″ MV = 2685 fps.

2) The 600gr Barnes O. missed box low (much slower than the 250). MV = 1600 fps.

3) The 450gr Swift AF penetrated 6″, retained 350 gr (78%) and expanded to .675″, MV = 1925 fps.

4) The 500gr DGX penetrated 8″, retained 314.5 gr (63%) and expanded to .72″. MV = 1850 fps.

5) The 550gr Woodleigh penetrated 5″, retained 287grains (52%) and expanded to .82″, MV = 1665 fps.

NOTE: In general, multiply the above inches of penetration by a factor of 6 to 10 in animal flesh and bone, unless a heavy bone such as a ball joint is involved. This media, made of “wedged-in” glossy-dry magazines is “bone tough”. And of course, where the animal is hit, angle and structure of animal are all significant factors in penetration. One bullet from my .340 Wby, up close, made it from stern to stem on a bull moose – at least 6 feet (72 inches). It was found by the butcher in the front part of the chest cavity – a 250gr Nosler Partition leaving the muzzle at ~3000 fps and impact velocity at about 2660 fps. It retained 71% of initial weight.

A 300gr TSX/.458″ out-penetrated a 286gr/9.3mm Partition in similar test media. The 300 TSX was fired fron my former Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT at 2650 fps, and the 286gr at 2640 fps from my Tikka T3 into the same media on the same date. The TSX retained 100% weight and the 286 retained 209gr/73%. The TSX penetrated 8″ and the 286 about 5″. On a good bear, the 286 Partition at 2620 fps penetrated 30″ retaining, again, 73% at 211 grs. But the 286 into media was from about 10 ft whereas the one into the bear was from 68 yards. The 286 shot into the media was severely disfigured while still holding on to 73%. So, my estimate of penetration in inches into tough media could rationally be multiplied by a factor of 6 to 10 in game depending on some factors already mentioned.

<L to R: 600gr Barnes Original, 550gr Woodleigh Weldcore SN, 500gr Hornady DGX – Bonded, 450gr Swift A-Frame, and 250gr Hornady MonoFlex

Comments:

My initial response is that I was glad to get it done before the full force of winter hit us! I’d planned for Monday, 21st November, but due to a quick turn in the weather to below freezing with a snowstorm on the weekend, I had to postpone it. But by Wednesday, it turned much milder with cloudy conditions so that worked well enough. There was abut 4″ of heavy, wet and melting snow that served ideally for pulling the loaded sled (box of magazines weighed 50 lbs) from the SUV to the site about 200 yards into the woods. But standing and moving about in the wet-slippery snow wasn’t ideal for steady offhand shooting of the .458 at little dots on the end of the box!

So… I thought…. Humm, perhaps the best idea would be to first shoot the relatively light recoiling 250gr MonoFlex as its aiming point was the box’s end center dot! That would help in understanding what “logistics” should be employed for the others with much heavier recoiling effect (in the slippery snow!). Thankfully, while not fully conscious of it, I knew quite a bit about maintaining equilibrium in slippery conditions on an uneven surface! I grew up in a fishing community on the East Coast, a good part of which was aboard the Norwin, a 70′ dragger on the Atlantic where a dry, flat deck was never an experience!

But even that first shot caught me somewhat off guard… I slid backwards and nearly lost my footing… but didn’t, thankfully! So I was ready, I thought, for the 600gr Barnes that would dish out nearly 40 ft-lbs… but wasn’t! I shot low, missing not only the 1″ black circle, but the box itself! (well… it was the “dot” only a couple of inches above the bottom of the box – and I didn’t compensate enough for slower velocity and the bore being 1.6″ lower than the scope reticle… those are my excuses!). But I managed to compensate for the final three, that produced good results from 4 of the 5.

Take Aways:

The little 250gr MonoFlex impressed me, all matters considered. That was my current hunting load for bear and deer. MV was 2685 fps (last record at the range), and while it penetrated the least, yet it retained a much higher percentage of its initial weight than the others at 94%, plus a wide cavity from .8″ expansion! In the words of Dr Ron Berry (Riflecrank) on 24hr Campfire: “That 250-gr Monoflex with 94% weight retention at such high speed is mighty impressive, impressive expansion too.

“Half the weight and half the penetration but wider wound channel. That is going to leave a mark inside of the animal yet not on the shooter’s shoulder.”

Words of wisdom, and I fully agree!

Currently, the plan for the 600gr Barnes’ O is to give it a test, along with a few others, sometime in the spring of 2023.

No surprises from the 450gr Swift A-Frame. It retained the highest % of its unfired weight at 77.8% (350 grains), and weighed more than any others, including the 500gr Hornady DGX- Bonded. But it also expanded very quickly in the media indicating it could be effective on smaller game like whitetails.

Basically, they performed much as foreseen and predicted, but Ron and I both felt that the 500gr DGX by Hornady would out-penetrate all others by a significant margin, and it didn’t disappoint in that regard. However, though it will kill anything that walks (or swims) this planet, it is ideal for the biggest and baddest! And it is more readily available (and cheaper) than the 450gr Swift. I bought my box of 450 Swifts many years ago, and the price was steep even then at $75 for 50. I still have a few remaining that I’ll use for testing. Hornadys are a bargain in comparison.

One of my all time favorites for my former Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT was the 300gr TSX, and so it is now for the .458 Win Mag. I’ve fired more of those in tests than any other bullet in any caliber. But I never pulled the trigger on my .45-70 LT on game when loaded with that gem. Came close a couple of times over bear baits but no go. I got a good buy at the time, and being very aware of the scarcity of many wanted component bullets by handloaders, I despaired of ever seeing them again. But Tuesday of this past week I trekked to my favorite shop an hour away, to check on availability of some bullets and cases, and found a single box (20) of the 300gr Barnes TSXs at the same price I’d paid for each of four boxes nine years ago!

This is what one looked like after penetrating tough dry-magazines media, and like the 500gr Hornady-Bonded in this latest test, it made 8 inches penetration, busted the back end of the box and scattered magazines across the snow!

<It retained 100% weight, hitting the bullet box at 2650 fps.

God permitting, and cooperation from the weather, I’m hoping to do some predator hunting till the end of this year.

Till the next: the saga of the 300gr TSXs in two rifles, and Frank who found that single box for me last Tuesday, and shared some of his own story from a hunting family with a father who was a handloader ‘BACK IN THE DAY’, and shot his last moose at age 87!

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

“Praise the LORD, my soul;

All my inmost being,

Praise his holy name!” – Psalm 103