Let’s Review some BALLISTICS of the BIG-Bores

Our oldest son, Brent, at a particular time in life had a thing for collecting Capstick videos – it was sometime during his early years in Africa as a missionary. He passed a number of them on to his father. I vivedly recall one of them in which Capstick was holding the heart of a Cape buff he’d just slain in using his .375 H&H. He’d shot it frontally, low in the chest as it faced him from about 30 – 40 yards. It dropped like a rock on the spot. Later, standing to the front end of the buff with the camera running, he was holding its heart in both hands with a hole completely through that looked about 4 inches in diameter. I was very impressed to say the absolute least about it!

< My .375 H&H in a bear blind, with Burris scope and 250gr TTSX’s at 2850 fps.

Now the .375 H&H is not considered a true Big Bore, but a Medium, yet I think Capstick could make a strong argument in its favour, which he sure did in that video. It is still quite vivid in my memory.

Also, I’ve a long-time correspondent and friend who has made at least two safaris to Africa: On the first he took 2 rifles: a .300 Wby and a .458 Win. On the second he’d planned on two again – a .375 H&H and the .458 Win again. But a problem developed with the iron sights on the .458 a short time before he was to leave, so the .375 H&H was used on everything, including Cape buff and elephant. Recently, in a phone conversation, he said if he did it again he’d only take one rifle for everything – the .375 H&H. To me, that was a very strong endorsement from someone I have a high regard for. Of course, many others have enjoyed success on Africa’s Dangerous Six from the use of the powerful and versatile .375 H&H.

Yet, of the recent safari videos I’ve watched, many are still taking two rifles and usually one of them is chambered in .375 H&H. The other is quite often a Big Bore that’s more powerful and reserved for elephant and Cape Buffalo. Still, the .375 H&H has taken thousands of that class without trouble or undue excitement! Some prefer the .375 Wby Mag or have their H&H AI’d, adding 100 – 200 fps to 300-grainers while adding a corresponding amount of recoil that tends to make them less pleasant to shoot!

Above and beyond the popular .375 H&H are the true Big Bores starting at about .40-caliber on up to the rare .50-calibers. Of course, the .50’s are less popular and generally not needed in this part of the world. And also, generally speaking, only the wealthy can afford the rarest of them with the intention of putting them to good use on Africa’s most menacing wild ones – including eles and buffalo.

With an abundance of technical wisdom from many sources, any of the Big Bores are plenty powerful from an array of serviceable components for the handloader – to fine tune suitable ballistics for whatever the challenges may be that confront us. About 5000 ft-lbs of kinetic energy is possible from any of them through handloading.

For instance: Let’s say that the most formidable challenge might be a charge from a bull Cape Buffalo from thick bush at 25 yds. Before the fact, and in making preparations for the trip, what would you choose for a rifle, it’s ammo and sights? To compound matters further, you’re taking only one rifle for which you’ll make handloads. Recall what I’ve rehearsed about the .375 H&H. . . . Would it be your rifle of choice with best handloads knowing the realistic potential for such a confrontation? Of course, you’d have the back-up of the PH.

I’ve watched some charges on videos by lions, Cape Buff and elephant. None were fun!

• I’d only take a rifle that I’m very, very familiar with, loaded with the best possible projectiles for just such a scenario! The only compromise would be in using it on duiker, but I’m certain it would get that job done as well. Notice, no cartridge has been mentioned, but of course it must be legal.

• The projectile I’d choose must be adequate for a worst case scenario of a mature bull Cape Buffalo in full charge from burstIng from the jesse at 25 yds. And it would be only handloaded with that bullet for all creatures large, medium and small.

• The rifle would have a variable power scope. The one that’s on my Ruger No.1H in .458 Win is a Nikon 2 – 7 x 32, and is perfect for that rifle under all conditions. Previously, in was on my Ruger No.1 in .45-70 LT. Altogether, it has absorbed about 700 rounds of punishment and keeps working like it was new. Unfortunately, Nikon no longer makes rifle scopes – but I’d still choose one of like qualities and abilities.
• 

• My choice would be a .458 Winchester Magnum, and if you’re a follower of these blogs you already knew that. The bullet for everything would be the 404gr Stone Hammer at 2500 – 2550 fps at 5700 – 5800 ft-lbs. If an elephant were on the agenda, then a few quality 500gr solids would fit the bill. If my current Ruger No.1H were my .458 then extra ammo would be quickly found as seen in the pic above. The rifle would not need resighting for a 500 solid as the 404 would be zeored for 150 to 200 yds and the slower 500 at 100. Any of the big fourties, forty-fives and fifties are more than adequate for the tasks envisioned. If and when you go, I wish you God speed and above all: A safe and happy experience!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and A HAPPY NEW YEAR!

” You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you (God), whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the LORD always, for the LORD GOD is the eternal Rock.” – ISAIAH ch 26: 3 – 4

Till the next. . . . .

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL

About Bear Hunting – P2

Last time (P1) I made some remarks about why and how I got involved in black bear hunting. For eight seasons I hired a very good “bear man”, as he was known, in the northeastern part of our Province of Ontario. From the late Norm Easto, and my experiences in bait-hunting bear in wilderness conditions, I learned how and where to find black bears and hunt them over bait.

The first took place in a very rugged and remote part of Northeastern Ontario in the second week of May, 1989. I didn’t shoot a bear, but I was hooked! And I’d bought a new 1895 Marlin chambered for the .45-70 cartridge especially for the occasion. But factory ammo was never purchased; instead handloading dies along with cases, bullets and powders were bought for assembling much more potent loads for whatever size and disposition of bruin that might tempt fate in making an appearance at one of several bait sites that Norm had made available. In early May, 1990, I shot my first bear ever with that rifle and my handload. That is a story worth telling again, but I’ll refrain for now. Yet my handload worked as hoped and planned for: a 400gr SPEER FP at 1865 fps slammed the big boar broadside through the chest as he came in to the bait setup at 100 yards. He went over backwards landing on all fours and took off like lightning for ten yards into an alder patch and that was it! I gave him another between shoulder and neck for insurance while standing on a moose-hunting platform from offhand that wasn’t really necessary because he was fini!

The topic before us in P2 (part 2) is: scouting and location of bait setup.

SCOUTING: My eight seasons with Norm as opperator and guide, plus the thirty seasons on my own as planner and in self-guiding, have taught me where to look and search out best locations for finding natural habitats where bears make a living. Then identifying bear sign within those locations. Norm was a good teacher and I a fast learner!

When I started on my own the year following my last season with Norm, I already knew where to start and what to look for:

There were two options: Private property or Crown Land (public land). I’d hunted both with Norm, but mostly Crown Land. And I had plenty of that within an hour’s drive from home: Unspoiled, rugged wilderness with lots of forest, bush, ridges, ravines, bogs and marshes, streams and rivers, and lakes large and small, plus adequate dirt roads (former logging roads) and trails for exploration. I’d previously hunted deer in that area without ever spotting or running into a black bear, but knew from my time with Norm that Haliburton Highlands was perfect bear habitat!

LOCATION: And I chose a spot I was adequately familar with, having hunted deer in that area. Do you know it’s possible to spend a hunting or working lifetime in bear habitat without ever seeing or noticing a black bear. . . . yet heard, seen and smelled by them? That’s why we use baits. . . . and some others use hounds!

So scouting in the Northeast of North America is not primarily intended for sighting bear but for searching for bear habitat and signs of them within that region. Then finding a suitable access route in and out of that region prior to locating a bear-bait setup. It’s futile to shoot a big bear five miles from the nearest access route!

This is the access route to my bear bait setup this spring (May, 2025) on the way in from the main dirt road. The foliage is current for the beginning of the third week of May. The bait setup is in the dense background beyond the large boulder in the foreground – witth a hint of red just over the left corner of that boulder- that would be my red/orange tote with bear grub. My blind location will be on the ridge to the right (out of sight in this pic).

< May 5, 2025< May 12, 2025< May 19, 2025. That’s my .35 Whelen. The bait is being “hit”, but not yet by the large bruin of the last couple of years.

For toting “bear grub” I use a blue plastic bucket. In it is about 7 – 8 lbs of mixed bird seed, a large pac of marshmallows and another pac of real licorice. All of the bird seed goes into the tote, and the marshmallows and licorice go partly inside the tote and the rest is scattered around on the ground and on top of the tote and logs to create two obvious conditions: 1) The licorice in particular gives off a distinct smell of anise (seed), it’s main ingredient which bears “would die for”! They can smell it from miles away, especially in warm weather that releases that scent, and if a gentle breeze is carrying it far beyond its source. And 2), a bear will find each individual piece of licorice and marshmallows by scent, that keeps him close to the tote before he has to dismantle the tote setup for the bird seed and anything else inside the tote. A big bruin will clean-up everything within a day or two (or nights if he’s gone nocturnal), but remain hidden in the immediate area if “food” shows up regularly every 3 to 4 days. I often “hide” a few pieces of licorice at 40 – 50 yds or so from the tote, but “he” always finds it before I return a few days later. If we’re paying attention, we can learn a lot about bears and their intelligence.

This pic is from the 2nd (fall) hunt beginning September 1, 2023.

Another point in all this activity is in the discovery of where the bear (if a single dominant bruin) is coming from as he will try to take the bucket or tote “home” with him. We have videos of bears grabbing full buckets of “goodies” and running off with them. I’ve found some of them months and, sometimes, years later!

<This one has seen a lot of country!

< And so has this one. It’s currently used as a “hunter’s seat” (when turned upright using its bottom as the “seat”) by deer and moose hunters, and yes, by myself 40 yds from my bear-bait site!

< This scene was taken from the bait-site. The white plastic bucket is only 40 yds distant (center of pic). My blind goes in front with a comfy lawn chair behind. The main points of a compass can be taken from that white bucket: It is directly south of the bait, and for good reason: I don’t want the sun shinning in my eyes, or being exposed in bright sunlight, as the sun sinks toward the west until it sets with the bait location west of me!

Location, location, location is everything!

Also clear visability for a shot, plus around the site to be able to see the bear approaching the site and/or his smelling and picking up morsels that have been scattered about. But wait for a favourable presentation, and when he’s still. He will spend still moments in chewing/digesting morsels of food – almost like he’s a human thinking over how tasty it is!

Should you be the main person attending the bait site, and delivering the food, don’t try to cover your scent! Let him get used to you as the “grocery man”! He will get used to the sound of your vehicle, doors closing, your walking and direction of approach. Don’t necessarily try to be quiet! There is no such thing as walking quietly over natural debris on a forest floor! And especially when attending the bait site. . . let him know you’re there because after you leave he’ll check it out within a half-hour or so. You may not know it, but he will. . . or soon after the sun goes down, depending on his state of maturity.

Remember: he’ll know if you’ve left or not! At least, he’ll think he knows, and that might prove his demise if you’re really sneaky and quiet in returning to a spot chosen beforehand that may give a clear shot. It doesn’t always work, but it does raise the odds for success – if you’re after a real “big boy” trophy!

From 75 yards (2023) and a ninety-degree change of direction! It’s wise to have alternate positions for shooting a wary bear which may become too familiar with your blind or stand. Also it may defeat wind coming from the wrong direction for a fixed stand or blind. And it’s a good idea to consider “an ambush” of an unsuspecting bear that has become too acquainted with your setup and timing. That may sound contradictory to some previous comments, but we need to be flexible with bears that don’t “follow the rules”! He will check your stand or circle your blind. . . if you’re not there he’ll likely show up at your bait thinking it’s safe to do so. But we need to be patient because bears have excellent hearing and powerful scent capabilities – 10x more than a blood hound! I’ve caught several bears using that strategy.

Till the next: About Bear Hunting – P3 (coming up in two weeks): Escape routes for bears, and bear rifles for scouting and/or watching from blind or tree stand. It might be advantageous to have a distinct rifle for each task – walking about or sitting/watching. Physical conditions are important factors that should determine strategies. Prevailing wind directions change from warm-hot months to cool-colder months (spring-summer to fall-winter), so stands or blinds should be located with that in mind. Or the bait itself could be relocated to reflect those changes in weather patterns.

Shalom

BOB MITCHELL