Copper bullets for baited bear?

fisher_hunt · Apr 24, 2023

Headed to Canada next month to hunt black bear for the first time. This is a baited hunt so shots are going to be around 20-30 yards. I like to use 130gr Barnes VOR-TX (TTSX BT) in my .270. Anyone have luck with all copper bullets on bears that close? I haven't had any issues with the barnes hunting everything from coues, muleys, elk and african plains animals but none of the shots have been that close.

Longtail · Apr 24, 2023

No problem.. I would take a little shoulder blade with it if it was up to me.

CFMuley · Apr 24, 2023

I’ve never used an all copper bullet on a bear, but you’ll be fine. Bears die pretty easy.

johnnycake · Apr 24, 2023

In my experience they work well on moose at close range (sub 10 yards) and out past 200 yards. No reason a black bear won't die from one in the boiler room if it is shot up close or far away.

JPickett · Apr 24, 2023

Only bear I’ve ever lost was a Barnes bullet at close range. (Inside 50) Never shot them again personally. I know the kill a lot of stuff but I won’t use them

mtmuley · Apr 24, 2023

Hammer Bullets Shock Hammer will pound a bear at close range. mtmuley

yotebuster17 · Apr 24, 2023

Any bullet that will kill a black bear at a distance will kill it quicker and better at close range. The myth about bullets zipping through animals because they are going too fast is just that, a myth. The faster they are going the more violent the expansion.

JPickett · Apr 24, 2023

I think the rub on copper bullets had been lack of expansion due to their construction (solid) I killed a few deer with Barnes before losing that bear. They did the job but definitely didn’t have signs of great expansion

fisher_hunt · Apr 26, 2023

Thanks for the input fellas!

woodruffhunter · Apr 26, 2023

JPickett said:
I think the rub on copper bullets had been lack of expansion due to their construction (solid) I killed a few deer with Barnes before losing that bear. They did the job but definitely didn’t have signs of great expansion

I know a lot people love them, I’m not one of them. My sons elk hunt had similar results as above. To be fair, we did find the elk, fortunately.

Took several boxes to Africa for plains game. Shot an eland, terrible results. Barnes said I might have “got a bad lot” of ammo….

Bigwiffy · Apr 27, 2023

Good sharp broadhead from 20 yards is deadly, shoot it with your bow over bait it's more fun.

fisher_hunt · Apr 28, 2023

Bigwiffy said:
Good sharp broadhead from 20 yards is deadly, shoot it with your bow over bait it's more fun.

That would be my #1 choice but unfortunately I can't physically bow hunt.

idahomuleyhunter · Apr 28, 2023

Study the vitals on a bear. Lower and smaller than you'd think. Their lungs are small in proportion to their body size, unlike ungulates.

Scout99 · Apr 29, 2023

When I hunted bears a lot, the 30-06 was my go to cartridge. Based on several that I shot and several others I saw shot, it would still be my cartridge of choice. Put the bullet in the vitals and you will have a very dead bear not far from impact.

antlerrick · May 2, 2023

Bigwiffy said:
Good sharp broadhead from 20 yards is deadly, shoot it with your bow over bait it's more fun.

If I can get a few coming in I will definitely take it with my bow

Bwht4x4 · May 11, 2023

JPickett said:
I think the rub on copper bullets had been lack of expansion due to their construction (solid) I killed a few deer with Barnes before losing that bear. They did the job but definitely didn’t have signs of great expansion

Hammer bullets do the opposite of this. Their website says they "initiates expansion upon impact, shedding petals immediately." From my use of them I'm 100% sold. Not to mention their accuracy is incredible. Things might change, but currently Hammer hunters are the only thing I load into my two big game rifles. I'm in the process of developing a load for my 30-06 with their 166gr Hammer Hunters.

idahomuleyhunter · May 11, 2023

Bwht4x4 said:
Hammer bullets do the opposite of this. Their website says they "initiates expansion upon impact, shedding petals immediately." From my use of them I'm 100% sold. Not to mention their accuracy is incredible. Things might change, but currently Hammer hunters are the only thing I load into my two big game rifles. I'm in the process of developing a load for my 30-06 with their 166gr Hammer Hunters.

Have you had any issues with lack of penetration on a shoulder or quartering shot?

Bwht4x4 · May 11, 2023

idahomuleyhunter said:
Have you had any issues with lack of penetration on a shoulder or quartering shot?

I personally haven't yet. I've only shot a cow elk, a deer, and a couple of wild pigs though....all dead. The Hammer bullet owners have been to Africa I think a handful of times with their bullets and think they did fine down there too.

lang · May 15, 2023

idahomuleyhunter said:
Have you had any issues with lack of penetration on a shoulder or quartering shot?

Vitals on bears are back farther than ungulates! If you are hitting shoulder your missing the vitals and asking for a nightmare. I worked for an outfitter in the 90s that preached "taking out the shoulder cause bears are so hard to kill" Nothing could be farther from the truth. My archery group lost multiple bears aiming like we would for ungulates. I started reading and was dumbfounded how little this is talked about. Bears die easily if you take out the vitals-they just aren't where we've been taught. Since aiming back haven't had one go 30 yards.

5 Tips for Shot Placement on Bear

After all the work of getting within shooting distance of a big bear this spring, you’ll need confidence in your ability to make a great shot. Bears are big, tough animals that are unforgiving when hit bad. Many new bear hunters carry with them shot placement and strategy derived from experience...

www.bear-hunting.com

And my daughter took her first bear with a copper power belt, worked great. Mine only went 10 yards, on three bounds and was too dead to even death moan.

idahomuleyhunter · May 15, 2023

Wasn't asking necessarily for bears. Just a general question about the bullets.

fisher_hunt · Jun 2, 2023

Quick update: I went ahead and used the Barnes copper bullets for my hunt. I shot a bear on the second day and it performed great. He only went about 40-50 yards on a death run. I heard him crash, moan then dead silence so I knew I had him!

JPickett · Jun 2, 2023

RookieWYhntr · Jun 2, 2023

Killed 2 bears using barnes in 300WM. Only I used 130grns ttsx going about 3600fps. Both didn't move an inch. You need to go light with copper.

SS! · Jun 2, 2023

Here's a partition and a barnes recovered from a brown bear a couple weeks ago. The barnes went through both shoulders and was recovered under the hide on the opposite side. The partition went through the rib cage and ended up right next to the barnes. I don't know chit about bullets and whats the best. I like core lokt for everything, mainly because they are cheap.

woodruffhunter · Jun 2, 2023

Well I’m in Utah Bear hunting now, SS. I hope my partitions work as well as they did for your clients. Problem is, no bears at the bait site! May not get to see if they’ll work…

pacer1975 · Jun 2, 2023

Ha, we just killed 12 alberta bear with bows.

littlebighorn · Jun 3, 2023

idahomuleyhunter said:
Wasn't asking necessarily for bears. Just a general question about the bullets.

Hammers are (mono) solid copper bullets so once the petals shed the shank continues to penetrate. It's relatively rare to actually recover a shank because they penetrate so well. Like most long mono bullets you need to have the right barrel twist in order for the shank to penetrate straight.
I am so pleased with the Hammer performance and accuracy, I no longer hunt big game with anything else.