My old Red Dot Adjustments no longer work. Replaced with a Feyachi Reflex $42 dollars.
Below is the original article
I took my AR-15 out to the range and swapped out my leupold rifle scope for my red dot scope for hunting coyotes near dusk. I always had to tuck my head and cheek low to see the red dot.
It’s an older model red dot, but it works fine. I found a picatinny riser rail that raises the scope ideally. Below is my $12 dollar, Feyachi Picatinny Riser Mount, 0.75″/0.83″/0.95″ High, 5 Slots Riser Mount for Red Dot Sight.
I am not into paying big bucks for a new scope right now. Cost of the riser was $12 on line. My kind of fix! Yes, you can spend hundreds.on a new optic.
I learned years ago, to fix problems I encountered with my hunting rifles for my African Safari.
My first fix was to get rid of the hard recoil pads. Enough of beating up my shoulder. Two of the best state-of-the-art pads to reduce felt recoil are SIms SVL® Recoil pads below
and Pachmayr Decelerator® Pads.
You can also purchase these pads as temporary slip-on’s Below.
Both reduce felt recoil up to 50% by absorbing the instant hard kick and giving you a softened kick over milliseconds of time in soft calibrated rubber. In addition, these pads often add recoil structure to the rubber to reduce barrel rise. Smart hunter’s get it! And there are more brands you can check out online.
Triggers
If you are experiencing trigger creep or a heavy trigger, your accuracy will suffer. There are often better triggers you can purchase.
I am a Timney Trigger fan.
And many triggers are drop-in types that take little effort to install. Timneys are adjustable and crisp. Below is a Timney for a Remington 700.
Todays rifle scopes can easily cost more than the rifle you put it on. A good rifle today costs less than $1000 dollars, where some rifle scopes can cost upwards of $2000 dollars.
So I often swap out my favorite best-in-class Leupold VX -6 scope from rifle to rifle.
I am setting up one of of my Ruger rifles with a picatinny rail to make it easier to borrow a scope from another of my rifles already set up with a picatinny rail.
Below is the Weigand Combat Scope Mount Compatible with Ruger M77 and MKII Long Action 20 MOA – Black
The Weigand aircraft aluminum rail does have some limitations. It is not recommended for super heavy recoiling rifles. The determining calculation from the manufacturer says to multiply bullet weight in grains times the expected muzzle velocity. If the calculation exceeds 700,000 then don’t use it to mount your scope on that rifle.
Example: I will mount the rail on my .375 Ruger shooting Nosler 260g AccuBonds at a muzzle velocity of 2625 fps. Thus 260g x 2625fps = 682,500. Based on this calculation, I’m good. Next is to test it out at the range.
My Ruger Hawkeye M77 in .375 Ruger shoots most all my hand loaded bullets extremely well, often sub-moa. Luckily, I do have some 260g AB in my cupboard.
Range Test – Below is the finished Picatinny mount and Leupold scope after 3 bench rest shots of Nosler 260g AB at 2625 fps.
I checked threaded mounting screws which had thread lock 242 blue applied. Every screw checked for torque. All perfect.
Muzzle energy is 3977 ft-lbs and 3419 ft-lbs at 75 yards to my bear bait site.
Below the 3 shots. First shot at 50 yds after the swap was 2 1/2 inches low and 2 inches right. I adjusted and hit 9 o’clock in the dead center bull. I adjusted a bit much and hit 1 inch right in bullseye. I will shoot again at 75 yards and make final tweaks.
Accordingly, the swap worked well and I can swap back to my 7mm Rem Mag with very little effort.
Update: My 220g bear loads kick hard. And are hanging up. Many suggest a 24lb recoil spring or trigger spring. May stay with 180g – 200g hard cast for bear backup. Stay tuned. Gen 4 and Gen 5 recoil springs hard to get. Gun no longer shoots 180g after 1st shot. Bought at KTP who will look at it and send back to Glock if needed. Yes, I’m disappointed.
I just shot these 10 yard 180g Blaser groups below, at my local range, for the first time with my new 10mm Glock for bear hunt backup. They will penetrate deeper than my 45ACP. Check your states laws on hunting with a hand gun vs carrying for protection. If hunting for deer in New Hampshire, with a handgun, current rules say no more than 6 shots in your pistol.
Middle and Low right groups are 10mm 180g Blazers. Low left are 200g bear loads. Upper right is a single 180g shot. The trigger takes getting used to. You have to squeeze the trigger more to make it break. Not as hard though as a double action. It is a smooth firm pull. There is no quote “safety”, just the firm pull of the trigger. I added new tritium sights for shooting in darkness on my bear hunt.
Recoil was perhaps a tad heavier than my 45ACP. Getting used to the trigger was perhaps the most difference.
I purchased more 200g Blazers and 220g hard cast lead bear loads to practice with this spring and summer. But I will likely need a stronger recoil spring with 220g… they kick and with a standard recoil spring they hung up.
Getting more than one accurate shot off is key in choosing the 10mm if ever charged by a bear or a big game animal intent on attacking you. In fact, with practice you can perhaps get 3 to 4 accurate head shots in a charge. Then follow up with 11 or 12 more shots at 1200fps with each delivering 700 ft-lbs of penetrating energy to the heavily boned bear skull below.
The use of a handgun to ward off a bear attack is proven. It is not uncommon for aggressive bears to climb up your bowhunting tree stand with you in it or perhaps follow you back to your truck at night or a wounded bear attacks during recovery.
Below, find an article with documented incidents where handguns were 98% effective on all bear species black, brown, grizzly and polar.
Unfortunately, my new 10mm Glock 20 has set of daylight sights which makes the Glock defense use in dim light or darkness difficult at best. I swapped them out for cost effective Tritium sights so I can see them in darkness.
I purchased a simple set of TRUGLO tritium sights for around $55 bucks. Not a bad price. Take the top slide off, remove the spring and barrel to get to the front sight nut and prep to remove the rear sight.
You will need to purchase a tool for the front sight nut.
and at least a push tool or bench vise and a wood or brass punch as in the video above.
Next, is a holster for my Glock.
I need instant access for a possible aggressive bear attack, thus I purchased a heat molded chest holster called the Kenai from Gunfighters, Inc. Cost $160.00
The first time the holster gripped the pistol, hearing a click, I wasn’t able to pull it out without using great force. The Kenai literature instructed to carefully use a heat gun on the click/grip area. Luckily, I had a heat gun. It worked. Now, after heat adjusting, I can readily pull the pistol yet keep it secure.
Some folks find that a chest held binocular case can interfere with the draw of the pistol. However, the holster can be adjusted to allow fast access. Below is my Vortex Bino’s case with my Glock 20. The bino case is huge, perhaps too big to wear. The pistol draw needs both hands. One hand to hold the holster base, while my right hand draws the pistol.
I will holster and practice drawing and shooting it with my binoculars on and off. If I’m on a bear stand in a tree, I will likely not wear the bino case.
Below this video pitts the 10mm against the 44 magnum.
A few year back I also did a 44 mag video below. In that fishing scenario, the 44 mag already drawn on an approaching bear, worked for the first shot but the recoil raised the pistol losing fractions of seconds to get back on target.
I have hunted black bear in Ontario, Canada many years ago with my 68 pound recurve bow. Canada does not allow hunters to carry a backup pistol. My Outfitter said I probably would not need bear spray. Right? My experience with a very aggressive and very large boar instantly changed my mind.
Today, with a bear hunt in September, I reviewed my 45ACP as a backup pistol. Yes, it can work but it is considered marginal. I have always liked the 44 magnum as a brown or black bear backup. But you will likely only get one good headshot, if it charges. I tested a 44 mag for a moving head shot. It wasn’t easy and I had only 5 more shots left. The 44 mag with 250g or 300g or 454 Casull are very powerful but many can’t handle the recoil. If you can handle the recoil and shoot it straight, go for it. Many are true believers.
Enter the 10mm Glock 20 Gen 5 semi-auto pistol (Retail $620)
It is a better option for a semi-auto, throwing 15 hard cast 220g bullet at 1200 fps delivering nearly 700 ft-lbs on each shot.
Underwood Ammo says “Hard cast flat nose bullets are non-expanding, powerfully penetrative bullets that are designed with your woods defense needs in mind; whether fending off wild hogs or black bears, the hard cast flat nose bullets are consistently effective in taking down any wild animals that you may encounter. In contrast to the round nose non-expanding bullets, the flat nose bullets are able to pierce through dense bodies of mass while maintaining their nose forward position, which is optimal for maximum penetration. Underwood Ammo’s hard cast featuring a “Black Cherry” coating. Equipped with enhancements from the previous Hi-Tek coating. “Black Cherry” coating is a polymer-based compound; its thermal stability allows it to handle more than any other coating today. The coating will protect against gas cutting with a high degree of wear and abrasion resistance. The “Black Cherry” coating prevents lead to bore contact, thus virtually eliminating lead fouling. All Underwood Ammo rounds utilize flash suppressed powder so that your vision will not be compromised if it becomes necessary to use your firearm in low light.”
The 10mm is increasingly used as a hunting firearm for thin skin big game and a reasonable bear backup that allows faster follow-up shots.
This 10mm 15 shot pistol is apparently taking the Outdoor Industry by storm say many reviews. Like the 44 magnum, the 10mm really does not have enough energy to penetrate a bear skull but most shooters can handle its recoil. We shall see… I just purchased one. Yes, I needed a good reason to add it to my hunt options.
Below is a comparison article from Meateater of 10mm vs 45acp
Is the 7mm Rem Mag overkill for black bear? Not hardly. Below this large bear is likely a boar and didn’t get this big by being stupid.
Ursus Americanus Photo Courtesy Wikipedia – Photo taken in Quebec
Many bring the venerable 300 Winchester Magnum with 180g bullets. Yes, you can kill bear with most deer rifle calibers, but I only have three rifles to choose from, (6.5Creedmoor, 7 Rem Mag, .375 Ruger). On the other hand, my .375 Ruger is my anything rifle and has already taken 2 large moose.
I have plenty of 7mm 175g AccuBond LR’s left from my moose hunt four-plus months ago, as Canadian Customs would not let me take it. What? Yes,they said, “if you are not going directly to the hunt, you can’t cross the border with it”.
Well, I’m hunting black bear over bait in the USA-Maine and I may use my Browning X-Bolt in 7mm Rem Mag with those 175g ABLR’s, though Crossbow is possible. Rifle distance to bait is about 75 yards. Crossbow distance to bait is 20 yards.
They are chronoing around 3000 fps at the muzzle. The ABLR is softer thus it will mushroom very well under 100 yards and make a big exit hole for blood trailing. My Browning 7mm below has a Leupold VX-6 on it with optional lighted crosshairs.
I tried shooting black crosshairs on a black target, and in fading light, it was next to impossible to see. I just replaced the battery on the red crosshair light to make sure it was ready for the bear hunt. The trigger is a crisp Timney set at 3 pounds.
On my 2024 September bear hunt, the state reports bear numbers are nearly 24,000 to 36,000 bears. My hunt area has about 1 bear per square mile. I do not know the ratio of boar to sow but am aiming for a sizable representative of the species.
I will be taking both Rifle and Crossbow on my Maine bear hunt.
I believe bears that have been hunted over bait before are more wary than say a bear that has never been baited ever. Experts agree. Sure, I’d like to harvest a big bear with my crossbow but maybe a bigger bear with my favorite rifle. In years gone by I hunted with recurve bow, without success.
I will take both rifle and crossbow on the hunt this September.
Accordingly, these baited bears are smart. They come into view at your bait site in the last hour of light or in the dark.
Larger bears, like trophy whitetails, did not get large by being stupid. Outsmarting big bruins to get them to show themselves in daylight is the name of the game. No human smells near bait, no strange noises are the name of the game.
In some cases, just clicking the safety off can make previously hunted bears jump or drawing your arrow as it slides rearward will make them jump. Having a stand near a gurgling brook provides cover sounds for a bowhunter at say 15 or 20 yards from bait.
I believe rifle hunters often have an edge where stands are 50 to 75 yards from bait.
That said, wary big bears may show in daylight with the hunter at 75 yards because the bear did its homework just out of sight of the bait listening and smelling and circling.
The angle of the bear is not quite as critical with rifle as it is with bow, thus more shot opportunities are favored with a rifle such as my Browning Speed 7mm Remington Magnum.
Add up the 1,2, 3 above and I lean toward a rifle setup. We shall see as setups are revealed in September.
An Adventure filled Solo Maine Black Bear hunt is in my plans for September 2024. Come on along as I film some video clips too.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_black_bear
I have not hunted black bear for quite some time, but it can be very exciting with a good outfitter and remote land access. I estimate the weight of this bear in the above image near 400 pounds.
What is even better is that very often you will see more than one bear or two or more on a 6 day hunt.
Most hunting is done in afternoon and evening on ground blinds or tree stands over bait.
Baiting is a great way to hunt bear, in particular, because you can be selective; e.g., to pass or shoot a smaller or larger adult bear.
The tough part is to gage the size of a bear coming to bait. Often, bears, particularly big ones, come to bait just minutes before dark, making judging size, and fur color even harder.
I am very pleased with my 10 Point Turbo Crossbow (390 – 400 fps) and my NAP Killzone Cut-on-Contact 100 grain mechanical broadheads. Bears often hit with a razor sharp broadhead in the heart/lung area, will run flat out for 10 seconds and then collapse deader-than-a-door-nail… never knowing what bit them. Too far forward may result in the arrow hitting the scapula bone and tough tracking so the shot must be true.
My Equipment, a 10 Point 400 fps Turbo S1 Crossbow Arrow Flight with Killzone Broadhead or my Browning 7mm Rem Mag.
Killzone provides a practice blade. It isn’t easy to assemble the practice blade but once done, it works. Note; that the there is a pencil point type head that you can get as well for this broadhead but i prefer a cut-on- contact point.
Haven’t killed a bear with the Killzone head yet, but we shall see. Many experts suggest fixed blade broadheads on bear. I have some to experiment with as well.
I will have my backup Kimber 45 ACP and my Browning Speed 7mm Rem Mag Rifle along with me as well.
I called to further discuss rifle at 75 yards vs bow at 20 yds and will decide when I get there. Rifle setups are further away from bait thus allowing less human odor at dusk near bait. Big bruins didn’t get big by being stupid. They use their nose and minor noise to determine when it is safe to approach bait, often after dark. Take away noise and smells at the bait site and maybe enough to to make a show.
What will I do with the hide, skull and meat? If the bear is large, I will make a rug and have the skull cleaned. I am a meat-eater and home-made butcher and self- trained chef. Bear fat can be rendered for lubricating/rust protection and also the lard makes a great ingredient for pie crust. Bear meat and fat was a real commodity in early America for its versatility in cooking/frying and for both lubrication and rust prevention and even lamp oil.
My Outfitter “Foggy Mountain Guide Service” hunts deep in the wild woods of Maine. Driving from southern New Hampshire to my Maine hunt location will take me about 5 hours, where I’ll spend up to six days hunting.
Middle and Low right groups are 10mm 180g Blazers. Low left are 200g bear loads. Upper right is a single 180g shot. The trigger takes getting used to. You have to squeeze the trigger more to make it break. Not as hard though as a double action. It is a smooth firm pull. There is no quote “safety”, just the firm pull of the trigger. I added new tritium sights for shooting in darkness on my bear hunt.
