[Montanan]

Well I picked up my Ruger SBH today, and took my reloads both 250-gr SWC loaded with 8.5 gr Unique powder along with my 300-gr bear loads (hot loads), and worked on a bear target at 25 yards. I can tell you that I am glad I had the Hogue grips on the Ruger when shooting the full house 300-gr loads as they are a BIG differance from shooting mild 250-gr SWC loads

I can tell you that the action has been gone over and smoothed out from who ever had this before me, it is a real nice shooter.

On the head shot, you can tell that I had a couple throw off, but kept a pretty good group for the 25 yard distance.

Now it's time to really load up, and start working with my loads, but shooting a bear really is at a much more closer range if one is charging etc. But for now, I just wanted to report the progress of my fun today.

 

[deputy125]

ought to work.........be a good handgun to get them off of ya if the 45-70 ain't handy..........

Serious question on the bears----i've been told that as far as campin' and such, a 12 guage pump loaded with slugs makes for a good stopper. Any thoughts on this?

or is the std shotgun slug a bit too soft of lead??????????????

 

[Montanan]

ought to work.........be a good handgun to get them off of ya if the 45-70 ain't handy..........

Serious question on the bears----i've been told that as far as campin' and such, a 12 guage pump loaded with slugs makes for a good stopper. Any thoughts on this?

or is the std shotgun slug a bit too soft of lead??????????????

The 12 .ga is the best bear defense around, using stagard load of 00 buck, slug, 00 buck. I would really like to find a full life size body target for bear, as well as complete frontal with body mass to practice with..... I will be working on something like Gunsite uses, and having fun doing it.

 

[gunman42782]

Nice gun, and just beautiful surroundings to shoot in!

 

[Montanan]

Nice gun, and just beautiful surroundings to shoot in!

Here is an overhead of that location, those two big open spots where the one on the right has the three white buildings, well that is my aunt and uncles place. Where I was shooting at, is the big open pasture in the middle and this area has turkey, whitetail deer, elk (depending on the heard movement), moose depending on how they feel, black bear all the time and have had a griz or two roam through here as well.

 

[Johngoboom]

Nice shooting JB...That things a handful with them stout loads huh?

Deputy...In Michigan, A LOT of bear hunters use a 12 gauge for hunting. In the UP, the woods is very thick with cedar and tamarck swamps so there is not much long range shooting. They hunt them from tree stands, and want something to put the bear down quick, plus offer a very fast follow up shot if needed. The 12 gauge fits that bill perfectly. You should see some of the new saboted hunting slugs they are offering for rifled slug barrels now. They pack a whallop, and offer terminal ballistics and knock down to around 150-200 yards. But they sure aren't much fun to shoot out of an old pump...

 

[Montanan]

That things a handful with them stout loads huh?

The .44 mag with very warm 300-gr loads is yes a handful when they are loaded up to max fps, and as I remember with wooden grips you feel it quite a bit. With some who are much younger than I at almost 52 they like that hard felt recoil in their young hands. But when you get older like some of us, are joints are already very sore from years of hard work. Even guy's like John Taffin, Jim Taylor who are all older Ruger Shootest of large caliber sixguns are feeling the years of hard felt recoil. So when practicing, I will put the Hogue grips on to take up what I feel and to lessen the pain associated with alot of shooting of those heavy loads. When I go into the Bob Marshall Wilderness on horseback, there is no shooting and wasting ammo unless you have to defend yourself against an agressor, so for that the wooden grips will be put on, as the SBH just carries better with the smaller wooden grips.

I understand your hunting woods, as with the picture above, when your at ground level it is totally differant in the dark woods that I hunt in. But, I can sometimes find myself in areas where there are clear cuts, and if hunting other parts of Montana, large areas between large stands of trees where the elk get holed up during the day etc. Quite litterally your 12 ga has more recoil than my 45-70 does :lol:

 

[deputy125]

ought to work.........be a good handgun to get them off of ya if the 45-70 ain't handy..........

Serious question on the bears----i've been told that as far as campin' and such, a 12 guage pump loaded with slugs makes for a good stopper. Any thoughts on this?

or is the std shotgun slug a bit too soft of lead??????????????

The 12 .ga is the best bear defense around, using stagard load of 00 buck, slug, 00 buck. I would really like to find a full life size body target for bear, as well as complete frontal with body mass to practice with..... I will be working on something like Gunsite uses, and having fun doing it.

maybe them archery targets with the replaceable sweet spot?

 

[deputy125]

Nice shooting JB...That things a handful with them stout loads huh?

Deputy...In Michigan, A LOT of bear hunters use a 12 gauge for hunting. In the UP, the woods is very thick with cedar and tamarck swamps so there is not much long range shooting. They hunt them from tree stands, and want something to put the bear down quick, plus offer a very fast follow up shot if needed. The 12 gauge fits that bill perfectly. You should see some of the new saboted hunting slugs they are offering for rifled slug barrels now. They pack a whallop, and offer terminal ballistics and knock down to around 150-200 yards. But they sure aren't much fun to shoot out of an old pump...

I know that some States mandate a slug only policy. And we have a Corps of Engineers lake project in the region that will allow slug huntin' if ya get drawn. Never used a saboted slug before or a rifled slug barrel. Just years of usage of the std vanilla slug out of a riot gun............

 

[Bountyhunter]

Awesome pics Montanan! Beautiful place. I'd love to have an area like that to shoot my guns.

 

[Montanan]

Deputy125

I take just regular black paper to replace the kill zone on that Archery Bear target. This target was getting rag tag so I also practice on the head area just in case :lol:

But I will be replacing this one, with another this next week.

But if that bear was a life size, it would be on the smallish side if you know what I mean.

 

[b.roberts]

Nice shootin' Montanan. Beautiful gun and an even prettier shooting spot.

 

[tx gun runner]

Here is my house and land in Tn . NO bear but alot of deer

 

[Bountyhunter]

Nice spread, TN!

 

[tx gun runner]

 

[Bountyhunter]

I could spend a few hours there for sure.

 

[tx gun runner]

Montanan
I love your hunting area . I can see why that Montana cadllac was built to
haul game out . Look pretty cold there , heater and doors are a must . Here in
Tn ATV works good . Don't laugh I use my riding mower and garden trailer to
haul game . Are deer avg 200 lbs . No bear or elk here. We have very few days
the daytime high is below freezing , like 10 days . Sure is pretty country up there.