Manitoba Bear. Snuffer or Grizzly??

[capt eddie]

My son and I have a black bear hunt in Manitoba.  He will be shooting a 5o# recurve, 600gr arrows at 28inches.  I will be shooting 70# TD Treestick with 724 gr AD Hammerheads.  We are going to take turns hunting on the ground.  The problem we are having is choosing the right BH.  He has never shoot a bear.  Until now he has shot wheel bow with expandables.  I have always shoot 160 Snuffers. But over the past 12  years I have hit  the shoulder on four bear and only have the BH penetrate and no blood or bear.  On the six bear I have killed they were complete pass thru.  One was front to back.  All died within 40yds.  All these bear were hit with POC 650gr.  The four shoulder hits were less then 20ft away. The bear just stand there with 29 inches a white arrow sticking out of thier shoulder. This will be the first year to try carbon.  We can not decide which BH to use,  Would he use a differant BH then I should? Shooting off the ground should limit our exposure the the shoulder, but we are not perfect.

[swp]

Either will work if you shoot them with a foot forward. The snuffer will probably give a better blood trail and the griz would probaly give better penetration if a shoulder is hit. Proper shot and sharp head, you should get a dead bear in less than 100 yards.
Good luck which ever one you choose.

[L82HUNT]

I'll be in Manitoba in late May.  Will be using a Widow Recurve 55@ my 27.5" draw.  Shooting a carbon arrow weighing 615 grains with mid 20's FOC and a Woodsman on the front end.  Pretty sure this is going to be a very good combo for black bear.

[R. W. Mackey]

Get some of those 250 gr. 1 1/4" wide Terminators that Big Jim is ordering. Super head, they are not vented, which I like, don't pick up fat and flesh to slow penetration. Don't shoot so tight to the shoulder on a Bear, their vitals are alot farther back than a deer. Your son will not have any trouble with that combination.  Good Luck.  RW

[Bigriver]

I had good luck on my first bear with the big Snuffers. I like blood on the ground.

[owlbait]

Stay away from the shoulder, both heads will do fine. My question is why would you shoot 4 in the shoulder when it didn't work the first time?  

[dnovo]

It's not going to matter which one you're using if you hit one in the shoulder. The shoulder on a bear is a lot more solid than a deer and if you hit it solid you won't penetrate no matter what. Aim a good 4" behind the leg.

[Manitoba Stickflinger]

Yeah, you need to avoid that shoulder....you won`t likely shoot through it! That said, shoot any broadhead that hits where he`s aiming. I say that because you`ll find every bear if you hit where you should. Don`t worry about leaving a big hole, or size of cut, as placement matters most. Make sure the head is sharp and that it flys well and that`s it. Best of luck...Ryan

[capt eddie]

I did not hit them there on purpose. One inch can make the differance between bear and tag soup.

[joe ashton]

either will get the job done... I personally like three blades but that is just what I like.

[Mike Bolin]

I had a great blood trail with a Magnus II w/a bleeder blade. Most of my buddies use Snuffers for bear. I would look into the VPA Terminators for your son's set up. Nice hole with good penetration. For the bow you are shooting, a big Snuffer is hard to beat. Take alot of good photos! Mike

[tradtusker]

As above with the shot placement!

Have a look at the VPA terminator if your wanting a solid razor sharp 3 blade, with no vents.

Few of the Sponsors here carry them
http://www.zipperbows.com/vpa_terminator_broadheads

[Coonbait]

DON'T hit them in the shoulder!! I did last fall on a 150-200# black bear in New Brunswick and trailed him for HOURS. We GPSed the tracking job and he took us in a circle a little over half a mile through some super nasty stuff. Good blood trail the whole time. We even found a downed log that he drug his shoulder up and down trying to dislodge a 160gr. Grizzly El Grande. Tough animals. Respect the shoulder and it will keep you from losing lots of sleep!
Good Luck
 GLENN

[SERGIO VENNERI]

Eddie;
   I guided Bear hunters for years, and saw a few scapula hits , non were ever recovered all came back to the bait within 3 days . there is not a broadhead that i'm aware of that will penetrate the scapula of a live bear PERIOD!
   In my personal opinion , the Snuffer is the best bear head ever made, bears are soft and you will get full penetration anywhere in the boiler room.
    Your equipment is fine! But with all due respect you should practice more on a 3d bear target.
    I personally also find 20 yds too far to shoot a bear from, unlike other huntable critters, like any ungulates, bears have no shoulder definition especially around dusk . I shoot and recommend bow shots no further than 10yds, so you can make out the shoulder area and stay away from it. The absolute best place to shoot them with a bow is right in the middle vertical and horizontal. This will work both broadside and slightly quartering.
 Keep practicing and good luck on your next hunt.

[StanM]

Of the two I would go with a Snuffer for bear.

[Biggie Hoffman]

Bears are not tough animals to kill, kinda like caribou. Multiple blades are best for both of those critters.

[BigJim]

Bears are extremely easy to shoot through, but even good hits can reveal poor blood trails. I use the biggest thing I can make fly and follow the red river to the bear.

Bigjim

[overbo]

Long thick hair.Snuffer all the way

[longbowben]

Big Snuffers, Bears are one of the easiest animals to kill i have ever seen.They dont go far after shooting them.And a good blood trail helps in those thick woods.

[mnbwhtr]

snuffer