There is no doubt that the engineering and physics of todays compound crossbows make tremendous hunting tools for speed and accuracy especially with my Swhackers.

My bow is a TenPoint Turbo, shooting 360 fps. I added a Burris Oracle Laser Scope. A great combination. 

Todays fastest crossbows are in the 500 fps range but for me, personally, I find crossbows better in the 300 to 400 fps range allow crossbow targets to capture the arrow without undue stress to remove the arrow, yet easily harvest game cleanly and often fully penetrate and exit.

There are limitations and concerns with such powerful bows however.

Broadhead tipped arrows of all kinds and bows can very easily deflect in brush, thus shot distances are often limited and must be unobstructed for the bolt/arrow to hit the vitals of the game you hunt.

I recall this past September in a ground blind for bear hunting in Maine with my friends at Foggy Mountain, I set up my crossbow on my steady “Death Grip™ tripod. Nice!

But once set up above, I noticed that there were tiny fir branches a few inches in front of my arrow. In the photo above you can see fir branches. 

I thought, Yes, its a tiny branch, but my decades of bowhunting experience says, even a tiny branch can cause deflection.

I took the time to clear the branches.

An hour later, I harvested a sizable handsome boar. At the 29 yard bait barrel, the boar arrived appearing as if by magic. He stuck his head in the bait barrel and immediately backed out. He faced me in the ground blind and walked  8 to 10 yards toward me. I was on him and very still. Seeing no movement he turned to head back to the goodies. When he was “momentarily broadside” my arrow tipped with a 125g Swhacker hit the big bruin in the ribs.

The swhacker went through that bear so fast that the exit speed, even with a 2.25 inch cut, was so fast as it destroyed the broadhead striking a granite rock. 

I knew the bear was mine. Very pleased with my shot I reflected on the power and accuracy of my crossbow.

I highly recommend shorter range crossbow hunting especially with Swhackers. 

Good Hunting!

Maine for me, is just up the road. I shot a nice bear with Foggy Mountain Guide Service last year with my own 7mm Rem Mag and Nosler Partitions. It filled my freezer with delicious blueberry/raspberry fed black bear meat, filled my memories of a great hunt, and the friendly guide service, food and sleep quarters were excellent. Consequently, I am going back to Maine in September. No airline or customs hassles either like my recent Canada bear hunt. More soon…

Last years Maine bear below

Good Hunting!

It is very telling as to which rifles were used on my Alberta Bear Hunt. First, Saddle Hills offers scoped rifle $300 Savage rifle rental. Savage makes a great cost effective rifle. 

I think that is a big plus for most airline traveling hunters.

Given that shot distances are extremely short at around 20 yards, accuracy is maximized as well as delivered energy. Calibers in .270 Winchester and 7mm08 were often used delivering 2300 ft-lbs. at 20 yards. More than enough to take down black bear given a double lung hit and provide an exit wound.

In my humble opinion, Canadians use the .270 Winchester as an all around big game caliber, with the exception of hunting Grizzly bear. For that, many use the 300 Win Mag or similar high power caliber and a well constructed bullet. 

Bullets used were often soft point cup and core bullets. I used a .270 as a backup to my hunt and as a wolf caliber for a longer wolf shot.  A single hunter used a 6.5 PRC with excellent results on a 300 pound bear. It fell in sight of the bait.

Many say that USA  bear hunters like the lever action 45-70 for short range bear to maximize entrance an exit size for blood trailing but, to my knowledge, none were used on the hunt. Why? Most clients did not want the hassle to lug their rifle through Canadian customs given the option of renting.

That said, in Canada, I believe the .270 Winchester, for moose, deer and black bear, appears to be the best all around “available” caliber. I used a borrowed .270 successfully in Newfoundland for Moose. 

My own personal choice of bullet would be a Nosler Partition or A-Frame type to ensure an exit wound. I used a 7mm Rem mag with a 160g Nosler Partition on my 2023 Maine bear. Plenty of blood to trail 20 yards.

Accordingly, don’t overthink bear calibers especially at 20 yards.

Think accuracy and double lung hits and you are golden.

I used my 10 Point Turbo crossbow on my Alberta bear with a Swhacker 2.5 inch cut mechanical.

The swhacker zipped thru the bears lungs and we never found the exiting arrow.  He fell dead right at the bait after climbing up a tree for 20 feet and then fell “crashing” dead as a door nail.

The downside to flying with the crossbow was the airline called the hardcase “oversize” and did not arrive as regular baggage off the carousel.  I had to go to baggage claim to find it and got hassled in Canada customs over my label of “Archery” Equipment. 

Good Hunting!

Here are some pictures from the hunt.

Skinning Shed

Ed helping Kristie flip many eggs over-easy for breakfast! Great Fun! She say “My Flipper”

Another Ed – Practice makes perfect!

Bears Down!

Skinning a bear!

Crazy for the honey pot

Who’s bigger? Wanna fight? Two bears go at it. 

ORV Essential Transportation

A Carved Two Bear Seat. 

Big Color Phase Bear