Bear

[Square Bag]

Shot a bear with the 300 win mag dead center in his chest. Tracked him for over 200 yards and the blood trail stopped cold. He was bleeding heavily. I am upset I lost him. I'd swear an alien lifted him up from his rest spot and took him.

[God's Country]

My guess is you didn't shoot him where you thought.

Soooo when did this happen?

[ar15jules]

Brisket shot maybe?

[gummy jones]

head on or broadside?

id bet you hit him low

[tarzan]

A bears fat and hair will stop the blood from coming out. Double lung is the best shot if you can get it.

[Square Bag]

My guess is you didn't shoot him where you thought.

Soooo when did this happen?

Second day of the General season for Bear in Northeast. I hit him in the chest as he was coming towards me head on. He dropped, got back up and started running. He had smoke coming out of his chest for Christ's sake. I don't get it.

[aubie515]

I'm with the others...you didn't hit the bear where you thought you hit it. The 300WM has plenty of KE to kill a black bear.

[tarzan]

The smoke you saw may have been steam if it was cold. Opening a hole for the heat to escape the inside of the body may have had that effect.
It may be that you did not get the lungs or heart.
Those animals are experts at hiding, you may have walked right past it. I would love to have a pair of binoculars that would thermal image, I think you would spot bears laying in the dark pines looking at you.
I know you are disappointed in not finding your bear, but getting to see one and get a shot is a thrill that a lot of guys or girls will never get. I hunted years before I finally got a shot with a bow, it was worth the wait, what an experience. I've put three in the freezer now and I'm hooked.

[gummy jones]

Second day of the General season for Bear in Northeast. I hit him in the chest as he was coming towards me head on. He dropped, got back up and started running. He had smoke coming out of his chest for Christ's sake. I don't get it.

300wm is moving plenty fast - it's not going to get stopped by a rib

To either side and you shatter the shoulder and a top heavy animal like that wouldn't run very well
If you hit him dead center it would go through his sternum and come out of the anus

I say it had to either be low (like a belly graze) or far lateral (barely graze a ham)

[gummy jones]

Looking at head on pics of black bears as we speak
There is even less head on real estate than I thought
It almost seems like the only way you could miss would be if it were low
Especially with some hair hanging down creating an optical illusion
Could result in a belly graze and some blood loss