{"id":699,"date":"2023-01-09T22:40:29","date_gmt":"2023-01-09T22:40:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=699"},"modified":"2023-01-09T22:40:29","modified_gmt":"2023-01-09T22:40:29","slug":"black-bear-hunting-with-the-springfield-model-2020-waypoint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/?p=699","title":{"rendered":"Black Bear Hunting with the Springfield Model 2020 Waypoint"},"content":{"rendered":"


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By Adam Scepaniak<\/a><\/p>\n

H<\/span>unting is often a passed-down tradition we learn from our parents in our youth; a rite of passage, or sorts. The process involves learning the skills of field-dressing, safe firearm handling, tracking game, and pulling it all together to make yourself a capable hunter. If this seasonal practice was not a part of your upbringing, then maybe you fell into it via a group of friends in adulthood. You maybe started small with bird hunting, and gradually challenged yourself with more difficult and larger game animals like whitetail deer or even predators like coyotes.<\/p>\n

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Black bear hunting requires a special set of skills, preparation and tools. The Waypoint 2020 is an excellent choice for your\u00a0rifle.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

What about more dangerous game? These animals are the apex predator in the woods, whether you have a firearm or not. A North American mammal that deserves our respect is the bear, especially if one feels threatened or you find yourself alone in\u00a0their\u00a0<\/em>domain and facing one: no cell phone reception, no friends, no back-up.<\/p>\n

The Tools<\/h2>\n

To be successful at hunting bears, you not only need to be a seasoned hunter and know what you\u2019re doing, but also need quality tools at your disposal. This entails good field-dressing knives, proper optics, good ammunition, effective tactics, skilled pre-scouting your hunting area, and a proper firearm or method for harvest.<\/p>\n

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The author outfitted the Springfield Armory Waypoint with a sling, scope, suppressor and bipod. All of these accessories have specific uses in a bear\u00a0hunt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

That is where the Springfield Armory Waypoint rifle<\/a> comes in. Being a seasoned Minnesota black bear hunter, I have always been aware of the risk-to-reward ratio for hunting these large mammals. In previous years, I deployed different firearms, from an M1 Garand in .30-06<\/a> as well as basic bolt-action rifles.<\/p>\n

\"preparing\n<\/picture>
Fully outfitted, the Waypoint 2020 is an exceptional balance of features and weight. It gives you many options without weighing you down in the\u00a0woods.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

All of them were serviceable for the task of black bear hunting, but I always desired something more. Some were too heavy, others were not modern enough for the accessories I wanted to use, and one rifle I attempted to use had such poor accuracy that it never left my house. So, when I saw the Springfield Armory Waypoint, I realized it appeared to be a well-crafted rifle that could address a lot of my desires for \u201csomething more.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laying the Foundation<\/h2>\n

Aside from selecting good tools for the task at hand \u2014 like selecting the Springfield Armory Waypoint as my hunting rifle \u2014 there is a lot of pre-season preparation involved in successful black bear hunting. This runs the gamut of taking an inventory of available tree stands<\/a>, ensuring trail cameras are functioning, making sure you have enough batteries plus memory cards available for them, and more.<\/p>\n

\"black\n<\/picture>
Scouting is a key skill that can lead to successful bear hunts. A trail cam like the Stealth Cam can help you spot what critters might be in your\u00a0area.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A lot of this preparation is simple and not that burdensome, but you must be intentional when completing your checklist. Do you have tree stands available? Are they safe? Do you have tree climbers? When it comes to your trail cameras, are they working properly? Do you have new batteries? Memory cards that are cleared? If you are intentional with the little things your hunt will go a lot better and likely have a much higher success rate.<\/p>\n

To prep for my Minnesota black bear hunt, I did everything previously mentioned. I hung a sound tree stand roughly six feet high in a pine tree. It was firm, rigid and safe. I tuned up my trail cameras in tip-top shape so I could have a good grasp of what bears may (or may not) be visiting the area.<\/p>\n

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When the opening day came, I journeyed to me secret spot in the Northern forests of Minnesota. When I checked the photos on my trail camera, there were several healthy adult bears coming in during daylight hours; a great sign. So, I parked my Tacoma several hundred yards away, grabbed my Waypoint, my hunting pack, and scurried into my tree stand.<\/p>\n

In My Sights<\/h2>\n

Within 20 minutes of my \u201cblack bear season starting,\u201d I could see a large bruin lumbering through the undergrowth 100 yards away headed towards me. It was at this point the Springfield Armory Waypoint slowly began to\u00a0earn its keep<\/em>\u00a0on this hunt.<\/p>\n

\"suppressor\n<\/picture>
The Nomad-30 sound suppressor from Dead Air Silencers proved to be the perfect match to the Waypoint chambered for the 6.5\u00a0Creedmoor\u00a0cartridge.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

I cautiously flicked off the safety on my rifle; no audible sound whatsoever. Then, I raised my rifle and watched this rotund black bear sojourn closer, meandering in and out of brush. I never lowered the Waypoint and maintained my gaze through the scope continually observing his movements. I held the rifle off-hand for three-plus minutes, awaiting my opportunity and thankfully not tiring; something that would have occurred with a heavier rifle.<\/p>\n

Once the bear cleared the brush, it briskly began to walk through the area with no sign of stopping. I had already proven the accuracy of my Waypoint to be less than 0.70\u201d at 100 yards, and I would need that surgical precision now. Before the bear disappeared into the lush foliage as quickly as he had appeared, I viewed the bear through my Leupold VX-5HD 3-15x44mm scope and executed a fast, but confident shot for his vitals \u2014 specifically, the heart.<\/p>\n

\"leupold\n<\/picture>
Leupold\u2019s VX-5HD scope<\/a> with a 3-15x magnification range worked well during this hunt. It helped the author deliver a solid shot to the bear\u2019s vitals for a humane\u00a0kill.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

With a gentle trigger pull on the Waypoint\u2019s TriggerTech trigger, a soft clap happened as my suppressed 6.5 Creedmoor<\/a> made the burly black bear crumple to the ground. Being able to silence my shot with my Dead Air Silencers Nomad-30 suppressor allowed for better awareness after the shot and reduced recoil. This Minnesota black bear was swiftly and humanely harvested. He did not run and did not suffer.<\/p>\n

Then, came the rewarding work of taking photos to share with family and phone calls to loved ones to share the good news. This hunt seemed like a lot of good luck, but that is merely when opportunity meets preparation. Or, more simply, when the correct tools are chosen for the job.<\/p>\n

\"waypoint\n<\/picture>
Rugged and reliable, the Waypoint 2020 is the perfect rifle for hunting any game in North America \u2014 especially black\u00a0bear.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The Waypoint\u2019s tactile manual safety could be turned on and off without pinging my location to the game I was hunting. Its carbon fiber sleeved barrel coupled with a feathery-light stock allowed me to maintain an off-hand, ready position for what seemed like an eternity.<\/p>\n

Its accuracy was everything I needed to be a good steward and humanely down an apex predator in one swift shot: for his sake and mine. Also, the modern design of a threaded barrel allowed me to suppress the rifle for reduced recoil, better awareness post-shot, and simply greater enjoyment while hunting. Other small, but not forgotten features like QD cups for a sling, removeable magazines, a full Picatinny rail for optics, and an attractive yet practical camouflage pattern was all valuable, too.<\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/h2>\n

The Springfield Armory Waypoint is a flat-out sexy rifle around the water cooler (or firing line), but the only thing that exceeds it sultry aesthetic is its practicality. For the modern hunter, it is the 21st<\/sup>\u00a0century version of what a hunting rifle\u00a0should be<\/em>. No gimmicks, no unnecessary fluff. Simply, it\u2019s a surgically accurate rifle that you can modify to your task at hand. It is the right tool for the job.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s Note: Please be sure to check out The Armory Life Forum, where you can comment about our daily articles, as well as just talk guns and gear. Click the \u201cGo To Forum Thread\u201d link below to jump in and discuss this article and much more!<\/em><\/p>\n

Join the Discussion<\/span><\/h5>\n

Go to forum thread<\/a><\/p>\n

Featured in this article<\/span><\/h5>\n

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Model 2020 Waypoint Series<\/span><\/h3>\n


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\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span> \n\t\t\t\t\t\"Dead\n<\/picture>\n <\/p>\n

Dead Air Silencers Nomad-30<\/span><\/h3>\n


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\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span> \n\t\t\t\t\t\"Leupold\n<\/picture>\n <\/p>\n

Leupold VX-5HD 3-15X44 CDS-ZL2 Side Focus Duplex<\/span><\/h3>\n


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Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Adam Scepaniak Hunting is often a passed-down tradition we learn from our parents in our youth; a rite of passage, or sorts. The process involves learning the skills of field-dressing, safe firearm handling, tracking game, and pulling it all together to make yourself a capable hunter. If this seasonal practice was not a part […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":700,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-699","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=699"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/699\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/700"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=699"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=699"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gunowner-news.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=699"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}