HHI Ideas, News, & Feedback

I wanted to get this posted as soon as we had the details worked out.

The HHI members that will be attending the 2025 HHI Bear Hunt in Maine, will now have the opportunity to compete in a bear hunt oriented shooting match.

The match is fairly simple, Each shooter will be assigned a bear target, that will be moved between 25, 50, and 75 yards. You will take one shot at each distance. The smallest three shot group in the kill zone wins.

The bear targets will look like a broadside bear to the shooter. The opposite side of the target displays the bear with its vital organs, so kill shots are easily defined.

To simplify, the kill zone will include the lungs and heart only.

Simple enough. If, by chance, there is a tie for first place, a life size solid resin bear heart will be placed at 100 yards. A coin toss will determine who will shoot first. One shot per shooter until the heart has been hit.

The primary goal is to have a little fun on the weekday mornings before the afternoon bear hunts, and have the hunters prepared for an ethical shot on a bear.

The morning agendas are as follows;

Monday- relax and settle in after the long trips.

Tuesday and Wednesday - practice on steel targets at the varying ranges.

Thursday- HHI Shooting Competition.

Friday- relax

We kept the round count low, so folks flying in don’t have to travel with excess ammo.

The stipulations are simple as well. The competition will be shot from field shooting positions. Tripods, bipods, monopods, small shooting bags, portable chairs, sitting, kneeling, standing, and prone position are acceptable.

Basically, what you would bring with you on a hunt, and how you would set up for the shot.

The gun and ammo you will be competing with, will be the one you that you are going to shoot your bear with.

Again, keeping it simple, with the goal to use what you hunt with.

So what are the prizes?

You’ll get to brag as the HHI Shooting Champ until the next event when you could be dethroned.

We are also gathering donations from Handgun Hunting supporters.

1st Place- a new Ruger Super Redhawk 44 Magnum (donated by Ruger)

2nd Place- Bond Arms Cyclops 44 Magnum (donated by Bond Arms)

3rd Place- Custom Knife by Ralston Knives (donated by Kim Ralston)

4th Place- Vortex Crossfire Red Dot Sight (donated by Vortex)

5th Place through the remaining competitors- will go to the prize table in the order that they ranked and select one prize from the HHI, Freedom Arms, and Vortex swag.

HHI Swag (donated by Ryan Hoover)

Freedom Arms has sent enough swag for everyone to get something.

Vortex has also donated swag.

I hope this will be a fun side event to the already amazing bear hunt that Kim Ralston has organized.

The hope is to have members share the good outfitters, so we can set up more member only hunts and shooting competitions, to help grow the sport.

If you’ve had a good experience with an outfitter and they would be interested in accommodating a group of handgun hunters, let Ryan know, and maybe we can make it another event.

Good luck to all of the members attending the bear hunt.

Pictures of the targets. They are 27” X 39”.

Picture of the first place prize.