Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Slugs on Bears

I see.

I certainly know folks who think OO and OOO buck shot it the way to fly. Some advocate alternating slugs with buckshot. I also know a buddy who totes around a 10#, or so, Garand stoked with 220 gr RNs for the shear firepower.

A pizzed off bruno is most likely going to need several hits to deter him. And there is a difference in opinion regarding firearm/ammo selection depending on whether the gun bearer in on the offense or defense.

I'm guessing that the OP was asking for that one time he encounters a bear up close and personal. Methinks a 12 ga loaded with those Black Magic Brenneke's at 10 yards will do the damage needed to stop said bear from continuing on with his charge. That was the only reason I ever carried one and never had any intentions of shooting one much further than that. It was for protection and nothing else.

I watched Sarah Palin's Alaska --- she went to a gun range with a target of a bear mounted on a wagon type thing. And without warning the target started moving at Sarah and the Instructor told her to shoot as fast as she could before the target got to her.

It was this scenario that I saw the benefit of the shotgun loaded with OO or OOO or alternating with slugs. If the person can keep his cool with a charging bear, all the better for that person. Me, on the other hand would probably need the shotgun, hoping like hell one of the shots would hit the bear in the head to stop the charge....

Damn right Lippy,

To shoot a chargin animal one would need to keep the frame of mind and take a knee and shoot straight on w/ the animal, not stand above firing down at the animal and worry about leade, although my mind would be sayin, run like hell.

Gunner

The bear is twice as fast (or better) as that human pulling that cart with the target. What do you really want as you first shot? It will be your only one most likely. In a life and death situation all your theories go out the window and reality hits home. I carried a handgun for protection against humans for years and the day I was confronted with a situation I ran because it's hard to lie to yourself when your life depends on it. Reality was I couldn't hit chit with a handgun and had great doubt of the outcome. In a situation with no way out you don't need the stress of doubt. I won't tell anybody what works or doesn't but will tell them to test their theories before you are in a life or death situation. The results will calm you or scare the B-jesus out of you, but you will find out when it dosen't count!

Thats the point I was trying to make...practice at a moving target until you are comfortable with your weapon. As you said, a person can not out run any bear. If the situation occurrs, hopefully you would have time to get a shot or two off...thats where the 00/000 and slug might improve the odds at hitting something vital enough to stop the charge...the situation would be intense.

But if I was bear hunting, I would use a rifle that I comfortable with and I would have practiced bunch before the season started.

Probably the first time I have agreed with you Brian!

Forget the moving the target, put a bear silouette up at 10 paces and shoot a load of 00 at it. If your pattern opens up, then you're hoping one of those pellets lands in a fatal spot, remember you only have 15 of them. Also if you look at the terminal power of a single 00 pellet, it's not a hole lot more than a 32 pistol, which I would never in a million years consider suitable against a bear.

So, if you can't trust your life to one 00 pellet, and I sure wouldn't, that means you need a pattern tight enough for the pellets to land in a single mass, which means aiming is just as critical as for a single projectile.

So you're back to slugs, which means you're trying to make a bird gun into a powerful handgun, more or less.

I think alot of rifle hunters underestimate the Brenneke shotgun slugs by quite a bit. I've shot them lengthwise through big whitetails several times with the slug entering the brisket and exiting the a$$. The same shot with my .30-06 and 180 gr core-lokts resulted in the bullet stopping somewhere in the guts.

I think whitetail hunters underestimate the difference between the physiology a deer and a large bear.

If we look at real experience there are a few folks who claim the shotgun slugs worked for them and a majority who say they were either marginal or failures. The results of heavy rifles is virtually 100% positive. When your life is on the line - which one would you choose?

No but I can sure tell when a slug outpenetrates a 180 core-lokt from a .30-06.

*sigh* right, right.
New handle, same troll.

Well not too friendly here are we ? That's OK, I read enough here before I registered to know there are plenty of A$$holes around. Bot no, you are wrong. I've never posted on this site before today.

A fair amount of experience with slugs on whitetails, none whatsoever with them (or anything for that matter)on bears, I offer my thoughts based on that. As John said, the Barnes/Federal is designed for expansion, not penetration. Works like a charm on whitetails, but I would not want to choose it for large, tough, mean critters. As has been pointed out (even from experience, I believe) the Brenneke would hold its shape and penetrate better than most others. When the first BRI sabots came out, I believe that they were declared too hard for deer, passing through without expanding. That might make them (if they can be found) one of the better choices. (When Winchester took over the design, I believe that they softened them for better expansion.) Like I said, just offering up some thoughts for consideration, not claiming any expertise.

Well, I've taken a deer or two with about every slug on the market, including the Brenneke. And I've put most of them through water jugs. I'm not calling you a liar, I'm just saying you're pretty much FOS.:) And a troll-I've read all of your posts.

"Thats the point I was trying to make...practice at a moving target until you are comfortable with your weapon. As you said, a person can not out run any bear. If the situation occurrs, hopefully you would have time to get a shot or two off...thats where the 00/000 and slug might improve the odds at hitting something vital enough to stop the charge...the situation would be intense."



After some testing, I wouldn't trust buckshot to penetrate a bears skull for a quick kill, nor a shotgun with a foster slug due to accuracy. Training with my large bore rifles (375 H&H, 416 Ruger) has proven to me how with practice, kill shots are very accurate and practical at short ranges with rifles. I punched two holes in a 3/8 inch steel plate at a 45 degree angle from 30 yrds with a 416, 400 grain at 2150fps out the barrel. The shotgun slugs (Foster) and buckshot bounced. The 1x3 Weaver scopes are accurate at quick shots as you can leave both eyes open on 1X. The accuracy of my shotgun improved greatly also with the addition of a scope but the penetration issue still bothers me though I have no experience with Dixie slugs and others. For me there is no question with my rifles penetration still just my shooting.

Uhh, yeah, well I've got 35 years experience killin' deer with slugs myself and have taken well over 100 with them. Try the 1 3/8 oz. Brenneke Golds on a few and get back to me OK jerkwater ?

I have to agree that many folks probably overestimate the Brenneke shotgun slugs by quite a bit; I'm sure that must have been what you meant. And yes, I too have run good 223 bullets lengthwise through caribou a time or two.

Same page; completely different book.

No, that wasn't what I meant at all. I've killed my fair share of deer with a .223 myself {as well as .22 LR, .22 MAG,5mm Rem. mag., .22 Hornet,.222,.22-250,.243, 7mm R Mag, .30-06, .308, .30-30, .357 mag,.35 Rem. .44 mag. .50 cal. muzzleloader. and broadheads} and NOTHING you can shoot out of a .223 is remotely comparable to a 1 3/8 oz. Brenneke slug. Listen, don't try to bullschitt me and I'll give the same in return. I never said slugs were better for bear defense than a heavy rifle, Just that I believe their capabilities are underestimated by those unfamiliar.