Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Slugs on Bears

I was trying to give you the benefit of having already read the previous responses in this thread. I guess I erred.

Go back to the top. See my first post; it's about #3 in the line: #4689723. Get back to me if you have any questions. (The bear was not a large bear in case you miss that somehow, yes, basically broadside too.) And you missed the point I was making about the 223.

Slugs can be useful; rifles are better. "."

[quote=Klikitarik]I was trying to give you the benefit of having already read the previous responses in this thread. I guess I erred.Go back to the top. See my first post; it's about #3 in the line: #4689723. Get back to me if you have any questions. (The bear was not a large bear in case you miss that somehow, yes, basically broadside too.) And you missed the point I was making about the 223.[quote]
Well then I guess you'd better explain it to my dumbass a little better. I've never shot a grizzly as we're fresh out in my area of the lower 48. I have killed a 416 lb. blackie with a 12 gauge slug. Dropped him dead as hell with one shot through the neck at 40 yards. In my experience you can kill damn near anything with anything if you hit em right. dropped a big whitetail buck with one shot from a S&W .22 LR kit gun betwixt the eye and ear one time while checking traps. Hit somethin' right they tend to die easy. Hit 'em wrong, not so easy.

BossLady/Karen/Framus/ OldJerk, izzat you??

Sorry douchebag, you got the wrong guy.

If they had chose the DIXIE Terminator 730 grain and .730 diameter heat treated hard cast slug they all would have enjoyed 100 success

At the Linebaugh seminar the Terminator penetrated 1" less than did the 400 Partition from my 416 Rigby and the wound channel was about 3 to 4 times larger

Yeah, the Dixie Terminators are mean.

It certainly does look impressive.

That one and the 870gr will get it done in a hurry.

carried a shotgun for many years, as it's the tool I was once upon a time most comfortable, due to the amount of use and proficiency with said item.


kinda like carrying concealed, a guy chooses his compromise based upon his own needs and comfort levels.

carried and used a .44 mag in Ruger Redhawk a good bit too for awhile, momma still has a 4" 629 as her berry pickin companion.


not saying it's right for others, but I find even a combat shotgun too bulky for my tastes.

I've settled on hard cast lead bullets at around 1900 fps outa a GG in .45/70 as my chore, walk around, boat, snowmachine gun , it's where my comfort level is at currently.

it's handy, quick to action, sights fast with the ghost ring set up and anyone in my group including my crippled azz southpaw self can grab it and use it in a heartbeat.


I'd rather pack my NULA in 7mm-08 than a shotgun if I'm hiking or doing stuff. but that's just what I feel is right for me and my own comfort levels.

I've spent and spend a fair amount of time in "bear country", if I absolutely knew I was gonna get charged by a bear, I'd opt for a .500 H&H

same way if I knew I was gonna be accosted by guys with bad intent, I'd want the shotgun, but mostly gonna have to get by with a .40 or .45 till I can get to heavier artillery


when the chit really hits the fan, you want to be armed with the most capable tool possible, but most will never be in a SHTF situation either with bears or humans

so you make compromises, sure it pays to take advice from guys with real world experience (.458Win comes to mind) but in the end you gotta find what works for you, be it sleep systems, hiking boots or firearms.

458 Lott---"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".

I, myself, never thought of 00 pellet as a 32 pistol round, which it is size. That for me puts this in a different perspective. If a shotgun was to be used for camp duty --- speciality shells such as those from Dixie Slugs would be the way to go. But now I'm thinking a compact lever action or pump action rifle would be the tool needed in this situation.

Not saying they can't work, nor that Brennekes aren't better than many other slugs. Simply, Brennekes, as good as they would appear to be and as hard as they feel like they must hit based on the recoil, if they can be stopped by a small bear without breaking significant quantities of bone, then I'd rather be running a rifle. In the example I cited, the bear's reaction to a through shoulders shot was to raise the poop gate and make rapid tracks. Had that been a big bear and had he decided to use his last minute of life differently, he certainly could have made things a lot more interesting for us.

Knockdown power, where bears are concerned, is largely a misnomer but for very precise shot placement and/or very powerful rifles. Consequently, I prefer to err on the side of penetration. (And yes, I prefer a M94 30-30 with 170 Core-lokts to 12 gauge buckshot. It's a penetration thing.)

Now if someone whould make an 8 bore double that could handle the hard 3 oz industrial slugs used to clean out cement trucks they should have a real bear thumper.

You mean slag busters?

Just for info (and giggles), the 8-Gauge slag blasting, 3-Ounce cylindrical slug round is at far right, next to a 10-Gauge 2 7/8" shell. It makes my shoulder ache just to look at it.

Holy Cow! Man that is some shotgun shell to say the least. I also would not want to pull the trigger on that shell, it just might break a shooters shoulder.

Good explanation of your position there bud and I appreciate it. Nothing in there I'd feel compelled to disagree with at all either.I'd probably choose a rifle myself if I thought I might need to deal with a bad tempered grizz.

I played with enough of the foster style slugs and even the Brenneke in LE to not trust them as a heavy penetrator, much rather have a simple .308 with proper ammo.

Is the Dixie available as loaded ammo? Also has anyone played with the dupleks? Lathe turned steel slugs are now on the California legal list (yes my bigs are in fricken condor zones) but I still have not seen any objective results.

http://www.ddupleks.lv/EN/ddupleks_products/show/Monolit32

A Marlin 1895G or 1895 pushing a hard cast 405 or similar is the "slug" I would choose. I've shot lots of blackies of varying size with SSG specials and 00 Bucks, and while they work, shot placement has to be centred in the forehead at scary close range. Shotgun slugs would be better, but for penetration and bone crushing give me a rifle every time. A 760 Remmy carbine in '06/220 or a Whelen 35 with 250's should be better than shotgun slugs, IMHO.

Yes. The Terminater Slug at 730 grains is not their only offering in 12 guage as they also offer a 870 grain slug

Also a buckshot load consisting of 3- .600 diameter balls wieghing 314 grains each

Bet you those heavy slugs would push hard on both ends.