Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Minimum 'caliber' for Kodiak Brown Bear?

Really? How much effect do you think the location of the problem bear has on firearm selection? Though the guy that caught the PoPo-sent ricochet slug in the chest after it went through a black bear down in Seward a year or three ago might not agree.

All those guides are really advocating using a slug/buckshot alternating magazine load for bear hunting? You sure about that?

Many of the ADF&G bios are pretty solid... some, not so much... But the techs with how much firearms training? And from whom?

Have you ever shot a big animal with a dose of 00 buckshot?

Been there, done that. When right ON TOP of a bear and in unyielding alder. the 870 has definitely proven itself in this state's (Alaska's) history. I know when I was working streams on the Kenai and Kodiak and the Peninsula, it was THE GUN of choice. As a guide who's also worked with all who've been mentioned, it's been their choice when in close quarters and when brush was unyielding, such as alders where big browns often hide and where confrontations are measured in feet, rather than yards.

Don't get me wrong, I've followed up wounded brown bears with a Whitworth 30-06 and a Whitworth .375 Holland & Holland and even a 7mm Remington Magnum. But when in close range -- such as Kiliuda Bay, Spiridon, Afognqk Island, Raspberry, Martin River, Cape Yakutaga, Montague, among many other locations -- I definitely love the feel of a 20 inch 870 Remington with buckshot, then followed by alternating slugs. But, that's me, based on my experience, which is somewhat extensive.

Over the years I've had the scary instance of "center punching" more than two 4-inch alders at very close range with bullets and believe me, it DOES have an effect on bullet performance.

I yield to your experience, having been there, done that. I have not hunted big bears, would love to someday.

Things I've read would indicate buckshot and even shotgun slugs may not penetrate a big bruin consistently.

Would appreciate your comments on that.

DF

Obviously everyone who comes on a guided bear hunt falls somewhere on the spectrum of guided bear hunters. By my examples perhaps you can gather that the "stuff" people bring often isn't much of a way to judge what their abilities are - nor does it prove much about who they are. Many are very competent and know their stuff while others will point a case head at you if you ask what bullet they're using. That's what makes the spectrum vast. Nothing in my posts was directed at you or anyone else here. Sorry if you took it that way.




,

That's exactly what *I* gathered.

Hello

I swear to shut up my mouth.... but outch again..... if a baby read this forum and come in alaska with a shotgun loaded with slugs and even worst buckshot.... guys ! we have a dead baby...

me few weeks ago.... http://ursus-arctos-expedition.tumblr.com/
you can see 2 pictures on my webpage..... Remington 870 20" IC slug barrel with rifle sights.... ammo hm not slugs..... but Brenneke(s) "barrier penetration" and "black magic"... 600 grains 1600 fps special alloy.... or 600 1500 fps hard alloy.....you can't find a deeper penetrator round...
it harm your wallet when you buy them... but it's a special ammo not a day range ammo so....

2nd) have you ever used american clasic slug versus heavy game ????
I don't think so... it's really efficient vs deer or small pigs... but in anycase vs a strong tough game.... slugs are too soft.... and a bad choice.... I won't say you won't kill a big brown bear or grizzly but I wouldn't try.... with Brenneke no problem... I will go without any stress.... by the way I tested them during years vs big game.

Buckshot !!!!! just crazy.... except at 5 feet.... I remember my dad shooting a strong 450 lbs boar just skin, bone, mud and muscle. 2 shots at 15-20 yds he didn't broke any bones or reach any vitals ! we found pellets in the fat and muscles.... last shot at 10 yds in the skull....just one eye punctured ! the boar escaped like a drunky new born..... he was next wounded by one winchester slug at 40 yds (too soft /rip on a bone) and finish with one 9.3X62....

So yes of course a 12 gauge is a great tool (short, well balanced, pointing fast, very very accurate) but only with one brand of ammo !!!!

buckshots, yes "nose to muzzle" when they just come from the barrel... and bear teeth biting you....

last but not the least, If an "expert" here tell that brennekes don't work.... we can make a test.... take a body armor...

Not saying the old 'standard' Brenneke's won't kill bears - they can- but even they aren't magic where penetration is needed.



This one was plucked from the offside shoulder of a small bear take 5 years ago in a DLP incident. No bones other than ribs were broken and shoulder/chest tissues alone were involved.



My then-9-year-old with the eager victim's salvaged parts.

Projectiles matter; buckshot barely qualifies in my opinion. (Give me some rubber buckshot if I'm going to be shooting buckshot at bears; avoid the DLP stuff at all if possible. )

The only shotgun load that I would consider would be the Dixie Slug heat treated hard cast those have to be seen to be believed. Shot gun slugs and especially buckshot are not top choices for big bears.

But wait! Maverick says the "Protection Officers" (in residential neighborhoods) PREFER buckshot! And famous guides love it! And those highly trained summer-intern weir watchers swear by it!

Give me a 30-30 over a 22 LR any day.

I just wonder what the response would be if a guide shot a trophy bear at staple gun range in the face with a load of buckshot...

Taxi gonna be pissed!

Yea, I read that. I know when I lived in Alaska they advised against its use, because of a lack of penetration. That is also in line with my experience as well, since most slugs and buckshot loads are produced for deer hunters.

I know African PH's who gave up on buckshot for following up leopards because it didn't work all that well--unless, of course, the leopard was right off the muzzle, where a single bullet would work just as well anyway. Don't believe it would work any better on a bear several times as large.

That is in fact sad, and very dangerous, starting to understand maximum tippage to the Guides, THEY EARN IT!!!!!

Not much in the way of hunters/shooters, eh?

Anecdotally, the bear I shot with slugs was a wounded Kodiak bear at very close range and plain old Foster slugs worked far better than they should have... the bear died anyway and did not make it more than about 20'.

I have shot hogs with buckshot where maximum effect was desired and the wounding was really obvious... killing, not so much.

Actually, the gamut - which I, perhaps,didn't convey very well, some very excellent, but you wouldn't know it to look at them. Certainly, the cross-section of clients I have met and talked to are much less "looney" on average than what seems to be typical among many posters here. Seems like a lot of the folks with the best skills and preparation don't feel a great desire to talk about it. Some of the worst seem to think they've paid so much that they're smarter than their guide - perhaps true in certain cases. But there have been more than a few expensive bears killed that weren't the big trophies the ol' smarty hunter 'knew' they were - and generally really close to what the "dumb ol' guide" judged them to be.

Klik, not your delivery, it's my comprehension, been laid up a couple weeks nursing a blown out ankle, it's the dope man. lol