Slugs or Shot For Bear Country Defense?

Question

If you're camping or just out in bear country and you have a 12 gauge as a camp gun for protection, what should you load it with? Buckshot or slugs? I know the slugs should be used to stop a charging bear but will buckshot be effective or will the bear just shrug it off and keep coming? I would of course have a high caliber rifle and high caliber handgun (.44mag) but what should be put in the 12 gauge?

Answer 1

Despite what some people are saying, buckshot will stop a bear. It definately would not be my first choice (more like if I was hunting with buckshot and had nothing else with me). It very well may take a few rounds, depending on the shot angle.

My first choice would be slugs. The problem you will have with slugs though is their general inaccuracy compounded by the adreniline rush you will have. A rifled barrel and a sabot slug helps, but is not necessary.

If you take a shot at a bear, you need to make sure to clear your mind, aim (aim well, but don't waste too much time), and squeeze the trigger smoothly, just like you were shooting at paper.

There is nothing wrong with a shotgun for bear defense, but I would opt for the rifle. Throw the handgun away. There is absolutely no reason you would need to take all three with you.

I have hiked more miles in the forests and mountains and fished many streams in bear country in Alaska. While I have felt nervous a few times, I have NEVER felt my life was in jeopardy. Bear charges are rare and mostly seem to happen to outdoor writers writing articles for a magazine.

I always carried a rifle ranging from a 243 Win to a 338 Mag (usually determined by what I happened to have out that day). If I knew I was going to be walking in country with a lot of bears, my weapon of choice was a 35 Whelen. Bears are not indestructible. While I would not try it personally, there are many documented instances where a bear was brought down by a 22 rimfire. The only time I carred a handgun is when my wife was with me, who is uncomfortable with rifles but is pretty good with a pistol.

They also make a product called "Bear Repellent" (similar products go by other names). It is essentially a big can of pepper spray. While I have issue trusting my life to an aerosol can, State of Alaska reports showed that it was used with great success. Something to consider as well.

Good Luck! Happy Camping!

Answer 2

Slug will be more effective. Most likely you will never have to take a shot, and god help you if you take it too early. The DNR will probably make you wish you had fought the bear instead. The buckshot, slug, buckshot, slug loading is a good idea as it is cheaper and more conscientious to fire buckshot into the air or ground to scare a bear.
But be sure your barrel can handle both types of rounds. If your barrel is over-bored slug shooting can be very dangerous, and conversely if you had a rifled barrel the buckshot will damage it, although one shot will not ruin it and a new barrel is a much more appealing option that say buying a new leg.

Answer 3

Just a quick story - I shot a small griz bear at 15 yards while he was standing. Hit him in the heart, shattered his shoulder blade and shoulder.. His arm was hanging on by the hide on his back and that was it. His heart and half his lungs were gone. My gun was a 375 H&H Magnum with a 320 gr bullet. With all this damage he went about 80 yards. I don't carry this gun for bear protection, just because it is too big. I have an 870 three and a half inch, but most of the time i am too lazy to carry that either. I have had many bear encounters and that was the only bad one. In Alaska you have a higher chance of geting bit by a dog than a bear. Anyway, leave it at home , youre just getting a sore back from carrying an extra six pounds. And you might get rust on it. Well, thats just my opinion. Might be diferent if I had little children.

Answer 4

Buck shot is only .33 caliber and only nine of them, all of which will hit in a different spot on the bear's thick hide. Each will have a velocity of somewhere between 1100 and 1200 feet per second. This is sufficient for thin skinned critters, like pumas, wolves, etc., but the thicker hide of a bear offers pretty good protection. The 12 ga. slug, is about 73 caliber and weighs about an ounce. At almost 1500 feet per second it is a formidable round. This is sufficient to stop the bear. Mind you, I'm talking about the smaller, north american bears. The Grizzly and Alaskan bears are a different story. I'd want a powerful rifle like the 45-70, .300 mag, 338 mag, etc. for those monsters.

Answer 5

Most encounters on charging bears are by surprise, a human accidentally surprising a bear where reflexes play a big part in this.
If I were in heavily infested bear country and I felt that I would want to be on top of the food chain I would have only slugs in my shot gun without the plug.
plus a very large hand gun and a very large bowie knife and maybe mans best friend because he might be a good alarm.

Answer 6

For bear forget the buckshot. It won't just shrug it off but it won't kill him fast enough (if at all). You'll have to hit a vital spot with at least one of the nine pieces of shot and they won't be moving fast enough to drop him dead in his tracks. Quality hunting slugs will.

A .44 Mag. is good backup and at least a .308 rifle. A .30-06 or even the new .338 Federal (or a .350 Remington Magnum 673 Guide Rifle) might even be better. But tell me, are you going camping or hunting? A lot of camping spots simply do not allow weapons of any kind. Also, are you concerned about Black bear or something bigger? Something along the order of a .300 Magnum or bigger might be better if the local bear population is bigger than your average Black bear.

H

Answer 7

I used to be a hunting guide in northwestern Montana and northern Idaho, while guiding in Grizzly country I carried a 12 gauge 3" mag. pump. I rotated my ammo 00 buck, slug, 00 bock, slug, 00 buck.
I always felt better with the 00 buck, I don't know if you have been very close to a bear, I have more than once, and I sure as hell didn't want to think about aiming, point and shoot, as your trying to stay behind a tree or something.
In my experience 00 buck is the best protection against a black bear, or a grizz.

Answer 8

Up close nothing hits like a 12ga. I bow hunted bears in Manitoba and the guide used a 12ga. pump as back up as we blood trailed the bears. The 2 bears we shot both died within 70 yards so there was no need for back-up but it was nice to know it was there if we needed it. He loaded the gun with a slug in the chamber and then 00 buck, slug, 00 buck and a slug. In the 15 years he's been guiding he's only had to shoot one bear while tracking it but he said it was at about 12 feet and the slug broke the shoulder and dropped it in it's tracks. With about 2,000 ft/lbs of muzzle energy, you can't beat the slug gun.

Answer 9

Try a 3" inch slug first. Because your first shot will be your best placed one. After the first shot you not likely have the time to aim as well if the bear is still coming.

That is why the 2nd and 3rd shells in my gun are 3" 00 buck shot. There are 15 pellots in 3" 00 buck. And years of hunting experience have proven to me that 3" inch 00 buck will stop 99% of anything straight in its tracks.

I fear no bear as long as I am carrying my Mossberg 835 shotgun. Its never failed me and I doubt it ever will.

Miketyson26

Answer 10

Bound's hubby here:

From what I have read about bear, usually they turn and run unless they feel threatened by your presence. My opinion, if you encounter a mad bear, use a shotgun with rifled slugs and put those rifled slugs where they will count most. I think the use of buckshot would do more to irritate the bear than to deter the bear.

Good luck and don't dream about that bear skin rug in front of your fireplace!