If a sabot is fired through a smooth bore, it will tumble and flip flop through the air even at very close distances. The popular Remington 870 and Mossberg 500 pump-actions are perfect for the job. Venturing into critter country? We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners. :). If youve ever wandered into bear country, theres a good chance youve been within sniffing distance of a bear without even realizing it. buckshot has an extremely limited range, and a poor track record when used against bears. Reason: If I am being charged by a grizzly, I will have less than 7 or 8 SECONDS to stop the charge, in most cases. Learn all the important stuff about handgunswith none of the attitude. A shot to the neck or shoulder may not kill a big bear. And it definitely improves my placement, And another fact, It reduces the amount of overall time you practice, Because when you double hold any gun as the most used methods, Your muscles need to be trained and strengthened to hold for practice, A weak muscle never hits the same place, the maximum range of a foster slug is 100 yards on deer, and closer to 50 for a mid-sized bear. Although most old-timers scoff at the idea of anything but a big hefty firearm for bear defense, there is an alternative to lethal force bear spray. Light Field used to make a 3 inch 12-gauge slug pushing a bullet over 700 grains to nearly 1600 fps. AVAILABILITY. Attach a reflex sight and youll have a nimble rifle chambered for a cartridge thatll hammer black bears of any size. Imagine hitting a grapefruit-size target rushing toward you at 30 miles per hour while bobbing up and down and side to side. Alaskan brown bears average around 900 lbs of bone shattering fury. Plus, it has an ultra-cool ShurShot pistol-grip. sabots are significantly more expensive than rifled slugs. This law also restricts communications that promote an organization such as ours. A A-Team Registered Joined Apr 9, 2011 My big three in order (without ever having to use any of them yetand hope I never do) are: In fact, Federal's nine-pellet Personal Defense 00 buckshot load delivers 1,575 foot-pounds of energy (fpe) at the muzzle, which is about three times the energy of a .357 Magnum round. It also flies flat and the sectional density of the best 6.5 bullets helps them penetrate deeply. I personally belive the question shouldn't be "is bear spray better" but rather "how big does a gun have to be before it's better than bear spray". That is an astonishing 98% success rate. You want to be ready just in case the bear becomes aggressive. Black bears are typically gotten after in one of three ways: behind hounds, over bait, or via spot and stalk. Keeping the distance short means getting close. Some 12 gauge shotgun ammo loads have relatively low recoil, making them easier to shoot and more comfortable for some shooters. If a 200lb cougar lands on your head and you dont die or pass out instantly, it will be on top of you trying to bite the back of your neck straight through or even the top of your skull. 45-70 should def be a rifle calibre to own if you know you're facing bears. Get Our Top Shooting Drills and Zeroing Targets ($47 value - but FREE for a limited time). From 12 ga rubber slugs to 12 ga signal flares, Margo Supplies has a large variety of 12 gauge options for bear and bird deterrence. Semi automatic handguns were considered too weak to be useful. We are compensated for referring traffic and business to Amazon and other companies linked to on this site. Despite the reclusive nature of most bruins, there has been an increase in human encounters with wild bears over the past decade. With semi-auto .308 and at least a 10 round magazine, I hope to be able to put several hits into the grizz before he gets me. Any gun with Alaskan in its name even if it is a revolver deserves some serious consideration for backcountry defensive shooting. Or you could go with the original for this type of situation a side by side stopping rifle in something like a 600 nitro express thats what they were made for or rather for stopping much larger things than a grizzly bear. Like you Gabby, I've guided for over a decade in Alaska (on Kodiak and in the Kenai) as well as Svalbard and Greenland. Want a weather resistant, small, rifle with stopping power. Dont worry; weve got you covered. As can be expected, No. For spot-and-stalk hunters, shots range from breath-smelling close to extremely far, so a caliber with plenty of reach (and a bullet with good performance near and far) is the ticket. Rifled Slug. The SuperSlug features a rifled barrel with a 1:35 twist, perfect for shooting sabot slugs. The Best 12 Gauge Ammo for Home Defense Chosen by Experts, Best Low Recoil12-GaugeAmmo for Home Defense, Hornady American Gunner Reduced Recoil Rifled Slug, Choosing the Best 12 Gauge Ammo for Home Defense, Saving Money on the Best Home Defense Shotgun Ammo, Buying Bulk 12-Gauge Self-Defense Shotgun Shells, Standard 12-Gauge Shotgun Self-Defense Projectiles, Winchester Super-X 3-1/2" 18 Pellets 00 Buckshot, Shop Hornady American Gunner 12 Gauge Ammo, Federal Tactical Truball Low Recoil 2-3/4" 1 oz is a cheaper option. guns & Winchester Super-X 12 Gauge #1 Buckshot. Bears are highly food driven. John, so sorry about your friend. It is also possible to find higher buckshot-pellet . Asking us to pick our favorite version of the iconic Remington 870 is like asking a mother to pick her favorite child. This cartridge is available in fast-handling lever guns, like the 16.5-inch-barreled Marlin 1895 Trapper. Top Load: Winchester Expedition Long Range Accubond. 9 Reviews. A foster-type slug looks like a small lead cup thats because it basically is. Winchester Super-X 12 Gauge 00 Buckshot. The amount of savings will depend on the brand and amount of ammo you purchase. My gun is up and ready when I know a bear is near! Most of them, like the Brenneke, have a plastic wadding that is firmly attached to the rear of the lead bullet and act to give a front-heavy profile. The CZ 550 is also an attractive rifle, and with this level of quality, youll be proud to pass it down to your grandkids. There is also the off chance that a gust of wind could turn you into the victim of your own spray. What do you carry for bear defense? She grew up flinging arrows and bullets at Virginia whitetails, turkey, and game birds, but her favorite hunting experience is chasing bull elk in the Colorado backcountry. Though there are no new rifles being manufactured for the .307 Winchester, it is a solid contender as one of the best black bear rounds for several reasons. Most of them are patterned after old-school African game loads, from a time before the heavyweight magnum rifles of the mid-20th century. This might work on small lower 48 bears but up here in Alaska you will have no chance. They allow for faster follow-up shots than a bolt action (check out some videos of trick cowboy shooters if you dont believe me). We dont claim to have all the answers, but we know it takes a special weapon to stop a charging bruin. However, there are several factors to remember when buying ammo that will help you make the best decision possible. The .338 Federal is the modern version of the .358but even better. Available in .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, and .480 Ruger, the Super Redhawk Alaskan packs a lot of power into a small package. anything extra and your The important thing here is to make sure you can use it proficiently. The aerodynamics of a rifled slug means that it has a shorter effective range. 12 gauge shotgun slugs are great bear loads. I live on the west side of the Cascade Mtns in NW Washington state, hardly back country. Go here for the Realtree APG version. Bear spray is significantly stronger than regular pepper spray. If you use a rifled barrel, you can shrink that down in half. But when it doesn't work, you'll want to be packing a firearm up to the task. Download our exclusive shooting targets for FREE ($47 value) Buckshot requires pretty good aim. Whether you're looking for buckshot, birdshot, slugs or specialty rounds, we've got you covered with the best 12-gauge ammunition for your favorite shotgun. Sounds like you have an interest in not mentioning them. You might be thinking, what do those little slimy creatures have to do with shotguns? And unlike the prom queen from your hometown high school, this rifle earned its popularity fair and square. However, penetration was 18 inches. 44 or bigger if you can shoot it. Smith and Wesson Model 327 8 shot 357 mag revolver with 2" barrel in a chest holster. And thanks for the article, I get that it's an overview and I enjoyed it. While a semi-automatic Glock 17 makes a great weapon for encounters with dangerous humans, it isnt nearly as effective for encounters with dangerous bears. A 12-gauge shotgun is an incredibly powerful weapon, but its effectiveness is greatly limited by the type of bullets it shoots. A lot of options missing here. Defense shotshells are often expensive due to the time and testing needed to perfect these loads before the manufacturers ship them to the public. European standard of course is 30-06 and a rifle like my savage axis is sufficient, super cheap, easy to bring in and plentifully available with ammo relatively easy to find, especially in nordic countries - cake on Svalbard, where its illegal to not have a large caliber fire arm! There was a black bear roaming around the loading docks of my local Home Depot last fall and another one that had taken up residence in the median of Interstate 5 less than a 30 min drive from Boeings largest assembly plant, you know the one that's the in the Guinness book of world records for being the largest building in the world by square footage. Once you understand the differences between the shotgun ammo types, choosing a self-defense shotshell becomes much more manageable. Man's hubris often interferes with his soundness of mind. Everything you need to know before hunting raccoons, Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. Hollow-base slugs, also called Foster-style, and solid slugs. I recommend RTS Tactical for reliable, rifle-stopping options, Youre worth it. The comment about African guides or PHs never thinking of using shotguns was so significantly appropriate. This is mainly because the undergrowth at lower elevations is so dense, the encounters I've had were too close! There are a number AR-15-compatible cartridges that you can hunt bears with, but this is my top choice. If your long gun you are carrying is small caliber, carry a pistol for backup. A little of the bears throat might also show but dont count on it, or shooting it stopping the bear. Honestly, I wouldn't feel comfortable with anything less than a .300 Win Mag for a grizzly. And if a particularly curious or aggressive bruin tries to climb into your treestand, youll be glad youve got a fully loaded slug-slinger in your hands. link to What is a Pistol Caliber Carbine. The action is more reliable than most semi-autos. Rio Ammunition 00 Buck is worth mentioning as a viable buckshot round contender. It's more a comparison of caliber effectiveness. For spot-and-stalk bear hunting in cluttered country, this one is tough to beat. towards your level. We're going to start things off with shells made specifically for home defense. Type your email address and well send They have tough hides, muscles, bones, and attitudes. Rifle or ghost ring-type sights were preferred. I was stalked by a fairly large bear and it was basically mirroring me as I walked and trying to size me up for dinner. For a fair number of people, that weapon is a firearm. That could be the Alpha, and the rest may just run away. If thats a 10mm Auto, so be it. 12 Gauge HV Star SKU: 6616 The 12 Gauge HV Star is a non-lethal, short-range wildlife deterrent ammunition. Even the most powerful handgun cartridges are dreadfully inadequate compared to the wimpiest high-powered rifle cartridge, no matter what type of ammunition you load into it. Shotguns were actually not recommended and the 44 magnum was the only handgun recommended and only as a backup gun. 12-Gauge slugs can be a perfect bear hunting option. Chambered for .45-70 Government, the Marlin Model 1895 has a tubular magazine and a 6-plus-one capacity. all loads must be 1200+ fps for my liking. At bear-baiting distances, the Wilson Combat 300 HAMR will do anything the .30/30 Winchester will, and from a lighter package that holds more ammunition. As much as I'd like to take the trip, I believe self-preservation subdues my desire for "adventure" & "fun" when talking about encounters with an apex predator. This slug breaks apart into three pieces once it hits cloth, which causes more wound channels and increased trauma. On the bear spray subject, the studies I've read don't record the firearm used, which would put someone with a snub nose .38 in the same category as someone with a .700 nitro express. Read Next: The 6 Best Big-Game Loads for the .308 Winchester. Any round that will Stop a bad guy will penetrate several walls. Great CommentsIn particular, those from guides & former guides or from people who lived & hunted in big bear areas. Down wind and with poor sight, she didnt know we were there. Here are 10 of the very best black bear cartridgesthree for each hunting method and one all-round top choice. Two legged predators have been a problem in the past. 4 buckshot has limited range; however, within it, it's highly effective. A guy I know who lives up in Alaska says when he's guiding people, his plan of action is Bear Spray, Shotgun Slugs, Glock 10mm with hard cast bullets. I live in a semi-congested suburban, residential neighborhood 15 miles southwest of Hartford, CT. We regularly get bears walking through our yards. Muzzle energies rarely top 200 foot pounds. As with any defensive shooting situation, proficiency with your weapon is essential. But if youre hunting over bait, where shot distances rarely exceed 50 yards, dont overlook the 12-gauge. You should be using slugs, and not just your average deer slug but hot ones, and you can forget about buckshot. Winchester Super X #1 Buckshot Review Product Name: Winchester Super X #1 Buckshot I know for fact it works on moose. This is a full-power slug rated at 1600 fps in a standard hunting shotgun. Sometimes folks kill one with a handgun while being attacked , but they are killed while doing it. Regarding Bear Spray. Double aught or 00 Buck is most people's preference; however, don't be afraid to go with smaller pellets because there will be more per shell. Asking a mother to pick our favorite version of the very best black bear cartridgesthree for each method... Wildlife deterrent Ammunition ammo types, choosing a self-defense shotshell becomes much more manageable,! Slugs, also called Foster-style, and the rest may just run away regularly. 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