mooseslayer3

iam just curous to what would be a better shell for self defence from bear charges at close range?

moosehunter21

Use one of each... suprise the animal.

James B

I don't know if they are perfected and ready for use yet but Dixie Slugs is working on a three ball slug that should work very well.. The Terminator from Dixie would be a great choice. Check out www.dixieslugs.com. The Tri-Ball has three .570 diameter balls and works from any choke. They recommend 60 yards as a max range for accuracy.

bob roberts

Are you talking black bears or grizzlies? I've killed a few black bears, but none were charging. I would think any good buckshot load would "turn" a black bear (unless he/she was intent on eating you). As for grizzlies, when I lived in AK, the F&G folks I hunted and fished with(who stayed in the bush for long periods) all carried bolt action 375 H&H mags which were provided for them.

Paul L Mohr

I've heard of people using both for bear. A slug followed by buck shot, then alternating. I thought you were talking about home defense when I opened this. I don't bear hunt nor live where they are so I could say for sure.

If it were me, I would prefere a 12 guage over anything else though. If it's close enough and mad though I don't think it will matter. You will probably end up dead or seriously wounded any way if that is what it wants.

Paul

vangunsmith

A load in 00,000,0000 buckshot is really deadly.Look at it like this,0000 buck has 25 pellets in a 3" mag and around 25 cal. All of which are going as fast as a 357 mag pistol. Now you figure it out. With a slug,you only shooting one shot. Try shooting a 55 gal drum with some buck shot and see what happens.If i had my choice i would choose not to be in that sitution. Ive killed some big wild hogs with buckshot in my shotgun,and they really drop! vangunsmith

razormatt

I have a hard time believing that many thin-skinned critters out there would survive a round or two of point blank 12 guage blast with 00 or 000 buckshot if hit in the head/neck area.

I agree, Vangunsmith. If you take a 12 ga with 3" 00 Buckshot magnums and start pumping them into a 55 gallon drum at 10 yards, it rips it into shreds.

hotgunner21

i agree, go slug, buck, slug buck, the order doesnt really matter though

max the dog

Slug in the left, buckshot in the right is how I usually hunt deer with a shotgun. It's a combo that works very very well. Now griz being a different sort of animal that likes chewing on you, I'd go with deep penetration slugs in an 870 pump. In fact get the magazine extension tube and keep shooting. When it comes to dangerous animals like grizzlys you just can't shoot them too dead.