12GA Rounds for Grizz?

[nomspc]

Brenneke Classic…you need to be able to penetrate the skull.

 

[brcfo_outdoors]

Brenneke slugs have been unobtanium for some time it seems. Other brand that was advised to me was Ddpleks which are equally elusive. Are there any quality slugs made by American manufacturers that are actually available and aren't cheaply designed Foster slugs that are just going to flatten out?

 

[HunterMann]

The idea behind the alternating rounds of slug and buck was that the buckshot to the face of a bear would have decent odds of taking out eyes and scent.

As far as effectiveness at 25, that's why Hans Vang worked my 590A1 over - 25 yard patterns about the size of a pie plate. Nowadays you don't have to send a gun to Hans, you can just buy Federal Flite Control loads which are truly amazing. I have done the testing and you either need a vang comp or Fed Flight Control because buck in a cyl or IC tube will blow out the pattern at about 10-12 yards in most guns.

Again I have never shot a bear in the face with anything.

You are correct that the choke you need for slugs is the wrong one for buck shot. I would put a buckshot round in the magazine first as as a last round for up close and personal action. Top off the mag with quality slugs that you have tested and are known to shoot well in your shotgun. Depending on your mag tube capacity I would prefer four 2.75" rounds vs. three 3" rounds.
Be sure to get plenty of practice with those loads and the gun.
By the way I have shot a few wild pigs in the face with buckshot and they all dropped DRT.
But they are not built like bears and they generally do not have a bear's attitude to do you wrong...

 

[Thebear_78]

Sounds like some you guys need this.

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[meatyrem]

Find a skull and lets wager a little Copper plated lead from Federal

You'll have to standby while I get one.

 

[Thebear_78]

I have a few skulls kicking around but a cleaned skull doesn't replicate a living bears head, and cinder blocks are a poor comparison to bear. Ever seen the amount of jaw muscle on top of a bears head!

 

[VLD Pilot]

I have a few skulls kicking around but a cleaned skull doesn't replicate a living bears head, and cinder blocks are a poor comparison to bear. Ever seen the amount of jaw muscle on top of a bears head!

Ya you'd have to use river rock for the bear skull comparison. Lead pellets ricochet off river rock. All I know is if a brown bear is charging you, better have on some real good soled boots with exceptional traction. You'll be leaking pretty bad from the backside and will need good traction when running on all that leakage.

 

[Don Titus]

I'm going to bet that few of these guys have seen a brown bear in person, fewer still seem one shot with a shotgun. I have and it was underwhelming at best. Foster style slugs are soft and flatten out, buckshot didnt even make it into the body cavity. The shotgun turned the bear but a rifle killed it.

F&G and the troopers use the Brenda's black magic 3", they kill several bears a year with them but the ones I have known preferred a 45/70 loaded stout.

It's all about placement, if you can place your shot and are within the shotguns limitations (feet, not yards) it is much better than a sharp stick.

I live and hunt in bear country, I wouldn't want to carry a shotgun, and none of the outdoorsman I know or hunt with do either.

I fished for salmon in the King Salmon area of AK in 2018; we did a fly out trip for 24" Dolly Varden trout on a temple creek deep on brown bear country. We saw 13 brownies that day including several that were "fishing with us". They were after the spawning salmon and we were fly fishing with fake salmon eggs. At times the beats were 50' from us and they didn't bother us at all. We were told not to make any big disturbance in the water or move quickly toward them.
We had two guides, each carried bear spray AND one carried a .450 revolver on his chest, the other a .500. The part that scared me a bit was hiking a mile in and out from the fly in lake to the stream…we were wearing waders and the brush was shoulder high, so it sure felt like we were ripe for an ambush.

 

[Thebear_78]

Bears around fish are extremely chill, couldn't simply care less about you.

 

[Nunu]

Hey guys, we have a long hunt in the heart of grizzly territory this year in Wyoming (archery)

We will have the call guy carry the short shotgun for defense in the timber.

Curious what rounds everyone uses or suggests would be the best? Slugs? Buck?

Thanks!

If that's all you have why not? I'll use slugs and make sure they are water proof before I take them. Otherwise, if you have a 45-70 in lever action take it instead. Happy hunting.

 

[Lymey]

Hey guys, we have a long hunt in the heart of grizzly territory this year in Wyoming (archery)

We will have the call guy carry the short shotgun for defense in the timber.

Curious what rounds everyone uses or suggests would be the best? Slugs? Buck?

Thanks!

NOAA recommends and issues a 45/70 loaded with Garrett +P Hammerheads for Polar and Brown bear protection for its employees. I've never shot either but I have shot a Cape Buffalo with the load and it knocked him to his knees with the first shot through the shoulders. If I ever have to shoot at either, you can bet that I will be carrying my 45/70 or 50 Alaskan with a hot load from Garrett. BTW I live in Montana and regularly bow hunt for Elk in Griz country. For simplicity, I carry a 10mm Glock and a spare magazine with Buffalo Bore or HSM bear loads. Good luck on your hunt.

 

[VLD Pilot]

NOAA recommends and issues a 45/70 loaded with Garrett +P Hammerheads for Polar and Brown bear protection for its employees. I've never shot either but I have shot a Cape Buffalo with the load and it knocked him to his knees with the first shot through the shoulders. If I ever have to shoot at either, you can bet that I will be carrying my 45/70 or 50 Alaskan with a hot load from Garrett. BTW I live in Montana and regularly bow hunt for Elk in Griz country. For simplicity, I carry a 10mm Glock and a spare magazine with Buffalo Bore or HSM bear loads. Good luck on your hunt.

Comments for a different thread but file the HSM bear loads. There garbage. Low power/low velocity. Stick with Buffalo Bore hardcasts or Underwood hardcasts. Sorry for getting off track.

 

[dogz]

Hey guys, we have a long hunt in the heart of grizzly territory this year in Wyoming (archery)

We will have the call guy carry the short shotgun for defense in the timber.

Curious what rounds everyone uses or suggests would be the best? Slugs? Buck?

Thanks!

Gotta ask, in a general manner what part of Wyo are you rolling to? Are you doing it on your own or guided?

Side note, before I took a pump shotgun for protection I'd shorten the barrel on a 760 in 06 and put a peep site on it. Way better close and personal protection aid than any shotgun. At least in my opinion it is

 

[BAKPAKR]

I haven't seen anything the size of a big grizzly killed with buckshot but I have seen some deer and a black bear that was probably as large as an average lower 48 grizzly get hit with 00 buck. Based on those results, I am pretty confident that I would feel safer carrying a 12 gauge loaded with 00 buck or 000 buck in grizz country than just about any rifle. I did have a close encounter with a big grizzly near Glacier National Park while carrying a 300 Win loaded with 165 gr Ballistic Tips. I definitely didn't feel safe with that.