barrel length for slug gun.. grizzly defense!

[500mag_guy]

There is entirely to many grizzlies here in montana. Theya were actually talking about delisting them. But i am unsure of what ever happened with that.

 

[Riverman]

I've not hunted Montana but Northwest Wyoming is infested with grizzly bears. The guides joke about having a Sierra Club member hike through the Thorofare with a T-bone teak hung around their neck and then decide if there were too many grizzlies or not.

I defintely understand your need for bear defense, if your area is as bad as Wyoming it makes
Afognak Island look like Disney Land. I still think two shots is not enough, Mossberg or Remington pump guns are pretty cheap insurance.

 

[Trickymissfit]

I've not hunted Montana but Northwest Wyoming is infested with grizzly bears. The guides joke about having a Sierra Club member hike through the Thorofare with a T-bone teak hung around their neck and then decide if there were too many grizzlies or not.

I defintely understand your need for bear defense, if your area is as bad as Wyoming it makes
Afognak Island look like Disney Land. I still think two shots is not enough, Mossberg or Remington pump guns are pretty cheap insurance.

a .450 with a 350 grain solid nosed bullet will have just under 2800 ft. lb. of energy at 50 yards, and the 400 grain will have about 3000 ft.lb. of energy (not max loads). Even the factory loads will be in that same area. At fifty feet I know what I'd want! Interesting is that the .444 with a 300 grain bullet @ 2200fps will have right at 2700ft. lb. of energy.
gary

 

[500mag_guy]

Im getting almost 1900 fps out of my 500 mag with an 8 3/8" barrel shooting a 350gr bullet loaded with 41.5grs of lil' gun. Pretty warm so if anyone finds this data work up to it PLEASE!!

Im getting right around 2776 ft.lb. energy with it at the muzzle.

The load i have worked up is comparable to packing a "hot" loaded 45-70 gov. Inside your coat.

I am very comfortable with this hand canon. Ive put well over a 100 rounds through it and wouldn't even think twice about holding my ground with it!

 

[Buano]

If you really are going into grizzly country, I recommend saving the double barrel and purchase a pump with an 18" tube. Two rounds is not enough lead down range for me. I spent several years working on Kodiak Island and elk hunting on Afognak and Raspberry Islands. I never had to use the shotgun on a bear, but I know if I did I would not have been counting on a making combat reload after two shots. I have faced one of these animals at close range more than once
each time the bear thought of some place better to be. The worst grizzlys that I've seen are the ones just outside of Yellowstone Park in Wyoming. These bears are brave enough that it is almost unsafe to elk hunt in that country.

Good Luck !!

I agree completely. If you have a grizzly that has decided to eat you, you need to keep throwing lead until he won't eat again. I would never choose the double-barrel when you can pick up a used Model 500 pump for $200-$250.

 

[jwp475]

A double is about 4" plus or minus shorter than a pump or semi auto with the same length barrel I would not like one as short as 20" for that mater. A 24" barreled double would equal a 20" pump or semi auto approximately and is the way that I would go if it were me YMMV

 

[500mag_guy]

AGREED!!!! As i said i have a mossberg 18" pump 12ga and a mossberg 20" pump 12ga both are pistol grip.
These are always with us. I bring these for everyone! I keep one on my wheeler and the other one goes to anyone who isnt packing. Although almost everyone has one of there own. I am also alway carrying my 500 mag.




And for week long trips i pack the massberg 930. This is for causing extreme hell and chaos on something!!



GO TEAM 12 GAUGE!!! HAHA

 

[Trickymissfit]

Im getting almost 1900 fps out of my 500 mag with an 8 3/8" barrel shooting a 350gr bullet loaded with 41.5grs of lil' gun. Pretty warm so if anyone finds this data work up to it PLEASE!!

Im getting right around 2776 ft.lb. energy with it at the muzzle.

The load i have worked up is comparable to packing a "hot" loaded 45-70 gov. Inside your coat.

I am very comfortable with this hand canon. Ive put well over a 100 rounds through it and wouldn't even think twice about holding my ground with it!

In the Hornaday manual they state that the 350 grain bullet is NOT recommended for dangerous game. I'd be a little worried about the bullet breaking up while penetrating the sternum. On the otherhand the 500 grain bullet is recommended by Hornaday. Must be bullet construction. The same can be said about the Hornaday and Speer 300 grain bullets in the .444, but a hard cast lead bullet is plenty good enough. Another good hand gun cartridge would be the 475 Linebaugh and the 480 Ruger.
gary

 

[Trickymissfit]

AGREED!!!! As i said i have a mossberg 18" pump 12ga and a mossberg 20" pump 12ga both are pistol grip.
These are always with us. I bring these for everyone! I keep one on my wheeler and the other one goes to anyone who isnt packing. Although almost everyone has one of there own. I am also alway carrying my 500 mag.

View attachment 10307


And for week long trips i pack the massberg 930. This is for causing extreme hell and chaos on something!!

View attachment 10308

GO TEAM 12 GAUGE!!! HAHA

the one on the bottom is the way togo. The ones with the sawed off stocks don't aim all that well, and are hard to controll under hard recoil.
gary

 

[B23]

What do you all think of Mossberg's 835 ultra mag?

I've got a new 835 ultra mag in the 20in turkey/tactical thumb hole that I've always thought would make a good bear/home defense gun.

 

[Trickymissfit]

What do you all think of Mossberg's 835 ultra mag?

I've got a new 835 ultra mag in the 20in turkey/tactical thumb hole that I've always thought would make a good bear/home defense gun.

I have an 835 turkey gun, and love it! Whatkind of a choke you'd use for slugs and buckshot I don't know. The recoil is mild compaired to an 870, and it patterns better. Still a 3.5" mag with a lot of shot in there is bound to get a bear's attention fast
gary

 

[B23]

I've also got a new Benelli M2 w/18.5in barrel that I think would work well. I can't decide which one to keep.

 

[500mag_guy]

In the Hornaday manual they state that the 350 grain bullet is NOT recommended for dangerous game. I'd be a little worried about the bullet breaking up while penetrating the sternum. On the otherhand the 500 grain bullet is recommended by Hornaday. Must be bullet construction. The same can be said about the Hornaday and Speer 300 grain bullets in the .444, but a hard cast lead bullet is plenty good enough. Another good hand gun cartridge would be the 475 Linebaugh and the 480 Ruger.
gary

Yes i have also read that but we've done sinder block tests with the 350 grain and it convinced me other wise.

3 sinder blocks each spaced 3" apart and completely destroyed all 3.

Ive have come to terms that if a grizzly can take 5 rounds of that without dying he can have me.

Ive thought about switching to 500gr case bullets and quickly changed my mind. I lose so much velocity, my ft.lb. energy drops to nothing compared to the 350 gr.

I AM working with loads on a 440 gr cast bullets because i think i can push them out fast enough to beat ft.lb. energy of the 350gr.

But as is now i feel extremely comfortable with my 350 gr.

 

[500mag_guy]

the one on the bottom is the way togo. The ones with the sawed off stocks don't aim all that well, and are hard to controll under hard recoil.
gary

I wouldnt carry it if i didn't feel extremely comfortable and have a ton of rounds though it. And id be willing to bet i could wip my 8 rounds out of my pistol grip 12ga just as fast and accurate as you could with one with a butt shock.

But yes i agree with you the 930 works well. VERY fast! Very easy to re acquire target and i love it.