collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: what is the best 12gauge load for bears?  (Read 2600 times)

Offline Magnum40

  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Pilgrim
  • *
  • Join Date: Oct 2011
  • Posts: 18
  • Location: Woodinville, WA
what is the best 12gauge load for bears?
« on: November 05, 2014, 12:45:04 PM »
Hi, So I have a mossberg 590 (I know not ideal but not gonna buy a slug gun for 1 hunt) and the area I want to hunt I'm using a shotgun due to it being semi-rural...what would the best load be?  I have plenty of 00Buck.

Thank you in adavcne for any tips.  I suppose I could borrow a friends gun at least for another month before that act makes us criminals...what a joke!
Just give me a shot is all I pray...my rifle and I will make the play!

Offline JohnVH

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Sourdough
  • *****
  • Join Date: Feb 2011
  • Posts: 1987
  • Location: PNW
Re: what is the best 12gauge load for bears?
« Reply #1 on: November 05, 2014, 12:53:00 PM »
cant carry a .44?

Offline h2ofowlr

  • CHOKED UP TIGHT
  • Political & Covid-19 Topics
  • Trade Count: (+5)
  • Old Salt
  • ******
  • Join Date: Dec 2008
  • Posts: 9120
  • Location: In the "Blind"! Go Cougs!
Re: what is the best 12gauge load for bears?
« Reply #2 on: November 05, 2014, 12:57:31 PM »
We always went buck, slug, buck, slug and so forth in the shotgun.  That combo will work wonders on a bear.
Cut em!
It's not the shells!  It's the shooter!

Offline Ripper

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (0)
  • Frontiersman
  • *****
  • Join Date: Oct 2009
  • Posts: 3749
  • Location: Arlington
  • Sobriety is the spice of life.
    • Mark Wantola
    • Ripper Family Adventures
Re: what is the best 12gauge load for bears?
« Reply #3 on: November 11, 2014, 11:34:50 AM »
Brenneke makes a good rifled slug for smooth bore shotguns. I have shot a couple of deer back east with them. I have seen them out here but I can't remember where. Any 12 gage slug will kill a bear out to about 100 yards. I wouldn't shoot any farther than that unless it was a rifled slug barrel shooting Sabots with a scope.
I'd rather be hated for who I am, than loved for who I'm not!

Offline GBoyd

  • Non-Hunting Topics
  • Trade Count: (+1)
  • Scout
  • ****
  • Join Date: Apr 2014
  • Posts: 369
Re: what is the best 12gauge load for bears?
« Reply #4 on: November 11, 2014, 06:39:52 PM »
Agree about the rifled slug. I used a smoothbore shotgun with slugs in Michigan for a long time. Never took a bear with it, but that's what I would be most confident with.

 


* Advertisement

* Recent Topics

Norway pass Elk by moocher97
[Today at 12:11:05 AM]


Toutle Quality Bull - Rifle by moocher97
[Today at 12:00:21 AM]


NEED ADVICE: LATE after JUNE 15th IDAHO BEAR by huntnnw
[Yesterday at 11:20:59 PM]


Mature bulls during late season? by Dark2Dark
[Yesterday at 10:53:27 PM]


Cowiche Unit 368 by Limhangerslayer
[Yesterday at 10:41:37 PM]


2025 Draw Results by duckmen1
[Yesterday at 10:30:36 PM]


Put in for a tag I NEVER thought I would draw. by elkrack
[Yesterday at 10:15:14 PM]


Awesome customer service by deerlick
[Yesterday at 10:13:19 PM]


Commercial crab pots going in today. by Stein
[Yesterday at 09:37:31 PM]


FFL preferences or warnings in Olympia or south Sound area? by ASHQUACK
[Yesterday at 09:34:36 PM]


Boat registration by Stein
[Yesterday at 09:31:52 PM]


Flatlanders coming west in 2024, any WA mule deer outfitter recommendations by Beastmonger1987
[Yesterday at 09:31:21 PM]


2024 deer. Let’s see um! by Beastmonger1987
[Yesterday at 09:11:35 PM]


Muzzy Mission Quality!!! by crabcreekhunter
[Yesterday at 09:11:30 PM]


Unknown Suppressors - Whisper Pickle by xrangerx
[Yesterday at 09:06:49 PM]


Stillaguamish 448 QD rifle tag by Bo_nimrod
[Yesterday at 09:03:46 PM]


Nevada mule deer in the rut, followed by late rifle elk in Arizona by Beastmonger1987
[Yesterday at 08:36:20 PM]


Teanaway bull elk by 1buckdown
[Yesterday at 08:34:43 PM]


Colockum Archery Bull Tag by oldleclercrd
[Yesterday at 08:31:58 PM]


2025 OILS! by Buzzsaw461
[Yesterday at 08:17:27 PM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal