collapse

Advertisement


Author Topic: what is the best 12gauge load for bears?  (Read 2746 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: 2000
  • 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: 9135
  • 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

My Kansas 2025 Buck by Gentrys
[Yesterday at 09:35:48 PM]


Swakane by bearhunter99
[Yesterday at 09:01:53 PM]


Smith-Reynolds American Legion Post #14 Fall Raffle by scottfrick
[Yesterday at 08:29:36 PM]


2027 Pink Run Destroyed by 3nails
[Yesterday at 08:18:03 PM]


4 days left by kodiak06
[Yesterday at 07:51:18 PM]


Tease 'l' by teanawayslayer
[Yesterday at 07:34:34 PM]


Idaho Trapping Journal 2025/26 by Kingofthemountain83
[Yesterday at 06:23:27 PM]


Leopard Cur Pups by Kingofthemountain83
[Yesterday at 06:20:45 PM]


GO 2025 15th Annual Hunting-Washington Christmas Gift Exchange by rainshadow1
[Yesterday at 02:43:46 PM]


Winthrop wolves by timberfaller
[Yesterday at 01:55:09 PM]


This Jeff Davis guy. by Tbar
[Yesterday at 01:41:33 PM]


Lion Down - the Savor of Success by Sliverslinger
[Yesterday at 11:43:23 AM]


Idaho on the verge of outlawing by idaho guy
[Yesterday at 11:37:19 AM]


Report Wolf Sightings Here - Hunting-Washington Wolf Count 158+ by Pygmy
[Yesterday at 10:12:05 AM]


Where can one find hides from hunters? by HighlandLofts
[Yesterday at 09:57:59 AM]


In the background by nwwanderer
[Yesterday at 06:44:34 AM]

SimplePortal 2.3.7 © 2008-2025, SimplePortal