Big Game Hunting > Bear Hunting
20ga Bear Defense While Upland or Waterfowl Hunting
MADMAX:
As others have said
Pistol or bear spray
drakeallterrain:
No grizzlies, would not expect that to work at all. Black bear is main concern. JBLM maintains there is increased black bear activity. IME with black bears their unpredictability has been associated with people knowingly/unknowingly feeding them, and that area is surrounded with people.
Tungsten #BB shot while technically “bird-sized shot” is marketed and used to shoot bucks and hogs with penetration tests passing clean through 2x shoulder bones @40 yds. Expecting a usage within 8-15 yds would create a fairly narrow shot column with a small reduction in velocity ~1200fps. The difference between 2oz/rnd carried for the season vs a sidearm carried is significant enough to entertain this.
People been telling me “yer gonna die” for decades, still here but enjoy the discourse.
wadu1:
A cousin in Canada uses Federal Premium Vital-Shok 20 Gauge Ammo 2-3/4" 275 Grain Trophy Copper Tipped Sabot. He hunts deer with them in the shotgun only areas. His area has bears, cats and wolves. They are $13 -14 a box of 5.
tgomez:
Bring a pistol with you is my two cents. I wouldn't trust that load at all on a black bear.
kselkhunter:
As many have said, just carry bear spray and a pistol.
If you were to get into reloading, there are options. There are pressure tested bear defense loads for 12 gauge with TSS that guys use in Alaska, and the dealer I buy from provides recipes. I'm sure he has tested 20 gauge load data as well. The bear defense recipe that I load for 12 gauge is twenty 30cal TSS balls per shot (you can get up to .36 cal as well, fewer per shell of course). Remembering TSS is harder than steel and 60% denser than lead, so flies farther and penetrates deeper.
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