20g slug for bear?

[bankwalker]

what are your oppinions on using a 20g with a slug for bear? im looking at hunting the west side of highway 18 which is firearm restricted.

[ICEMAN]

For close in I bet it is more than enough....

[Kain]

I dont know, I think it will be plenty inside 50 yards.  Out to 100 if you have a slug barrel.  I saw a youth size 20 gauge REM 870 and I thought how nice it would be to carry that light weight gun around while hiking for bears.  See a grouse or rabbit and just pop in some number 6.  That sounds pretty good to me.  

[robescc]

Hornady saboted slugs for sure out to 100 yards.  Rifled slugs to 100 yards but you need to know you gun.  Spend some time at the range.

[bankwalker]

shots would be well under 100 yards forsure.

[lokidog]

Hornady saboted slugs for sure out to 100 yards.  Rifled slugs to 100 yards but you need to know you gun.  Spend some time at the range.

Definitely, if you have a rifled barrel.  Kick they're arse with one of those sabots!

[runamuk]

I dont know, I think it will be plenty inside 50 yards.  Out to 100 if you have a slug barrel.  I saw a youth size 20 gauge REM 870 and I thought how nice it would be to carry that light weight gun around while hiking for bears.  See a grouse or rabbit and just pop in some number 6.  That sounds pretty good to me.  

  great idea....why the heck didn't I think of that...this would be even better than my other idea for this stupid dense jungle I am in

princess needs a new gun ....

you people are a horrible influence 

[Bob33]

I've killed quite a few deer with one.  It would work fine on bears.  If you can get a rifled barrel you're good to 100+ yards if you get the right slug and practice.  Slug guns can be more finicky than rifles with respect to ammo preferences.

[Pathfinder101]

Back when I was a teenager I always used to carry a couple of slugs with me when I was grouse hunting.  One day a bear ran in front of my buddy and I, stopped about 20 yards away and stood on it's hind legs.  I held the dog, handed my buddy the slugs and that bear stood there and watched him unload his Browning auto, reload with slugs and shoot him in the throat.  Dog barking like crazy the whole time.

[edmondshunter]

I say go for it. That's a thick brushy area. Shots gonna be less than 50 yards anyhow. Get some!

[Bscman]

I use a 12ga slug when I'm hunting low in the blackberry brush.

You don't need a rifled barrel if you're going to keep it inside 50-75yds (depending on gun/ammo).

My only recommendation is do NOT use cheap foster (rifled) slugs. They're made of SOFT lead and will NOT do well against bone. Looks for hardened lead slugs. Best bet around here are some of the Brenneke's made for big game.

Cheap winchesters/federals are too soft and won't stop a bear if you hit a shoulder.

[bankwalker]

I use a 12ga slug when I'm hunting low in the blackberry brush.

You don't need a rifled barrel if you're going to keep it inside 50-75yds (depending on gun/ammo).

My only recommendation is do NOT use cheap foster (rifled) slugs. They're made of SOFT lead and will NOT do well against bone. Looks for hardened lead slugs. Best bet around here are some of the Brenneke's made for big game.

Cheap winchesters/federals are too soft and won't stop a bear if you hit a shoulder.

thats funny. my buddie just baught some of the cheap winchester slugs and i took one look at them and laughed.

[the1rod]

I dont know, I think it will be plenty inside 50 yards.  Out to 100 if you have a slug barrel.   I saw a youth size 20 gauge REM 870 and I thought how nice it would be to carry that light weight gun around while hiking for bears.  See a grouse or rabbit and just pop in some number 6.  That sounds pretty good to me.   

  great idea....why the heck didn't I think of that...this would be even better than my other idea for this stupid dense jungle I am in

princess needs a new gun ....

you people are a horrible influence 

hey Run dident you jsut get some pink mossyoak binos?... you know they make a matching 870.

[runamuk]

I dont know, I think it will be plenty inside 50 yards.  Out to 100 if you have a slug barrel.   I saw a youth size 20 gauge REM 870 and I thought how nice it would be to carry that light weight gun around while hiking for bears.  See a grouse or rabbit and just pop in some number 6.  That sounds pretty good to me.   

  great idea....why the heck didn't I think of that...this would be even better than my other idea for this stupid dense jungle I am in

princess needs a new gun ....

you people are a horrible influence 

hey Run dident you jsut get some pink mossyoak binos?... you know they make a matching 870.

ummm yes you rather observant person I did  and I have been eying the pink 870 for about a year 

I have a question how does one use one gun with slugs and pellets?  the whole chokes and what not dont you use different chokes for each?  I know nothing about shotguns so sorry if this is a really dumb question...

[lokidog]

Run, if you shoot rifled slugs, a full choke is probably not a good idea.  I think they recommend a more open choke.  I really like Weathergirl's Mossberg Youth 500 in 20g.  It came with a choke tube barrel and a rifled slug barrel for about $350.  The rifled slug barrel has the cantilevered scope mount which will be more accurate than a sight mounted to the action.  Unfortunately, if you are using the rifled barrel and sabots, I think pellets will scatter too much out of it.  Though for swatting a grouse might be good enough.