Hunting Black Bear with Shotgun?

M

MSS

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Anyone hunt black bear with a shotgun? If so what slugs etc. I'm doing my first black bear hunt this fall and planned on using .300 Win Mag with a slug gun for backup. I started thinking why not just use the slug gun? Thanks in advance.
 
I havn't personally hunted black bear with a shotgun but my friend took a nice one while deer hunting up here in NY state. He was just using regular rifled slug loads from a smooth barrel. I personally believe slugs are ok for black bear but remember the 300 will probably be more accurate and have far greater range. Good luck.
 
They are both very potent and will do the job. However, the .300 win mag will extend your effective range 5 fold over the shotgun. If the longest shot you could possibly take is 75 yards, then use the shotgun (125 yards if it is a fully rifled barrel and you're using sabots). Of course those numbers all depend on your ability with your guns.
 
What kind of 12ga will you be packing?
Smoothbore or rifled barrel? Bead, rifle or telescopic sights? Single shot, pump or SA?
In the worst case scenario, a smoothbore, no-rib, single bead barrel, your actual effective range could shrink down to about 30 yds.
 
LOL
Art, you just made me look like a total idiot. I'm at work, and I've just spray-painted my desk with coffee out of my nose... Thanx.
 
I use a Remington 870 with a 21 inch rem choke barrel with rifle sights. I use the rifled tube and the best groups I get with it off the bench is three slugs touching at 50 yards with winchester 2 3/4 1oz max slugs. that's more than enough for black bear. With the same set up I can hit the bulls eye at 100 yards with iron sights, though its tough to hold still with a gun that light.

If you plan on hunting open country take the 300.. if you are hunting in heavy brush take the shotgun.
 
Sorry, Thibault. My mind sometimes goes all wonky and I do stuff like that. It's a character defect.

biganimal, I imagine a smart bear would have read posts at TFL and probably have a rigged-out 870 in 12-gauge.

Back to thread, at some point? Pretty, please? With sugar on it?

:), Art
 
I should be receiving a bolt-action 12 Mossy with ghost ring Tritium sight and "scout" type mount any day now. I would think that would be about perfect for as far as I would fire upon a bear.
 
Rem 11-87

I have a Remington 11-87 smoothbore with ghost rings sights. I can always swap out the barrel for a rifled one but with Active slugs I can keep the smoothbore on a paper plate at 100 yds from a rest. Thanks for the feedback. Oh, I better take the .300 Win Mag in case the bear has a shotgun!
 
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