What to look for in a bear defense shotgun?

Bear defense

I shot my last nusience bear at 3 feet! Full Charge - him or me !!!

First saw it at 15 feet, 5 shots between 15 and 3 feet with Ithaca 37 12 gage 20" DeerSlayer barrel.

Bear Hunting at night (10:30 PM) in livestock barn.

He may have been dead before 3 feet, but was still moving/sliding. Too close for comfort.

Combination deer slugs and double ought buck.
And a pair of white underwear ruined.
 
The largest confirmed brown bear was a Kodiak at 1675 lbs. 2500 lbs would be more in the giant prehistoric polar bear range. :)
 
The largest confirmed brown bear was a Kodiak at 1675lbs...
Click to expand...

Are sure of that Irish B ? You may be right but...

...In searching largest bear records:

Kodiak= 2500lbs @ almost 14' tall...
...note: some sites claim this was a bear in captivity(possibly a zoo)

Polar= 2210lbs @ 11' 11" tall

Grizzly= 1600lbs...
...note: there was a griz shot at Alaskan Peninsula by a young girl (age 9 I think ) that weighed about 1800lbs. according to her dad. At any rate, the hunting story was a good one and worth googling.

I will say, when researching bear records, they don't seem to be all that clear or consistent. Hell, some say the polar bear is the biggest while others say the kodiak.
 
Yesterday, 10:03 PM #181
oldmanFCSA
Junior Member

Join Date: November 8, 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 6
Bear defense
I shot my last nusience bear at 3 feet! Full Charge - him or me !!!

First saw it at 15 feet, 5 shots between 15 and 3 feet with Ithaca 37 12 gage 20" DeerSlayer barrel.

Bear Hunting at night (10:30 PM) in livestock barn.

He may have been dead before 3 feet, but was still moving/sliding. Too close for comfort.

Combination deer slugs and double ought buck.
And a pair of white underwear ruined.
Click to expand...

Yikes!!
 
I'm going to remind everyone that they need to be cognizant of, and conform with, TFL Rule No. 3.

Anyone who fails to do so risks running afoul of staff.
 
Shortwave the internet is almost more of a hassle than a help when trying to find facts. I found similar information that you did but the only scientific confirmed record I could find was the 1675 lbs. As for the largest bears, Kodiak are usually taller but polars are usually heavier. All there's always a debate as to which ones bigger. Before someone gets upset and locks this thread let's get it back on track. Oldman how many shots were you able to get off during your attack?
 
Back on topic - # of shots

5

On an older Ithaca, hold the trigger back and pump!

The old saying that when in high danger - Time slows down, I will say its true because I distinctly remember changing grip on lantern for better light between 2nd and 3rd shot, while still pumping like crazy.

Rather than re-load, I grabbed a second shotgun I had also loaded and had on bales of hay near me.

A friend who guarding another livestock lot, drove up and asked what I was shooting at, I pointed at the bear laying at my feet. He then said "I didn't know you had an auto shotgun." I said "I don't". He said "fastest 5 shots he ever heard".

My Scottish Highland cows, bulls, and calves were able to protect themselves, but my wife's prized sheep sufferred with 17 dead over 3 nights. I knew he was there, just couldn't see him in the dark. I rigged lights on stockpens, but left lights off in barn to help my night vision. That was a mistake. Only thing that saved me was hearing him rip barn door open behind me.

The WI DNR had trapped him near town and dumped him within 1/2 mile of my place, BASTARDS! They then tried to give me a ticket for shooting a bear out of season. The Federal Animal Damage Control people helped me with a 30 day license to shoot any bear on my property. But the DNR did take the bear. One officer asked why I shot him so many times? I responded that the next time I had a bear problem, he could stand in barn with his 9mm.
 
Why choice of gun? Shotgun..........

I own many rifles and pistols, many very well capable of taking a bear during normal sport hunting.
BUT for close work at night, my highly dependable Ithaca Model 37 is my "GOTO GUN".
If you break into my house - you may get a chance to see it!
 
Oldman, glad you can live up to your name! I am hiding under my bed as I type this. Jeez! Appreciate that you had big buckshot in there tho I'd want plated 000 3" shells. Thankfully the government was there to help you too...

Hey, I overheard someone once say buckshot is better for predators smaller than Kodiaks too...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eUP5Vr0lBvY
 
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My hats off to ya oldman

As you were telling that story, I could just picture that 37 trigger mashed back into the rear of the trigger guard and you racking for all you were worth.

Were you ever able to get the trigger to go back to it's original 'set' position? :D
 
Quoting ?????

How do I quote a previous post?

I do NOT see the Quote ICON or the multiple Quote ICON as indicated in the Forum Instructional pages.

Have I got something set wrong that I can't see these Icons shown anywhere?
 
quote.gif

It looks like this when the reply box is open... Then you get the
code and you paste the text you are quoting 'tween the code.

There is another way that posts the original writer's nick but I never messed with learnin' it...

Brent
Click to expand...
 
Unread Today, 11:43 AM #195
oldmanFCSA
Junior Member

Join Date: November 8, 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 12

test
How do I get a quote like posting #184 ?
Click to expand...
Using your same quote code, just copy everything... put cursor before date of the post and highlight everything...

Brent
 
Testing quote process - THREAD JACKING

Today, 09:50 AM #196
hogdogs
Senior Member


Join Date: October 31, 2007
Location: Western Florida panhandle
Posts: 9,587

Unread Today, 11:43 AM #195
oldmanFCSA
Junior Member

Join Date: November 8, 2010
Location: MN
Posts: 12

test
How do I get a quote like posting #184 ?
Click to expand...


Using your same quote code, just copy everything... put cursor before date of the post and highlight everything...

Brent
__________________
"If the head of every Jewish household in Europe had had a Mauser rifle, 20 rounds of ammunition, and the will to use it, Adolph Hitler would have been but a minor footnote in history."
http://www.printfection.com/hogdogs-outdoors-and-custo
Click to expand...

Thank you !!!
 
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What would I look for in a bear defense shotgun. Basically a 12 gauge in which I was confident, well practiced and willing to trust my life to. Don't care if you prefer a pump or auto as long as you are willing to bet your life on it, cycles clean and smooth, and throws slugs with enough accuracy to be useful, I personally would have something along the lines of an older Rem 870, Mossberg 500, or Ithaca 37 with a short barrell and bright fiber optic sights to pick up quickly in less than ideal conditions, add a sling for easy carry. Did I mention it would be shooting slugs,. Possibly on my left hip in a cross draw holster would be a Ruger Redhawk, 5.5" stainless revolver made out of stainless steel fed with hard cast bullets loaded moderately hot so I could shoot them quickly with less flinching. But that is just me.
 
Just wondering what firing 5 12 gauge slugs in a barn at a charging bear sounds like. The one time I heard a 12 gauge go off indoors (and it was one shot), my ears rang for many hours and I was basically deaf. with the flash and the recoil, it must have been something.
 
I won't speak for oldmanFCSA but with that kind of life and death situation, happening so fast and at such close quarters, I doubt he heard a thing.

oldman,

You should have handed WI DNR your soiled tidy- whitey's as evidence you feared for your life. Slapped them right in his hand. ;)
 
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