12ga slugs on large bears??? Actual experience only please.
- Thread starter emerson
- Start date
Not eye witness but my friend helped the CO kill a Grizzly that had been shot by a farmer the year before with a foster type slug that had pancaked on a rib, the bear lived for another year afterwards. he said the CO tried out on a bear carcass 12ga, 454 and 45-70 and as I recall it was 8", 12" and 16" penetration. don't quote me on that though.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
In the words of an old CO pal of mine, "It won't do em any good!" Typically this type of shooting occurs within 10 yards, but you never know exactly what shot angle you'll have, the bear could be above you, or you could be above him, or you could be eye to eye.
Brenneke and Challenger type slugs have the advantage in penetration because they don't expand much, where the fosters can pancake if the velocity is high enough (Federal) and the target dense enough. Under some circumstances, fosters are chosen due to their limited penetration when the shooting is close top a populated area. Actually I carry a shotgun rather a rifle when I'm close to town, and have buckshot available when I'm in town. I saw a bear killed one morning with a shotgun loaded with birdshot as the bear attempted to follow a dog into a house, and the home owner took exception, and fired contact close, hitting it in the face. The bear jumped off the porch and rubber legged it about 100' before falling down. Any of the bears killed near town by the DNR boys were shot with foster slugs, and they all died.
Brenneke and Challenger type slugs have the advantage in penetration because they don't expand much, where the fosters can pancake if the velocity is high enough (Federal) and the target dense enough. Under some circumstances, fosters are chosen due to their limited penetration when the shooting is close top a populated area. Actually I carry a shotgun rather a rifle when I'm close to town, and have buckshot available when I'm in town. I saw a bear killed one morning with a shotgun loaded with birdshot as the bear attempted to follow a dog into a house, and the home owner took exception, and fired contact close, hitting it in the face. The bear jumped off the porch and rubber legged it about 100' before falling down. Any of the bears killed near town by the DNR boys were shot with foster slugs, and they all died.
never shot one with shotgun but i ve seen my grandfather using a 12 ga with brenneke because his 8x57js didnt work that day. and the european brown bear was a dead one and made good gulasz soup and meals for the family and neighbours.
Shot one and watched one shot with foster type 12 gauge 2 3/4". Shoulder shot had complete penetration with lots of bleeding and the bear ran about 40 yards before death. The one I shot was headshot and went kerplunk immediately with a gaping hole.
I have been carrying 3" Rottweil exact slugs in my shotgun for bear defence for some years (that is the only Brenneke style slug we get around here). Just last weekend, I finally tested them on a 18" thick fresh cut beech wood from 20 yards. I had some reservation about performance of these Rottweil slugs compare to the original Brenneke. All 3 shots passed through and could not be recovered. Exit holes were slightly larger than their impact hole. Very impressed.
Sorry not a first hand bear hunt observation, but it might give you some idea. I have a newfound respect for these slugs.
Sorry not a first hand bear hunt observation, but it might give you some idea. I have a newfound respect for these slugs.
Last edited:
Bluedevil25
CGN Regular
- Location
- Saskatoon, Sask.
Try these:
antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
In the words of an old CO pal of mine, "It won't do em any good!" Typically this type of shooting occurs within 10 yards, but you never know exactly what shot angle you'll have, the bear could be above you, or you could be above him, or you could be eye to eye.
Brenneke and Challenger type slugs have the advantage in penetration because they don't expand much, where the fosters can pancake if the velocity is high enough (Federal) and the target dense enough. Under some circumstances, fosters are chosen due to their limited penetration when the shooting is close top a populated area. Actually I carry a shotgun rather a rifle when I'm close to town, and have buckshot available when I'm in town. I saw a bear killed one morning with a shotgun loaded with birdshot as the bear attempted to follow a dog into a house, and the home owner took exception, and fired contact close, hitting it in the face. The bear jumped off the porch and rubber legged it about 100' before falling down. Any of the bears killed near town by the DNR boys were shot with foster slugs, and they all died.
id want a .375 H&H or bigger in a double gun for those beasts
nowarningshot
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Only one i shot with a slug was 50 feet....last years cub black bear. Blew half its head off...pretty small bear though...dont imagine the result to be much different with any animal at that distance.
I have seen bears here in the Yukon (Grizzly) that I would want at least a .375 H&H to engage, one looked like a polar bear in brown fur about the size of a small car. I would also make sure engagement happens at 200+ yards...... Time enough for at least one follow up shot and to go to my back up weapon if the bear decides to run towards my position once shot. My backup is a 12 gauge with rifled barrel.
I would not choose to engage any large bears with a 12 gauge simply because engagement distance would be too close ( sub 200 yards ), IMHO
But if that bear decides I would make a great meal and gets within 90 yards, its time to get out the 12 and give him a taste of a full bore slug from a rifled barrel antiqueguy
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- windsor ontario
I have seen bears here in the Yukon (Grizzly) that I would want at least a .375 H&H to engage, one looked like a polar bear in brown fur about the size of a small car. I would also make sure engagement happens at 200+ yards...... Time enough for at least one follow up shot and to go to my back up weapon if the bear decides to run towards my position once shot. My backup is a 12 gauge with rifled barrel.
I would not choose to engage any large bears with a 12 gauge simply because engagement distance would be too close ( sub 200 yards ), IMHO
the last time I seen a polar bear(or anything bigger then a black bear) it was at the Detroit zoo back when I was about 4 and it was behind a good bit of lexan id like to keep it that way
I had many client's use shotguns over the years... 12 and 20 gauges... I did proficiency tests with all of them before I put them on stands... I tracked or otherwise carried out dozens of bears over the years for slug hunters (I did not allow buckshot)... only recall one not being recovered, but based on the blood trail, I believe that it was shot through the brisket and offside leg... despite the sports insistence that it was a boiler room shot. Most of the slugs were complete pass through's of the lungs on broadside bears. Which they should always be... forget shoulder shots... there is much that can go wrong with a shoulder shot... not so with a broadside lung shot.
I have shot 5 or 6 with shotgun slugs. I used to hunt bears as much as I could! They are a very interesting animal, and smarter than most people give them credit for.
I used mostly Remington sluggers, (1oz).3/4"
From 5 yards to about 50. I have shot them in Sask, Ontario, BC, and Alberta. Every one of them, except 1 dropped where they stood. The one that ran went maybe 30-40 yards with his off shoulder waving goodbye.
They have been very devestating to say the least. I would use slugs on any of canadas bears for defense. The grizzlies, I would go with 3" and 1-1/4 oz or more in weight.
I used to cast Lee key slugs with Linotype lead. (1oz). I shot them in the Savage Slug Warrior. Penetration was unreal, even at 100yards. 12-14"ish on green poplar! They didnt mushroom all that great, being that hard. I never shot a bear with the slug warrior, but did shoot wild boar,coyote and deer.
Hope this little info may help.
I used mostly Remington sluggers, (1oz).3/4"
From 5 yards to about 50. I have shot them in Sask, Ontario, BC, and Alberta. Every one of them, except 1 dropped where they stood. The one that ran went maybe 30-40 yards with his off shoulder waving goodbye.
They have been very devestating to say the least. I would use slugs on any of canadas bears for defense. The grizzlies, I would go with 3" and 1-1/4 oz or more in weight.
I used to cast Lee key slugs with Linotype lead. (1oz). I shot them in the Savage Slug Warrior. Penetration was unreal, even at 100yards. 12-14"ish on green poplar! They didnt mushroom all that great, being that hard. I never shot a bear with the slug warrior, but did shoot wild boar,coyote and deer.
Hope this little info may help.
Adrian J Hare
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- NewLowell On. Can.
All my clients that used them over the years never had a problem taking their bear. In fact I never had a lost bear with a slug. I seen a ton of them shot with 20 gauge as well...
Last edited:
16 gauge dangerous game slug at 15 ft out of Saure cape rifle worked very well and I shot a few neusance bears around the ranch when I was a young guy with 12 gauge imperial slugs they also worked so I wouldn't feel at all under gunned with any of the slugs at reasonable range
[/URL]
Myself, i had 2 times a black bear kill with a slug but they did run a little while after being shot, if i have the choice, i will use my Steyr Mannlicher BB 450 Marlin, both bears i took with it just fell in their tracks, a real thumper that rifle... JP.
