Bear defender 12 gauge

L

Leavenworth

CGN frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
4   0   0
Location
Lowermainland B.C.
Hi All

Okay I'm guessing this topic has been beat to death but hope you will chime in with your thoughts. I'm wanting to buy a 12 gauge short barrel pump action shotgun for bear defense and possible home defense. I'm new to this type of firearm and don't know much about shotgun shell length available for this firearm. I will be buying new and want trusted reliability without breaking the bank.

Here are my questions to start

#1 What brand and model do you prefer ?

#2 Bead or Ghost sights ?

Thanks !
Leavenworth
 
Last edited:
In a real bear situation, you will be up close and ghost rings will prove useless apendahes to snag on your gear.

Consider a 12.5" da grizzly clone of an 870.

Just make sure you break it in at the range to prove it's reliable and get familiar with it. I would replace the follower and put a lighter stock, such as a hogue, onto it.

For consideration.
 
Yes, you are correct, a search on this thread history will show a number of different viewpoints on bear defence. That is putting it mildly. Bearing in mind if you get in a bad situation with a bear/cougar or whatever it will probably be up close and personal. Familiarity with your chosen gun is the most important aspect for you to consider. I have a beater pump that is very reliable, removed the plug and can fit four in the tube and one in the barrel if I want. Now you have chosen your gun, now what ammo? This question will draw a number of responses, some of which will contradict each other. There are some CGN'ers who hunt bears and their ammo choice is the most suitable as they have the first hand experience. IMO (and perhaps only mine) the best bear defence is a dog. This is not always possible, of course, so choose a gun you know you can handle properly in a tight situation and go from there.
 
Leavenworth;
Welcome to the forum from the sometimes sunny south Okanagan sir.

I'll preface this by saying that we live where yard bears are quite common, we've tented all over BC in some very high bear density areas, have hunted and killed bears and have been there when other hunters have shot more bears.

Much more educational than the previous qualifiers, we've cut and wrapped over a dozen black bears for friends over the years and from doing those defacto necropsies have developed theories on what works to kill bears and what does not.

Lastly I've made a point to research what works on bears with other hunters and guides which I trust to give me the straight goods on what worked well and again what didn't.

With that out of the way then, this is what I built for our daughter to use as a tenting arm. If you are a parent and are building something upon which their life might depend - well it's a different process for sure, sobering to say the least.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...Scattergun-Builds-and-Discussion-Thread/page7

In another thread on bear firearms I opined that within reason it doesn't matter what you use - as in pump vs. semi-auto vs. break action or pistol grip vs. traditional stock - what matters is that you are very, very used to working the controls in a life threatening situation and that your tool of choice works PERFECTLY each and every time. Everything else after that is personal choice or nothing more than fluff.

Hopefully that was useful information for you or someone out there considering the same thing. Good luck on your choices and by all means if you think I can answer any questions then I'll do my best to do so. May none of us ever need to use our bear repellent guns for anything other than practice.

Dwayne
 
BC30cal said:
Leavenworth;
Welcome to the forum from the sometimes sunny south Okanagan sir.

I'll preface this by saying that we live where yard bears are quite common, we've tented all over BC in some very high bear density areas, have hunted and killed bears and have been there when other hunters have shot more bears.

Much more educational than the previous qualifiers, we've cut and wrapped over a dozen black bears for friends over the years and from doing those defacto necropsies have developed theories on what works to kill bears and what does not.

Lastly I've made a point to research what works on bears with other hunters and guides which I trust to give me the straight goods on what worked well and again what didn't.

With that out of the way then, this is what I built for our daughter to use as a tenting arm. If you are a parent and are building something upon which their life might depend - well it's a different process for sure, sobering to say the least.

http://www.canadiangunnutz.com/foru...Scattergun-Builds-and-Discussion-Thread/page7

In another thread on bear firearms I opined that within reason it doesn't matter what you use - as in pump vs. semi-auto vs. break action or pistol grip vs. traditional stock - what matters is that you are very, very used to working the controls in a life threatening situation and that your tool of choice works PERFECTLY each and every time. Everything else after that is personal choice or nothing more than fluff.

Hopefully that was useful information for you or someone out there considering the same thing. Good luck on your choices and by all means if you think I can answer any questions then I'll do my best to do so. May none of us ever need to use our bear repellent guns for anything other than practice.

Dwayne
Click to expand...

Thanks for the welcome Dwayne !

I would agree with what you have mentioned. If your not comfortable with the firearm you shoot nor practice with it I think one sets up him or herself up for poor results ! I will check out the link you posted for me ! I perhaps should have mentioned that I have hunted for moose and was successful for many years but have not been for more than a few years lately. I'm looking at shotgun for those times when I'm out in the woods camping or hiking but not hunting .
Thanks Again !
Leavenworth
 
Last edited:
A Remington 870 or a Mossberg 500 with a plain 18.5" barrel with a bead sight and preferably a modified choke.

Not too expensive so that you can buy ammo for practice because you must practice shooting it. Lots.

Once you have confirmed that it functions 100% reliably then you are GTG.

Cycle the action hard, like you are trying to break it. Short stroking, especially under stress is a common mistake. It is prevented by practicing.
 
For bear defense you should use slugs, and a single projectile is best used with some form or rifle sights. Most people using a bead sight only will shoot over the target using a single projectile.
 
I work for Federal Agency Here in Canada, So it is somewhat Dictated to us What we use But... My best Best recommendation is Remington 870 Police with rifle sights if you can find/afford (what we use) or Mossberg 500 with a full stock (no pistol grip here), and a skid of slugs and buckshot. in most situations all you need is 2 or 3 slugs to stop and then finish a predatory bear. but to be able to do that in 90% of these situations you must have well established muscle memory. learn how to carry, point, shoot and follow through for the next shot. learn what your shotgun needs for care and cleaning in the environment you will be in. wet and warm, light oil on everything wiped almost dry, cold and wet same, Extremely cold and dry. clean it at home, wipe it completely dry, try and keep the gun out of warm humid environments, don't store in your tent through the night vestibule is better, the more trips in and out of the living areas, the more condensation and possibility of freezing. freezing can result in click not bang(sometimes....)

a 45-70 lever action will also do the job, buy a skid of that :eek: and practice as well...or hire a personal guide whichever is cheaper.

my opinion is worth whatever value you give it and I'm ok with that..
 
We do some hiking and 4x4ing in AB and BC and are always thinking about bears.

Only seen a few over the years they seem to avoid us between having dogs and always being noisy which is a good thing.

I have some good Bear Spray I carry in the Parks, outside I carry Bear Spray and have a 12 gauge pump. I only use slugs in the woods and find ghost rings really fast to get on target. I practice when I can but slugs are pricey, sometimes I just use trap loads to get used shouldering and using the slide action and sights.

Had a 870 Remington Combo Express and also bought DA Grizzly 870 clone. After 5 years and as I don't do clays anymore or hunt, ended up selling the Remmy. Best thing to do is do a side by side comparison between a Remmy and Grizzly. Try them both out and ask what other Grizzly owners think, as the only way I chose was after running them side by for a few years. Watch out for any plastic assemblies like I found on my Ruger and Savage rimmy and bolt, seems to be the norm now with gunmakers. :(

Never had a feeding or firing issue with the Grizzly and the metal trigger assembly, metal ghost rings, and machined receiver are tough, NO plastic trigger assembly on mine.

Don't know for sure but I heard Remington has switched to poly trigger groups, except on their Police models which I understand are still all metal, but haven't looked at the newer 870s lately.

I did change the forearm to a UTG metal assembly that has 20mm rails for a light that I usually slide on when in camp. Also added a Hogue 12" LOP rear stock, while tough you need to keep your thumb to the side or your beak will get smacked with 3" slugs!

Main thing is be aware, be prepared, and while I like to think I am ready and practiced, you just don't know until you are in that high stress situation.

I never sling I carry it, as you just won't have time.

My pack gun: Cost 300.00 when the dollar was healthier, another 80.00 in parts off Ebay.

 
Last edited:
I've observed bear biologists at a range, practising in the spring before setting off to the north, and they were using Remington 870s. I would get the Defender version with the extended magazine tube and PRACTICE with it. But, if you're doing a lot of canoeing or kayaking, it's worth considering a more expensive Marine Magnum. The corrosion resistance is excellent and I do believe the build is far superior. Although the Marine Magnum's inherent shininess literally disgusts a lot of tactical and hunting types, you are not fighting a battle or stalking the bears, right? Find a light that reliably works on a shotgun, not an easy task actually, and you have the complete wilderness camping package.

For a side saddle shell holder, I recommend the Velcro versions, last I knew they obtainable from stores like One Shot Tactical, and since they they don't come with a patch for the gun, you can buy industrial strength wide Velcro patches at Lowes or Home Depot or, to be like a true soldier, just get generic tape stuff at a dollar store.

And I would go with a simple bead sight, reasons have already been stated.
 
0faustus0 said:
And don't forget to stock the right ammo for bears .... Brenneke slugs!!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtyPqHyhgJo
Click to expand...

Since I have a feeling I might be a little quick on the trigger if a bear is coming on strong, and people with me almost certainly would be, I always load a mix of slugs and 00 Buck, starting with a slug and the next two with Buck and the rest slugs. This is not a system I've ever had a to test in real life but it makes sense to me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom