bear hunting...2 3/4 or 3"??

ez8

ez8

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me and my bro-in law set up for deer hunting last week, started with comere deer feed, game cams, etc. got my deer tag (season opens on the 7th of nov, we want to get the deer coming so every weekend we are checking and refilling as needed)
well, my bro in law checked the game cam and looks like im going to need a bear tag..
to me, this looks like a massive bear...

we are equip for bears,but it wasnt our main goal, but knew bears are very common in this area.
ive got a 12g rem 870 with sabots and hes using a thompson .50 cal.
going to the range again this week to put another 60-100 practice rounds through her.
we are also going hunting with 2 other guys, one is using another 12g, and my other friend im not sure if hes using his 308 or 12g. not sure what weekends they are coming with us... bear season is open now, so we are going out next weekend to check our cams again for deers and top up our deer feed and throw out a salt lick (got to make sure thats legal first, i think it is), but we are going ready for bears for safety. (all in accordance to the hunting regs of course)

any bear tips???
what should i use 2 3/4 or 3"?
i noticed the 3" is only 100 fps faster and in some caces less.
photo.jpg
 
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this is my new setup.Rem 870 Express i had it sighted in at the 40 yard mark but noticed a issue so im starting all over with different mounting rings.
im the past shooting friends guns at targets, i hit what i aim for.
i think it was Tikka T3 308, at 100 yrds.
but im not using this gun... although im thinking about buying 1 in a couple weeks.
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ez8 said:
me and my bro-in law set up for deer hunting last week, started with comere deer feed, game cams, etc. got my deer tag (season opens on the 7th of nov, we want to get the deer coming so every weekend we are checking and refilling as needed)
well, my bro in law checked the game cam and looks like im going to need a bear tag..
to me, this looks like a massive bear...

we are equip for bears,but it wasnt our main goal, but knew bears are very common in this area.
ive got a 12g rem 870 with sabots and hes using a thompson .50 cal.
going to the range again this week to put another 60-100 practice rounds through her.
we are also going hunting with 2 other guys, one is using another 12g, and my other friend im not sure if hes using his 308 or 12g. not sure what weekends they are coming with us... bear season is open now, so we are going out next weekend to check our cams again for deers and top up our deer feed and throw out a salt lick (got to make sure thats legal first, i think it is), but we are going ready for bears for safety. (all in accordance to the hunting regs of course)

any bear tips???
what should i use 2 3/4 or 3"?
i noticed the 3" is only 100 fps faster and in some caces less.
photo.jpg
Click to expand...

Both will get the job done, but make sure your set-up is accurate. I personally like the Challenger rifled slugs if using smoothbore. Its hard to beat the accuracy of Remington Accutip sabot slugs from a scoped rifled barrel. They rival many of my bolt rifles at 100 metres !
 
May be time to leave more's law behind, 2 3/4 will work fine, possibly better, less muzzle jump and recoil may allow for a faster second shot if things go south. Why do you think tac/le loads are usually a reduced recoil version?
 
ez8 said:
me and my bro-in law set up for deer hunting last week, started with comere deer feed, game cams, etc. got my deer tag (season opens on the 7th of nov, we want to get the deer coming so every weekend we are checking and refilling as needed)
well, my bro in law checked the game cam and looks like im going to need a bear tag..
to me, this looks like a massive bear...

we are equip for bears,but it wasnt our main goal, but knew bears are very common in this area.
ive got a 12g rem 870 with sabots and hes using a thompson .50 cal.
going to the range again this week to put another 60-100 practice rounds through her.
we are also going hunting with 2 other guys, one is using another 12g, and my other friend im not sure if hes using his 308 or 12g. not sure what weekends they are coming with us... bear season is open now, so we are going out next weekend to check our cams again for deers and top up our deer feed and throw out a salt lick (got to make sure thats legal first, i think it is), but we are going ready for bears for safety. (all in accordance to the hunting regs of course)

any bear tips???
what should i use 2 3/4 or 3"?
i noticed the 3" is only 100 fps faster and in some caces less.
photo.jpg
Click to expand...

Most brands of sabots have a mv around 2000 fps in both 2.75 and 3". I have found tighter groups using the longest shells that your barrel is chambered for. The results on the animal will be the same with either.
 
Zokakoka said:
usually I'd us 2 3/4 for everything, occasionally 3", but for bear, definitely a 3"!
Click to expand...

Bears are not armour-plated fire-breathing fiends. You're much better off making a good shot with a 2 3/4 than a bad shot with a 3 inch shell. Recoil is much heavier with a 3 inch, IN MY EXPERIENCE, with little to no advantage when over bait.

Your mileage may vary, of course, but of the three small bears I've seen shot over bait, none of the slugs were ever recovered, and they all blew huge rat holes in the bears.

Not saying don't shoot three inch shells, just that you shouldn't need them, unless you are facing down a 400-lb bruiser, and I'm guessing that isn't the case. And they'd likely work just as well on that, too. :shotgun:
 
Not sure how much weight is holding your sneakers on the ground.
I would suggest you try out both to see how you react to the recoil of both.
Get comfortable with the ammo you're using to make the best shot (s).
No surprises this way.
Cheers.
 
ive gone through 80+ rounds in 2.3/4 and i have another 110 im bringing to the range thursday.
ive got 1 box of rem accutips in 3" and they are sold out at lebaron right now, so ill test 2 and keep 3 for when i go hunting.

i did notice most the sabots i picked up are 2000fps or close to it.
 
The 3" will probably cost you a round in your magazine, and in penetration test I conducted years ago, they had no advantage. Your choice of slug is much more important than the length of the shell. I carry 3" in my 590, but those were the Brennekes that were available when I bought them. Standard length slugs loads generally have higher velocity, and 3" generally use heavier slugs.

I think buckshot is a good anti-personnel tool in the home defense gun, but I wouldn't choose it for big game except under very specific circumstances such as: when it was mandated by law, or in circumstances where the potential over penetration of a slug could pose a serious safety hazard to others. It is because of the safety issue that I usually have a couple of buckshot loads in my sidesaddle, but they are more likely used to swat foxes that I think might be rabid, which is a concern here from time to time. If you are close enough for buckshot to be effective, you have to shoot as well as you would with a rifle, so the "spread" of the pattern is of no benefit and certainly doesn't make up for poor shooting. If you are going to use buckshot, the 3" puts more pellets in the air, but the recoil of a 15 pellet 00 load can be pretty intimidating.
 
Lots of bears fall to 2 3/4 slugs. Every one I've ever shot. And all the ones off the family orchard have been shot with rifled slugs out of a old single shot 2 3/4
 
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