Slug Recommendation Bear Defence

[YouAreInOilCountry]

I enjoy hiking in northwest BC and will start carrying a Benelli SuperNova 14.5 tactical shotgun for bear defence.

I know the chances of ever having to put down a dangerous grizzly or black bear is rare, but my life would count on doing so….

What slug do you recommend for bears. The Benelli shotgun can handle anything and everything.

 

[Painkillers]

Big heavy hard ones, with lots of propellant behind them.

 

[saskcop]

Isn't bear defense thread usually on Mondays? Anyway - I am a big fan of the Challenger slugs on bears.

 

[Gatehouse]

Challenger (not the low recoil target ones)
Brenneke

 

[Butcherbill]

Challenger first, Black goose second. Both are harder cast but the challenger are the harder of the two and have higher velocity but the black goose are not far behind in velocity. I find both to be very accurate in my shotguns.

 

[B]

Are those Black Goose shells loaded with Thug Slugs?

 

[The Outsider]

Any of these, if you can find them.

Basically you need hard cast lead, not soft hunting slugs.

Look for Brenneke slugs, those Federal Truballs are good too, and easier to find here in Canada.

 

[Butcherbill]

Are those Black Goose shells loaded with Thug Slugs?

No, they’re a standard rifled slug with a hollow base. Here’s a BG and a Challenger I dug up from my berm, distance was 50y. Pretty good in the deformation and weight retention dept.

Black goose

Challenger

 

[Suther]

Any of these, if you can find them.

Basically you need hard cast lead, not soft hunting slugs.

Those look like the regular truball slugs, not the deep pentatrators? Are they harder than your average lead slug? I've seen some impressive testing with the deep penetrators (by CGNs own Brobee223 on YouTube) but not a good comparison between the two.

 

[The Outsider]

Those look like the regular truball slugs, not the deep pentatrators? Are they harder than your average lead slug? I've seen some impressive testing with the deep penetrators (by CGNs own Brobee223 on YouTube) but not a good comparison between the two.

Oops, you're right. I grabbed the wrong box.
Yes the Deep penetrators are the ones you need.

Here ya go...

 

[geologist]

Brenneke Rottweil.

 

[HeadDamage]

Brenneke style slugs are what I always try to find, just bought some at the Calgary Shooting Center a few weeks ago.

 

[YouAreInOilCountry]

Thank you all so much for the replies! The explanation for the hardness of the lead was also appreciated and to what to avoid.

And excuse my ignorance, the same question about bears probably gets asked a lot! Im a long time member here, but I prefer to read rather than comment much.

I’ll definitely pick up the Challenger Ammunition, 12 Gauge, 2-3/4-in, 1-1/8 oz.… my local Canadian Tire has a tonne of them in stock, so no need for expensive online shipping & all.


My respect to all of you!

 

[rhino62]

Ah Bears! Just an hour ago watched my dog smash through a gate in order to get into the corral, because a bear was up a crab apple tree, the farm fence and electric did not deter the bear, so I expect he will be back trying to eat the pears in the main garden. I find it very difficult to deter them and since I do not want to kill them I use rubber buck shot on them. though I have not had to do that in the last seven years. I use to have a lot of trouble with bears when I kept chickens since they would kill them all, which was the definition of carnage what with the wasps after the remains!

 

[Wendell]

 

[inthehizzy]

Brenneke
Federal Deep Penetrators
Anything loaded with a ‘Thug Slug’.

 

[MiG25]

Challenger first, Black goose second. Both are harder cast but the challenger are the harder of the two and have higher velocity but the black goose are not far behind in velocity. I find both to be very accurate in my shotguns.

I'd highly recommend shooting those Challengers first, I've tried them in multiple guns and never found acceptable accuracy, and in some cases the wad was seperating and the slug hitting sideways.

I won't buy them again.

Never seen the Black Goose.

 

[Butcherbill]

I'd highly recommend shooting those Challengers first, I've tried them in multiple guns and never found acceptable accuracy, and in some cases the wad was seperating and the slug hitting sideways.

I won't buy them again.

Never seen the Black Goose.

Have shot them in multiple guns (mod to full choke) with no accuracy issues, I bought multiple boxes when I saw them on clearance/sale a few year back. Just shot them recently at 50y and they grouped nicely. Have seen people say they do well out of rifled barrels as well but have yet to test it.


The BG were easy to find before the scamdemic, rumour had it the bc CO’s were using them but I don’t know any CO’s so take it as rumour. I called Sterling Cross and they said the will sell direct to the public, I was interested in buying a case of the slugs. They shoot well in my shotguns, at $20-25 for a box of 25 the price was more than right. I think I have 3-4 boxes squirreled away.

 

[MiG25]

If a fellow seaches "Challenger Magnum Slugs" they'll find a thread I started about my results with these.

 

[Buck1950]

You- OP, Whatever you choose practice FAST shots at 10-15 yds so you can hit w/o really 'aiming'. You may not have time to . . .
And I'd think the TruBall DP would be more likely to hit an important organ . . . More Expansion may stop on a bone/cartilage ?