Small shotgun for bear defense
- Thread starter Skogkatt
- Start date
Before I moved to the city I had a course set up with ramps that let various sized balls roll down and across the field as well as clay target launchers. To get the heart rate up we'd run around the barn then do 20 pushups then grab the gun and trip the cords to release the balls and clays. It was alot of fun. Even used my double rifle minus the airborne clays
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
My personal choice is a 12.5" 870. I had a 14" before but with the mag extension it held 6 rounds and my OCD preferred to be dealing with a single box of ammo. Plus I didn't like the ghost ring sights on that gun. So down the road it went and I replaced it with the 12.5 version, which is about as short as you can legally make an 870 and maintain usability.
I have been through a few 12ga shotgun configurations to find the ideal (for me) set up, for predator control. I had a Maverick 88 with the 16.5: barrel, Maverick HS-12 O/U double barrel, Mossberg 590 with a 20" (Magpul furniture and ghost ring sights), Remington 870 with a 12", later 18.5" barrel with rifle sights (Magpul Stock, Magpul forend, later a Streamlight forend), and now have a Mossberg 590 Shockwave 14" with a Magpul stock and Streamlight forend. Having a light on your shotgun along with one on you (handheld or headlamp to scan the area) is essential if you are in the woods at night. My situation may be different as the shotgun has to be usable for both myself and my wife (hence no birdshead grip).
It's your life and you only have one. don't cheap out . get an older Remington 870 a Mossberg 500 or a Winchester model 12 or Ithaca model 37 . if the barrel is too long shorten it . someone on here mentioned problems with the pins on maverick 88 shotguns . I have heard this before . good luck in your choice. ps shoot the crap out of it to make sure it will function when and if the time comes.
I like mine, so far it’s been as good as my old 870. I’ve put a swack of ammo through it mostly slugs, but with interchangeable chokes I’ve taken lots of grouse with #6 shot. I would like to get 6 position stock for it, if I can find out what after market stock fits it.
The shortest shotgun you can legally have in canada right now is the Sulun ss 211 with the under 10" barrel. It is an over under and chambered for 3".
While opinions are like arseholes, i think a compact double barrel is great for quick shots under durress. No pumping required to get off two shots with two trigger pulls. Like someone else had mentioned, you probably wont have time for a 3rd shot anyways. Recoil wont be an issue since you wont feel anything due to adrenaline.
I just picked one up that is threaded for chokes so i am looking forward to testing it out. Also came with a holster but i dont think it is viable for wilderness carry, i am looking in to options.
While opinions are like arseholes, i think a compact double barrel is great for quick shots under durress. No pumping required to get off two shots with two trigger pulls. Like someone else had mentioned, you probably wont have time for a 3rd shot anyways. Recoil wont be an issue since you wont feel anything due to adrenaline.
I just picked one up that is threaded for chokes so i am looking forward to testing it out. Also came with a holster but i dont think it is viable for wilderness carry, i am looking in to options.
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I agree that you should never skimp on the cost of a firearm intended for self defense. It strikes me that a Benelli M4 H2O collapsible stock shotgun with the shortened barrel is just what the doctor ordered here, except that they are of course restricted status in Canada so you can only take them to defend against bear that may attack you on an approved shooting range. For other areas, I rely on an 870 Marine Magnum. While they're still legal of course, as long as there's a Liberal or NDP party everything will go eventually.
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I added a slip on recoil pad and that made a world of difference in both lop and felt recoil. Time will tell on the safety, so far it seems quite stiff/secure, i will keep an eye on it if it begins to loosen up.
That’s why practice is needed on a regular basis for anyone serious about carrying anything for the protection of it’s life. A box of clay once in a while with some slugs to confirm in targets will bring speed and accuracy to the desired levels.
Practice, practice, practice
A good combo a friend of mine used to rock in the wood was rem870 with 14" barrel, rifle sights and a youth stock of some sort. It could even be a shortened regular stock.
Ideally I’d want a stock, but if compactness is the main goal, Tac14 and some more range time. And of course some quality slugs
I remember a article in Shooters bible or something about 40 years ago a article about shotguns used in Vietnam, the US were big into them at the time. The jist of the article was that no matter how much they practice with pistol grips most couldn’t shoot a thing until they put the stock back on. I’ve tried it a couple of times, all I got was a sore hand. Love those videos of a guy trying to aim a pistol grip 12ga and end up catching the gun in there teeth.
I believe those would have been the famous Model 1897 'Trenchbrooms' which were still in use then. I assume those old babies were so oriented towards a regular shotgun design of the day that a pistol grip just wouldn't work on, you can see that in the photo I think. When I've fired newer model pistol grip shotguns, including my personal B M4, I've liked them just fine, and I'm a big double gun fan too.
Contrast and compare: the pistol grip takes a much different stock design.
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- Location
- Blaster land, Okanagan BC
That’s why practice is needed on a regular basis for anyone serious about carrying anything for the protection of it’s life. A box of clay once in a while with some slugs to confirm in targets will bring speed and accuracy to the desired levels.
Practice, practice, practice
A good combo a friend of mine used to rock in the wood was rem870 with 14" barrel, rifle sights and a youth stock of some sort. It could even be a shortened regular stock.
Ideally I’d want a stock, but if compactness is the main goal, Tac14 and some more range time. And of course some quality slugs
Agreed, the more you practice with it the better you’ll shoot it. I played areound with a tac14 clone for awhile and with some practice it was pretty damn accurate. I used it for scrubbing grouse on the road that fall, plenty accurate for 15-30y shots, mine has rifle sights but I’ve shot ones with a bead sight just as easily.
If it’s what I had in my hands I would be confident enough to use it within bear defense ranges with slugs (20-30y), I’d prefer a full stock but if you spend enough time with the birds head set up it’s not hard to hit things accurately.
Well said ..... +1
Agreed. But the bird's head is a different animal from the conventional pistol grip - LuckyGunner has some excellent videos on him getting sharp with his birdshead. Pretty impressive.
You're right, but it takes quite a bit of practice, and that's why I decided to give up on mine (14" birdshead Shockwave). That, and I generally prefer having firearms that anyone in the family can use, instead of requiring very specialized (non-transferable) training time.
Honestly though, I would have found a spot for it if it was significantly lighter. It was almost as heavy as my full-stock 12" 870, which is much, much easier to shoot.
