Shotguns, Bears and handguns oh my.

[MrSmitty]

I once saw a show where a guy shot a polar bear with a Glock 17, took about 7-8 rounds, but it worked.....oh wait, that was Lost..................Uh...never mind....

 

[DadSmith]

I wont port anything.
Have shot deer w 180, 200, 240 and 255gr.
They almost all go through.
Unless I crash a shoulder and spine.
It works (.44 mag) but aint magic.

Getting older, arthritis sucks.

Reason for ported barrel is quicker follow-up shots. It will still be much slower to get back on target than a 10mm even with Underwood 200gr WFNGC ammunition.

 

[Hookeye]

I dont do ported bbls.
Understand why some do.

Dont port rifles either.

 

[92FSTech]

I had a 6" ported .44 once upon a time (Taurus Model 44). I didn't like the pressure blast to the face that it produced. I could feel every shot in the bridge of my nose. It might help keep the muzzle down somewhat, but I found that any benefit was negated by the distraction caused by the pressure wave and blast coming out of the ports.

I recently picked up a 2 3/4" .44 mag (Model 69, not ported), and it's nicer to shoot than that 6" ported gun was. Yes, it produces a huge fireball, but it's all going downrange instead of up into my face.

I've been doing a lot of backpacking out west recently, and I picked up the Model 69 for bear defense on the trail. I do my best to avoid them, and have yet to have any issues, but I don't want to ever be in the situation where I'm getting chewed on and wishing I'd brought a gun. The last-resort insurance that it provides is worth the weight to me. It's also effective defense against 2-legged problems, which are probably more likely to be an issue than the bears where I go.

I'm sure that a 12 ga slug or a .45-70 would be more potent, but you have to balance capability with portability and the likelihood that you're going to actually need to use it. If I was fishing a river in Alaska or something like that, I'd probably take my 1895 in .45-70 or my full-stocked 870. I can't hit crap with a pistol-grip-only shotgun...they're horrible to shoot.

 

[Leadeye]

Aren't there any former military service members who carried shotguns in Vietnam or Iraq or Afghanistan on this list? How did you use them?

My son's godfather carried one in Vietnam, said it was an effective weapon at close range and that's where he used it.

 

[DadSmith]

I had a 6" ported .44 once upon a time (Taurus Model 44). I didn't like the pressure blast to the face that it produced. I could feel every shot in the bridge of my nose. It might help keep the muzzle down somewhat, but I found that any benefit was negated by the distraction caused by the pressure wave and blast coming out of the ports.

I recently picked up a 2 3/4" .44 mag (Model 69, not ported), and it's nicer to shoot than that 6" ported gun was. Yes, it produces a huge fireball, but it's all going downrange instead of up into my face.

I've been doing a lot of backpacking out west recently, and I picked up the Model 69 for bear defense on the trail. I do my best to avoid them, and have yet to have any issues, but I don't want to ever be in the situation where I'm getting chewed on and wishing I'd brought a gun. The last-resort insurance that it provides is worth the weight to me. It's also effective defense against 2-legged problems, which are probably more likely to be an issue than the bears where I go.

I'm sure that a 12 ga slug or a .45-70 would be more potent, but you have to balance capability with portability and the likelihood that you're going to actually need to use it. If I was fishing a river in Alaska or something like that, I'd probably take my 1895 in .45-70 or my full-stocked 870. I can't hit crap with a pistol-grip-only shotgun...they're horrible to shoot.

 

[Tombs]

I remain kind of baffled that a 12 gauge slug would perform desirably on large game. The penetrating power of a foster slug is extremely lackluster.

Maybe with modern solid sabots, or some specialty loading.

I'd must sooner trust a 45-70, or any large caliber revolver over a shotgun. The penetrating power of some of the big bore handguns with a hard cast is more than enough to deal with anything on the planet short of an elephant.

 

[DadSmith]

I remain kind of baffled that a 12 gauge slug would perform desirably on large game. The penetrating power of a foster slug is extremely lackluster.

Maybe with modern solid sabots, or some specialty loading.

I'd must sooner trust a 45-70, or any large caliber revolver over a shotgun. The penetrating power of some of the big bore handguns with a hard cast is more than enough to deal with anything on the planet short of an elephant.

How about brenneke rottweil rifled slugs? Aren't they solid lead and not hollow like most slugs?

 

[Tombs]

How about brenneke rottweil rifled slugs? Aren't they solid lead and not hollow like most slugs?

Yeah a lot of the brenneke slugs are mostly solid.

The black magic magnum would be the best medicine for bear. Almost entirely solid, 602gr, moving at 1500fps.

 

[two70]

I remain kind of baffled that a 12 gauge slug would perform desirably on large game. The penetrating power of a foster slug is extremely lackluster.

Maybe with modern solid sabots, or some specialty loading.

I'd must sooner trust a 45-70, or any large caliber revolver over a shotgun. The penetrating power of some of the big bore handguns with a hard cast is more than enough to deal with anything on the planet short of an elephant.

Bears are fairly large and certainly can be dangerous but they are not particularly thick skinned, heavy boned or tough relative to other large/dangerous game. Shotgun slugs approximate early large bore muzzleloading and cartridge rifles used more or less successfully on much larger and more dangerous game.

 

[Magnum314]

Easy packin and hard to beat the 1/2 inchers!

 

[Hop]

I'm heading back to AK again soon and I'll be taking my S&W 44 loaded up with 6 HSM hard cast bear loads. It's going to be in a chest rig.

Ammo is going to make a difference. Get hard cast HSM or Buffalo Bore. You might be able to step down in caliber if you don't have at least a 44 Mag. And yes, there's more rounds in a 10mm semiauto but that doesn't make the bear run slower. You have 3-6 seconds to put rounds into a charging bear. Make them count.

I've carried a Shockwave up there in a scabbard. The 1st round was a Brenneke's Black Magic. The rest were Aguila mini slugs. It was heavy and probably too slow to deploy. I'm a pretty good shot with it though.

 

[MindfulMan]

Easy packin and hard to beat the 1/2 inchers!

That's right !

I'm heading back to AK again soon and I'll be taking my S&W 44 loaded up with 6 HSM hard cast bear loads. It's going to be in a chest rig.

Ammo is going to make a difference. Get hard cast HSM or Buffalo Bore. You might be able to step down in caliber if you don't have at least a 44 Mag. And yes, there's more rounds in a 10mm semiauto but that doesn't make the bear run slower. You have 3-6 seconds to put rounds into a charging bear. Make them count.

I've carried a Shockwave up there in a scabbard. The 1st round was a Brenneke's Black Magic. The rest were Aguila mini slugs. It was heavy and probably too slow to deploy. I'm a pretty good shot with it though.

That's right !
Put some BIG pills (hard cast) in a revolver that you can carry in a chest rig.
Do your part, and the bear loses !

This is what I put in my 500 S&W when I go to brown bear country.

 

[CampingJosh]

When I'm in bear country, I carry a S&W 329PD (.44 Mag) in a Hill People Gear kit bag. I always bring bear spray as a first line of defense, but I make someone else carry it.

A lightweight .44 takes serious practice. The 329PD with anything approaching reasonable bear ammo is harder to handle than my Serbu Super Shorty (6.5" barrel pistol-grip 12 gauge) shooting slugs. But it's a whole lot easier to carry when I'm going for a hike.

 

[Magnum314]

That's right !



That's right !
Put some BIG pills (hard cast) in a revolver that you can carry in a chest rig.
Do your part, and the bear loses !

This is what I put in my 500 S&W when I go to brown bear country.

Beautiful! Those are punishers for sure! i love the wide, flat, gas checked boomers! Big fan of Underwood Ammo and also Reeds Ammunition and Research. They make a great .475 Linebaugh 425 grain WFN HC GC...as well as the same in 500 grains for the 500 S&W. And for very packable/shootable firearms. Not that I want to spend a full day at the range shooting them, mind you...

 

[SnoopLoggyDog]

Yeah a lot of the brenneke slugs are mostly solid.

The black magic magnum would be the best medicine for bear. Almost entirely solid, 602gr, moving at 1500fps.

Black Magic Magnums are what is loaded in my shotgun in Alaska. Carry it around using a two point sling. Also carry Bear Spray.


Next trip up to our cabin, I will be taking either an 870 or a Yugo M92 with a brace and red dot (if I can find one). The M92 would be easier to carry and offer 20 rounds of instant defense against two or four legged predators. 7.62x39 also hits harder than handgun ammo, with quicker follow-up shots.

 

[DadSmith]

Henry has a nice 16" 44mag lever action that would be light and accurate for upto 150 yards. I think you can even put a red dot on it. 300gr WFNGC bullets will drop a lot of big game.

.44 Remington Magnum 305gr. Long Flat Nose Gas Check Hi-Tek Coated Hard Cast Hunting Ammo

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I believe this is a video of it here. They may make a side gate version now.

 

[Brad69]

Shotguns IME are mainly breaching weapons.
Used for shooting hinges on doors and such.
Both slugs an 00 buck are issued It’s normally a secondary weapon.
One of my buddies in the advisory group carried a folder 870 for intimidation factor. It seemed to be effective with the Afghan peoples. He never had to use it.

I only witnessed a shotgun used on the enemy once at about 3 feet 00 buck it was devastating.

 

[tv1217]

If I ever go to Brown Bear country, I have a S&W 460V and a Glock 20 to choose from

 

[DadSmith]

If a Shockwave size gun is acceptable. Why not a 450 Bushmaster, or 458 Socom pistol?

450 Thumper: Windham Weaponry’s Portable AR Pistol in .450 Bushmaster

In the 1990s, Colonel Jeff Cooper conceptualized a gun that he called the “Thumper” for infantrymen. It was to be

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.450 Thumper Pistol Complete Upper – Windham Weaponry, Inc