410 shotgun slug kill a bear ?

Will kill a deer. I have seen it done a few times. I wouldn’t trust it for a bear, but considering a lot of critters have been taken down by 22lr and 22 mag I’m inclined to say that it is highly possible that it would work, but it is far from optimal.

A .22 will kill a bear, if you put it in the right place. Do I want to bet my life on it, or a .410, with a bear? No.

Oh boy...

410 slugs would definitely not be my first choice for bear, but I would take it over a sharp stick.

I have taken two nice Whitetail bucks with my 410 slug gun.




There is a surprisingly large selection of slugs for the 410 shotgun. Brenneke Silver slugs have hands down been the best performer for me. One of the heavier available, hard cast slug, with good velocity and accuracy (for a slug). The second deer weighed in at ~180lb live weight, was spine shot with the Brenneke and the slug still exited.

Check the weight of a 410 slug (in grains) and you will decide NOT to use it on a bear!!! If you are not aware, there are 7,000 grains per pound. You do the math!

A 410 slug is very light for caliber and penetration will be poor.

Can a 410 slug kill a bear? Yes, but the odds of it happening in an acceptable amount of time are not good. I wouldn't shoot a bear with a 410 slug unless I had no other choice. I certainly wouldn't set out hunting a bear with one.

1/5 ounce. At the muzzle about what a lead 357 does. At fifty yards, not so good. Probably the reason most states that require slugs for deer exclude the 410 for deer.

The only time that I have ever used 410 slugs was for raccoon hunting. A 410 slug will knock a raccoon out of a tree where a 22lr or 22mag will not. As much as I love the 410 and even have a couple loaded with SD rounds for home, I don't think I would try a 410 slug for bear. 5/8oz-11/16oz for 5 pellets of 00 or 000 buck is better than 1/5 oz slug.

Not a bear thread.

Once again, parts of the gun community are continually pressing the boundaries of both common sense and prudence by relentlessly trying to see how small of a gun can be used to kill exponentially larger critters. We are not in a race to the bottom folks.

Would it kill a bear or a deer? The answer is a skeptical yes.

Now the real question of WHY THE HECK ARE YOU ASKING needs to yelled. Acedemic? Well Okay. Are you thinking of hunting with one? Deer, sure but I wouldn't do it. Bear, absolutely not unless you have no other options and you are being attacked right now. If there is a hunt planned then take nearly a rifle 25 cal or above or a shotgun WITH SLUGS 20 gauge or above.

General consensus is Blackie don’t take any more killing than whitetail. Been hashed out in these pages with several calibers.

I suppose there would be the pucker factor to consider though.

Sarcastic_Hate said:

not hunting for bear just wanted to know if i was hunting for deer and a bear tried to attack me if i would be okay with the 410

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I admit that I've pondered the same question while I'm out chasing rabbits with my .410. But, since bears are usually hibernating, I wonder about lions. I also carry a 10mm Auto though. You know, chupacabras and all that.

PapaG said:

1/5 ounce. At the muzzle about what a lead 357 does. At fifty yards, not so good. Probably the reason most states that require slugs for deer exclude the 410 for deer.

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1/5 oz is 87.5 gr. Some of the 3-inch slugs are 1/4 ounce (~109r). Brenneke slugs are 114gr. Ballistic products sells a 410 slug for reloaders that is ~123 gr.

From my Winchester 9410 those Brenneke slugs were moving at just over 2000 fps generating a bit over 1000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. The Brenneke slugs are a very hard alloy unlike most of the more traditional foster slugs in 410 and thus penetrate very well in my testing of both water jugs, wet phone books, and the one deer I shot with them. The 114gr Brenneke Slug going just over 2000 fps out penetrated a 180gr XTP 40 cal bullet going 1300 in both water jugs and wet paper. Both (technically the 200gr XTP) have pass through deer for me.

As for the legality of 410 slugs for deer that last time I researched it (a bit over a decade ago) 22 states allowed it, 19 did not and 9 I was unable to determine at the time.

It depends on the deer. These dog sized things here in North Texas, yes.

A big mulie? No.

mcb said:

1/5 oz is 87.5 gr. Some of the 3-inch slugs are 1/4 ounce (~109r). Brenneke slugs are 114gr. Ballistic products sells a 410 slug for reloaders that is ~123 gr.

From my Winchester 9410 those Brenneke slugs were moving at just over 2000 fps generating a bit over 1000 ft-lbs of muzzle energy. The Brenneke slugs are a very hard alloy unlike most of the more traditional foster slugs in 410 and thus penetrate very well in my testing of both water jugs, wet phone books, and the one deer I shot with them. The 114gr Brenneke Slug going just over 2000 fps out penetrated a 180gr XTP 40 cal bullet going 1300 in both water jugs and wet paper. Both (technically the 200gr XTP) have pass through deer for me.

As for the legality of 410 slugs for deer that last time I researched it (a bit over a decade ago) 22 states allowed it, 19 did not and 9 I was unable to determine at the time.

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OP did not specify what slug he was considering, I default to the standard load. In your state research, were these "shotgun only" states or all that you could find? Not arguing or challenging, just want to compare apples to apples. I, personally, would not choose a 410 as a bear gun. Sure you can kill one with a 410. I'd go a little bigger. Cheers.

At one time the worlds record grizzly was taken with a 22, that record has since been surpassed. That was back in the 1950's and was taken by a native Canadian girl out picking blueberries IIRC. The bear got too close, she placed the muzzle against it's head and fired.

We had a camper kill a 300 lb black bear here in GA about 15 years ago with a stick of firewood after the bear approached his 4 year old son.

Full grown brown bear have been killed with 9mm.

That doesn't make it a good idea to depend on any of those, or a 410 slug to work every time.

Deer are easier to kill than humans and a bear is no harder to kill than a physically fit human of the same size. I don't believe a cannon is necessary for either of them, but I think a 410 is pushing things a little too far for bear. Some of the expensive specialty slugs available for 410 might be an acceptable choice for deer at close range.

PapaG said:

OP did not specify what slug he was considering, I default to the standard load. In your state research, were these "shotgun only" states or all that you could find? Not arguing or challenging, just want to compare apples to apples. I, personally, would not choose a 410 as a bear gun. Sure you can kill one with a 410. I'd go a little bigger. Cheers.

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But the standard is 1/4 oz or 1/5 oz depending on the manufacture. Remington is 1/5 oz (I have killed a deer with this slug) Federal only offers a 1/4 oz. Winchester offers both weights. There are other options available but those are the big three ammo makers.

The research is fuzzy in my head since it was over 10 years since I did it but I looked at games laws from all the states, shotgun only or otherwise. 22 allowed, 19 forbade, 9 inclusive, that equals all 50 states.

I also would not choose it as a bear gun. (insert bad joke about using artillery or anti-tank missiles here please).

I don't even advise it as deer gun for most people. It is a unique challenge to try to take deer with a 410 slug gun. It's like hunting with a crossbow but harder to find one that shoots straight and shot placement is probably slightly more critical if anything. I did it for two reasons, I wanted to hunting with a lever-gun in a slug only state (410 is legal in Ohio) and I wanted the challenge of getting close. Both deer were taken from the ground stalking.

I, like others, wouldn't count on it. First of all, unless you are hunting in an area known to be inhabited by aggressive bears, running into one is a small risk.

If it were me and I were hunting with a light for caliber gun like a .410 and worried about needing defense to go with my primary gun, I would just get a Glock 20 and be done with it.

mokin said:

I also carry a 10mm Auto though. You know, chupacabras and all that.

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Seven years ago I shot and killed a chupacabra I thought would be the state record. Turned out it was a opossum with mange.

Texas10mm said:

It depends on the deer. These dog sized things here in North Texas, yes.

A big mulie? No.

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The smallest deer I’ve seen were around Boerne when I lived there in the 90’s.

jmr40 said:

Full grown brown bear have been killed with 9mm.

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Phil Shoemaker. He hangs out at 24 Hour Campfire and there was quite a long thread about it.

If that's all you have and a bear is munching on you then but all means use it. Better than a knife. Personally I would use spray. And avoidance.

Just to stir the pot a touch. If I get to pick the ammo and 410 then I would take my Winchester 9410 loaded with Brenneke Slugs over a 10mm Auto handgun for bear defense without much reservation (rather have my anti-tank missile but...). In my testing I manage to out penetrate a decent 10mm load (180gr XTP at 1300fps) with the Brenneke slugs from my 9410. I get 9+1 capacity and in a "rifle" format it's much easier to get good hits. The rifle also works as a better club than the handgun would when things get really desperate.

mcb said:

Just to stir the pot a touch. If I get to pick the ammo and 410 then I would take my Winchester 9410 loaded with Brenneke Slugs over a 10mm Auto handgun for bear defense without much reservation (rather have my anti-tank missile but...). In my testing I manage to out penetrate a decent 10mm load (180gr XTP at 1300fps) with the Brenneke slugs from my 9410. I get 9+1 capacity and in a "rifle" format it's much easier to get good hits. The rifle also works as a better club than the handgun would when things get really desperate.

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With things being equal and I could choose my 410 it would be one of those AK pattern shotgun. 20 rounds of 410 slugs should take care of Yogi.

Deer are easier to kill than humans

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First time that I have heard that. Usually it is the other way around.

I've seen bear taken with a bow & arrow. .410 would probably work, but you better have a good hiding place till it dies. The guy with the bow & arrow had a good hiding place and a guide with a .375 rifle with him.