Being stalked, Need suggestions.

[MrPink]

With regards to slug loads: I assume you have a smooth bore barrel and conventional chokes. That limits you to rifled slugs. Sabots will give you the higher velocity but you need a rifled barrel (or at minimum, rifled chokes) for them.

Look at the Federal Premium Hydra Shok HP. A 1 oz slug listed at 1600fps. Should do the trick on black bears.

If you want 12 guage heavy, Federal makes a 3" magnum slug HP. 1.25 ox at 1600fps. With proper shot placement, this would definitely put the bear down. Tough on the shoulder though.

 

[Porter Glockwell]

Fear not the mountain lion-fear Jenna, the sage-burning, hemp-wearing, Goddess-chanting vegan who will swoop down upon you and peck mercilessly, bringing her coven of sisters and fey brothers and many, many TV crews!!!

And THAT is where the buckshot comes in handy...

slugs for bears, buckshot for hippies I always say.


Porter

 

[Evil_Ed]

I'd always heard the point of the buckshot was not to injure the bear at all but just to inflict a lot of pain over a large area.

Sole purpose of buckshot in regards to a bear is for blinding it, all follow up rounds should be slug. I thought it made sense when a guy that had spent some time traveling around in Alaska suggested it to me. I figure if it survives buckshot to the face and 7 rounds of slug then he deserves to eat me just for bein a tough SOB.

 

[Hardtarget]

May I suggest...if you shoot a bear,KILL IT! A wounded preadator is the most dangerous animal in the woods! It will be forced to hunt only the slowest and easiest prey...humans. Do everyone living in the area a favor and use enough gun. A 12 ga. with slugs or a heavy rifle will do fine. Also, cats are hard to kill so forget the handguns. You might want to look at a wildlife anatomy book to see how the vital organs sit to get good shot placement. That was a good suggestion to have one watch while one shoots! Have fun, shoot safely, watch your back and don't be lunch!
Mark.

 

[dww]

Carry your Kimber with 230 grain FMJFP, I think Hornady and Buffalo Bore sell this ammo. Extra mag, that's 7+1+7= 15 rounds

The shotgun is almost unworkable as your primary weapon. If you are there for plinking or hiking, it will not be near when you need it, that's Murphy's law.

Use your side arm to fight your way to the shotgun if necessary. You will always have your sidearm.

Distance is your friend. fire, retreat, fire, retreat. hell, if you can retreat without firing, all the better!

Decide now what your triggers will be for conditions orange and red (the fact that you are armed puts you at condition yellow already). When will you shoot, why will you shoot, what routes of retreat will you take?

Be realistic in your choice, and in your commitment to carry. Making your primary weapon a shotgun, which is hard to carry and sustain in a fight, is, in my opinion, not the best choice.

"Guns," says Clint Smith of Thunder Ranch, "are like flashlights: one is none, two are one, three are two." i.e. one will crap out when most needed. Better to have a 45 and a small 38 as a backup.

I'm no expert, but I lived in Alaska for 6 years. If I was bumming around, I had a side arm. If I was bear hunting, I had a 45/70 marlin, and a sidearm.

If I thought bears were around and I was at a disadvantage of being snuck up on and attacked, I bought fish in town!

dww