Birdshot vs Large Animals

[shiftyer1]

I've used a 12ga with 7 1/2 shot on a 70 pound dog with less than acceptable effect. It was at about 20 ft and took 3 shots. The first shot paused the attack for a second, he went right back at it. The second shot changed his mind and he started to trot off, 3rd shot finally did the job.

It made me carry a couple extra buckshot shells when im dove hunting.

 

[BP44]

It was at about 20 ft

that must be one open choke, I would have guessed that pattern would be about the size of a basketball at most.

 

[shiftyer1]

It was with an h&r single shot from way back when. No choke, I really don't use it much anymore, it's kinda been retired. It was my grandfathers

 

[Gordon]

I shot a lot of critters up to 60-80 pounds with #6 high brass in a 12ga with full choke. It seems to work great to about 60 feet or less. #4 Magnums or 2s or BBs bring that out to maybe 100 feet. In the distant past I got an 80 pound lion with #4 Magnum in a 12 gauge full choked gun at 25 yards. I was shocked to see it fold up on the spot! I nailed it facing me when I checked the goat shed in Big Sur.

 

[d2wing]

I was charged by a bull moose while grouse hunting. I was armed with 7 1/2 shot so I did not shoot. I was upwind so I urinated and the smell stopped him. Either that or he didn't feel so bullish anymore.

 

[FIVETWOSEVEN]

There is a woman that survived getting blasted in the face at near point blank range with birdshot. After shooting her, the husband tried killing himself with birdshot as well and he survived as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connie_Culp

 

[Onmilo]

788Ham
I was hoping you would know cause we don't get many mad bears around here.

What I was referring to is that rare case where the bear is actually chewing on you and since they tend to swat things like shotguns out of the way, you would probably be better served shoving a handgun under his jaw.

Under jaw shot works very well when killing them out of trees as well, It's how I learned about it.

 

[Shotgun wg]

Wait....what now?

As I said I was the kid. Shot point blank with #6 in 20ga. Doctors said it missed all the important stuff by a half inch or less in any direction. I was shot in the stomach. Tore my intestines up and lodged the wad in my back. Took out half my right hip. The docs said if it had been buckshot it would have blown me in half. As it was the #6 only nearly did this.

 

[Mike1234567]

If pinned down I'd definitely use a shotgun loaded with bird shot. I suspect with the muzzle shoved under the center of the throat or the temple would work okay especially if you can get off more than one shot. Although it's definitely not the best option, even bird shot can penetrate at "zero" inches.

 

[Burt Blade]

For planning purposes, birdshot is for ..... birds.

In desperation? It goes boom and makes holes. Prior planning and alertness tend to mitigate occurrences of desperation.

 

[RustHunter87]

Right BIRDshot.

 

[leeroy71]

Switching shells "mid-charge" ? You better be fasts. I've never been "charged" by anything bigger than a possum trying to get past me.

What choke are you using? My Winchester mod.140 12ga with a modified choke made baseball size holes at 10yrds. Not patterns, holes. My full choke Win 12ga pump is tighter at spittin' distance.

I'm quite sure, but have no evidence to the fact, that you could take a head nearly off at that distance. Bear or otherwise.

I checked these shotguns on paper plates just for this reason. I used to go squirrel hunting in N. East WVA. Lots of black bears. You never know when a wounded bear might take its anger out on first thing down the trail.

BTW. Bear bow season and deer bow seasons and small game seasons are all open at the same time.

 

[Gun Geezer]

Must be a city boy if you are afraid of cows.

I hear you. But grown men have been killed by cows over protecting a calf. They can be very agressive with all that hamburger mass to work with!

 

[JohnBT]

"I'm quite sure"

You really need go back and read the entire thread. Three shotguns certainly didn't, as you put it, "... take a head nearly off." In fact, three shotguns struggled to even kill a black bear.

And yes, before you ask, they were all excellent shots.

 

[leeroy71]

^I have read the entire thread. Maybe you should reread my post. I said my shotguns are TIGHTLY choked. And at spittin' distance 5 shots (not bird hunting so no silly plug law) of no. 6 is devistating.

I suppose ic or similarly open chokes things would be different. But not at very, very short range.

Knowing shot is not even close to optimal for anything larger than turkeys, I would not shoot til its almost too late.

 

[MtnCreek]

Must be a city boy if you are afraid of cows.

Ever been run over by 1,200 lbs of beef?

multiple gunshot shotgun suicide...

Holy Crap! I don't know what to think about that.

 

[JohnBT]

"I said my shotguns are TIGHTLY choked. And at spittin' distance 5 shots (not bird hunting so no silly plug law) of no. 6 is devistating."

That's nonsense. Go back and reread my post on how my father, uncle and grandfather finally killed a black bear with #6 shot using 2 12 ga. guns and one 20 ga. at arm's length. All three guns were (and still are) full choked. They're lucky they weren't injured or worse because the bear was so close during the entire encounter he was swatting at the barrels when he wasn't hitting my grandfather's little mutt named Sparky.

Five shots of #6 is devastating? Ha. They fired nearly 40 rounds into that bear before he finally laid down in the creek and eventually died.

John

 

[JohnBT]

And a black bear coming at you presents a fairly small, hard target. Fwiw,

www.americanbear.org/anatomy.htm

"The longest black bear skull recorded with the Boone and Crockett system was 14.75 inches and the widest black bear skull was 8.875 inches."

 

[leeroy71]

Who's aiming for the skull at point blank range. A face full a of tennis ball sized (or smaller) pattern IS devistating. What I mean by spitting distance is feet not yards.

I'm not trying to downplay your family's close call. No doubt that was a hairy situation. Wouldn't want to have been there.

All I am saying is at 10 to 15 feet, my 12ga makes a massive hole. Not much of a pattern. So, although not optimal, I do not feel under gunned with fine shot.

Personally, cattle make me more nervous. I've ridden a few bulls, they can be unpredictable, at best.

 

[JohnBT]

Three grown men firing shotguns at a bear they could have reached out and touched didn't make even one "massive hole". The bear was no more than 5 to 10 feet away depending on what part of the encounter we're talking about. Not yards, feet. Tore the fur and skin up good, but no big holes.

I'll trust my eyes on this one over your general statements about "IS devistating."

30-some shots of 12 and 20 ga clearly wasn't devastating. We tried to find all of the hulls later on, but surely missed some that fell in the creek.

John

 

[JohnBT]

And one more thing.

"Who's aiming for the skull at point blank range. A face full a of tennis ball sized (or smaller) pattern IS devistating."

Uh, the face is ON the skull. What would you aim at when a bear is facing you, the shoulders? You can't be serious. Give it up.

John

 

[leeroy71]

^Whatever. The hardest part of a bear's skull is from above the eyes to back behind the ears. yes the face is on the skull but on the "softer" part.

Shot in the nose, lower jaw throat area point blank is going do damage. More than flesh wounds.

Bad shooting is bound to happen under stress. How many hits and misses?

 

[BP44]

Lots of Internet style advice in this thread very little first person info but lots of good stories to imagine.