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Shucks, Keith- - -
Considering where you live, and your personal history, and the fact that you run a Bear Maulings web site, if someone else posted the same question, I'd refer them to YOU!
But, seriously--
Don't you have a serious side arm to pack along? I'd believe that a proper .44 mag or .45 Colt with some of the Garret loads, or a .454, would be superior to just about anything you could stuff into the other barrel of a two-row shotgun. Not to mention that with the resolver, you'd have quick follow-up shots, rather than putting all your berries in one basket.
Another way to go: The large diameter of heavy buckshot, having to bull its way through a certain amount of fur, might actually LIMIT penetration. Have you considered that #4 or #2 goose shot--NOT bucksot--had tremendous penetration? A magnum #4 would yield a dense pattern of shot. I bellieve it was on your site that I read about bear anatomy--Brain sets lower than one would think, AND, the sloping forehead tends to deflect many bullets fired from straight-on.
Even if your shot was not perfect, the #4 shot would certainly blind the bear, making evasive action at least more likely. And you'd have a pretty fair chance that a couple of pellets would funnel through the orbs and nasal passages and enter the brain.
Please understand: This is all very conjectural with me. Just throwing out some considerations for a man with much more close encounter experience with bears than I have, and certainly more than I WANT!
Best regards,
Johnny
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