Hunting Black Bear with Shotgun?

[MSS]

Anyone hunt black bear with a shotgun? If so what slugs etc. I'm doing my first black bear hunt this fall and planned on using .300 Win Mag with a slug gun for backup. I started thinking why not just use the slug gun? Thanks in advance.

[Henry P]

I havn't personally hunted black bear with a shotgun but my friend took a nice one while deer hunting up here in NY state. He was just using regular rifled slug loads from a smooth barrel. I personally believe slugs are ok for black bear but remember the 300 will probably be more accurate and have far greater range. Good luck.

[KilgorII]

They are both very potent and will do the job. However, the .300 win mag will extend your effective range 5 fold over the shotgun. If the longest shot you could possibly take is 75 yards, then use the shotgun (125 yards if it is a fully rifled barrel and you're using sabots). Of course those numbers all depend on your ability with your guns.

[Thibault]

What kind of 12ga will you be packing?
Smoothbore or rifled barrel? Bead, rifle or telescopic sights? Single shot, pump or SA?
In the worst case scenario, a smoothbore, no-rib, single bead barrel, your actual effective range could shrink down to about 30 yds.

[Art Eatman]

If I see a black bear with a shotgun, I think I'll leave him alone. :D

Art

[Thibault]

LOL
Art, you just made me look like a total idiot. I'm at work, and I've just spray-painted my desk with coffee out of my nose... Thanx.

[biganimal]

what kinda shotgun would the average bear hunt with????

[Dr.Rob]

I use a Remington 870 with a 21 inch rem choke barrel with rifle sights. I use the rifled tube and the best groups I get with it off the bench is three slugs touching at 50 yards with winchester 2 3/4 1oz max slugs. that's more than enough for black bear. With the same set up I can hit the bulls eye at 100 yards with iron sights, though its tough to hold still with a gun that light.

If you plan on hunting open country take the 300.. if you are hunting in heavy brush take the shotgun.

[Art Eatman]

Sorry, Thibault. My mind sometimes goes all wonky and I do stuff like that. It's a character defect.

biganimal, I imagine a smart bear would have read posts at TFL and probably have a rigged-out 870 in 12-gauge.

Back to thread, at some point? Pretty, please? With sugar on it?

:), Art

[Spectre]

I should be receiving a bolt-action 12 Mossy with ghost ring Tritium sight and "scout" type mount any day now. I would think that would be about perfect for as far as I would fire upon a bear.

[MSS]

I have a Remington 11-87 smoothbore with ghost rings sights. I can always swap out the barrel for a rifled one but with Active slugs I can keep the smoothbore on a paper plate at 100 yds from a rest. Thanks for the feedback. Oh, I better take the .300 Win Mag in case the bear has a shotgun!