These are mostly made by boutique ammo manufactures and may be a special-order item at your local gun store. Like people, bears have their own personalities. the maximum range of a foster slug is 100 yards on deer, and closer to 50 for a mid-sized bear. dont use a sabot that is designed for deer hunting. Add to Cart. But a black bear is not a deer. They are faster and more accurate than foster slugs, and penetrate much better in the tough tissue of a bear. If you can't find the perfect home-defense round, you might try crafting your own by handloading. Black bears are not that hard to kill. And I promise you wont have time to reload. However, penetration was 18 inches. towards your level. Should always have as backup but not PRIMARY. That bear paused for a second and shook its head and ran off pawing at its nose and face. Agreed just another article to plug Glock. Bore ammo that can be used in the Rossi too. Designed as a practical and easy-to-carry gun for self-defense against large predators, the Ruger Super Redhawk Alaskan is a great choice as a bear-defense gun. A handgun is not going to stop a bear attack. Do that and you will get familiar with its operation. This prevents any jerking motion, Smith & Wesson 500 Another fantastic option for bear defense from Smith & Wesson, the 500 model packs a serious punch and will certainly stop any living threat. A surprise was the popularity of the CZ-USA Safari Magnum; with five in the magazine and one in the spout it held the most amount of ammo, a big consideration for a bear gun. Rifled Slug, Winchester Defender 1 oz. Heck, this thing could easily dispense a freakin T-rex if one happens to cross your path. Smith and Wesson Model 327 8 shot 357 mag revolver with 2" barrel in a chest holster. Lived over fifty years on Kodiak Island and carried our my first Kodiak when I was 15-16. Check out this post which is one of the most popular of all time. They have tough hides, muscles, bones, and attitudes. And thanks for the article, I get that it's an overview and I enjoyed it. Soft lead makes cheap slugs, but it cant hold up to velocities over 1600 feet per second. Hollow-base slugs, also called Foster-style, and solid slugs. It hits harder, shoots flatter, and you can actually find factory ammunition for it. With that kind of speed, youll be lucky to pull off two haphazard shots before that angry bear is rolling you up and using your head as his new favorite chew toy. If you are shooting farther than 100 yards, I would recommend a heavy sabot. The right rifled and sabot slugs can be adequate. You may think that since there are multiple pellets in buckshot, itd be alright. Here are three to avoid. The classic foster style slug has a thick round nose, but a thinner-walled, hollow back portion to keep it quite front heavy. Thinkin outside the box! If you do spot a bear, give him a wide berth. Winchester Super-X 12 Gauge 00 Buckshot. Editorial in the name of powder, steel, and ammo. However, shooting .44 Rem Mag from a squat barrel produces recoil as difficult to tame as Alaska. Not good. Just $1 per month , The best caliber for black bear hunting depends on how you plan to hunt, We may earn revenue from the products available on this page and participate in affiliate programs. 5 Reviews. If youve ever hunted black bears with dogs, you know that the trail can be long and rough enough to stop a mule. Once you've bought your home defense shotgun, it's time to load it with the best home defense shotgun ammo, but how are you supposed to know which is the best when they all claim to be the best? This classic pump-action shotgun is just as reliable, affordable, and iconic as the Model 870. A 12-gauge, 2-inch load generally contains from 21 to 34 pellets, while the 3-inch variant is loaded with a whopping 41. Sabot slugs are fairly new on the scene compared to rifled slugs but its been a while now. Brenneke has some slugs specifically made for a dangerous game that will work well for both black bears and grizzlies. Like some of the other slugs, the Hornady broke up on impact. You should be using slugs, and not just your average deer slug but hot ones, and you can forget about buckshot. Their magnum line of slugs is nothing to talk down about. It's true! However, these are worth looking into if you're needed more knockdown power. The 308 battle rifle would be a great choice for this, shoot the biggest meanest one first. Best 10mm Ammo For Bear Protection Underwood 10mm Ammo 200 Grain Hard Cast - Best Overall Specs Shop Underwood 10mm Ammo Bullet type: 200gr Hard-Cast Primer Type: Boxer Casing Type: Nickel-Plated Brass Muzzle Velocity:1250 FPS Muzzle Energy: 694 ft-lbs Pros Feeds reliably Hi-Tek Polymer-coated hard-cast bullet reduces lead fouling Remington Ultimate . I strongly advise to use the most effective one- high powered semi-auto rifle which should make possible several hits in the maximum 7 or 8 SECONDS you might have to stop the charge. Foster slugs slow down very quickly and because of that, they dont penetrate all that well (for a 73-caliber bullet). Go here for more Realtree guns and shooting. For the recoil sensitive, lighter loads in those guns or a .44 Special, .45 ACP, .357 or 9mm can do the job with the correct bullet and precise shot placement (meaning lots of practice). If you need to retreat, do it slowly and keep your eyes on the bear. The most powerful is a heavy rifled slug, but it slows down significantly past 50 yards. Full metal jacket bullets from just about any cartridge should shoot completely through just about any black bear. I like the articles from you guys. The Ruger SuperRedhawk Alaskan Model in .454 Casull is the choice for many who work in bear country. .The Taurus is usually a significantly lower-priced option for similar capability. For spot-and-stalk bear hunting in cluttered country, this one is tough to beat. A guy I know who lives up in Alaska says when he's guiding people, his plan of action is Bear Spray, Shotgun Slugs, Glock 10mm with hard cast bullets. 1.2 2. RARE HARD TO FIND WINCHESTER NEW RIVAL 12 GAUGE SHOTGUN BOX - EMPTY. Lets take a closer look at the different types of rifled slugs. I wouldn't say its a "idiotic" comment. For a fair number of people, that weapon is a firearm. Hornady is one of the most trusted brands for self-defense ammo, with choices like the Hornady Critical Defense for handguns. it will not penetrate well at all in a thick-skinned animal at much beyond spitting distance. We love them all for different reasons. As can be expected, No. And when youre behind the gun, you cant either. As I mentioned earlier, there are various types of projectiles in shotgun shells. And if you happen to make a bad shot and have to trail a wounded bear into the pucker brush, theres no better rifle/cartridge combo to be carrying. Later I had an 18" barreled rifle built on a pre 64 Win Mod 70 action, chambered for 458 Win Mag. They are also less aerodynamic. Old_Painless. We'll send you the latest guides and training tips geared As history proves there will be a Comment about how PPT is not paid by Glock. Youll want to burn through some practice ammo before you head into the backcountry. Hunting black bears over bait is a short-range affair, too, but the brush is typically thick and shots more unpredictable, so a hard-hitting cartridge in a repeating rifle is the way to go. I personally have a .308 Russian ak variant with a heavy duty steel side folding stock. That said, a handgun is just a handgun. It will serve you better in a crisis than a monstrous revolver you rarely shoot and are tempted to leave in the truck. Premium magnum slugs are probably your best bet for stopping a charging bear. Admittedly i have more experience than most, including the writer; but i would bet vital parts of my anatomy that i could drop any bear charging me. Rifled Slug 86231 We bought this for $10.50/5 from Hornady.com. We cant in good conscience recommend the Remington 870 without mentioning the Mossberg 500. 12ga 00 Buckshot, Opened. 18" comes to mind. If they go much faster, they will experience major deformation in a short wound but wont penetrate as it should. This slug breaks apart into three pieces once it hits cloth, which causes more wound channels and increased trauma. Imagine hitting a grapefruit-size target rushing toward you at 30 miles per hour while bobbing up and down and side to side. A rifled slug makes an excellent defense round because it is accurate and creates a big hole in the intruder. Some monster handguns can be brutal to shoot and an absolute pain to practice with. Because they're designed for defense purposes and they're a reduced recoil load, they are expensive compared to other rifled slugs. July 18, 2022 |The Realblog with Stephanie Mallory, April 17, 2023 |The Realblog with Stephanie Mallory, February 1, 2023 |The Realblog with Stephanie Mallory. While a well-placed shot from a 10mm can no doubt do the trick, the. 44 or bigger if you can shoot it. It is one of the most powerful cartridges available in a traditionally styled lever-action rifle; it will hit much harder than a .30-30 Remington and fly flatter. That increase isnt just for stereotypically wild places like Montana and Alaska. Theres a reason youll find hefty rifles chambered in .375 H&H, and .454 Casull (usually loaded with cartridges from Buffalo Bore or Hornadys Dangerous Game Series) slung over the shoulders of experienced bear-country guides. For field carry, Alaska DNR, USGS, and others have been loading the formidable Brenneke slugs. Few locations in the U.S. have more bears (or human/bear encounters) than the Last Frontier State. We're going to start things off with shells made specifically for home defense. Deciphering all this information is time-consuming and confusing because we're not constantly comparing apples to apples. While Nelson advises anything .30/06 and bigger for a rifle caliber, he and others in the class were partial to the .375 H&H or the .375 Ruger. Someone certainly heard our prayers because Ruger picked up the company and restarted production in late 2021. Really though, if you are going to use a slug for bears, I recommend you not use a foster, and still keep it within 50 yards. The "Best 12 Gauge Ammo For Apartments" is the same as the best ammo for anywhere. Everything you need to know before hunting raccoons, Sign up for the Field & Stream newsletter and get the latest intelligence straight to your inbox. A heavy 12-gauge sabot will work well on a bear up to 150 yards away in practically every situation. It is also possible to find higher buckshot-pellet . 00 buckshot, frequently referred to as double-aught, is the most popular at .33" in diameter. To stay safe, youll need to pack some good old-fashioned common sense and an effective bear-stopping weapon. However, these loads are more expensive due to the unique design of the segmenting slug. And location plays a big roll too - In the shrub of lower elevation Kodiak I'm most comfortable with my 12 ga shotgun loaded rubber, buck, slug, slug. But when a big boar is looking for love in the spring, hell cover a whole lot of ground. Keep your campsite clean and store food in airtight, bear-resistant containers. However, there are a couple of drawbacks to this load. most decent shooters can only get a 10-inch group at 100 yards with rifled slugs in a smooth barrel. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Service. The longer shell has more room for the double-aught buckshot pellets and powder, so don't expect this to be a low recoil12 gaugeammo for home defense because it will kick much more than the 2 3/4" shells. As with any defensive shooting situation, proficiency with your weapon is essential. Sabot slugs are also capable of holding a much more aerodynamic shape. I use my right hand as normal, Lever guns are common options for bear defense. Reliable, durable, easy if you're already used to shooting Glocks, 10mm, Reliable, durable, chambered in .45-70 Government, Popular for a reason, heavy hitting, .375 H&H. Birdshot is not a recommended load for home defense; however, if it's all you have, use it, especially if it's a turkey load. If it does- you are unbelievably fortunate. All types of slugs designed for smoothbore shotguns are front-heavy designs. The important thing here is to make sure you can use it proficiently. Were big fans of Buffalo Bore Outdoorsman hard-cast bruin punchers. Want a weather resistant, small, rifle with stopping power. Also no one has mentioned shot placement or cold weather firearm lubrication. Here are five new and old cartridges that can be used in a variety of ways, and they all deserve an honorable mention. Simply put, "don't be where you ought not be.". Let her know we were there with a bear popper. Need more awesome wilderness information? Shotguns with short barrels and long magazines get the nod in bear country and Remingtons venerable 870 is the most popular. She currently resides in rural North Carolina with her children, non-hunting husband, and a well-stocked chest freezer. The right rifled and sabot slugs can be adequate. Contrary to popular belief, black bears are not that hard to kill. We carry the best 12-gauge ammo for your favorite shotgun whether you're looking for buckshot, birdshot, slugs or specialty rounds, we've got you covered. Heck yeah. While more 0's get bigger. Select a quick-expanding bullet for this kind of hunting. The shot will be short, and if you fall and roll down the mountain before you get to the tree, you dont have to worry about a scope losing its zero. Hornady has successfully ventured into shotgun ammunition. And we don't know how to solve it, Well now you will know, Ruger is popular in Alaska and the Ruger Guide Gun rifle got the most dances with those in the class. 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