Having recently become acquainted with 'way too many black bears knocking down fences, smashing up my "bear resistant" trash containers, and having fun with my back porch screen door, I've concluded I should have a couple of boxes of full bore diameter 2.75-inch 12-gauge slug ammunition. I'm not interested in sub-diameter slugs. My shotgun has a 2.75-inch chamber with cylinder bore.

For such a "riot gun's" lack of choke, what slug ammunition tends to be more consistently accurate? That is, if I do my part in pointing at my target in a consistent way, what slug ammunition will hit where I'm pointing more consistently than most? Since I have no rear sight, using the word "aiming" doesn't really fit.

Before you go after any bears,check what your fish and game comission has to say, Nusance bears can be drugged and taken away to a new location. And what if any penalties if someone should shoot a bear destroying private property. Better safe than sorry. Down here in Louisiana they take a dim view when someone shoots a bear. Frank

You would need Foster or Brenneke style slugs for a smooth bore. The sabot style are meant to be fired with a rifled barrel or choke and won't stabilize with a smooth bore.

During my LE career a 12-ga. shotgun was standard equipment, and both 00-buckshot and rifled slug ammo were used. We were required to qualify with both ammo types.

Just about all of the issued ammo I recall was Federal brand, 2-3/4". Shotguns were mostly Remington 870's and some Ithaca 37's, all with 20" cylinder bore barrels, bead sight. Qualification shooting was done at 25 and 50 yards on silhouette targets.

When shooting slugs I recall that in order to strike at center of mass required aiming at the groin area for hits in the center of the torso, both at 25 and 50 yards. This was consistent with every shotgun I recall using.

This amounts to about 12" above point of aim. The point I am making is that if you will be relying upon your shotgun for use against a potentially dangerous animal you would do well to practice and fully familiarize yourself with it at ranges which you expect to deal with.

The Federal slugs were "shuttle cock" style, a deep hollow base design that places the bulk of the weight well forward in order to provide stability in flight from a smooth bore. Consistency and reliability were always very good.

Remington/Federal/Winchester slugs will all work well, the difficulty is finding which one. At one point I was trying slugs for 3 Moss 500's. I tried Rem, shot great in one gun, poorly in the other 2. Went to Fed same problem, same with Win?? The guns were consecutive serial #'s, I purchased all 3 , 2 would eventually go to my nephews. Out to 25 yards all were inside 8" plate, by 50 yards, 2 brands would miss the plate, while the third would be 3-4". I switched them all to rifled barrels, went Winchester Supreme and 3 shot groups at 100 yds were 2-3 depending on the shooter. I do not know where you live in regards to a store, ( I was Bear hunting in Mt, and it was 45 min to a store), So I would recommend Remington Slugger, it has worked well in all current slug guns. Easily doing 3-4" 3 shot groups @ 50 yds ( some guns will cut a cloverleaf/ or big hole ) across different brands of guns. So dependent on how far "town" is, I would grab 3-4 boxes of Rem and give them a try. Also do it off a rest, with a recoil pad. I use a PAST mag plus, for 12 ga,10 ga, 45-70, 338 win and up when I may be doing along range session, no need to beat yourself up. Be Safe,

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I BACK OUR BLUE

You are correct about identifying when shooting is permitted - better, when is necessary. My first call was when the first black bear of the season tore up my screen door (back door), entry way to the laundry room. This was about 4:00 AM. Called Department of Fish & Game (do not remember its correct name, now) the next morning.
1. Let black bears, especially sows with cubs, tear up property. It's replaceable.

2. Black bear(s) demonstrably breaking in, or actual entry, it become home dweller's decision.

3. Leave grizzlies alone! This is probably my decision rather than government employee's. The 00 buckshot with which the shotgun was loaded became inadequate to all of us before we identified the bears as blacks. If one must shoot to save a life, there had better be evidence backing the shooting decision. The shooter would receive about the same tsouris - aggravation - as would a home dweller shooting to stop a home invasion by human beings. . . . So I revert to original query.

I can say Remington Sluggers group amazingly well at 100 yds from my CZ security shotgun. 4-6" and that's with iron sights and not from a benchrest.

The term full bore slug was new to me, a quick internet search says the major companies switched to these decades ago so it's a moot point now.
But I learned something.

My tests with 2 3/4" 12 ga 1 oz slugs show Winchesters as being both
faster and more accurate than Federal or Remington. This was with
Foster type slugs in a short cyl bore barrel. This is consistent with the
results of tests that I have seen in published in the AR and other gun
magazines. A plain bead sight on a short barrel will give a high impact
with slugs and I think that's why the 18" factory 870 barrels come with
a bead mounted on a short ramp.

I live in bear country and have given a lot of thought to that subject. As I also live out quite a ways and help even if it could be summoned is going to be a long wait. That goes for two legged critters also

My 9 shot 12G Mossie pump is loaded to work for both threats. Five rounds of 00 buck and 4 slugs, with a bandoleo close by with plenty more of both kinds. Now have a 10 shot clip fed Mossie but have not made it the house gun YET!

If a bear comes into the house my plan is to put the 00 buck into face/ neck area fast in order to bring the much more effective slugs into the chamber!

At the distance a none hunting bear encounter will occur I'm not worried about accuracy, you will have plenty at that distance.

For what I'm doing any decent companies slug will do just fine.

AFAIC To many people go out of their way to over complicate this issue

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14 S&W Revs none with locks!

I second the recommendation for the 2-3/4" Remington Sluggers (I'm using the reduced recoil version). Out of my 870 Marine Magnum I get excellent accuracy.

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FBINA, 204th Session

I think if you check out Doc Roberts' recommendations you'll find Brenneke slugs of a particular type are the "A" answer. Look here: Ballistics for bears | Lightfighter Tactical Forum; Gary's response is the 2nd one after the original question.

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NHI, 10-8.

I too was a LEO who qualified with a Remington 870 with a 20" bbl. My results pretty well mirrored Lobo's for the same ranges. I used to shoot my 870 at 100 yds with slugs out of personal interest and I used to get two to three inch groups at that range. At 100yds I put my sight where I wanted to hit and there it was. No rise as there was at 25-50yds. We also used Federal 2 3/4" slugs.

I have never killed anything with a slug, but have done some tests. My Winchester Model 12 with a 28" full choke barrel will put any brand of Foster-type slugs onto an 8-1/2" x 11" piece of typing paper at 100 yards without using any special sights. That is more than good enough for me. I have never even seen a bear in the wild.

Okay, I've sufficient good information to be willing to invest up to $150.00 in single boxes of several slug ammunitions. Many thanks for getting me to about two weeks from being able to make a decision

Everything has been covered pretty well. When you start testing and grouping slugs, some extra padding for your shoulder will be very helpful, especially if sitting down at a bench. Can get pretty sore quicker than you think. Just some old guys advice.

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Just a shooter