In Alaska, the highway workers will have a guy on the crew with a 375 H&H standing guard. A lot of people up there are fond of the .45-70 Marlin lever guns (the "cowboy" model with the generous magazine underneath) If I every go back I'm taking a Marlin.
Rifled Shotgun Slug vs Bear???
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reerc
Member
Thanks for the post; I was going into "bear thread" withdrawal.
reerc
Member
But seriously, I would imagine that slug pictured in the link in the first post deposited a LOT of energy before it stopped; the fact that the tip of it is flat doesn't bother me.
Jason68
Member
My brother in law hunts black bear in Carolina, has got at least 3 that I remember, I think I asked him about slugs or buckshot and he said "Naw, you don't want those." He uses a 444 (or 450?) Marlin ported guide gun with a 4x scope.
Charles
Member
All I am interested in is sheer knockdown power, at short range. He most likely was considering other issues like longer range shots, etc.
That said, the .444 is one of my all time favorites, and more than enough gun for a black bear. I wish Marlin would chamber it for a wider variety of their guns.
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I have used slugs to kill two black bears, both of which were over 300 lbs. using 3" Brenneke Black Magic Slugs. I have also taken a 710 lb moose with the same slugs. All three were one shot quick kills. One of the bears and the moose were complete pass throughs after breaking one shoulder. The other bear was also a shoulder shot. Both shoulders were broken and I found the slug right under the hide on the far side. Believe me when I say that with the 3" Brenneke Black Magic slugs, penetration is not a problem! The muscle and bone that make-up a 360 lb black bear's shoulder is not insignificant. To penetrate the hide, fat, and muscle and still break both big shoulder bones is no small thing for any slug to do on a 360 lb. boar bear.
There is a fellow that posts over on the leverguns fourum from NW montana IIRC. Some time ago he had a problem with a grizz raiding his chicken coup. His son went out one night when the bear paid another visit armed with some form of remington 20ga loaded with your standard foster slugs. Outcome was 20ga 1 bear 0, IIRC it took two shots to put the bear down IIRC.
Speaking of black bears check out this biggun' shot with a Marlin lever action, probably a 30-30. Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com • View topic - 746 lb. PA Black bear!
Speaking of black bears check out this biggun' shot with a Marlin lever action, probably a 30-30. Paco Kelly's Leverguns.com • View topic - 746 lb. PA Black bear!
Flying over canada armed
AA: I agree If I am flying over canada , it will be with a loaded 4" 500 SW and Marlin 1894 45-70 also loaded. If I go down I am not going to be scrounging for ammo in the wreckage. I guess they could start shooting at the plane, which would cause all kinds of other repercussions, that they would regret. MOLON LABE
444
The 444 is nice for a long barreled 44, better with some Garret 300 gr, but I would rather carry my 629 and a real rifle caliber.
Well OFFROAD, it seems from a quick read that only one person has actually shot anything over 300 pounds using a slug. I as well have wondered about foster slugs. I have talked to a wild game processor from back east and he stated that at the end of the year he had a coffee can full of slugs that had stopped in deer. One poster states he has shot completely through 200 pound deer broadside with foster slugs. I have done the same with a 380 ACP. I hope some more experenced BIG game hunters will respond.
Long story.
About 30 years ago my parents got some land out in the middle of nowhere. The state of Alaska was giving away the land free. All you had to do was stake it out and file some papers.
Little did we know that the cabin we built was just yards from a well used game trail. It was also very close to a slough where king salmon spawned.
The cabin was raided several times by bear until we made some upgrades. We also had to clear the brush out to 50 yards or so to see the bear coming.
The only way to get there is by boat or float plane.
I later went into the military and didn't come back for three years. When I did return to the cabin I saw a brown bear rug on the wall. Estimated at 600 pounds.
My father shot it with a Brenneke 12 ga slug at 30 yards. He tried warning shots to no avail. My mother was at the outhouse and the bear was between the cabin and outhouse.
Not wanting too, my dad shot him.
Slug went through the top of the right shoulder downwards and exited under the left shoulder. The bear fell right where he stood but did not die. Another slug and he was done.
Dad skinned him and put him in the smoke house.
When I was much younger, I saw an old timer with a side by side 10 ga. He only used slugs.
We were camped on a sand bar on a fishing trip. While away fishing a black bear raided our camp. Ate EVEREYTHING and bit holes in the cooler, pots and pans.
Next day we went fishing and the old timer stayed behind. Couple hours later we heard a shot and knew the bear returned. Old timer shot him in the head. The slug exited and there wasn't much left of the bears head.
Slugs work well. The harder the slug the better. But I've also seen 45-70's and 444 Marlin work just as well.
That being said, growing up hunting and fishing in Alaska, we always had a 12 ga close by. It was one of the first firearms I learned how to use other than a Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag.
About 30 years ago my parents got some land out in the middle of nowhere. The state of Alaska was giving away the land free. All you had to do was stake it out and file some papers.
Little did we know that the cabin we built was just yards from a well used game trail. It was also very close to a slough where king salmon spawned.
The cabin was raided several times by bear until we made some upgrades. We also had to clear the brush out to 50 yards or so to see the bear coming.
The only way to get there is by boat or float plane.
I later went into the military and didn't come back for three years. When I did return to the cabin I saw a brown bear rug on the wall. Estimated at 600 pounds.
My father shot it with a Brenneke 12 ga slug at 30 yards. He tried warning shots to no avail. My mother was at the outhouse and the bear was between the cabin and outhouse.
Not wanting too, my dad shot him.
Slug went through the top of the right shoulder downwards and exited under the left shoulder. The bear fell right where he stood but did not die. Another slug and he was done.
Dad skinned him and put him in the smoke house.
When I was much younger, I saw an old timer with a side by side 10 ga. He only used slugs.
We were camped on a sand bar on a fishing trip. While away fishing a black bear raided our camp. Ate EVEREYTHING and bit holes in the cooler, pots and pans.
Next day we went fishing and the old timer stayed behind. Couple hours later we heard a shot and knew the bear returned. Old timer shot him in the head. The slug exited and there wasn't much left of the bears head.
Slugs work well. The harder the slug the better. But I've also seen 45-70's and 444 Marlin work just as well.
That being said, growing up hunting and fishing in Alaska, we always had a 12 ga close by. It was one of the first firearms I learned how to use other than a Ruger Blackhawk 44 mag.
Retired LTC USAR
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