Bear shooting question
A couple buddies and I are planning about a week long trip in the Snowy mountains in Wyoming during mid-term break. We're going to be in bear country and since we're planning on packing about a mile or 2 from a trailhead we're going to be bringing along some firepower.
My question is would a 12 gauge slug stop a bear? There will be three of us and we'll all have a 12 gauge. Also, where would the best place to pop one be? I assume the head, right between the eyes, but I'm not sure. Never been in the position to shoot a bear before. Thanks in advance.
My question is would a 12 gauge slug stop a bear? There will be three of us and we'll all have a 12 gauge. Also, where would the best place to pop one be? I assume the head, right between the eyes, but I'm not sure. Never been in the position to shoot a bear before. Thanks in advance.
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1) Best thing short of a ten gauge to pack!
2) Aim for the furry part [:o)]
Have fun!0 -
shoot for the chest. I think a 12 ga slug should do the trick. 0 -
And if it doesn't work, make sure you can run faster then your hunting buddy. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by AHansen
And if it doesn't work, make sure you can run faster then your hunting buddy.
...shooting him in the leg will help insure this.0 -
[:D][:D] 0 -
Make it a 3" 12 gage.
If I were using it just for protection. I believe that I would apt for some 00 or BB buck shot. More likely to hit a bear while you stand there with pee water running down your leg.[:D]
Yes a 12 gage can and will drop a bear. It is something that I would not want to do on a daily bases thou.
When and if it comes time to pull the trigger. Think of a bear as a human being. They share the same vitals layout that we have. If you were going to shoot to kill. You know where the shot needs to be placed to get max effectiveness out of the round no matter what position it's body may be in.0 -
Remember that as a bear charges the angle of his head can cause a bullet to riccochet. A spinal shot will do more to stop him. If you can. 0 -
I'd be bringing a 12ga, 1oz slug as first round, then 00 Buck, then 00 buck, then Slug. If you can carry 8 in the tube, you'll be fine. Maybe a side saddle or buttstock shell holder with a few more.
A 1oz slug will handle the job.0 -
12 ga is just fine at the "defence" ranges where you will need it. A slug in the high shoulder area would be very effective but a more practical solution is once you start shooting keep shooting until you are out then reload as fast as you can. hissinggoose has it right...aim for the furry part. 0 -
Don't know if I would go for the head. I know it's not quite the same, but I have had a 22s bounce of a raccoon's head. I would NOT want to pi$$ off a bear. Shot the coon in the neck, but it took a while to die.
Wild critters can go a long way, and do a lot of damage, after being shot. They "will" be dead, they just don't know it yet. Be careful.0 -
quote:quote:
Originally posted by AHansen
And if it doesn't work, make sure you can run faster then your hunting buddy.
...shooting him in the leg will help insure this.
I will make sure that I never go hunting with you[:D][:p][;)]
Jon0 -
quote:Originally posted by Jon0322
quote:quote:
Originally posted by AHansen
And if it doesn't work, make sure you can run faster then your hunting buddy.
...shooting him in the leg will help insure this.
I will make sure that I never go hunting with you[:D][:p][;)]
Jon
Come on John...elk season starts next week and I could really use a hunting partner...this is grizzly country.[;)][:D]0 -
As others said, don't shoot for the head.
I lived up in British Columbia one summer, and I met several grizzly hunters. They said that you shoot 'em in the chest.
As the bear looks right at you, his thick facial hair makes you think that you have a good target, somewhat of a flat target, like the skull of a human, if the human is looking right at you. The human forehead is a flat target, and a good target.
In fact, looking right at you, the bear's skull is pointed, starting at the nose. Shoot 'em between the eyes, you will hit skull that slopes away, and good chance you will ricochet.
This is not to say that bullets really bounce off of a bear's skull. Remember, a bullet will ricochet off of water, if hit at the right angle.0 -
A head shot is always hard. Head will be moving side to side. That said the bear has a very thick frontal area of the skull. Not so for the side of the head. That is the thin part of the skull, you can drop a bear quickly if you can get off a shot there. Otherwise I agree, go for the heart lung shot. 0 -
Also give some thought to PREVENTION- food and garbage discipline. That is, pay attention to where you have stuff that will attract bears. Sorta like hunting over bait. Cookies in the sleeping bag= really BAD idea![:p] 0 -
When I lived in Alaska I used to roam around the woods all the time. Where I lived there were TONS of bears. I would not leave the house to go up in the woods without my 12 gauge with slugs and .357 handgun.
Like others said DO NOT shoot for his head. A bears skull is extremely thick. Also if you think a bear might charge you I used to always get a good sized tree between him and I and aim down on him then. If a bear charges you give him sometime I have been false charged many times by bears and usually they just stop then start chattering their teeth, snorting, and stomping their feet. I have never been really charged.
How you act really depends on the type of bear also. With a black bear you don't want to lay there and act dead if they attack you. FIGHT BACK, black bears are big weenies most of the time and are easily scared off.
Brown bears/Grizzlys are another whole can of worms. I've read the best thing to do with them is wait them out quietly and if they get a hold of you don't fight back.
Or you could live dangerously and only bring your .22 and a long hunting knife and if you see a bear shoot him in the ass then pull your knife!0 -
Load slugs only, not 00 buck. The 00 will not properly penetrate the thick hide and will not do the damage needed. Remember a wounded bear is a pissed off bear, so shoot to kill. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by Kodiakk
Or you could live dangerously and only bring your .22 and a long hunting knife and if you see a bear shoot him in the ass then pull your knife!
YOU are a bad motor scooter if you can do that and live!0 -
A head shot is a no-no. When shooting a big bear, go for the lungs. When shot through the heart, a big bear will keep charging. The problem with a head-shot is that, brownie or grizzly's heads are shaped like a Sherman tank. They are sort of rounded and most shots will ricochet off. Take it from an ex Alaskan game Warden. Are you folks going up hunting or just camping? And, why the 12 guage deal?[:)] Have fun. 0 -
Well what are you recommending something else like a S&W460 or 500mag with a real stout load? Other than those two or a 12 guage I'm not sure what else I'd trust my life too other than maybe a full auto BMG or one of them wheel cannons like Jessie the Bod packed around...hollywood. [:D] 0 -
I agree with everyone on the DO NOT SHOOT FOR THE HEAD comments. You want bone crushing flesh ripping slugs. Shoot for the chest. You want the slugs to rip up and to do so much damage that it drops the bear.
A little more information for you about bear attacks. I have heard that when a bear attacks it will scare the holy crap out of you. Expect to be terrified. Bears can move at speeds of 30 miles per hour. A bear can be on top of you before you even know that one is in the area. They don't necessairly growl at you and make a big commotion. I would expect an encounter to happen so quickly that you don't know what is happening until you are on the ground getting your butt kicked. Make sure you don't keep your shotgun in a location where you cannot get to it quickly.
I carry the Ruger Alaskan 454 and practice dry firing and drawing before I go out into the woods. I figure I will have just a couple of seconds to react if I ever have to use it. I even practice drawing from a reclined position in case I am knocked to the ground by suprise.
Good luck. Most likely you won't even see a bear nor their signs. But always be prepared for the worst.0 -
Skin that one pilgrim, and I'll get ya a'nuthern! 0 -
Fist off, most Grizzly bears in Wyoming reside in areas where you CANT legally carry any firearms. Second, I would keep the shotgun at home and enjoy the weight savings. Bears pose VERY LITTLE danger to human beings. Common sense is a much better defense tool against bears than a firearm. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by BarkingDog
Fist off, most Grizzly bears in Wyoming reside in areas where you CANT legally carry any firearms. Second, I would keep the shotgun at home and enjoy the weight savings. Bears pose VERY LITTLE danger to human beings. Common sense is a much better defense tool against bears than a firearm.
I agree with you using your head more then you'd ever have to use a firearm on a bear however, I'd be damned if I would go into country with dense bear populations without a firearm.0 -
If nothing else a firearm in bear country will provide you with peace of mind. But remember, in order for your firearm to be effective you will have to have it holstered (handgun) or slung over your shoulder (shotgun). In Yellowstone a park ranger or "greenie" will spot you in a second and you are in BIG TROUBLE !! You can forget about ever getting your guns back.
I have had mutiple black bear encouters in the Sierras and I can honestly say I have never once been afraid. Also, there are thousands of people who encounter grizzly bears often in Alaska and its VERY VERY RARE to be attacked. I think a firearm might make a person more inclined to act in a manner that would spook a bear rather than knowing you have to be wise around a bear and act in a way so as to not provoke a bear.
Whatever you might think of Timothy Threadwell he lived face to face with grizzlys for 13 YEARS before he was killed.0 -
Well if someone is stupid enough to get ballsy with a bear just because they have a firearm...... I call that quality population control. [;)][:D] 0 -
Not knowing a damn thing abut shootin bears I
get myself some brenneke slugs and somehow disable
the bear ,then give him one behind the ear.But
I imagine it's so easily said sitting infront
of a keyboard.0 -
Thanks for all the advice guys. We're not going to be doing anything stupid, we're just hiking in and camping, no hunting. Basically we just want something to have in case the freak thing happens.
I hope we don't get into the situation of needing to shoot a bear; they're awesome creatures that I really have no desire to kill.
As far as all the 12 gauges, we all have one and we figured that would work.
For food, we're going to take in a bunch of jerky (homemade of course) [:D] and put some eggs in a Nalgene. Haven't figured out much else yet, but we're going to be sealing everything up in multiple layers of ziplock bags.
We're not too concerned about getting attacked, pretty much just for peace of mind.0 -
sounds to me like you should pick another destination for mid-term break and leave them killer bears alone 0 -
quote:Originally posted by BarkingDog
Whatever you might think of Timothy Threadwell he lived face to face with grizzlys for 13 YEARS before he was killed.
I think that your emphasis is on the wrong words. It should be on BEFORE HE WAS KILLED.
Bears are still wild animals. Tim Threadwell learned a lot about bears, but he forgot the basics. They are predators, he was prey. I will agree that you need to use your head, but not having a back-up plan, i.e. a firearm, is kind of ignorant in my book.0
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