Slug question.

I do not know much about slugs but am wondering what would be most effective slug? The gun I have will be used as a defense gun in the bush, fishing rivers etc.

All opinions will help!

What are you doing this weekend, lets go kill some cans

Right now I use Win Super X 2 3/4 1oz rifled hollow points, easier on the shoulder when I am just playing, plus its cheaper.

You can go up to 1 1/4, in the bush I just alternate, but I do 2 slug, 1 00, 1 slug, 1 00

Jason

[Selkirk]

Smooth bore, or rifled barrel?

Nothing this weekend, But I live in Hinton.

That is great information, thanks

It is just a standard Baiklal single shot. Its like new and was sold to me for next to nothing so I figured id make it into my bear gun.

[ruger338]

whats the caliber on your baikail i have one to in 20 gauge
ive ripped many slugs down its barrel and one on a deer worked really well
although he was standing only 15 yards away my guess would be it would work just fine as bear ******er

Originally Posted by ruger338

whats the caliber on your baikail i have one to in 20 gauge
ive ripped many slugs down its barrel and one on a deer worked really well
although he was standing only 15 yards away my guess would be it would work just fine as bear ******er

oh sorry never realized I never posted the caliber. It is a 12 gauge.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by .LOON.

" . . . But I live in Hinton"

That's a looong ways from where Eyeswideshut lives (GP, AB)!!!

Originally Posted by .LOON.

"It is just a standard Baiklal single shot . . . I figured id make it into my bear gun."

When it comes to bears ... with a single shot, if you don't make the first shot count, You Be Dead!!!

This thread should give you a few ideas on slug selection; http://www.outdoorsmenforum.ca/showthread.php?t=18962

Hope this helps!

When it comes to bears ... with a single shot, if you don't make the first shot count, You Be Dead!!!

LOL, true, but its still better then nothing.

and thanks appreciate the help

[Jester]

Originally Posted by .LOON.

But I live in Hinton.

I lived there for 20 years and still call it home..

Anyhoo...you may want to upgrade from your single shot...just sayin'..

But when I was fishing the wildhay or Gregg or the berland I carried an Ithaca xl300 with an 18.5 inch barrel loaded with 3 slugs followed by a couple of 00 buckshots.

You know....I never needed that gun but it sure did make me feel a whole lot better when I was packing it in bear country..

Anyhoo...you may want to upgrade from your single shot...just sayin'..

I will when I can afford it, but I would rather a short lever action then a shotgun. I just couldn't pass up this shotgun as I paid little for it.

wildhay or Gregg or the berland

Wildhay is my favorite

[shootermcgavin]

LOON,

Bear Spray is much more effective than a shotgun... especially if you are not very very competent with your shotty.

Although hard to imagine, and your penis feels bigger carrying a gun.

Ryan

I always carry bearspray. I have a belt with 2 bear spray holders and have both filled all the time. Sometimes bearspray is not enough. I know a forest tech back home that was attacked, the spray just pizzed it off more. She still has her vest that is torn to shreds and all her felt markers that were bit in half. I personally will feel safer with a firearm.

Originally Posted by shootermcgavin

LOON,

Bear Spray is much more effective than a shotgun... especially if you are not very very competent with your shotty.

Although hard to imagine, and your penis feels bigger carrying a gun.

Ryan

LMAO, Im pretty good with a shot gun. Used to be on the trap/skeet team back home. I was second best (first was my teacher) we went to allot of tourneys and won allot of trophy's.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by .LOON.

" . . . true, but its still better then nothing . . . "

Not necessarily true. In all my years of carrying a bush-gun during the off season in the back country, I have only had to use it once to stop a bear.

In all my other bear encounters, I was able to avoid the 'ultimate' solution. I have found that with; "a little common sence and some basic bear-knowlege strategy", you can usually avoid pulling the trigger.

That's what I would suggest as your first line of defence.

[shootermcgavin]

Good point TriggerFinger...

Originally Posted by TriggerFinger

Not necessarily true. In all my years of carrying a bush-gun during the off season in the back country, I have only had to use it once to stop a bear.

In all my other bear encounters, I was able to avoid the 'ultimate' solution. I have found that with; "a little common sence and some basic bear-knowlege strategy", you can usually avoid pulling the trigger.

That's what I would suggest as your first line of defence.

I'm not new to the bush, I always look for signs of bear and all that stuff. Like I said, I personally feel safer.

Not necessarily true. In all my years of carrying a bush-gun during the off season in the back country, I have only had to use it once to stop a bear.

So if its not better then nothing then what would have happened if you had not had it then? I don't see how its not better then nothing.


anyways back to the origonal question..


I just want opinions on slugs, what people think are the best. I don't want this to be turned into a pizzing match about what guns are best, if no guns are best. I don't care, I know what I am taking out there and what I am doing.

[Selkirk]

Originally Posted by .LOON.

" . . . I don't care I know what I am taking out there and what I am doing."

Adios!

Originally Posted by TriggerFinger

Adios!

never meant to come off being rude, just dont want the original topic being sidetracked.

[Jester]

Originally Posted by .LOON.

never meant to come off being rude, just dont want the original topic being sidetracked.

lol..

welcome to the AO forums...

no....you are not rude..
some of us that reply may be rude ecept me..

Originally Posted by Jester

lol..

welcome to the AO forums...

no....you are not rude..
some of us that reply may be rude ecept me..

lol, yeah I have noticed threads get side tracked wayyy to easy. So thought I would catch it now before a difference of opinions turned into a pizzing match. And i'm no good at those unless iv had some to drink

Originally Posted by .LOON.

LMAO, Im pretty good with a shot gun. Used to be on the trap/skeet team back home. I was second best (first was my teacher) we went to allot of tourneys and won allot of trophy's.

Thats right. Because shooting a clay pigeon and a bear running full bore at you are the exact same thing. Good luck with your one shot.

Originally Posted by .300wsm

Thats right. Because shooting a clay pigeon and a bear running full bore at you are the exact same thing. Good luck with your one shot.

THANKS!! never said it was the same but I never take your opinion anyway.
ANYWAYS like I said before back to the original question

[duffy4]

From what I have read, buck shot is not nearly as effective as a slug.
I have tryed various slugs in various shotguns and their is a big difference in how they perform. You will have to try a few and see what shoots well from yours. Then put a shell holder on the stock of your single so you can have two or three ready for quick use.

If I were allowed to offer an alternate opinion I would say that bear spray is a better option.


Alaska pepper spray use study:
We present a comprehensive look at a sample of bear spray incidents that occurred in Alaska, USA, from 1985 to 2006. We analyzed 83 bear spray incidents involving brown bears (Ursus arctos; 61 cases, 74%), black bears (Ursus americanus; 20 cases, 24%), and polar bears (Ursus maritimus; 2 cases, 2%). Of the 72 cases where persons sprayed bears to defend themselves, 50 (69%) involved brown bears, 20 (28%) black bears, and 2 (3%) polar bears. Red pepper spray stopped bears' undesirable behavior 92% of the time when used on brown bears, 90% for black bears, and 100% for polar bears. Of all persons carrying sprays, 98% were uninjured by bears in close-range encounters. All bear-inflicted injuries (n = 3) associated with defensive spraying involved brown bears and were relatively minor (i.e., no hospitalization required). In 7% (5 of 71) of bear spray incidents, wind was reported to have interfered with spray accuracy, although it reached the bear in all cases. In 14% (10 of 71) of bear spray incidents, users reported the spray having had negative side effects upon themselves, ranging from minor irritation (11%, 8 of 71) to near incapacitation (3%, 2 of 71). Bear spray represents an effective alternative to lethal force and should be considered as an option for personal safety for those recreating and working in bear country.

But then you have made up your mind .

From what I have read, buck shot is not nearly as effective as a slug.
I have tryed various slugs in various shotguns and their is a big difference in how they perform. You will have to try a few and see what shoots well from yours. Then put a shell holder on the stock of your single so you can have two or three ready for quick use.

thanks, I already got the shell holder for the gun.

Like I said I STILL carry bearspray. Someone else is always tagging along most of the time so never hurts at all to have the gun. And like I said, I feel safer.


thanks though.

[ACKLEY ABE]

Sell the single-shot and use the money to buy a good pair of running shoes.

Single shot...I might be temped to load buck and forget the slugs. At least if you are forced to use the firearm, with buck you might kill or blind him which may give you time for shot number 2 to be loaded. With a slug you'd have to make sure of a good hit. ie. break him down with the shot bustin bones. I've shot a ton of bears and even well hit a bear can go a long ways and do a lot of damage.

Keep you eye open for a used pump. The old ones that are not capable of using steel shot are going for reasonable dollars. I saw a Ithica 37 go a cpl of wks ago for 125 bucks. Anyone thats familiar with the 37 or the Win Mod 12 knows the advantage.

Anyway, take care and stay away from the bears.

[300savage]

First what length is your chamber?
To me the best slug would be a rifled slug in a smooth bore being pushed with as much powder possible especially in a short barrel.
But here is the catch. If you see the bear 100yds away, you can take measures to avoid and think of a plan. BUT at 10 yds you surprise a bear and yourself, there is a chance that you do not make a clean kill but a bad wound, you may have just screwed yourself. Now if you have 00 or 000, chances are a few balls will have more effect then 1 grazing. Just my .02
I think what some of the guys are saying is it would be alot wiser to have a gun with afew more rounds ready for quick follow ups.
If you have a very PO'd bear running at you, you aren't only thinking about reloading, you are also thinking about that warm gushy feeling in your shorts.

[deadman]

i bought a 20 gauge stevens 311 sxs, cut 4" off the barrels to get rid of the chokes, and put iron sights on it. with a sling on it, its a very portable gun to take through the bush, fishing or whatever. its not regulated to put both slugs through the same hole, but i can hit a pie plate at fifty yds with both using federal rifled slugs. not a tack driver by any stretch, but there's no waiting for the follow up shot if you need it. i'm not an expert at being charged by a bear, but if its close enough to be a concern, i would guess two shots would be all you might have time for. if nothing else, its a lot of fun to play with. its as close to a double rifle as i'll ever get.

[Dean2]

Buy a selection of slugs to try, and if you can get some put bernneke slugs in the selection. Forster is the other common slug style for smooth bores. Both were designed to shoot very well out of a smooth bore and are designed to work well even in full choke barrels. The bernnekes have very good stopping power, as do almost any 12 gauge slug.

If you switch to the rifled barrel when you get a new gun, then go to a sabot slug, much more accurate and higher velocity. Sabots do not work well in smooth bores usually but you can always give them a try.

[PoppaW]

Brenneke style slugs!!! They out penetrate the fosters on the tougher thicker critters by a wide margin. The fosters come apart easily on bone and it gets worse if you push them faster in a 3" mag. Buckshot is for hail mary's and sounds good but is mostly useless, unless you can get the barrel in his mouth. I used to carry a single shot in the bush for a while. Why? Its all I had. I never used bear spray because it was very inconsistent when it first came out between brands. And I hear Grizz likes spicy food so I wasn't going to help him out and spray myself
Use the ammo you have because it's better than nothing but find some brennekes. I think mine were made by Challenger.
Good luck