A little early but what do ya think

[slabchaser]

Got invited to Bear Camp! The parties success rate is low but im pumped anyway. Never hunted bruins so i need a little advice.

Lots of guys use rifles but I grew up in shotgun zone for deer.

I think im gonna use my rifled slug shotgun. Im comfortable with it and if need be i know I can hit a moving animal with it. Should I stick with it or abandon my idea?

Also I was thinking of carrying my .44 anyone know of a dynamite round for bear?

Thanks guys! Im sure glad we have this site. I would be lost.

[Archerysniper]

The 12 gauge slug is a great bullet for bear you should not even need the .44. I use a bow for bears and when tracking I carry my 12 gauge first round is a slug and the next are 3" mag 00 buck for protection just remember buck shot is not legal for hunting so unless you are tracking leave the buckshot at camp.

[Random guy]

Ya a 12 will knock em silly.

One thing I always tell my hunters is you can have a cannon but if you shoot them in the foot with a cannon they will still run away. Shoot them in the kill zone with a smaller caliber rifle or arrow and they drop on the bait.

We tracked a 44 mag shot bear two days last year before we caught up to it and had three archery bear dropped within sight of the stand.

Shot placement and waiting for good shot is much more important then the amount of lead you are throwing at them.

[buckhunter21]

I would probably use a shotgun over a rifle anyways. You get a little more lead with a shotgun and you dont need the range of a rifle and if you are more comfortable with the shotgun thats even more reason. I would say the farthest you will shoot would be 50 yards if even that. The .44 wouldnt hurt to bring with too, its always nice to have a sidearm with just in case.

[lakevet]

My first trip into Alaskan bear (Griz and blacks) country fishing my friends up there (including a master guide) said to use 3 inch sabots in a 12 ga pump shotgun. Use a gun you have used for a while and are very comfortable with. Shotguns are typically fitted and used quickly on birds. So if a bear moves fast, you are all reflexes. If the bear is coming at you, I was also told to shoot for shoulders, head shot is too small a target and guys tend to shoot high and bounce it off the top of the skull. VERY unlikely to have to shoot in self defense, but things happen. You are right on track with using a gun you know well. Everything in North America has been killed with a .22 long rifle IN THE RIGHT SPOT. Obviously don't use the .22, but shot placement is most important. Have fun!

lakevet

[kkahmann]

A shotgun at close range is a wicked, wicked weapon. A Marine Gunnery Sargent who once served on the Marine Pistol Team once told me that a .44 magnum for hunting was one of three most over-rated things in existance. The other 2 consiting of Harley Davidson motorcycles and teen-age sex.

I once heard a British Gunny yelling at his troops

"Hit the bloody target--all else is twaddle."

[HeviShot]

Shotgun can sometimes be a better choice then a rifle due to the low light conditions you may be facing, I prefer open sights over a scope.