Personal experience and advice on using 12 ga buckshot on bear?

I go out in the woods all the time to hunt, shoot around, or just hike and I've run into black bears often. Usually they just run away, but if not, I'd like to know if buckshot in my 12 ga will be adequate to take em down.Personal experience and advice on using 12 ga buckshot on bear?
Here are some reasons not to use buck shot at all on bears;


http://www.cabelas.com/story-123/mcmurch…


Quote;


“12-gauge buckshot loads are not reliable for killing black bears. Buckshot does not penetrate or break bones unless you almost press the muzzle against the bear. I have point-blanked huge bears in the center of the neck and had them get back to their feet. That is not a good thing!”


http://www.shotgunworld.com/bbs/viewtopi…


Quote;


“I don't trust buckshot on heavily built game. I have seen many examples of buckshot on lighter built ';creatures'; and frankly I am not impressed. The best way to stop an attack is to disrupt vital activity and break major bones. I feel this is best accomplished with a single large projectile. As I've stated previously, buckshot weighs very little, comparatively speaking, and I feel it does not have the mass nor energy to penetrate the muscles and skeleton of a bear reliably. At its best, a lead buckshot pellet has roughly 245 foot pounds of energy in each of its nine pellets.”


http://forums.outdoorsdirectory.com/show…


Quote; “Don't waste your time with any buck shot, go directly to slugs. No half measures in defense of life with a bear.”


http://www.city-data.com/forum/alaska/30…


Quote; “I too believe that buckshot is totally 100% useless for bears.”


Personal experience and advice on using 12 ga buckshot on bear?
If you shoot a bear with 12 guage 00 buckshot, you may get mauled. In fact I would expect it. A 12 gauge, especially with buckshot, does not have the penetration necessary to shock it's organs into arrest. Think about rifle rounds. The round does not really stop the animal, it's the shock from the round that travels through the animals internal vital organs. At times, a hole in the heart or lungs may stop the animal also. Buckshot simply does not penetrate enough to stop them. With all due respect, I think it may even be unethical to shot one with a shotgun because you may wound it so it ends up running around the woods bleeding to death. There are a lot of rifles out there that would do the trick. Or, if you are looking for some adventure, use a bow. I hope this helps. Bear sausage and eggs is a pretty good breakfast if you ask me.
I am a long time Alaskan hunter and trapper - with many years experience around Kodiak Island Grizzlies, Polar Bears and interior Alaska black bears.





Black bears are no where near as tough as all the others. I have friends that have sucessfully taken them with a single shot Contender pistol.





The black bear that is going to harm you - is going to be one that is sick or half starved to death - and the pain or illness is so great it diminishes it's natural fear of man. This is not going to be a great big trophy bear in it's prime - black bears that attack people usually do it because they see you as the only food source - and are skinny, malnurished.





12ga pump with a standard small barrel and bead front sight is perfect protection for black bears, and, general survival. Your first rounds coming out of the shotgun should be slugs - and you should be profecient and able to shoot them with good accuracy at 7 yards. This is the average distance that you might have to shoot a bear off a friend or other person on the ground, and the bear is standing over them attacking.





The last one or two rounds coming out of the shotgun before it is empty should be 00 buck shot. Assuming the first slugs were total misses, or, used as warning/scare shots..... you are probably now trying to climb a tree or see shelter in a hurry. The buckshot will provide a better pattern for these inacurately fired rounds.





As to how good buck shot is on a black bear. If you take a broadside shot and the main pattern is in the heart or slightly above the heart one shot will do. The rule of thumb with bears is you always keep shooting until it stops moving. Never, ever, take one shot or two, and then move the firearm off your shoulder to see if it worked - you keep on shooting until it stops moving.





You will not be disapointed using a 12 ga as bear protection - but - you will need to do some quick shooting practice. I am not a fan of the pistol grips. In the military in Alaska we developed a 12 ga bear protection qualification range test - 40 rounds. Most people failed the first time - they were slow, unfamiliar with a pump, and not familiar with the proper sight picture when trying to get 5 rounds out the barrel as quick as possbile. However, most all passed the second day. Of those that passed, we allowed them to try again with personal firearms with pistol grips - all were a dismal failure.





Hope this helps
Buckshot is not reliable for killing a bear. Some have shot black bear with 00 buck several times before it died. The bears had lots of shot just past their fat layer.


Many states do not allow any type of buck shot to be used for hunting black bears.





So yes it can kill them but don’t bank on it stopping one as it attacks you.





Slugs on the other hand are reliable for killing and stopping even large bears.



I can offer no personal advice on bears but I can tell you that buckshot is not suitable for stopping a bear. It is excellent for pissing them off, though. Pissed off bears are very poor hiking companions. You will need more gun than that. If you want to carry a shotgun, make sure it is loaded with some pretty hot slug loads. When it comes to bear guns, go big or stay home.
hell man i don't even chance a 12 gauge with 0 buckshot in a 3 1/2 inch shell on deer the reason i would say no is because the shot is fairly light compared to bullets or slugs and they are round so they wont penetrate well so if i were to pick a minimum 12 gauge load for bear protection i would choose a 3 rifled slug (best in a rifled 22 inch barrel
Slugs....... Buckshot may not penetrate enough for a 1 shot drop.....





http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_slugs.…





http://www.chuckhawks.com/more_slug_guns…





http://www.chuckhawks.com/slug_guns_kans…





I use these.....





If there is some distance from you and the bear just fire a warning shot.... in 90% of the time they will run away.... If momma bear is with her cubs you better be careful!!!!
Black bears can pretty much be depended upon to back off,


given the chance.


Buckshot on a large tough animal like that would not be the load


of choice.


I'd be very sure that the attack was coming before I'd risk it.


Once you wound one, he is likely to keep coming.
I wouldn't try this. Check the laws and regs in your state. I've never shot a bear, but the type makes all the difference Brown, Black or Grizzly? In all honesty, for most bear, a rifle over 30 caliber is preferred such as a 338 Winchester Magnum.
Buckshot won't do much damage to a bear. If you were loaded with rifled slugs, different story. If you want to carry a shotgun for birds or other small critters but not specifically for bear, you might want to consider an appropriate sidearm.
If you must hunt bear with a shotgun use slugs. Buckshot is overrated for hunting big game.





H



Use a slug.
Use slugs, forget about buck shot.*