12G Sabot Slugs / Charging Bears

[Kako]

Hi,

I always hike with a group of people and we always carry bear spray.

Shooting the animal is always a last resort but in the event I need to I am curiouse to know if a 12g Sabot slug would have the stopping power for a charging bear at 25-50 yards.

I purchased a Mossberg 835 which has a field barrel and it also came with a 24" long rifled barrel.

I have been doing some reading and people say only Sabot Slugs should be used Ina rifled barrel. Unsure if this is true or not.

In Alaska it seems they use 12g for bear protection but I am they use rifled slugs. So how effective are the Sabot Slugs?

Thanks for the input in advanced!

[Big Grey Wolf]

F & W were practicing with shorter 12 gauge shot guns and slugs at our shooting range a few months back. That was their go to guns for dealing with problem bears, not sure which slugs they were using, forgot to ask. My guess any slug coming out of 12 gauge will do the job.

[Ithaca Dog]

You need a rifled barrel for sabots. They will just tumble out of a smooth bore. I'd skip the sabots and use challenger slugs. Hard lead. Good design and good penetration. Foster slugs are powerful but can lack penetration. I bought some Rotweil slugs a few years back and carry those and challengers. Brenneke slugs are great if you can find them.

Your 24" rifled barrel will handle any and all slugs including the sabots. But. You are not throwing as big of a chunk of lead at them. Most sabot slugs are .50 caliber, I believe, at shotgun velocity. Great for accuracy. Not as much knock down power as the 1oz or 1 1/8 oz hunk of lead you find in the other slugs.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/c...-1754541p.html

[Ithaca Dog]

And don't bother with 3" slugs. Much more recoil and at spitting distance putting rounds down range accurately and quickly is better than a bit more power.
2 3/4" shells are more than enough at short ranges. Just my opinion. You will likely never use them if you keep your wits about you and are bear aware. If you do need them though you will need them bad.

[Kako]

Hey, thanks for the link.

Those slugs wouldn't damage the barrel rifling?

So I am not only limited to sabots?

Originally Posted by Ithaca Dog

You need a rifled barrel for sabots. They will just tumble out of a smooth bore. I'd skip the sabots and use challenger slugs. Hard lead. Good design and good penetration. Foster slugs are powerful but can lack penetration. I bought some Rotweil slugs a few years back and carry those and challengers. Brenneke slugs are great if you can find them.

Your 24" rifled barrel will handle any and all slugs including the sabots. But. You are not throwing as big of a chunk of lead at them. Most sabot slugs are .50 caliber, I believe, at shotgun velocity. Great for accuracy. Not as much knock down power as the 1oz or 1 1/8 oz hunk of lead you find in the other slugs.

https://www.canadiantire.ca/en/pdp/c...-1754541p.html

[Ithaca Dog]

If you shoot a lot the barrel will lead up and need to be cleaned. Just keep it clean and you will be fine. I always shot foster style slugs out of my rifled barrel and had good accuracy. Killed a lot of deer with them out to 125 yards.

Non-Saboted slugs work fine in rifled barrels. You get better accuracy with sabots, but you are looking at shot range bear protection.

A regular smooth bore shotgun with a bead will be surprisingly accurate with regular foster slugs out to 75 yards.

[Kako]

Okay thanks for the info.

Keeping it clean!

Originally Posted by Ithaca Dog

If you shoot a lot the barrel will lead up and need to be cleaned. Just keep it clean and you will be fine. I always shot foster style slugs out of my rifled barrel and had good accuracy. Killed a lot of deer with them out to 125 yards.

Non-Saboted slugs work fine in rifled barrels. You get better accuracy with sabots, but you are looking at shot range bear protection.

A regular smooth bore shotgun with a bead will be surprisingly accurate with regular foster slugs out to 75 yards.

[nimrod]

I just wish Dragon Breath shells were available in Canada

Check out this site, to see what US has for bear protection.

https://wolfhillammo.com

Just wish some stores in Canada would bring in theses shot gun rounds.

[58thecat]

Remember this is close in work so short barrel, easier to transport, 30 yards or less 2 3/4 slugs will do just fine as long as you do yours...that is key many pack these but hardly ever practice with it same as bear spray....bought it, got it but have you used it and did your best to familiarize yourself with it?

your gonna burn through a couple hundred bucks and sometime attempting to become efficient with both a shotty and bear spray just to have a hope and prayer the bear lets off on its charge and you even see it coming.

[karateka]

I agree that the foster type heavier slugs are the better close range stoppers. The sabot slugs are quite accurate out to 150 yards with a rifled slug barrel.