Bears have relatively thin skin and
According to Nelson, the 12-gauge slug gun is by far one of the most popular choices for bear protection in the Alaskan bush.
Ideal Shotguns for Bear Protection
For a bear defense shotgun, go with an 18-inch barrel and a reliable pump action. The Remington 870, Mossberg 500, and Winchester SXP are all offered in versions with shorter barrels and extended magazines.
The Benelli M4 is the proven king of combat shotguns. This gas-operated, semi-auto shotgun was evaluated by the Marine Corps in 1999 and joined the ranks shortly after. The fast-firing design makes follow-up shots quick and effective, making it a terrifyingly effective close-quarter's weapon.
Among the largest shoulder-fired long guns ever, the 4 gauge shotgun was made for long-range waterfowling. It was also used as a punt gun, mounted in the bow of a small punt (skiff), and used for shooting at whole flocks of ducks and geese on the water.
The caliber was still measured in bore or gauge—10, 8, 6, 4 bore, and 2 bore—or the guns were named by number of projectiles per pound. The projectiles were lead round balls or short conical slugs, sometimes hardened with antimony.
10 gauge - A heavy firearm with a forceful recoil, the 10 gauge is the largest legal shotgun in the United States. It's not as popular as it once used to be, though it is still in use.
When it comes to delivering energy to a soft target, the shotgun is king. A standard load of 12 gauge defensive buckshot hits with close to 1,500 ft/lbs of energy, compared to the 5.56 rifle which comes close in some loadings at 1,300 or less. A typical 9mm defensive handgun may deliver 350 ft/lbs, while a .
357 Magnum, . 40 S&W, . 45 ACP and similar), a shotgun has far more power and damage potential (up to 10 times the muzzle energy of a . 45 ACP cartridge), allowing a "one-shot stop" that is more difficult to achieve with typical handgun loads.
Navy SEALs use the Benelli M4 Super 90, Mossberg 590, and Remington 870 combat shotguns. The Benelli M4 Super 90, also known as the M1014 Joint Service Shotgun, is generally preferred.
No bear gun roundup would be complete without a big-bore cartridge. The . 45-70 Government has been used to stop more than a few attacking grizzlies, and lever guns have been a top choice among backcountry guides the world over. There's no doubt that if you put a bullet or two in the right place, the .
300-Magnum rifle or a 12-gauge shotgun with rifled slugs are appropriate weapons if you have to shoot a bear. Heavy handguns such as a . 44-Magnum may be inadequate in emergency situations, especially in untrained hands.
If there's one cartridge that has proven it can do it all in North America, it's the . 30-06 Springfield. The legendary . 30-caliber cartridge has been walloping bears for nigh on 100 years, and it shows no signs of slowing down.
The cracker and whistle cracker are 12-gauge shotgun loads that travel about 100 m (335 ft) and explode with a loud bang, the whistler cracker also emits a loud screeching noise during flight. Their flight patterns are consistent. They are used for working bears at a long distance.
12 Gauge. The 12-gauge shotgun is one of the most-used and most-effective firearms used in Alaska for bear protection.
A 1 oz. (437.5 grain) 2 3/4-inch Foster 12 gauge shotgun slug achieves a velocity of approximately 1,560 fps with a muzzle energy of 2,363 ft. lbs. 3-inch slugs travel at around 1,760 fps with a muzzle energy of 3,105 ft-lbs.
The delivery of the large number of projectiles simultaneously makes the shotgun the most effective short range weapon commonly used, with a hit probability 45% greater than a sub-machine gun (5-round burst), and twice as great as an assault rifle (3-round burst).
Is shotgun stronger than sniper? The answer will depend on the range to the target. A sniper has longer range than the user of a shotgun. But at the extreme edge of the cartridge's range, even a hit may not be effective enough to put the target out of action.
Of the three types of firearms, shotguns have the most power. One unique feature of the shotgun is its ability to shoot in a spread pattern. Instead of a single bullet, shotguns fire a shell that contains small pellets that spread out to cover more area when the gun is fired.
The act of reducing the length of the barrel of a shotgun to less than 457 mm (18 inches) by sawing, cutting, or "otherwise", by anyone other than a recognized gun manufacturer, is prohibited.
A sawed-off shotgun is a banging find in a FPS shooter, but not so much in the real world. The principal reason criminals cut off some of the barrel from a shotgun is to make it easier to conceal under a coat or in a bag.
Overpressure ammunition, commonly designated as +P or +P+, is small arms ammunition that has been loaded to produce a higher internal pressure when fired than is standard for ammunition of its caliber (see internal ballistics), but less than the pressures generated by a proof round.
The 18, 15, 11, 6, 3, and 2-gauge shells are the rarest of all; owners of these types of rare shotguns will usually have their ammunition custom loaded by a specialist in rare and custom bores.
A punt gun is a type of extremely large shotgun used in the 19th and early 20th centuries for shooting large numbers of waterfowl for commercial harvesting operations.
The VRBP-100 12ga shotgun offers ideal strength, length, and versatility all in one package. This 5+1 magazine fed semi-automatic bullpup shotgun comes equipped with a polymer stock directly behind the action, making it as compact as possible without sacrificing firepower.