Well I am lined out for a black bear hunt in May. Since ranges will be inside 40 yards or so I would like to use something other than my typical rifles. I have a 12 guage SxS slug gun built by Ugartechea of Spain. It is regulated dead on at 50 yards with the Rottweil Brenneke MP 1 oz slug. Pair after pair will land inside 2" at 50 yards. I have taken hogs up to 200# with it and they have typically just dropped when hit. Penetration has been excellent. What do you think about using this on black bear inside 40 yards or so. The other toy I am considering is my old Ruger 44 Auto using the 270 gr Speer Gold Dot which again has done very well on hogs and deer. Comments?

Boxhead,
I have shot a few bear over bait. The guns you have should do great.

Itmight just be a little dark when you shoot as the big boys typically come in just before legal shooting time is over. I'd use a regular rifle with a scope. I'd hate to put a huge shotgun slug through a nice bearskin rug.

Remember to dress warmly it's still damned cold this time of year, bring good mitts, toque or hardhat liner, felt packs for boots etc.

the chef

Boxhead,
I personally don't like slugs for bear hunting.
The slug looks impressive but the results are not generally great. You will find the penetration to be fairly pathetic, the actual hitting power unsatisfactory, and worse of all the blood trail nonexistent!

You have selected the best slug I know of, however based on personal experience I would choose something else.

Never tried the .44 so can't comment.

Good Luck

Jamie

At that range, the Brenneke slug should work just fine.

Take what you want they well work just fine as long as you place the bullet or slug where it belongs.

Boxhead,
either piece will be fairly brutal on blackies.
My friend Nils Oritsland in Spitzbergen took 3 polar bears with his ruger handgun in .44mag. My colleque shot one with his SW .44 mag.. The Brenneke slugs should do fine too. They are famous for penetration.
Black bears in spring being a thinned down version of themselves in fall, should be a pushover for those rigs with well placed shots..

Hello Boxhead,

I personally like your choice, especially at this time of year when the animals are lean. Brenneke makes excellent shotgun slugs. They should do well on black bear. I doubt that penetration will be an issue. I wish you the best of luck on your hunt. Stay warm and best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

I have hunted bears over bait in Haliburton, Ontario. The guide prefers clients to use shotguns (generally 12 guages) with slugs or sabots rather than rifles. This is based on long experience with the following reasoning. Large bears are quite fat, a rifle bullet that passes through leaves a small initial hole which quickly "plugs" up with the fat leaving a small blood trail. A "hard" slug will pentetrate completely at short range, leaving a 1/2 inch to .72 calibre hole. The two I shot went about 20-25 yards and died quickly. Blood trails were massive. This is the thinking of the guide and he has seen more bears shot at short range than most. I think your choice of weapon is excellent. Thanks.

Use a .35 cal or larger. The 44 mag isn't worth a hoot in my experience. I saw some very big bears lost with slugs. and holes aren't thsat big and are easily sewed. I like the .358 win. 35 whelen, 350 Rem mag any thing bigger isd unnecessary but a good 45-70 does a great job. Sometimes you only git a small window of opportunity and a tight shooting gun will allow you to place the bullet better.

The 44 Mag at close range will kill any animal on the planet and has done it. A big cast bullet will penetrate like you would not believe. I have done a lot of Black Bear hunting in Northern Sask. I always carried my Marlin or NEF 45-70. #50 grain Hornady Round nose @ 1850 fps.