.30-30 vs AR-10 vs 12gauge for grizzly bear defense

[Daltonnichols11]

I’m going mule deer hunting in November with brother and friend in grizzly county in Montana. I only have a whitetail tag for a different unit so I’ll be pulling security detail for Mule deer hunting. I have a 30-30 lever action. Ar-10, and a 12 gauge pump. Which of these do you think would be the best for grizzly defense. (We’ll also be carrying bear spray as a first line of defense). And what kind of ammo. Thanks.

 

[Hunthigh1]

12 ga pump with Breneke slugs is popular among federal agencies in Alaska for what it’s worth. Carried by biologists etc.

 

[TaperPin]

A slab sided 30-30 is so comfortable to hand carry it gets my vote.

 

[Live_weighT34]

30-30 gets mine. Low recoil, plenty of rounds on tap, open sights and cheap (relatively speaking) plus levers are generally great for fast reactive shooting.

 

[Mk44]

Given your choices, I would also chose the 12ga with some good slugs.

 

[RockAndSage]

The AR-10, without question - if you've got an optic on it that's either a red dot, or low-power on the scope is no higher than 3x.

Generally speaking, it'll be easier to stay on target and keep shooting until the threat stops.

Also, the idea that pump or lever guns are "more reliable" just doesn't stand up to my experience, in terms of actual reliable cycling in a tense situation. The human factor gets in the way too often, with short-stroking especially. Either the 30-30 or the 12ga is fine, but if I had to choose it would be the AR-10, hands down. Regardless of your choice, go put at least 200 rounds downrange in bear-charge type practice scenarios, before going out into the field. It'll help you understand your capabilities and limitations, and should uncover any problems one of those guns might have.