What are you packing for bear defence? No hand guns allowed.

[FLAK]

870 and Brenneke slugs.

 

[Opah]

My Browning BOSS 30 06 and a Bear Tag ! works evert time!

 

[KBC]

Good to see so many in favour of the shot gun. I think that’s what I’ll stick with, I’ll just have to put on my big girl panties and nut up. In the end I’ll probably feel better knowing I have it while I’m out solo. I’ve been shooting some Winchester rifled slugs and have had good results but I always hear about brenneke slugs. Are they that good? I’ll have to see if I can find some to try on this side of the border.
The other bonus packing the 870 is it looks scarier to any hikers and hippies you run into

 

[coiloil37]

I’ve been known to run spray but usually it’s a 12” barrelled shotgun loaded with brenneke slugs or a 16” barrelled 45-70 with 390 grain hard cast.

The shotgun sits under my right arm on a single point sling, very little point of carrying it if your going to strap it to your pack. An oversized safety is a worthy addition.

 

[Squamch]

Good to see so many in favour of the shot gun. I think that’s what I’ll stick with, I’ll just have to put on my big girl panties and nut up. In the end I’ll probably feel better knowing I have it while I’m out solo. I’ve been shooting some Winchester rifled slugs and have had good results but I always hear about brenneke slugs. Are they that good? I’ll have to see if I can find some to try on this side of the border.
The other bonus packing the 870 is it looks scarier to any hikers and hippies you run into

You just missed out on a group buy on brennekes on one of the local hunting sites. Not the big one, the other one. I got 4 boxes.

On the subject of scaring hikers, I came across a group last summer while checking trail cams. Riding an old 80s dirtbike, olive drab skullcap helmet, black bandana for dust over my face, sleeveless t-shirt, camo pants, and an 870 hanging under my arm...they didn't wave back

 

[KBC]

HBC? Are they that good?

 

[KBC]

I figure it can live on the pack until I’m carrying meat but if I stop to glass, call or have a snack the pack comes off and it’s right there.
I would prefer a Mossberg 590 with a short barrel because of the safety and slide release but when I put this 870 together the short Mossbergs were hard to come by. Now that the export rules have changed I might switch it up in the off season.

I’ve been known to run spray but usually it’s a 12” barrelled shotgun loaded with brenneke slugs or a 16” barrelled 45-70 with 390 grain hard cast.

The shotgun sits under my right arm on a single point sling, very little point of carrying it if your going to strap it to your pack. An oversized safety is a worthy addition.

 

[Blockcaver]

Any comments on the Canadian manufactured Challenger slugs that are available at Canadian Tire? They appear similar to a Brenneke. They advertise 1600 fps on the box, and have a more wad-cutter shape (ala Brenneke) compared to conventional slugs. I did pick up a 10 pack in both 12 ga and 20 ga but have not fired them.

 

[Violent Hippie]

To be clear I've NEVER hunted in Grizz country . I have however sprayed over a dozen black bears with spray including momma with cubs at close range. It works well but the bears will come back later. Pay attention to the wind. I've had it blow back on me and its no bueno.

 

[Kilboars]

a Compound bow

 

[5MilesBack]

This one is about gear not politics.

Its never about politics when talking about protecting your life, but in your case I'd go with the shorty shotgun.

 

[Squamch]

HBC? Are they that good?

TNOF. I dunno how great they are, but the price was right so I grabbed a few boxes.

 

[North61]

I have a 12" 870 Clone in 12 gauge but it is too heavy to carry. For actual carry use here in the Yukon I take the scope off of my Rem 600 in 350 Rem mag and tote the little iron sided 6-pounder loaded with 250 grain Speer Spitzers at 2400fps. 37" of 1960's beauty.

 

[North61]

Here is a better look at it

 

[TheGDog]

Bear Spray - Gawd that stuff burns like the Sun itself! Did a test spray one time after had to get a new canister when prior one slid out of its holster on a hike-out (make sure the holster provided has retention that goes OVER the part you grab onto!). Anyway did the test spray, very impressive. I didn't notice any wind that day but apparently a super light current was there that morning. I was calmly gathering up my TP and toothbrush/paste bag off the the ground when I felt tiny droplets land on my eye, my hand/wrist/ inner elbow region, and back of knee region. I blinked and instantly knew what just happened, as the burning had begun. I sprinted the 10yds back to the truck and immediately doused my eyes profusely with water, also the skin regions, then took out the scent-killer wipees I happened to have and used them as well.

Then some Naphcon A drops for the eyes (I always carry that stuff! Sometimes the pollens can get bad out there).

This was like 7am. It was already 87F that hot summer morning. The areas affected had a pulsing/throbbing burning sensation that was not comfortable but tolerable while I was moving. I had to put liner gloves on to cover my hands from the sun because it was too uncomfortable to let the suns rays fall upon them. When I'd stop in pieces of shade to drink water... stopping the movement stopped the airflow over my body, so in those areas the pain/throb would begin to increase and crescendo.. enough so that it forced me back into keeping moving so the burning would tone back down to tolerable levels.

It didn't really subside until about 1pm that day. I cannot fathom the Unholy Hell it would be to take a shot of that stuff directly to the face! Oh Hellz No!

That being said, I still wouldn't trust my life to just the spray. My thought was, can you imagine having to deploy that stuff if you were still inside your tent? For sure some of it would catch the lip of the doorway and swirl back in and around with you! Whole lotta NOPE! So for inside the tent and sleeping, that shorter length weapon. For me it's a pistol. But there have been sometimes I risk it and go with just the Spray as the backup, but that was only because the location is real deep and I had to carry a whole lotta water to try and last the 2-3 days. And that's because my .357 4" is 39oz when loaded. I've since then gotten a Glock G29 to shave off about 7oz. I imagine a 20ga setup for slugs just might be the primo setup for your parameters there. My boys 870 20ga 22" is nice and light and you can swing on target lighting fast with that thing.

 

[bdgr]

Spray for me, easy to access on my belt don't have to be accurate And away lighter than a gun plus no wounded bear in the brush if things don't go well with the gun. We mostly have black beats where I hunt thou