Question for the Brown Bear hunters

[Haywire Haywood]

If you were carrying a firearm for protection from Brown Bear and your choice was 45 colt with heavy hard cast or a short 10ga with slugs, which would you choose?

Ian

[rex6666]

I am not a bear hunter.
I have owned both 45 colt and 10ga. IMHO it would be 10ga. hands down.
If i remember correctly the 10ga. slug is 1-1/2 once factory load.

[Haywire Haywood]

I didn't want to skew the replies, but the reason for the question is a feller in Alaska says carries the Colt for bear encounters while logging.  He says the 10ga will mushroom out and not penetrate to the vitals like the colt with hard cast will.  The book energy comparison puts the favor firmly in the slugs court with 2785 ft/lbs vs the Colt's 1172 but pumpkin ball slugs are usually dead soft lead and I thought he may have a point.  I just wanted to ask a bear hunter to see if they would agree.

Ian

10 ga slug, 766gr, 1280fps, 2785 ft/lb energy (Federal factory load)
45 colt, 325 hard cast, 1275fps, 1172 ft/lbs energy (Hottest load I could find on a quick search)

[Camel 23]

I have personally witnessed about a dozen bears being shot in the past couple years although all black bears.  Several of them were shot with slugs, both 12 and 20 gauge.  I have also seen them shot with handguns from 357Mag through 460SW and one with a bow.  Of the bears shot only two of them were instant deaths.  One was with the 45 Colt and one was with a 454 Casul.  Both of those used a 300gr hardcast at about 1200fps.  The 454 was out of a Ruger Alaskan and that's why the velocity seems low for that caliber.