28 gauge vs. bear ...predictions?

[myronman3]

had another run in with a bear two weekends ago, a black bear sow at 2 feet.  we were in a mexican standoff with neither one of us wanting to make the first mistake.  all left in one piece.  the bear was 350 to 450 pounds.  distance from skull to muzzle was 2 feet.  i had a 28 gauge with #9 shot.  if i had shot at that distance,  what do you think would have happened?  enough to drop her,  or just make her mad?   

[victorcharlie]

At 2 feet I'd guess it would have dropped her after knocking a large hole in her head.   

Mary Winkler shot her husband in the back at a similar range and the forensic expert showed pictures of the hole.  The shot never left the wad and made a 3/4 inch hole in his back.

Effectively, a one ounce load would be similar to a 435 grain bullet fired at 1300 fps at such close range.  The wad would contain the shot and react similarly IMO.

I think you would have won that one.......

[Sourdough]

At that range like Victorcharlie said you would have come out on top.  But at any farther distance my odds would have been with the bear.

[jh45gun]

Be good idea to carry a few slugs in bear country. I have no idea if they make 28 guage slugs but they do 410 so I would guess they do. Of course the biggest thing would be if you have time to reload. If not Shot at that close of range would be deadly anyway.

[powderman]

At 2 ft, dead bear. Didja hafta change yer drawers??? POWDERMAN. 

[billy_56081]

If you hit her in anyplace vital, dead bear, no dought about it. Its all about shot placement. Anywhere you would hit her there would be one nasty hole.

[Dee]

An emergency room doctor once explained to me in a shooting investigation (three that week) that bird shot at room distances was hard to fix. Instead of holes, he was dealing with hamburger. I have seen in excess of 15 such shootings at room distances or closer involving bird shot, with all but one fatal. Shot tends to string rather than spread at such distances, and stringing basically HAMMERS a big hole thru the bone and tissue. It literally chases the shot in front of it, causing a wound I described to reporters as awful, and hard to look at, at times. The bear was history at that range, ESPECIALLY with a head shot.

[Glanceblamm]

No Personal experience here but I have read more than one account with shotguns, blackbear, and birdshot.
The accounts read pretty much like the post's above, just not much time for that shot charge to spread out over a distance of 10' to 15' which resulted in large holes, craters, and devastating finality on the bruins.

[Sourdough]

A few years ago a survey crew was out working in a remote location.  The young woman on the crew was carrying a 12ga.  She had been shooting grouse to take back to camp for dinner that night, and had bird shot in her shotgun, so she would be ready when she flushed a bird as she moved about doing her work.  Suddenly a Grizzly was in sight coming straight at her.  She had no time to change to slugs or heavier shot, she just pointed and fired.  Bear was far enough out that the shot had time to start spreading a little, I actually don't know the range.  The woman  had shot directly into the face of the bear.  The shot went up the nasal passage, and through the eye sockets, dropping the bear in it's tracks.  That's why I carry shot not slugs in my shotgun for bear protection.  At real close range ti has the same effect as a slug, but at farther ranges it has the better opportunity to hit the eye sockets making a kill.  Where a slug would glance off the skull.

[jh45gun]

A few years ago a survey crew was out working in a remote location.  The young woman on the crew was carrying a 12ga.  She had been shooting grouse to take back to camp for dinner that night, and had bird shot in her shotgun, so she would be ready when she flushed a bird as she moved about doing her work.  Suddenly a Grizzly was in sight coming straight at her.  She had no time to change to slugs or heavier shot, she just pointed and fired.  Bear was far enough out that the shot had time to start spreading a little, I actually don't know the range.  The woman  had shot directly into the face of the bear.  The shot went up the nasal passage, and through the eye sockets, dropping the bear in it's tracks.  That's why I carry shot not slugs in my shotgun for bear protection.  At real close range ti has the same effect as a slug, but at farther ranges it has the better opportunity to hit the eye sockets making a kill.  Where a slug would glance off the skull.

Thats a pretty good point what size shot do you carry? I would think a heavy load of 4 shot would be good still enough pellets to cause a lot of damage but heavy enough to penetrate well too.