Either will do fine. Black bear aren't 10' tall and bullet proof.

Good shot placement is important.

 

Agree with the shot placement. Was told by experienced bear hunter from Alaska that shooting to kill a bear charging you is almost impossible because frontal head bones so heavy and body so flabby. Kill shot best to head from side.

 

How rural is "semi rural"? I agree that both would do fine. The slug won't carry as far as the 30.30. So maybe because you're" semi rural" I'd choose the slug gun

 

I tend to think "defense" shortens the distance considerably from "hunting."

I say 12 gauge slugs.


DDupleks steel slugs would be even better. :thumb:

 

Either will work, Black bears are not tough like their cousin the Grizzly.

 

You must have little experience with bears.

I've personally experienced black bears absorbing several well placed shots from big rifles and not go down.

The one that stands out the most in my mind is an average sized bear we shot, he must've been around 250 pounds. Walking across our field of vision from approximately fifty yards away. He absorbed two heart/lung shots from a .375 H&H Magnum without breaking stride. There was so little reaction, we were convinced that both shots had missed completely. He just ambled off into the brush and died. Neither shot exited the bear.

That said, I've also seen bears go down without a fight. I shot one from approximately ten feet with a 20 gauge slug and it dropped like a rock.

Not to mention, they're also far and away the most vicious fighters I've ever seen in the natural world. Much more so than most brown or grizzly bears, pound for pound.

 

We're on 5-acre parcels.

Agreed about shot placement.

 

At close range the 30-30 is excellent and accurate. Shotgun slugs are good too but don't miss!

 

If you are close enough to have any reason to shoot a black bear, there is no excuse for missing (other than perhaps slipping in the pile of s#!t that just ran down your leg).

There are a number of situations in which a black bear might attack a human - but all but one of those start with significant stupidity on the part of the human.
(The only scenario that doesn't involve stupidity by the human is if the bear is starving and there is nothing available to hunt or forage - which is unlikely considering that black bears are omnivores).

 

I would go with the 30-30 over 12 gauge slugs. Easier to get back on target due to less recoil. Going out on a limb here but I am also guessing the 30-30 holds a few more rounds. Black bears in our part of the country usually aren't very large and generally aren't that agressive. While good to have the rifle in hand, try clapping your hands or whistling Dixie before shooting at it. I have had a few close encounters and in every instance they turned tail and ran off.

 

I live up in the northeaast of new hampshire and our bears don't get too big . an averge sow will get up to 200 pounds but rarely much larger .our big guys i have seen a huge one at the end of my driveway that went 350 pounds . and that was certified weight by fish and game [he is still alive , they tagged and weighed him ] but that is the biggest black bear i have ever heard of in new hampshire .. your west coast [and particularly alaska ] are considerably larger and i would noy use the 30-30 ... I'd definitely use the 308 you don't wnat him leaving the area wounded .. not much more dangerous than a wouded bear ...maybe a wounded wolverine ,,but if you can get close enough with the 12 gauge and have deer slugs then okay but do not underestimate this guy or you may have to spend the next two days worrying and searching .. knock him down once and end it if you must

 

The 30/30 & Winchester 170gr silver tips will do the job every time. The slug will not penetrate the fatty tissue near as well.

 

first off, at what range will you be engaging this bear?

The 30-30 will work most of the time, but if the bear is "danger close" go with the 12 gauge. Deer slugs will move a bear BACK a few yards with every shot. If he's charging at close range, I would want a well placed 12ga head shot.

My favorite rifle is my Marlin 30-30 with 160gr FTX bullets. it holds 5 bullets.

But a bear at close range, 12 ga all the way.

 

It would take a small truck to move a bear back a few yards.

 

I wind up having 3 or 4 bear encounters a year as I do a lot of prospecting in the Smokeys. Most of the time I can just throw a rock at them and holler and cuss a lot and they will take off. The exceptions to this rule are the problem! Some, just won't run and there you are facing a fight. I used to carry a 44 magnum but lately I carry a 10 mm Glock with 220 grain Cor-Bons because it is 16 shots instead of 6. Both the slugs and the 30-30 are minimal. They will kill it, but maybe not before your mauled! My next door neighbor killed a 350 pounder last year. It took 3 shots from his 30.06 to stop it! The first 2 had hit the heart and the lungs. The third had gone through it's mouth (it was still charging) and severed the spine! Very lucky shot and that was with a 30.06! If you can choose, try a 45-70 Henry Rifle. Not much on this continent walks off from that

 

I like the 45-70 suggestion, a 444 will do the trick to. Basically what you want is to hit a bear with a BIG projectile.

 

I have family in Alaska and travel there frequently during the summer months. We hike trails where bear are frequently found and the standard weapon of choice is a 12 ga pump with a pistol grip and holster. I've carried various magnum pistols including the 50AE, but the 12 ga pump is by far the one that inspires the most trust. I've talked with dozens of experienced hunters and that by far is their preference.

 

Slug gun would also protect U from Grizzlys

 

Very little experience with the thirty thirty or bears but I rank the Brenneke black magic magnum slug right up there with an ounce and 3/8 of the true cross for stopping bad things up close.

 

I just picked up a 30-30 for exactly this reason. We have "smaller" bears in our part of rural Florida, and a lot of feral dog/coyote types. And, more than our share of other feral bi-peds.

 

either one is fine i put a black bear down with a 223 shot placement is key.

 

Thank you for all the input to date.

I have no idea on the range if engaging Mr Bear. We're all on 5-acre parcels out here. The neighbors haven't seen any activity in 3 days so hopefully he/she has moved along.

I have to admit that when creating the original posting I wondered how long it would take for the thread to deviate to other guns and calibers that I don't own. It's good input but right now I have what I have in the gun safe.

The bullets for my Marlin are the Hornady LEVERevolution 160 grain.

I do want to pickup a lever-action rifle in 45-70 in the future.

 

30-30 with hornady leverolution is a good choice. I hit a wild boar with the GMX leverevolution in the brain at 20 yards. He dropped in his tracks. I used the 130 version as I have a bolt action 30-30 which is scoped and I can shoot way across the field. I've seen bear drop with one shot from a lever action in 45 long colt and fall with one shot. same with a 20 gauge slug fired from a savage 24. The key is putting the projectile in the right spot.

 

The one black bear I have taken was done with a 30-30 at about 75 yds. Went down with first shot but got two more for good measure. The other bears I have seen shot, one with a 30/06, fell immediately. The other was shot with a bow and ran about 50 yds. Either gun, shotgun or 30-30 will do the job, but which one you buy/use depends a lot on where you are and what your background is. 30-30 definitely will travel further than a slug. Five acres is not much separation from your neighbors when using a 30-30.

 

Of the two, proper slugs in a 12 gauge is far and away better. However, spend $30_$40 on a quality can of actual bear spray. Unless you have a truly aggressive bear (ie you're between a sow and cubs, walk into a 2-3 year old male in early spring, etc) there's not much need to kill it. You'd be shocked at how fast a bear can move, and they are exceptionally strong. If you're close enough for bear to charge you and you're not ready to shoot well ... Won't always end well. And unless the bear is damaging property, killing livestock or a threat to humans why kill it? Bear spray works better than most firearms and the bear will learn to avoid people. Been carrying it for years and yes have used it - surprised a male chowing down on wild blueberries in NH in early spring. Swear there was still spray in the air and he crashing through brush to the hell out of there. Wide fog pattern works well, designed to penetrate wet fur. Nasty stuff & works great.

 

I agree, either will do well, but I would have a hand held air horn next to the gun and use it first, hoping it leaves. Even if it doesn't, drop the horn and shoot it. Anybody that heard the shot and complains, will have heard the air horn first, and it was proof you used the gun as a last resort, after trying to scare the bear off...

 

In my humble opinion any one of those calibers/gauges mentioned will do the trick, shot placement being the critical consideration. For general all around defense a 12 or 20 ga. shotgun is a formidable weapon and the different loads that are available make them tops in my book, up to 50-60 ft. farther if you know your abilities. Any of the rifle cals. mentioned will work also their only limitations are the ammo available. There are dangerous game shot shells out there and you can get dangerous game slugs for reloading from Ballistic Products, they also have the most complete line of shot shell loading material.

 

12ga with slugs. Shooting the bear with the rifle maybe construed as hunting (poaching) by the powers that be. I know most of the USA is a bit more liberal with what is considered self defense than Canada. I can't seem to find where I read it but I believe a 12ga was used in the following example http://www.outdoorhub.com/news/2015.../2015/08/11/british-columbia-man-shoots-kills-aggressive-grizzly-homes-kitchen/

 

Sonoma County sees the occasional black bear (though we haven't, yet), and folks who have lived here their entire lives keep and recommend bear spray. It's second-hand advice, so take it as you will, but I pass their recommendations on to you.

For the gun, you definitely want the shotgun with one-ounce slugs. For poking holes in heavy-bodied animals, momentum is king, and at short range the shotgun slug offers about twice the momentum of 170gr 30-30 Win. Placement is the most important factor, but given equally good placement with both, you're going to see more rapid effect with the slug.

 

I'm just a 308 man and think as a GP round, no matter the configuration, will do the trick. Heck, there is a story floating around someone put a Black bear down with a S&W Chief Special in .38 Special P+ due to a chance encounter. Obviously in that story (if true) placement was very key.