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Bear Attack in Montana Stopped with Close-Range Birdshot
AmmoLand ^ | September 24 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 09/28/2023 5:41:19 AM PDT by marktwain

On the morning of September 12, 2023, a bird hunter was after upland game in a shelter belt in Montana, about 15 miles south of Choteau. Suddenly, a large grizzly bear burst out of the brush and weeds, charging directly at the hunter full tilt.

Bird hunters tend to be on full alert when expecting to jump-shoot birds out of cover. Your senses and reflexes are on a razor’s edge. You have an appendage (finger or thumb) on the safety. You stay alert to any movement or noise, anticipating a bird might rocket out. The shotgun has a round chambered and ready to go. You expect to acquire the target, mount the gun, and make last near instantaneous corrections before you slap the trigger, all in a fraction of a second. Most bird hunters have practiced and/or hunted enough that second and third follow-up shots are available before reaching a full second. A Grizzly bear moves slower than most birds but is coming directly at you and is a much larger target. From Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks:

GREAT FALLS – A hunter shot and wounded a grizzly bear on Tuesday near Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area near Fairfield.  

The surprise encounter happened on the morning of Sept. 12. The hunter was walking along a shelter belt hunting for upland birds on private land when he was charged by the bear, which based on evidence of the animal found at the scene is believed to be an adult male. The hunter fired twice with his shotgun at less than 15 feet, hitting the bear at least once and causing it to run off. The hunter was not injured in the encounter, which is still under investigation.


(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...


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KEYWORDS: attack; bear; birdshot; mt
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To: marktwain

I watched a youtuber run “shotgun for home defense” penetration tests on plywood boards simulating inside home tests of shotgun pellet sizes,

ALL, including dove loads, blew chunk holes within 10ft, bigger buckshot tore through multiple “walls”. Like 4 of them!

Yes Virginia, 00 buck can over penetrate flimsy inside walls and hit a neighbor.


21 posted on 09/28/2023 7:25:07 AM PDT by baclava
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To: CommerceComet

The bird hunter may have been using heavy-shot instead of lead shot if he was shooting bigger birds like chickens or pheasants. Heavy- shot is just that, heavier than lead and more deadly because of increased penetration due to extra weight of the projectiles.


22 posted on 09/28/2023 7:25:35 AM PDT by Colt1851Navy (What was wrong with Nixon?)
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To: marktwain

Good for snake killing to


23 posted on 09/28/2023 8:01:55 AM PDT by Vaduz (....)
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To: Lurker

This the very reason I prefer #2 shot shotgun defense. 12ga 3” mag. 1 1/4 oz. of #2 is approximately 110 pellets. Shot group stays tight even out of a cgylinder bore. I have an Ithaca NID that once was 30” F&F. Got it cheap as the right tube had been severly dented near the muzzle. Barrels were cut to 22”. It handles slugs and 00 buck really well. It is absolutely devastating with #2 out to 40’. A pistol is to get me to my shotgun. A shot to get me to my rifle. There is good argument for a five-eight shot pump. Looking at the business end of that 22” Ithaca is a sobering experience.


24 posted on 09/28/2023 8:20:32 AM PDT by .44 Special (Taimid Buacharch)
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To: marktwain

“Bird hunters tend to be on full alert when expecting to jump-shoot birds out of cover.”

Lol, bear was unprepared for the speed of a sporting clays guy. And EVERYBODY hates a load of birdshot to the face.


25 posted on 09/28/2023 8:44:51 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: windowdude

Yeah, but that’s just too bad. Hunter had to save his life, and it would have been retarded for him to pursue it with a bird hunting gun.
So it’s just a reality. No need for an issue.


26 posted on 09/28/2023 8:48:35 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: marktwain

It probably depends on the wound and the individual and the sex of the bear. And whether or not the wound hampered the bear’s normal hunting capability?

Just a guess.


27 posted on 09/28/2023 8:52:27 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: Colt1851Navy

Even griz dislikes a load of 7 1/2 to the face.


28 posted on 09/28/2023 8:59:29 AM PDT by DesertRhino (Dogs are called man's best friend. Moslems hate dogs. Add it up..)
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To: Lurker

👍


29 posted on 09/28/2023 9:37:57 AM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped)
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To: baclava; Chode; SkyDancer; Salamander; Carriage Hill; Lockbox; MtnClimber; nascarnation; ...
tests on plywood boards simulating inside home tests of shotgun pellet sizes,

Most homes don't have plywood walls and sheetrock aka gypsum board is nowhere near as tough as plywood.

I did help build a house with a Man that was raised in the Depression Era and He wasted nothing. The 3 story house was built entirely of salvaged materials except the nails. The walls were sheathed with 1/2" plywood and later the Son had Me cover the plywood with 1/2" sheetrock that was taped, floated and painted. As a rule the walls in just about every new house are just 1/2" sheetrock. When the Son finally moved into the house it ended up being 5 stories plus a huge basement that was more of a Fallout Shelter than a basement. From the top of the finished house (that was a sundeck) in Lago Vista, TX you could see All of Lakeway, TX on the other end of Lake Travis.

30 posted on 09/28/2023 10:01:15 AM PDT by mabarker1 ( (Congress- the opposite of PROGRESS!!! A fraud, a hypocrite, a liar. I'm a member of Congress!!!)
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To: marktwain

One winter I took my Britney Spaniel grouse hunting after a four inch snowfall. After about 2 hours the dog started acting a little squirrely and was ranging farther than normal. Then I came upon some LARGE bear tracks in the fresh snow. At that time of year I expected they would be hibernating. I knew if the dog found the bear it would likely chase him right back to me. All I had for ammo was bird loads so we decided to call it a day.


31 posted on 09/28/2023 1:59:53 PM PDT by Brooklyn Attitude (I went to bed on November 3rd 2020 and woke up in 1984.)
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To: Lurker

When stationed in Alaska the same old guy that got me hooked on the 35 Whelen controlled round feed told me if your fishing use a double barrel 12 ga with #00 buck and put it up his snout as your only gonna get two shots off if your calm accurate and lucky.

Had an old knickerbocker , short barrel. Never had to use it on a BEAR but had a trained bear dog, a 5 inch custom 500 Linebaugh Ruger Redhawk, the knickerbocker 12 gauge and my 35 Whelen sporterized Mauser K98. My arsenal while in Alaska .......


32 posted on 09/29/2023 8:31:09 AM PDT by Squantos (Be polite, be professional, but have a plan to kill everyone you meet ...)
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