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Grizzly Bear Charge Stopped with a .410 Shotgun in Montana
AmmoLand ^ | December 13, 2024 | Dean Weingarten

Posted on 12/22/2024 5:14:36 AM PST by marktwain

During a crisp early Wednesday morning on October 15, 2003, near Fortine, Montana, James Beeman used a .410 shotgun to shoot and drop a charging grizzly bear at three feet.

James Beeman had been having problems with raccoons in the large chicken coop he had built, about 50 yards from his 3600 square foot home. At about 3:30 a.m., he heard an unusual noise, sort of a mew-mew, but he did not sense anything amiss. At 4:30 a.m., chaos erupted in the chicken coop.

The coop was 36×22 feet, with a floor 4 feet above ground level to allow the chicken droppings to fall to the ground for easy cleaning. It housed 250 chickens. A ramp ran up into the coop to allow access.

James was dressed in longjohn underwear. He got up and started to grab a 12 gauge shotgun. Thinking the disturbance was caused by raccoons, and not wanting to damage his chickens or coop more than necessary, he grabbed a .410 bolt action shotgun instead. The shotgun held three rounds of #7.5 bird shot.  James put on footgear and a earflap hat. He had a headlamp on as he walked to the door of the chicken coop.

He was only a few feet away when he saw a bear cub had its head inside the coop. The cub looked at him and took off away from the coop toward a fenced dead end. A second cub appeared and took off in the same direction. The big bear stuck its head out of the coop. It was only three feet from where James was standing. It had a chicken in its mouth. The bear dropped the chicken and “woofed.” James was starting to back up. It had rained a little during the night. The ground showed James backed


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


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: 410; banglist; bear; bears; grizzly; grizzlybear; grizzlybears; mt; time2buyalottoticket
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The is the first documented instance of a grizzly bear charge being decisively stopped with a .410 shotgun.

Do not underestimate the power of these small shotguns.

1 posted on 12/22/2024 5:14:36 AM PST by marktwain
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To: marktwain

Wonder if all the shot was still in the wad at that distance.


2 posted on 12/22/2024 5:28:51 AM PST by sasquatch (Do NOT forget Ashli Babbit! c/o piytar)
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To: marktwain

The moral of the story is do not underestimate the power of a 410 with 7 1/2 bird shot. This guy was smart enough (or simply had no other choice) to fire at close range keeping the shot closely knit enough to do proper damage.

I am a firm believer in using bird shot for self defense simply because it spreads out more with distance. For my magazine fed 12 ga I alternate between #4 Pheasant (about 1500 fps) with double aught (about 1325 fps). Range testing with the #4 shows I can hit anything at 50 yards by just pointing and shooting. The pellets will penetrate plywood about an 1/8 inch at 50 yards. The 00 Buck will pass through 1/2” plywood at 50 yards.

I would feel very comfortable going up against a bear or other intruder with this weapon.


3 posted on 12/22/2024 5:30:36 AM PST by redfreedom (May God save us from what the Democrats do in the name of good.)
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To: marktwain

My phone floods with ads when I visit Ammoland. Did a concentrated discharge go straight up the bear’s snout or through her eye socket? I agree that any firearm can be a deadly firearm. Actors and crew have been killed with blanks when mishandling prop guns.


4 posted on 12/22/2024 5:30:38 AM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: marktwain

I’ve never heard the part about a bear’s eyes being either red or green.


5 posted on 12/22/2024 5:33:13 AM PST by caver
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To: BradyLS

The shot was at 3 feet from the muzzle. the charge hit the bear square in the nose. It followed the nose channel directly to the brain.

At the necropsy, two 7 1/2 pellets were found in the brain.

There are about 175 7 1/2 pellets in a half ounce load of shot. .410 shot loads vary from 1/2 ounce to 3/4 ounce.


6 posted on 12/22/2024 5:36:46 AM PST by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
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To: caver

Most critter’s eyes reflect light when illuminated.
Spot lighting deer is illegal here; not sure about other states.


7 posted on 12/22/2024 5:43:06 AM PST by sasquatch (Do NOT forget Ashli Babbit! c/o piytar)
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To: redfreedom

I prefer slugs at close range - have you ever seen the damage they do? 😁


8 posted on 12/22/2024 5:48:25 AM PST by Spacetrucker
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To: sasquatch

Yea, I’ve seen many critters eyeballs at night.


9 posted on 12/22/2024 5:51:34 AM PST by caver
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To: marktwain

Closer than I ever want to be to a wild bear! Thanks for clarification!


10 posted on 12/22/2024 5:51:52 AM PST by BradyLS (DO NOT FEED THE BEARS!)
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To: marktwain

With an unloaded, bolt action, single shot 410, I stopped a robbery by 4 black guys one night, but I don’t think a theatrical bluff threat would impress a bear the same way it impressed them.


11 posted on 12/22/2024 5:53:50 AM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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To: marktwain

At the distance the shot was fired, the shot was a near solid mass when it struck the bear. I have no doubt that it would penetrate a bears skull at that range. I used to know an old farmer here who killed his domestic hogs with a .410 with bird shot. From a couple of feet away, the little .410 worked fine, every time. Certainly wouldn’t be my first choice to stop a bear though....


12 posted on 12/22/2024 5:54:48 AM PST by Quickgun (I got here kicking,screaming and covered in someone else's blood. I can go out that way if I have to)
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To: ansel12

That is a problem with animals. They don’t know technology and they don’t speak english.

Bears are well armed, large, and capable of deadly force.

Many people advocate for bears having more rights than a person would have.


13 posted on 12/22/2024 5:56:13 AM PST by marktwain (The Republic is at risk. Resistance to the Democratic Party is Resistance to Tyranny. )
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To: redfreedom

My first shotgun was a borrowed 410

I killed ducks on the wing with 7 1/2 shot

Once, while swinging I shot a sizable branch above me in two .


14 posted on 12/22/2024 5:57:17 AM PST by bert ( (KE. NP. +12) Where is ZORRO when California so desperately needs him?)
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To: marktwain

Wow, bu5 any gun if it hits just right will be deadly or deter. A friend killed a large black bear with a .22- hit it just right- that friend also hid out in the barn one night to try to catch e their that was stealing grain. Lo and behold, a black bear went walking 8nto the barn, poked its head around the stall wall, and got a slap in the face by the friend. The bear took off like a rocket it was so startled.

Anyway, a 410 seems a bit weak, but yeah, if it hits the face, even if it doesn’t kill, it will certainly drive off a bear- it’s gotta be wicked painful, plus blinding


15 posted on 12/22/2024 6:01:01 AM PST by Bob434
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To: Quickgun

Even if there’s no skull penetration, I would think there’s still a significant concussive effect with might stun the animal long enough to get you out of there


16 posted on 12/22/2024 6:01:07 AM PST by armydoc
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To: Spacetrucker

I shot .45 Long Colts in my Judge because it was fun. The more I shot it, the worse the accuracy became. I had to buy a special deleading kit just to get it all out.

The owner’s manual for my semi-auto shotgun advizes against using slugs due to leading. If I see a need for a single projectile, the AR15 comes out.

For self defense at close range the shotgun is always best simply because your aim will be off due to the excitement of a life threatening incident. With a shotgun it’s point and shoot with a reasonable expectation of stopping the assailant or getting him to run off.


17 posted on 12/22/2024 6:09:33 AM PST by redfreedom (May God save us from what the Democrats do in the name of good.)
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To: ansel12

The unique sound of the racking of a shotgun will give a mob pause unless they are drug addled.


18 posted on 12/22/2024 6:11:42 AM PST by ArtDodger
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To: marktwain

I hadda grin at the description of the guy. Longjohns. Hat w/earflaps. I never saw the movie but it made me think of a picture I saw of Randy Quaid in a movie, “Cousin Eddy.”


19 posted on 12/22/2024 6:16:03 AM PST by LouAvul (He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God. [2 Sam 23:3])
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To: ArtDodger

This was an unloaded single shot bolt action 410 and I didn’t have any shells, the only thing working in that situation was my demeanor and convincing them all that they did not want to be the one receiving that one shot and that they needed to put my stuff down and melt away into the night.

Focusing on the belly of the seeming dominate one of the four and convincing him to make his friends comply seemed to do the trick.


20 posted on 12/22/2024 6:21:30 AM PST by ansel12 ((NATO warrior under Reagan, and RA under Nixon, bemoaning the pro-Russians from Vietnam to Ukraine.))
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