> Guides in bear country carry 12 gauge with slugs. <
A friend of mine went hunting in Alaska. His guide carried a double-barrel shotgun.
Friend, to guide: Why a double barrel?
Guide, to friend: Two shots are all you going to get.
There's also a reliability factor involved. As with the double rifles used for dangerous game in Africa, the mechanical simplicity of a double-barrel makes it superior to anything that must feed shells or cartridges from a magazine. Plus, having two complete barrels and firing mechanisms is a comforting redundancy... especially when you get into areas where there's competition at the top of the food chain.