StealthyCat:
You are correct in your assessment of "hunting" scenarios. However, I would not advise confusing "Hunting" with "Defense".

I'm sure you would not wish to use your long bow on a griz that is charging you, from 25 feet away.

Hunting is completely different than defense, and your long bow will work beautifully for it (assuming you stay out of sight and down wind, and are quiet enough so that the bear's attention is on the arrow protruding from his body, rather than you).

What I'm worried about, is that some novice will pick up on Blain's enthusiasm for buck shot, and use it for defense, rather than the much more effective and proven slugs we've discussed.

His attitude towards buck shot could cost more lives than just his own.

Blain:
You mentioned earlier about your confidence in buck shot's abilities to cause massive tissue damage.

I want to take a moment to explain that tissue damage does not stop a bear. As you may have already discerned, I've seen plenty of bear with massive tissue damage, from shattered faces to demolished chests, and shredded internal organs, that keep on coming.

It is the destruction of supportive bones (shoulder) and vital organs (heart) that will stop a bear…and even then, you will need some luck.

Unfortunately, buck shot, no matter how tightly grouped, does not have the bone breaking, vitals destroying penetration needed for those very quick kills that are necessitated in a self defense situation against a large, fast moving, enraged Alaskan brown bear.

I can promise you that, if you have any brains what so ever, it will only take one time of a bear charging through what ever you can throw at him, to drive this realization home. If you're still alive, and after you've changed your underwear, you'll never mention buck shot again, in the same sentence with bear, unless it's preceded with "Don't use"

<img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle> If You Ain't Hunted Alaska, You're Still Just Practicing <img src=icon_smile_tongue.gif border=0 align=middle>