bear slugs
 

I was fishing the other day on the state land that i also hunt on. I came across some bear tracks. I didn't think we had many bear in the area that i live in, but it's got me interested in bear hunting or at least having something to take down a bear if need be. I hunt with a 20 ga model 870. While i don't have a slug barrel i understand that i could shoot rifled slugs through my smoothbore. I was wondering what the bear hunters on this forum thought. Will rifled slugs be ok to shoot? I know remington, winchester, and federal all make rifled slugs in 20 ga, but which one would be the best to shoot?

People used to hunt bears with ball & patch muzzleloaders years ago, so I'm sure a 20 guage slug could kill a bear. Certainly less than ideal though.

what, 20 gauge equals .62 caliber, i hear of guys on the traditional muzzleloading forum killing critters bigger than that with a .62 cal lead round ball out of their smoothbore muzzleloaders and you are talking about using slugs which are have much better penetration than a round ball. You will have plenty of gun for bear, hell i was planning on using my .54 cal lyman great plains rifle with patched round ball for bear in a couple of years. Use the 20 gauge with confidence!!!!!

Any RIFLED slug that shoots well out of your gun would work. Don't waste your time with a sabot slug since you have a smooth bore, they won't have any accuracy. Sabot slugs are made for rifled barrels.