Grizzly Bear Charge Stopped with a .410 Shotgun in Montana

By Free Republic | Created at 2024-12-22 13:30:43 | Updated at 2024-12-22 18:22:04 5 hours ago

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

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KEYWORDS: 410; banglist; bear; 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

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)

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.)

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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