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My brother and I do a lot of backwoods camping. I want to start bringing a lightweight shotgun along. I already bring a .22 handgun, but a shotgun would make a hitting a running snowshoe hare much easier.

First, caliber selection:
12, no way. Far too much gun.
20, I'd consider it.
410 is more like it. I could carry much more ammo. Wouldn't ruin meat. Slugs from a 410 are as powerful as a .357 mag.

Single shot or pump?
I'd prefer pump. It would break down nicely. We live in bear country, black bear. So maybe a magazine full of ammo would make me feel better.

A Mossberg Super Mini Bantam (with a 13"LOP stock) looks to fit the bill well. It has a shorter magazine tube (smaller packing) and a very short barrel, 18.5". It has a modified choke, though I'd prefer full. It's light too, under 5 lbs.

Anybody got a better idea?

I would not go with the .410 for bear defense it'll just make him mmad at you. I don't think it has the power of a .357 mag out of a carbine, but if is light eough to back pack with go or it.

I'g go with a 12 or a 20 but thats just me.... with a good sling or scabbard

http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/m ... x?a=562602
it wouldn't be too bad to carry while back packing you could just lash the scabbard to your pack frame

Thank you for showing me that Scabbard!

I'm not planning on using the gun for bear defense. It might be nice to load it up with slugs at night though. Bears are present, but never much of a concern. This is far backcountry, bears are still afraid of us. They don't see many coolers full of bacon + beer.

357 hit between 600-700 ft/lbs. A .410 slug will hit 750+ in about the same bullet weight. I was surprised too!

Anyway, it's more about a small game gun than a gun for protection. I carry a 22. A pound of fresh meat makes a camping dinner much more pleasant.

May look at the Contender, gives you a lot of options.

Are you aware of the Rossi single-shot guns with interchangeable barrels?
You can get them in .22s/l/lr all the way up to serious rifle chamberings, as well as shotguns.

Also, are you aware of the snake charmer/tamer type shotguns? also single-shot and very compact.

http://gungenie.com/genie/Default.aspx? ... type=youth
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/53745-55.html
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/56585-55.html
http://www.cheaperthandirt.com/89021-55.html

I'm not a shotgun guy, but the little single-shot ones always get my attention, for some reason.

BFD's snake charmer idea was my best thought, too. Also, you could combine the handgun / shotgun idea with one of the Taurus Judge revolvers. Mix or match .45 Long Colt with .410 shells. Then you get your bear, or a hare if he's not hopping too far away (I would want the bear to be as far away as possible!).

I had a black bear look me over once on the Appalachian Trail. About 100 feet away, a young one about 300 pounds or less. I think we spotted each other about the same time. He (she?) stood up to, I guess, sample my scent. Lots of sniffing. After a couple of minutes, it strolled away and I did, too.

One other time, awoke to find a doe standing alongside my sleeping bag (clear spring night), staring me in the face. Close enough I could have punched her in the nose. I quietly waited for her to leave, too.

The Judge has a rifled barrel that makes it a lousy shotgun past a certain range. Otherwise it would be a winner.

I wouldn't want to be fumbling for a reload, either, and the dutch load some people advocate in the Judge really doesn't work in the real world.