I work in remote locations all across the state of Alaska - my bear defense preferences are; 12 gauge loaded with slugs for brush and in a camp, and the .45-70 loaded with hardcast +P rounds when I'm on open tundra or terrain with good visibility. I almost prefer the .45-70 because it's also an awesome moose round. Full disclosure though: I haven't had to kill any bear in self-defense yet, I've been both exceptionally lucky and very careful.

If its still moving after 3 rounds from my 4570 I'm using the 4th round on myself!

I'd go with the 12 gauge. It did more damage and transfered more energy. A 3 inch 1.5 Oz slug is a big, heavy powerful round. I'd feel pretty comfortable in Bear territory with a Shotgun loaded with Breneke Black Magic Magnum slugs.

I just want to hear him say “dammit Bobby”

The difference in penetration was more a function of bullet construction than the cartridges or the platforms they were fired from.

The 12ga and 45-70 seemed to be soft lead and the 500 seemed to be hard cast which makes a big difference

I used to think these plate tests were useless but as a standardized disposable medium it makes a lot of sense. Thanks for all the data and enjoyment I get from your channel mate.

I've found that a 12 gauge slug will solve most problems. ...

I love using a 12 gauge with a slug on bears, they work real good...50 years and never lost any bear. Western Ontario Canada.

I'll keep this in mind when I run into a Grizzly wearing a paper plate vest!

Imagine if that 500 magnum had a longer barrel like the other two. Very impressive!

I agree with your conclusion for hunting. But for emergencies and self defense against a big bear, I'll take the 12 gauge in a good pump. Even big bears are soft skinned. The energy dump on that 12 gauge was truly impressive. As expected.

The construction of the bullet makes all the Diff in these kinda of tests and actual penetration, the .500 magnum bullet was the tougher bullet, the 45-70 with a heat treated hardcast bullet is truly amazing on penetration.

I know a genuine "Native" Gal from Alaska. And back home in the center of Bear County she wares a .44 magnum revolver just to walk around in her own back yard. She says the neighbors all carry .44 mag. Carbines! Guess that's where all them nice Rugers ended up!

I would go with the 12 gauge... much bigger hole and more diameter. The entrance wound is devastating

We appreciate this fun video. We appreciate the expense, the work & the pain! Love the .45-70!

Daniel-son: "Mr. Miyagi, can you chop through paper plates?" Mr. Miyagi: "Don't know.... never been attacked by paper plates."

Had hard cast bullets been used (which is usually recommended for bear) I think the 45-70 would have faired a lot better. Great video. Thanks for putting in the work.

Very interesting! The impact of all these rounds was impressive. Couldn't help notice how the 12 gauge slug blew all the plates off the table. It takes a lot of force to push such a large object through those plates. Impressive all the way around. Thank you!

Appreciate your channel. Enjoy the excitement, as well as keeping the tests fairly scientific!

Wow! That 12 ga. slug really shocked that stack of plates. Very impressive. Thanks WTH.

Even though the .500 penetrated much further in... you can see it did not have the expansion of energy as the 12 gauge and .45 70 which leads me to believe the later two would have probably stopped a charging bear more effectively. I can be wrong on this, please feel free to correct me!

Thanks for the video. I like seeing the comparisons! 😊

The much larger shock to the rear cinder block from the 12 gauge gives a good indication of the power. Keep in mind that a 12 gauge's .79 caliber is also having to move quite a bit more paper to penetrate than a 45 or 50. Sort of like comparing a sledgehammer to a nail. A nail will penetrate more, but which one is delivering more energy?

I would pick the 4570 also, but use a harder bullet that would hold together at mag loads. I think if it had not disintegrated, it would have given the 500 a run for it's money. I had a Ruger #1 for many years and it did incredible things with heavy reloads and hard cast bullets. Great vid, thanks.

Love my 41 magnum...my favorite wheel gun......would love to have seen it in the 5 caliber review...a true over achiever

If it's still moving after 4 12 gauge slugs it's probably a dinosaur

I’d still go with the 12 gauge. It’s not just penetration your looking for it’s wound size. And if you used hard cast rounds in the 45-70 or 500 you probably would of shot straight through it.

Great video as always

A 12 gauge 3" Magnum SABOT slug, and a .45-70 both my preferred bear rounds.

Cool test! The 500 magnum really surprised me. I had no idea... Thanks

👍That 12 ga energy response hit was cool to see. Thx

Guys, you need to watch "Alaskan Troopers". Every time they had to get a gun for bear and moose protection the Troopers and Game Wardens use mostly 12 gauge shotguns with Black Magic slugs and Marlin 45/70 Guide Guns with 45/70 ammo. Seen at least 7 of 'em use them in the series. What they didn't use was..... pepper spray. Only one used his issue AR-15.

[whoa] that brennike was *brutal* - I mean, medieval as in "carve'm up, hang'em high, and burn'em on the stake" brutal. Lever action is old school, so *yeeeeeeeehaw* !!! The 4570 casing is so, so _shiny_ . . . Hope you kept it :) Oh, the S&W, so easy on the eyes, and the .500 magnum bullet is just _murdering_ those plates. All in all: Grizzlies, beware!

That bear slug looks like it kick like 10 mules at once. Wow!

What a great demonstration. Thank you for doing this video.

Awesome as usual. I think I'd go with the 12ga, just seems like the initial punch would be greater, but I'm probably wrong. I just like the 12ga

12 gauge, Cheap, manageable recoil , heavy , gets the job done. Also, if bear decides after charging to NOT to get in your personal space then they won't get shot.

Wowee! I was surprised at how well the .500 Magnum did. Thank you for sharing!

Very kool video. Trying to decide on lever action rifle to hunt Cape buffalo in South Africa. This is quite helpful- many thanks!

way back in the day bullet penetration was measured using ⅞" pine boards in a rigid box. Perhaps you may consider using something like that in a future video

My issue with the magnums and heavy guns is from my experience as a guide on the family ranch. Guys that came out with a heavy guns always shot poorly. I think they flinch. Which makes for more wounding of animals. Bad placement. One guy kept missing hogs. He had brought a second gun that was a .223 and I suggested that he take it. He immediately took the hog cleanly. Most guys won't admit it but unless they are well experienced with the magnums and shoot a lot they flinch and make for poor in the humanity area hunters. Just my thoughts. Placement is more important than power. Of course I am not saying use a 22 short. Ha ha

When I scout the low ground in the Spring I carry HSM’s 305 gr hard cast Bear Loads kicking out at 2640 fps so I feel pretty safe, plus making some noise and shrill whistle lets them know you’re coming

Penetration temporary cavity permanent cavity energy transfer are all different things. And for a charging bear what u want is a soft lead 12 ga slug

Hollow points are NOT grizzly bullets! Grizzly flesh is the second densest on earth. (Cape Buffalo being 1st).The hollow points blow up almost immediately NOT reaching the vitals, nor being able to bone shatter & keep traveling on through. Granted, the wound will kill the bear eventually but not before it kills you. Thats why the hard cast WFN Hot/heavy loads are better. Keep their bone shattering & penetration abilities & the Wide Flat Nose still has tremendous shock wave energy. Ive used both in my 45/70. The 350 grain H.P. simply blew up right under the skin. The Hard cast WFN went stem to stern while destroying everything in its path. Stopped just under the rear flank fur on a 10 ft (Squared ) black bear & dropped it like a sack of rocks @ 100 yds charging. 420 grain WFN pumped up to 2100 FPS. Buffalo Bore loads a 430 grain WFN @ 2000 FPS whose terminal ballistics were almost identical. The 500 surprised me! Loaded w proper HEAVY Hard Cast WFNs would be amazing! Maybe even better than the 45/70... Go figure!!! Ive switched up from a 44 mag w 320 grain WFNs to the 454 Casul. Havent had a chance to get the hot heavy bear slugs for it yet but its lightest loads beat my 44s BEST loads. If u can, get the Hot/heavy Buffalo Bore loads & repeat the test only w soaked paper plates if possible to simulate the hydraulic shock effect too. Pretty impressive vid there bud in any case. Always a pleasure!!

Love your reviews. Just picked up my 336 30-30 today. Saving up for the SW 500mag

Short and contundent as it must be, congratulations amigo 👍

Good test for comparisons!

The 405 gr 45-70 is probably a Remington bullet very soft not made to penetrate try something made to penetrate it will be a different story

i'm a bit partial to a pump shotgun with a proper slug, however I just can't get on board with a boat anchor tied to my side. In the event it comes down to me, a bear with a side arm, i'll take accuracy with something just a tad smaller.

Well done video! I myself would choose a 375 H&H mag with Nosler partitions for anything.

Impressive video. That 12 gauge packed a tremendous shocking power.

Great video. I would love to see you do the same comparing the 44 magnum to the 460 to the 500. All handguns you wear on your hip.

There do Exist From Companies Like Double Tap, Grizzly Cartridge and Buffalo Bore and HSM that Produce Hard Cast Solids that are Quite Potent and Heavy Loads for Dangerous Game Situations. 45-70 is made in some extremely Heavy Loadings and a Marlin Holds a Good Number of Rounds. A Good Quality Pump Shotgun Loaded With Some Potent Slugs is a Good Combo. A Large Frame Revolver in .357, .44, .45 Colt + P, .454, .460 and .500 Using Hard Cast Heavy Bullets is the Way to Go. Always Bring Enough Gun for the Job.

Awesome video!

Great video! Thanks,

I am shocked the .500 went through, not just more but Twice as many, WOW! Still take my 45-70 to Alaska when I visit my brother and hunt Elk and Caribou.

I live in the U. S. Northeast. Our bears here are nowhere near grizzly size, so a 45LC is more than enough gun. I carry a 45-70 - just because that is the rifle I happen to have. No magnum rounds or high powered horse play. My hip carry choice is a 44 mag. Again, it is enough.

Excellent stuff bro

That 45/70 lever gun is sweet...all my gear is modern and tactical but i always drool over those cowboy guns when i go to the range/shop.

love the content

Cool video, 4570 would be my choice at a distance. Slug under 50 yards. We enjoy all your work. 👍

Never have I ever seen a 12 gauge round like that. Those most be super powerful.

Good video, I'm glad you made this one, I was looking to buy 1 of those 3, can't buy all ☹️ you helped me pick the right one

Wow, nice test! I'm really surprised how much the 12g slug and the 4570 disintegrated but the 500 magnum stayed fairly intact! If I'm bear hunting, I think I'd take a semi-auto shotgun with the slugs... or maybe dual wield like your last comparison video!

First off my grizzly gun would be my Winchester model70 in 375 h&h mag. Second that slug dumped a crap ton of energy into those plates and that was awesome to watch. Lastly the 500 mag just WOW!!

Great Test

Fun video, thanks!

Geeza that 12 gauge did some damage. Like u said tho id take my 45-70 i know thats a beast. Good video to watch wasnt thinkin 2 times as many for the 500 mag. But i am a 45-70 junkie. Keep them coming who-tee-who love that stuff

More a test of bullet construction, old school 45/70 slugs turn explosive @ +p loadings.

Who Tee Who the bullets have jackets and the cartridge is the case. Thanks for posting.

You have come a long way brother

And for close protection of bear attack 10mm will also do the trick ! I personally up in Northeast WI. wouldn't use any less than 10mm. Good to see your numbers going up !

I'd be interested to see how the HSM Bear Load stacks up (430gr @ ~1800fps iirc), I imagine the hard cast lead bullets could penetrate much better than the expanding bullets you used

Who tee who? Your the man brother once again you never cease to entertain

EXCELLENT JOB !! THANK YOU.

These videos are interesting. I was expecting the 45-70 to win this contest. I have heard that a 220 grain 30-06 load is also considered the minimum for grizzly. It would be cool to see how that would fare against 12g, 45-70, and 500 S&W.

Black magic slug my favorite

Thanks for the valuable information.

Brenneke's Special Forces Magnum Penetrator Slugs are Good Choices too. They are Designed Strictly to Penetrate, Crush and Destroy.

I'd like to see what a BRI 3" sabot slug would do. That's my choice.

You should look at what a .444 can do. I chose that cal over the 45-70 because of the ballistics. Hornady makes a leverevolution load for that and it's really impressive in the fact that the range is increased a lot

great choice of 12ga ammo for bear

It looked like a whole lot of fun

I think with this test you should of used the 45-70 hard cast bullet the heaviest one you can get.With the 500 S&W the 700 gr hard cast,that way the bullets would survive.

Give me the 12g with the 500 on my hip. You can see the kinetic energy of the 12ga. by how much it makes the back block jump compared to the others. That alone will make a bear stand and take notice.

Very informative; good job.

The 45-70 is also accurate at 200 yards, whereas the shotgun and revolver are close-up weapons. And if you have a pissed off bear charging your butt, I’d rather not wait for it to get closer to assure an accurate shot. If you ask me, 200 yards is still too close for a pissed off bear. Cuddly Teddy bear, my ass! I have a friend who lost two and a half fingers to a large black bear during a driven deer hunt. The bear felt trapped, and fought his way out. We had to kill the bear. One of the young, eager guys in our party offered to field dress the bear. It was a warm week, and when the young guy cut open the bear’s abdominal wall, the putrid gases from the bear’s diaphragm expelled in the guy’s face. This guy was puking so hard, he couldn’t balance enough to kneel. Ah, the memories…

If I was hunting paper plates... the 500 S&W no question... but for Bear - 12ga all day long!

With reasonable shot placement, I think any one of them will stop a bear. Hit it in the knee, well, nice knowing you.

When I was reading the history of the guide gun that pretty much should sums up everything you need to know about the 45-70.

This is my new favorite guy, he gives honest gun reviews while sounding like a mix of hank Hill and elvis

i think the 12guage can do a lot of damage because of its stopping power but ill go for the 4570

Third Black Bear I killed was with my 45/70 Ruger #1. The Bear weighed about 340 lbs. I used a 405 gr soft point loaded with 52.0 gr of IMR 3031. That old Boar Acted like he was struck with a lighting bolt. He was graveyard dead as I walked up on him. I hit him on the point of the shoulder from about 70 yards. My Yankee cousin killed his with a 25-06. It took him 3 shots. I'm sooo embarrassed! To your point, a 45/70 is Good Medicine for Bears!

For the two long guns you can add a gell bike seat to it, that will lower the felt recoil!

I understand there are always variables. Shot placement, bullet construction, etc. I can tell you having been on a black bear hunt, where there were 6 bears harvested. Weapons used varied between bow and arrow to 30-06. Two bears were not recovered. Those were both shot with 45-70 and by two different hunters. The rest traveled no more than 75yrds. The shortest blood trail was the one I harvested with my bow. It only went about 20 yards. I personally trailed one of the bears shot with a 45-70 and there was little to no blood.

I don’t like when people refer to the S&W 500 magnum as a pistol ... it’s a hand cannon 😂

An old Bear hunter in Alaska when asked what he hunted bear with..he said.."A 12 gauge is deadly at 4 feet".

Nicely done I enjoyed it

I’ve got the S&W in 10.5 inch barrel so now I feel safe going to Jelly Stone Park now