.308 vs 7.62x39

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johnny79

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how diff this ammo regarding the stoping power? , like is 7.62x39 is enough to stop an angry bear , i got a ak47 right now but i'm planning to get a much powerfull gun , which gun is powerfull enough to stop a bear in one shot?
 
What type of bear? Black? Grizz? Polar?

7.62x39 is marginal for black bear and probably wouldn't even slow a grizzly down. Neither would be a one-shot stopper for a grizzly. 12ga pump with slugs would be a better choice.
 
When I was up north on the Ice Cap we had FN-FALs in .308's and a few rounds would probably kill a Polar Bear. But we normally carried .375 H&H's or 12 gauges with Slugs.
 
7.62x39 roughly matches the energy and ballistics of the .30-30 Winchester, with a slight edge as it's pointed spitzer bullet gives it better aerodynamics.

So if you wouldn't shoot it with confidence using a .30-30, you probably shouldn't shoot it with 7.62x39.

That being said, if an AK-clone is all you have, you could do a lot worse. You do have the ability to put thirty ".30-30's" on target with that AK. Most African poaching, even elephants, is done with AK's. Of course, getting the entire magazine into a charging animal unlikely in any encounter where you'd need to do it.

There probably is a balance that can be struck between energy power repeatability and follow-up shots, but I'd say that balance is somewhere around 1-3 rounds.
 
"...in one shot..." Neither. Nothing, not even a 12 ga slug, gives you a 100% guarantee of a one shot stop. In any case, Yogi isn't interested in you.
 
I have never bear hunted but I have always been told that with anything in the size of a black bear your going to want a big slow round to really knock it down. /Humor Using that logic next time I hike in bear country I would toss an AT-4 in my bag /End humor. What about one of those .454c Carbines?
 
7.62x39 is marginal for black bear and probably wouldn't even slow a grizzly down. Neither would be a one-shot stopper for a grizzly.
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I won't say the .308 is ideal, but 150 years ago people killed grizzlies with much less.
 
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Go with the 308 if your hunting.
Using factory ammo specs.
the 308 is 500 FPS faster with a 25 grain heaver bullet,
has 10 inch less drop at 300 yards with a 100 yard zero,
and has right at double the energy of a 7.62 at 300 yards.
Draw your own conclusions but I would pick the 308.
Normaly I hunt with a 30-06 but have killed deer and elk with a 308.
 
7.62 x51/x39

The 7.62x51mm Nato (commercial name .308 Winchester) will throw a heavier bullet nearly 20% faster than the 7.62x39. This translates into a substantial increase in energy. I don't know if it would be enough to satisfy your desires, only you can decide that.

However, the .308 is more than adequate, in skilled hands, for North American hunting. Actual defense against bear attacks is different than hunting, and most people prefer bigger rounds for defense, but a .308 had all the energy needed, if you apply it in the correct place.

Be aware that while the 7.62 NATO and the .308 Winchester are dimensionally the same, commercial ammo can be found loaded to slightly higher velocities and pressures, which may not be a good thing to shoot in military rifles with oversize chambers.

The largest grizzly bear on record (1901) taken in the lower 48 states was taken with a .30-40 Krag, which is slightly faster than the 7.62x39, and uses much heavier bullets, but falls below the level of the .308 Win.
 
7.62x39 is not for bear.
It kills (to hear the media) babies, cops, ships, power plants, plains, trains and automobiles but not bear.
.308 is a hunting round and fits in shiny rifles that pose no threat to anyone. (Until semi autos are banned)
 
do you plan on going bear hunting or something?

AFAIK, there is no "ultimate bear gun," just like IMO there is no "ultimate deer gun" or anything else. There are so many different calibers and loadings and firearms out there that any one animal can be taken with any number of different firearms.

If it were me, I would want a 12 gauge with slugs.
 
thanks for the replies guy, so what is the ultimate bear gun??
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From what I hear the Marlin 1895 guide guns in 45/70 Govt. are popular. You might send a PM to Cosmoline though, since he lives in Alaska and has some first hand experience with bears as a Law Enforcement Officer if I remember correctly.
 
I'm with a lot of the other guys on here...a 12ga with slugs would be hard to beat. Maybe a Saiga 12, provided the reliability is good? I've always thought a Garand or an M1A with the bayonet fixed would be a decent choice. Granted, I have no firsthand experience with dangerous game, but I think I'd rather have the AK with thirty fast shots at my fingertip than just about anything in a bolt action rifle with 5 shots that I won't ever get to shoot before the bear is on top of me having lunch.

Ben
 
True story,when I was sixteen I was working at a resort in northern Minnesota and every couple days I had the duty to take fish guts out to the dump.The dump was located about six miles in the middle of very deep thick woods.Well one day the truck that I used was currently being used for other tasks,so I decided to use the four wheeler as the load that I was taking wasn't very heavy.Before for I headed out I grabed my Yugo sks and fully loaded it with 123gr soft points.I got to the dumps and was in the middle of unloading the fish guts when I heard a very loud deep growl and crashing (I nearly sh*t my boxer's) about 60yds in the direction that I just came from and there was no way I could get out of there other than the way I came in..By the time I got my rifle there was a very large 300lb cinnamon colored bear standing 40yds in the middle of the road just looking me down and growling,about thirty seconds after he stumbled upon me he started to stomp his front legs in the ground and growl even louder.I was always told to just walk the other way,but there was no way I was going to take my chances with that bear that close so I decided to fire a round above his head,he took off the other way but then he turned and charged thats when I had no other option but to use lethal force.The first 3 rounds were to the chest and the round that killed him was through the mouth and exited through the back of the neck.I have pictures of the bear but I don't have a picture scanner,when I get one I'll post them.
 
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