7.62x39 versus bear?

[PlaneJain]

7.62 x 39 has killed all of the big 5 in africa and Kamchatka, illegally for years. Don't use a full metal jacket at all. In most states its illegal to hunt game with FMJ's. They are designed to pass through a body without expanding, and outside of war, you don't want a bullet to continue on 'downstream' after it may have passed through an animal. For bears, you want something that will smash through thick hide and heavy bone. A bullet with a large meplate is a better choice.

Also 'pass' on the hollow points when hunting animals that can burry your carcass in a pile of leaves and dirt and munch on you at their leisure.

 

[FireInCairo]

7.62 x 39 has killed all of the big 5 in africa and Kamchatka, illegally for years. Don't use a full metal jacket at all. In most states its illegal to hunt game with FMJ's. They are designed to pass through a body without expanding, and outside of war, you don't want a bullet to continue on 'downstream' after it may have passed through an animal. For bears, you want something that will smash through thick hide and heavy bone. A bullet with a large meplate is a better choice.

Also 'pass' on the hollow points when hunting animals that can burry your carcass in a pile of leaves and dirt and munch on you at their leisure.

Could you clarify? It sounds like you're saying don't use FMJ and don't use hollowpoint. What would you use instead of either of those?

 

[meanmrmustard]

Could you clarify? It sounds like you're saying don't use FMJ and don't use hollowpoint. What would you use instead of either of those?

Soft points I believe, and I speculate, is what he means.

If so, I agree.

 

[shinyroks]

Could you clarify? It sounds like you're saying don't use FMJ and don't use hollowpoint. What would you use instead of either of those?

If you are intent on using that round to hunt bear, you need to find a flatpoint solid or cast to effectively penetrate while still causing damage. See if Buffalo Bore or a like company makes them, or make friends locally and 'special order'. I am not sure, but you may find rounds like that from Norma.

 

[Speedo66]

People seem to feel well armed walking around in bear country with a .357 or .44.

Neither has anywhere near the energy of a 7.62x39, plus pistols are much less accurate than a rifle.

The word "magnum" doesn't mean much to a bear, lots of energy does.

I think you'd be fine if you're talking black bear.

 

[Chris-bob]

I have a buddy(that I personally know) that takes his annual spring black bear with his SKS. He loads his own hunting rounds, however.

 

[JShirley]

As wnycollector asked, what kind of bear? Black bears averaging under 250 lbs, sure, a good softpoint will work fine. Basically, almost all good deer cartridges (I wouldn't use anything that starts with ".24") also work fine for black bear.

If you're talking Alaskan/Canadian bears, that's a different story. .30-06 is the least amount of rifle I'd want in that case.

John

 

[303tom]

Is this round capable of taking out a bear? Would you use FMJ? Hollowpoint? Would it require multiple shots?

Not in my book...............

 

[Aaron1100us]

Double lung it with 7.62x39 fmj and the bear isnt going to go too far.

Sent from my SCH-R760 using Tapatalk 2

 

[Speedo66]

Within the last 3 years several 800 lb black bears have been taken in NJ. I believe some of these were almost hand fed pizza and donut eating pets, and one such even had a name, Bozo. He was taken with a crossbow.

I think the overweight condition of the bears has a lot to do with the general condition of the local human population. These were fast food eaters, not salad eating bears. Not sure if they could still climb trees, or even run. Probably on Medicaid for obesity.

Link here about them. http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2011/12/two-record-black-bears-taken-new-jersey

 

[meanmrmustard]

Not in my book...............

Where we have the possibilities of running into wayward cougars in the Show Me State, I wouldn't feel undergunned.

Pretty sure I saw one last season on opening weekend. In a CRP field between two wood lots on HWY 3 near Elmer. Sure you've heard of the place.

But, I was packing 762x54R. Felt a lil better.

 

[shinyroks]

Within the last 3 years several 800 lb black bears have been taken in NJ. I believe some of these were almost hand fed pizza and donut eating pets, and one such even had a name, Bozo. He was taken with a crossbow.

I think the overweight condition of the bears has a lot to do with the general condition of the local human population. These were fast food eaters, not salad eating bears. Not sure if they could still climb trees, or even run. Probably on Medicaid for obesity.

Link here about them. http://www.outdoorlife.com/blogs/newshound/2011/12/two-record-black-bears-taken-new-jersey

This thread has taken an odd turn, seems to happen about the end of the second page, eh?

 

[Armored farmer]

...All i can say is that the AK-47 style pistol with a 30rd clip that I fired into my backstop last November laid down some of the most impressive firepower that I have ever seen. It absolutely riddled my steel targets, and tore through the other targets with eye-opening authority. I would feel pretty well armed with one of these things slung over my shoulder.

 

[Inebriated]

For defense or hunting?

For defense, it's fine. You have a lot of deep-penetrating rounds on tap.

For hunting, there's better.

 

[WardenWolf]

Get the PRVI Partizan round nose soft point. That'll put a hurt on anything. It may not be ideal for large bear, but it'll do the job, particularly since you can fire it very quickly.

 

[tahunua001]

given 125gr soft points a 7.62x39 can take down blackbear but I wouldn't take one out for anything larger.

 

[T.R.]

I'll join in on this absurdly hypothetical debate. Since these great bears are not armor-plated, a 123 grain soft tip will indeed penetrate the chest wall. It's hard to state how many of these bullets it will take to topple the bruin.

I personally would not hunt the great bears with anything less than my .308 loaded with 200 grain Speer bonded bullets.

TR

 

[tahunua001]

I for one am taking a 6.5 jap with 140 grain ammo for black bear this year...
normally a 243 or 30-30 are easily able to take blackbear...

 

[PlaneJain]

Could you clarify? It sounds like you're saying don't use FMJ and don't use hollowpoint. What would you use instead of either of those?



Yes, I would not use either of these if I had the choice. For hunting one, use a well built soft point Barnes or Nosler that is designed to hold together when smashing through heavy bone on big animals. Nothing like an AK47 FMJ designed for people. Although Nosler Partitions etc are hollowpoints with a plastic tip, they are designed for penetration of big game, thick skinned animals. A regular hollow point wont make it past the hide or if its a bear in late summer fall, wont make it past its fat it has been building up.

As for those here who have previously said a double lung shot and he wont go far, well, bear blood is vastly different than human blood, and their cells carry so much more oxygen than ours does, that although the wound 'should' have killed the bear, he more than likely will kill you before he realizes he is 'dead'. Get a bigger gun.

And I'm not a He.

 

[PlaneJain]

Just to add a little color to the thread:

 

[meanmrmustard]

^^^Apologies, ma'am. If I'd been a bit more attentive, I'd have caught that.

 

[PlaneJain]

Not a problem ColonelMustard! lol

And as for pistol vs rifle energy etc, besides energy, meplate means a lot. And sometimes its easier to work outdoors with a pistol, than a rifle, and you resort to what you have to do, doesn't mean its always the best.

 

[Dthunter]

I have shot a bunch of bears with it.
Mostly in a Ruger hawkeye compact.
150 grain Sirerra gameking.

My sister In law shot a nice boar I guided her to last spring.

[/IMG]

 

[meanmrmustard]

Not a problem ColonelMustard! lol

And as for pistol vs rifle energy etc, besides energy, meplate means a lot. And sometimes its easier to work outdoors with a pistol, than a rifle, and you resort to what you have to do, doesn't mean its always the best.

Meplate? You'll have to elaborate.

I have no handgun hunting under my belt, but I'm familiar with their capabilities and know a few gents who do.

I must admit, I put blackies in the same categories as bigger deer; soft skinned, medium weight game. I feel a nice, bonded bullet does a number on Hoover game. While the closest thing we have to bears in MO that I fear are the rare cougars.

I see no qualms with a 156 sp 762x39, heavy 30-30, or a thumping pistol round.

I, myself, would use 6.5x55 Swede. I'm its newest advocate.

 

[PlaneJain]

for something like an SKS or AK-47 or even a Ruger Mini 30 etc, its hard to have a good bullet for taking game that has a large meplate surface (the flatness of the front). You need a fmj type bullet to cycle. For hunting, especially large dangerous game, a bullet with a large flat front is superb. The larger the meplate, the bigger the wound channel and kinetic energy transfer will be.

Thats why something like a 45 acp is so effective as a home defense round because of its larger frontal mass. You want the bullet to do as much tissue damage as it passes through bone and muscle and internal organs. Not only just from the wound channel, but from the impact of the bullet > (picture an automobile head on collision where internal organs are jumbled around on impact that although the person may survive the impact, internally they often bleed to death from the ruptured arteries, etc.) Thats what a larger meplate will do over a pointed bullet.