AK-74 bear kill, article

[caribou]

The Ak's that weve owned were all .223.

Each kid has one, of various makes, but all .223.

The 7.62X39s we had in the late 80's early 90's were good, just hard to get bullets for, so we went all out .223.

Around this village, theres probly 30 more. Almost all use the 10 round mags for carryabilty, especially on a snowmachine, when a 30 will make it akward to carry as such.

 

[Davek1977]

Jungle... You've obviously never been to Alaska and didn't read that in a book or published article, so, can you share where you got that information from please? AK-74's being popular in Alaska due to "real world experience" eh!?

AK-74's in Los Anchorage wouldn't surprise me too terribly though.

Ok, Matt, since you took the time to reply to THIS post, why not the several others questioning your intent in your original post in this thread? Some of us don't like the idea of somoene carrying around a semi auto rifle being arbitrarily labeled as kooky and in desperate need of handcuffs....

 

[Cosmoline]

AK-74's being popular in Alaska due to "real world experience" eh!?

I've seen more and more of them at the ranges, and I got mine from a fellow who makes them locally. I'm not sure what you're basing your own opinions on. The .223 guns have been extremely popular for generations now, esp. among subsistence hunters. 5.45 is a little newer to the market, but catching on fast esp. after the recent ammo supply problems. You seem to be imagining gang bangers shooting bear, which is pretty strange and humorous.

 

[jungle]

Matt said:

Jungle... You've obviously never been to Alaska and didn't read that in a book or published article, so, can you share where you got that information from please? AK-74's being popular in Alaska due to "real world experience" eh!?

AK-74's in Los Anchorage wouldn't surprise me too terribly though.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

You are correct, I didn't read that in a book, I live in Alaska and got the information by direct observation.

You might also ponder what Cosmoline and Caribou said on this subject.

Caribou likely has more experience than any of us on the subject.




It ain't what we know that gets us in trouble, it's what we know for sure that just ain't so. Mark Twain

 

[Art Eatman]

Anything about Alaska hunting, you can pretty much figure that whatever caribou says is something you can take to the bank. Sure, there are others who are quite knowledgeable from experience, but he lives it.

 

[itsa pain]

7,62 and 5.556 Ak's and Mini14's are an old standard here in Arctic Ak.

The 3 or 4 AR's around have had many owners, all who sold them to buy a better rifle. Ive seen those same AR's over and over, lookin' like brand new still, hardly a shot fired.

Mini14's and AK's are shot till they die.

but but the AR is the best lol

 

[dcarch]

All I know is that I would have needed my brown pants after that incident. Glad no one was hurt (except the bear, of course.)

 

[LeonCarr]

I don't believe this story at all.

Everyone knows that if you don't use at least a .460 Weatherby Magnum on a Brown Bear, he will run over you and eat you .

To be serious, I am glad the fella survived to shoot his AK-74 another day.

Just my .02,
LeonCarr

 

[Sunray]

"...13 rounds..." 20 wouldn't have helped. Sounds like an idiot who had no idea what he's about.
"...natives to the area..." The natives on our side of the border usually carry .303's. AR's or Mini's(not accurate enough) are too expensive for them.

 

[Cosmoline]

The condemnations of this fellow are strange. It's as if a certain set is *insulted* that a bear could be killed with something as crude as an AK-74.

AR's or Mini's(not accurate enough) are too expensive for them.

Is anyone permitted to own AR-15's over there?

 

[MattShlock]

Perhaps my fellow member is not only confused about where he lives but who uses what in Miami vs. Los Anchorage or the interior. But OK, let's say the time-tested, tried and true, AK-74 with 7.62x39mm is the new Alaskan rifle. Must be 'cause I see 'em and all their ammo at Fred Meyer's...

This guy was up to something. Something no good. The authorities need to get to the bottom of it, extricate as much info out of him as they can, and then put him away, hard. Down south. Ya know, Juneau.

 

[Cosmoline]

I do hope you aren't trolling, but in any case you're wrong across the board. I live here. I shoot here, all the time. I do see AK-74's and Tantals more and more. Including MY OWN that I was shooting Saturday right next to another guy also shooting his AK-74. In fact here's a video to prove it. That's me shooting on Saturday at RCRR just a mile from the Turnagain trailhead.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KBccq4EMEwQ


And of course AK-47 clones have been very popular here since the first big imports came in the 90's. Those are even more common. And AR-15's are more common than both of those put together up here.

So no, it's not "fishy" that someone would take a compact, portable rifle with him hiking. I've hiked that very trail with a wide array of rifles from full size M91 Mosins to .357 revolvers, and I can assure you every pound will be felt esp. if you turn and head up to Rabbit Lake.

 

[dcarch]

Why does owning an AK automatically make you a "bad guy"?

 

[jungle]

Matt says:

Perhaps my fellow member is not only confused about where he lives but who uses what in Miami vs. Los Anchorage or the interior. But OK, let's say the time-tested, tried and true, AK-74 with 7.62x39mm is the new Alaskan rifle. Must be 'cause I see 'em and all their ammo at Fred Meyer's...

This guy was up to something. Something no good. The authorities need to get to the bottom of it, extricate as much info out of him as they can, and then put him away, hard. Down south. Ya know, Juneau.
========================================================

You are astounding, you have an amazing knowledge of people and events you have never met or seen. You might even be up to something. Like writing fiction-bad fiction.

 

[goon]

I don't get what the story is here.
AR's, Mini's, SKS's, VZ-58's, and anything else that goes bang reliably that someone has a couple boxes of ammo for are used in Alaska.
Why not an AK-74 clone?
And why does it matter? The guy got lucky and lived through this. The bear was attacking and it didn't. That's good enough for me.

 

[Sun Tzu warrior]

Seems to me that David slew Goliath with a sling shot, and a primative one at that.
Also remember hearing that Sampson defeated a whole army with the jaw bone of an ass.
The point being what difference does it make what weapon is used, if used to success?!
This is what irritates me when some, look down their noses at another mans weapon, because they are able to afford what they belive is superior. Like the guy who subjected a Mini 14 with a 1/4 inch of fine powderd dirt.
He then showed everyone that if they could afford it, (AR-15, Styer AUG)
They too, would be in the fight. Mens finances, are not equal.
To those folks I have to ask .... If a foreign invader came trying to dis-arm us, would you want those with the lowly Mini 14, High Points, WWII Liberators ect.... to give up their arms and leave the fight up to you because you are better equipt?
I say use what you have, when your life depends on it. Maybe, just maybe, an AK74 was the only weapon this fellow could afford, or find ammo for. It really does not matter, because he is still alive thanks to his supposed ill-suited weapon.

 

[CornCod]

Granted, an AK-74 is not an optimum hiking rifle for bear country,but somtimes folks have to depend on the tools they happen to have at the time. Not all of us have gun collections that meet every concievable need. I would not confine myself to a little alaska cabin because i could not afford a large caliber rifle.

 

[Davek1977]

Perhaps my fellow member is not only confused about where he lives but who uses what in Miami vs. Los Anchorage or the interior. But OK, let's say the time-tested, tried and true, AK-74 with 7.62x39mm is the new Alaskan rifle. Must be 'cause I see 'em and all their ammo at Fred Meyer's...

This guy was up to something. Something no good. The authorities need to get to the bottom of it, extricate as much info out of him as they can, and then put him away, hard. Down south. Ya know, Juneau.

I smell a troll and or anti here. To be immediately THIS suspicious of someone who has broken no laws and was found to be doing nothing wrong borders on paranoia or delusion. You're making up a scenario that doesn't in any way reflect the reported facts? And for what? the sake of argument? A bias against certain rifles? What on earth is your angle? Also, where exactly DOES on acquire an AK-74 in 7.62x39? Seems like a a darned rare beast

 

[MattShlock]

See, I couldn't even bring myself to WRITE 5.45mm! LOL

I just don't believe the reporting, that's all. The perp was not simply hiking the trails with that rifle and I'm not accepting that the gun/ammo combination is all the rage -- they're simply not!

He wasn't above the arctic circle. He was at the by-far largest city in Alaska - more than a third of the state's total population. One catching Californians like a viral infection and with all their symptoms. Whatever four legged predator he was worried about he would indeed have had a 7.62 -- so the gun wasn't for animal defense. Money? He couldn't afford a shotgun like everyone else?! Sorry, I'M not buying THAT.

I feel it's a false story. Some guy was up to no good, got attaked by a bear, got lucky, and got luckier still if someone's covering up something for him or letting him off the hook for one reason or another. Dunno.

Some honest, insightful, and capable LEO really needs to get a confession outta this guy...

 

[Robert]

There is simply too much wild, unfounded speculation here to let this run. If you have proof he was up to no good we will take another look. And no, "I feel" is not a standard of proof I am willing to accept.