The 5.56 CAN take down a grizzly bear!

[SpruceSniper]

Hello, Dan from Alaska here. I personally know the ranger for the district I hunt squirrel in-and a few years ago (about 3 or 4 by my memory) a man, armed with an AK74 chambered in 5.45 using FMJ standard ammo, encountered a grizzly bear along a hiking trail around the McCugh Creek hiking area. the ranger, Tom Crockett, was called to escort the man (who had cellphone reception) out of the area of the encounter. By his account the man who shot and killed the grizzly called for an escort out because he was so traumatized.

According to ranger Crockett, as he was checking my trapping license at the Penguin Creek trailhead, the man encountered the bear from behind if I recall right. He yelled out, HEY, at a distance of approximately 40-50 yards. The bear turned and immediately charged. The man fired on the bear, shooting, and by my understanding, hitting the grizzly with all of his 17 shots fired. By weight alone, he put an equal amount of lead had the man fired and hit twice the bear with .45-70 bear load rounds. Penetration, I'm sure, was well achieved with the Russian round. (I have heard stories that the 5.45 is superior to 5.56)

My first thought is that now we can tell Feinstein we have a reason to own assault rifles. My second thought is now the .22cal in high speed really CAN do anything, as long as you have enough rounds....,my long held argument against guys who recommend the 7.62x39 is superior to 5.56 for 2-legged varmints, is if the bugger keeps moving, you can always shoot him again anyway. Thought I'd share something worthy in my first post.

-Dan in Alaska

 

[JohnKSa]

So can the 9mm. But I wouldn't want to be the one required to stand there calmly and make the shot.

http://peninsulaclarion.com/stories/081902/ala_081602ala0040001.shtml

Brenner fired twice at the center of the hulking shape closing to four or five feet away. The sow, estimated at 400 to 450 pounds, went down. Brenner then put three more bullets into her head.

He used a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol. Lewis said such a low-caliber gun ordinarily doesn't pack enough punch to kill a bear. But Brenner loaded the pistol with full-metal-jacket bullets that penetrated to the bear's vital organs, he said.​

 

[fallingbird]

Wow. Did the ranger bring fresh underwear?

 

[Warp]

A .22lr CAN take down a grizzly as well, with the right shot placement.

Selecting a defensive round for a given application is not so much about what "can" potentially do the job, as much as it is about what is "likely" to do the job.

 

[shafter]

No one said it couldn't, but only a fool would use it.

 

[Deaf Smith]

Well think about it gang, a AK74 don't kick much. Can allow 5-10 shots in the same time as 2 from a 45/70. Has the penetration needed to shoot through any bear's noggin.

As long as one is talking CNS shots, an AK or AR can do, be it 5.56, 5.45, or 7.62x39.

But if the shot needs to break the shoulder bones or hip to stop the critter the those three rounds are lacking.

Deaf

 

[rcmodel]

Water buffalo and Tigers were killed in Vietnam by American GI's with M-16's.

Then there is the Alaska National guard.
The Eskemo scouts think nothing of taking on polar bears with an M16 if it becomes necessary.

http://articles.latimes.com/1988-03-27/news/mn-194_1_national-guard

rc

 

[200Apples]

.
Say, there, Mr. Dan: Welcome to THR. Cool story.

Hello, Dan from Alaska here. I personally know the ranger for the district I hunt squirrel in-and a few years ago (about 3 or 4 by my memory) a man, armed with an AK74 chambered in 5.45 using FMJ standard ammo, encountered a grizzly bear along a hiking trail around the McCugh Creek hiking area. the ranger, Tom Crockett, was called to escort the man (who had cellphone reception) out of the area of the encounter. By his account the man who shot and killed the grizzly called for an escort out because he was so traumatized.

More than likely soiled his shorts because he knew that he might not have enough gun if he had to do it again. How often does one hear, "shot placement is key"...

 

[Warp]

How often does one hear, "shot placement is key"

Every time they are listening to somebody who knows what they are talking about.


.

 

[Panzerschwein]

So 5.56=5.45?

 

[reddog81]

My first thought was why the heck would you start yelling at a bear. I don't know much about bears but surely you aren't supposed to start yelling at them if they aren't paying any attention to you.

 

[goon]

Semi-auto 5.56mm's - especially Mini-14's but also some AR's - are all over Alaska. You might not be able to find ammo for the latest magnum bear-killer in some really rural villages off the road system, but you can usually scrounge up a box of some kind of .223 or 5.56 ammo.

You use what you got.

But I've been told by many that when you really need to stop a bear, best bring a 12 gauge loaded with slugs and a little luck.

 

[rcmodel]

See this.
It's recommended by experts.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TtC14cpwwXg

rc

 

[Warp]

My first thought was why the heck would you start yelling at a bear. I don't know much about bears but surely you aren't supposed to start yelling at them if they aren't paying any attention to you.

Yes, you are

 

[caribou]

When anything........ ISIS, Brown Bear, rapist ,etc,etc..... is attacking you, then the gun you actually have with you is the best gun at the moment.

When you plan on doing the attacking (hunting) then use what your comfortable and accurate with.

Placement is everything, everytime, misses stop nothing.

 

[Flechette]

See this.
It's recommended by experts.

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TtC14cpwwXg

rc

Crazy Russkis.

 

[Onmilo]

Martin Sheen killed a tiger with an M16 in Apocalypse Now.

In seriousness I know a guy who killed a good size black bear with a single shot from an H&R 676 .22 revolver but that doesn't make the six shot .22 revolver the preferred weapon for this kind of work.

 

[Carl N. Brown]

My first thought is that now we can tell Feinstein we have a reason to own assault rifles.

I would not rely on that to impress Feinstein. For protection in bear country, 12ga or .45-70 is recommended in Alaska. No one recommends a varmint or deer caliber rifle. Further, I should not have to justify owning military rifles as collectibles or for civilian marksmanship matches. Feinstein should have to justify how banning rifles rarely used in actual crime would affect bad behavior by bad people on the streets.

This incident shows that you can defend yourself with what you've got with you, even if it is not first choice.

 

[jmr40]

My first thought was why the heck would you start yelling at a bear. I don't know much about bears but surely you aren't supposed to start yelling at them if they aren't paying any attention to you.

You are correct about not knowing much about bears. Many bear encounters happen because someone surprises a bear. If they hear you most of the time they will leave before you ever see them.

A mature bear can easily kill a human. But they don't know that. Unless they have already done so in the past. If you do encounter a bear, acting aggressively will usually convince them to leave you alone.

 

[Red Wind]

I agree with Carl N.Brown. My son and I have been to Alaska twice, carrying 45/70 Marlin Guide Guns loaded with 415 grain Garrett loads.

As Robert Ruark famously said, "Use Enough Gun".
This is the minimum gun I am going to go with in the Alaska wilds, although a 30.06 or .338 Win could certainly do the job.

Another welcome to the OP! A most entertaining first post.

 

[jim in Anchorage]

Hello, Dan from Alaska here. I personally know the ranger for the district I hunt squirrel in-and a few years ago (about 3 or 4 by my memory) a man, armed with an AK74 chambered in 5.45 using FMJ standard ammo, encountered a grizzly bear along a hiking trail around the McCugh Creek hiking area. the ranger, Tom Crockett, was called to escort the man (who had cellphone reception) out of the area of the encounter. By his account the man who shot and killed the grizzly called for an escort out because he was so traumatized.

According to ranger Crockett, as he was checking my trapping license at the Penguin Creek trailhead, the man encountered the bear from behind if I recall right. He yelled out, HEY, at a distance of approximately 40-50 yards. The bear turned and immediately charged. The man fired on the bear, shooting, and by my understanding, hitting the grizzly with all of his 17 shots fired. By weight alone, he put an equal amount of lead had the man fired and hit twice the bear with .45-70 bear load rounds. Penetration, I'm sure, was well achieved with the Russian round. (I have heard stories that the 5.45 is superior to 5.56)

My first thought is that now we can tell Feinstein we have a reason to own assault rifles. My second thought is now the .22cal in high speed really CAN do anything, as long as you have enough rounds....,my long held argument against guys who recommend the 7.62x39 is superior to 5.56 for 2-legged varmints, is if the bugger keeps moving, you can always shoot him again anyway. Thought I'd share something worthy in my first post.

-Dan in Alaska

Amazing he didn't hit someone during that spray and pray eposede on crowded McHugh trail.
These are the gun owners that hurt us.

 

[Warp]

Amazing he didn't hit someone during that spray and pray eposede on crowded McHugh trail.
These are the gun owners that hurt us.

The post and story you quoted claimed a 100% hit rate vs a charging bear. How can you POSSIBLY declare that to be "spray and pray"?

 

[Red Wind]

Yeah,100% with 17 shots is the cats pajamas! A whole lot better than the NYPD hit rate!

 

[caribou]

In the hunting forums here on THR, I have posted the PolarBear skin thats hanging on my bedroom wall is one of many my father-in-law Koksiinaq "Joe" hunted down, but he really made a living as a Polar Bear Hunter in the 1920's along the Beufort Sea, North of us here in the Arctic. He would take a dog team "On the road North" to the Coville River and onto the northernmost Sea. Prices were high and the Bears were thick...

Once there he would set up on a dead whale or a nice pile of firewood, and make his "trap' by flaying a small Seal. Dragging the seal, he would leave a nice blood/oil trail, as he would mush a circle of 30 or so miles. Any ice pack animal would hit this trail and , eventually, follow it to a trap, or Joe hissself.......so along this trail he would set traps for Arctic Fox (he was getting 75$+ in those days) and Bear traps. These were made from Baleen strips, about 16 inches long x 1 inch width barbed and exceedingly sharpend at both ends and coiled or folded , then frozen into seal meats. A bear would gobble one down and the baleen straighten when digested, poking out the sides of the Bear.
Dark winter, hunting a shifting ice pack, in good weather and moonlight he would mush the trail and look for tracks, either finding Dead Bear, a Fox in a trap or tracks that he would take to. When a Polar Bear was in sight, he would turn loose his 4 best trained dogs that would stop the Bear and keep him busy, so Joe could put a .25-35 in his brain, usually with a temple shot.
Sleeping in the tent back at the beach, the dogs would let him know when one had followed the loop, his favorite hunt, fresh coffee, easy work and it came to him. That .25-35 did the job well , for many years, according to Joe.
This all ended when the Depression came on, and skin prices crashed. Same for the .25-35, as a Bear gun, when Joe bought hisself a .30-06.

 

[Red Wind]

I can bet Joe gave that 30.06 a lot of work!

Great story,Caribou.