Modern Sporting Rifles as Bear Stoppers? They Worked in Every Recorded Incident

[Elderberry]

Ammoland by Dean Weingarten 2/6/2021

Before I graduated from high school, I overheard the older brother of a close friend talking about shooting a bear. The bear had been discovered in a den, during the Wisconsin deer season. As I recall, in 1968, such a harvest would have been legal.

The older brother was a Vietnam veteran. He approached the den with another vet. The brother suggested the other vet poke into the den to see if the bear were still there.

The other veteran said no, he would not do it. The brother said, well, in Vietnam, you went into holes to get Charlie.

Whereupon, the other veteran said: yes, but I had a different rifle then. (speaking of the M16).

He considered the M16 a superior gun for close-range bear defense than the common 30-30, whether Winchester 94 or Marlin 336.

At the time, I thought it strange someone would prefer a .223 semi-automatic rifle to a 30-30 or larger caliber rifle.

50 years and considerable time investigating actual defensive shootings of bears later, my opinion has become less certain.

Of the defensive bear shootings I have found, four of them were with rifles reasonably characterized as semi-automatic civilian versions of popular military rifles.

More: https://www.ammoland.com/2021/02/modern-sporting-rifles-as-bear-stoppers-they-worked-in-every-recorded-incident/

[sneakypete]

It is theoretically possible to kill a bear with a single shot from a pistol loaded with 22 shorts.

Preferably with a shot to the eye socket while the bear is sleeping.

I'm not quite that sporting. I want nothing less than a 375 H%H Magnum if given a preference,but would take some sort of semi-auto chambered in 30 caliber like the M-14,FN-FAL,etc,etc,etc,or mo betta,a M1 Garand in 30/06. Even mo betta than that,a BAR in 30/06.

[txradioguy]

It is theoretically possible to kill a bear with a single shot from a pistol loaded with 22 shorts.

Preferably with a shot to the eye socket while the bear is sleeping.

I'm not quite that sporting. I want nothing less than a 375 H%H Magnum if given a preference,but would take some sort of semi-auto chambered in 30 caliber like the M-14,FN-FAL,etc,etc,etc,or mo betta,a M1 Garand in 30/06. Even mo betta than that,a BAR in 30/06.

Thankfully the bears around here (and they are beginning to reappear in my county with more frequency) are the small black bears.  My 30-30 will take care of them.  Wouldn't have trusted it if I was still in Colorado and ran across a big ol Brown or a Grizzly.

[Elderberry]

It is theoretically possible to kill a bear with a single shot from a pistol loaded with 22 shorts.

Preferably with a shot to the eye socket while the bear is sleeping.

I'm not quite that sporting. I want nothing less than a 375 H%H Magnum if given a preference,but would take some sort of semi-auto chambered in 30 caliber like the M-14,FN-FAL,etc,etc,etc,or mo betta,a M1 Garand in 30/06. Even mo betta than that,a BAR in 30/06.

I had read of a Kodiak that had been shot. Upon examining the bear they found a .22 bullet lodged in the roof of its mouth that had failed to enter the brain.

My son has wanted a Ruger #1 in 375 H&H for the longest time. He has a Garand and FAL and SCAR Heavy among others.

One of my shipmates grew up on the Gulf Coast in South Florida. He told the tale of his neighbor discovering his boat was being stolen. He stopped the theft alright, but about shot his boat in half with his BAR.

[sneakypete]

One of my shipmates grew up on the Gulf Coast in South Florida. He told the tale of his neighbor discovering his boat was being stolen. He stopped the theft alright, but about shot his boat in half with his BAR.

@Elderberry

Yeah,BAR's tend to "get away from you" if you aren't very experienced shooting them. Which could be a good thing if facing a charging grizzly.

[Elderberry]

@Elderberry

Yeah,BAR's tend to "get away from you" if you aren't very experienced shooting them. Which could be a good thing if facing a charging grizzly.

@sneakypete

It wasn't the boat he was in that he shot up. It was his boat that was being stolen and steaming away as he shot it up from his dock. He was determined that His Boat wasn't going anywhere.

[sneakypete]

Well,sinking it with gunfire is one way of doing that.

[Elderberry]

My younger sister used to work for a fella that was worried about pirates. So he had 2 deck mounted 50's on his yacht.

[sneakypete]

My younger sister used to work for a fella that was worried about pirates. So he had 2 deck mounted 50's on his yacht.

@Elderberry

He couldn't find any dual 20 mm's?