AK-74 vs. Bear

I

Isk

New member
Apparently someone was hiking with an AK-74 and had to take down a 500-600 lbs. brown bear with it. Contrary to popular internet wisdom, the bear actually died from the wounds of this small caliber rifle.

http://www.adn.com/2013/07/29/2997953/section-of-turnagain-arm-trail.html

I'm not advocating the use of an AK-74 on bears, particularly since hiking with one seems like a poor idea, but I think sometimes we need to remind ourselves that these creatures aren't always unstoppable killing machines.
 
"...I'm not advocating the use of an AK-74 on bears, particularly since hiking with one seems like a poor idea..."
Why?
Seems to have worked this time.
An AK is a reliable, compact firearm made for field use. Sounds perfect for hiking.
 
That was really a comment on its weight, not its usefulness. The area that guy was hiking in is pretty mountainous, I just wouldn't want to be weighed down like that. If you want to hike with your AK, go right ahead!
 
Theres a variety of residents up here in Alaska:
1. Those who believe their .500 LSUDBMagAI revolver will protect them from bears (LSUDMag=Loudenboomer Super Ultra Deadly to Beasts Magnum Ackley Improved)
2. Those who believe their cowbells and singing will protect them from bears
3. Those who believe any firearm will protect them from bears
4. Those who realize no firearm is guaranteed to ward off bears since shooting at a softball-sized target that is bouncing up and down as it runs towards you at 30 mph from already short distances will likely result in missed shots and underroos that require changing should the person survive the charge
5. Those who are fat and prefer to watch the Wild Outdoors through cable TV like me.

p.s. Should you find me out and about in bear country, weight of the gun won't be a deciding factor. Give me the 12 gauge loaded with 3 in shells of slugs and buckshot.
 
Spcemanspiff -- exactly!

Short barreled 12 ga. with 3" hardened 000 buckshot (though I have a relatively small .44 Mag and bear spray otherwise when I'm there)!
 
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I don't think hiking around with your ak would be any worse than hiking around with any other long gun or shotgun. I think this case is pretty interesting though. The 5.45 is a tiny bullet. Moves at pretty high velocity though. I'm not trying to perpetuate the myth about this round and its supposed tumbling and "blender" effect. I have seen it do some weird stuff though. I've shot mine through some 6x8 pine the 7 1/4 inch thickness. Little tiny hole in the front, came out sideways in the back. What it does in flesh though, I have no idea. The article did say something along the lines of a "volley of shots". So I really think this is a case of a death by a thousand cuts. Or in the case of the 5.45, a death by a thousand needle pokes. I really don't want to turn this thread into the old argument of shotgun vs. rifle for bear defense. But I'm not sure if I'm totally sold on the buckshot or slugs against bear. I just don't see the penetration being there, atleast in that type of animal. Maybe one of those slugs with the tungsten penetrator tips, like the ones tha Rio makes. But even then, I'm not sure.
 
Yeah the Bear killed by a gun build by the big bad red Bear...ironic

I would love to know what loads were used and what shots ended up where on the bear. Mainly curious to see if the guy was shooting FMJ's or something else.
 
Surprisingly, a lot of comments left on the news media websites seem to express fear of ever encountering the hiker armed with the AK74. And some seem to feel that the hiker didnt need a gun because 'its an overcrowded trail and no bears would hang around so many people', as well as 'you cant walk 20 minutes without running into a parking lot'.
 
I think something to note about this encounter is that unlike some animal encounters, the person had time to be primed for it. They saw the bear first, and whether or not they thought about the encounter ending poorly, it's a lot better than hearing a sudden crashing in the brush or rounding a corner to come face to face with an animal.

I was just up last week, fortunately the most fearsome beastie I encountered on the trails was a vole. :eek:
 
It seems that it is only human nature for people to read someone else' story and overlay that situation on their own reality and then seek to render some judgement.

Just like guys from the big cities here who jump up and down and swear you can't trust the cops when people from the small country towns are pretty confident that both of their towns cops are OK guys.

Different realities.
 
When I first moved out to the Yukon River villages, I was a bit suprised to find that most of the people living out there carried mostly .30-30s for the older folks, Mini-14s for the people my age and ARs or SKSs for the late-teens, early 20s crowd. Any given boat out on the river more likely than not would have a Mini-14 on board.

Their reasoning was that a headshot doesn't mess up edible meat when hunting and no animal head is .223 proof, and if there was a problem bear, a 30-40 round mag should take care of any issues.

Even out here in the big bear country of the AKPEN, most of the rifles I see are .243s and .270s.

It's only the L48ers and skAnchoragians coming out to hunt that are carrying the big magnums.

Surprisingly, a lot of comments left on the news media websites seem to express fear of ever encountering the hiker armed with the AK74. And some seem to feel that the hiker didnt need a gun because 'its an overcrowded trail and no bears would hang around so many people', as well as 'you cant walk 20 minutes without running into a parking lot'.
Click to expand...

It's also the last place you'd expect to see dall sheep because of all the people and traffic, but they come down off the mountain and onto the highway.
 
The military Russian made 5.45x39, 52 grain, FMJ...is a very efficient round. During the Russian/Afghan War. The Afghan mujahideen nicknamed it " the poison pill." The bullet has a mild steel core, with a lead slab tip on top of the core. Ahead of the lead...is a small hollow space, that is surrounded by the full metal jacket.

When the bullet pierces flesh...the lead steel core advances into the hollow space of the bullet --- and after 1/4" of travel --- starts to tumble and go into a different direction than the original bullet's path.

The British were the first to design such a bullet during WWII, though scientists think that the Russian design was not deliberate in terms of the bullet's lethality.
 
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