Has anyone killed a bear with a .223?

H

herroprease

New member
I am stationed in AK and i've been talking to this retiree who works at the gun counter on base and he said he's taken big game (including moose,grizzly and black bear) with a .223.he swears by it and i don't want to call him a liar especially since he's someone who has served in vietnam and lost an arm in a helicopter crash.If anyone has info on this it would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. i'm asking because there is a grizzly bear running around base housing and i don't want to use my 300 win mag because of the other houses.all i have left is my .357 mag and my .223
 
I have never taken a bear with a .223, but if someone told me they had done it I wouldn't doubt the ability of the cartridge.

While I would never encourage someone to try it since I believe that it is totally inappropriate for the job, there is no denying that if shot in the right place, with the right bullet, at the right range that it could kill a bear.

If you're worried about hitting other houses I would think that no cartridge is appropriate for the situation. I'd encourage you to contact animal control if you're really concerned about the bear.
 
Use of small calibers like that is common, especially with the native tribes. I have read writings of natives using nothing more than a 22 Hornet to take down polar bears.

Of course this is when they are hunting the animals and can spent the time stalking it, placing the shot just right, and then track the wounded animal. It doesn't work so well when you're trying to stop a charging bear who wants to use your head as a play-toy.
 
i don't want to call him a liar especially since he's someone who has served in vietnam and lost an arm in a helicopter crash.
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With all respect to veterans (my dad is a Nam vet as well), niether of these experiences make him an expert at killing grizzlies, or hunting, or shooting, for that matter. Not saying that it can't be done, to kill a grizzly with a .223, but I am saying I wouldn't try it unless that was the best option out of what I had (i.e, if I had a .22, a slingshot, a Ka-bar, and a .223, I would use the .223). Also, people from all walks of life like to tell stories and embellish things. Did he say how big of a bear he's killed with it? Maybe it was a cub. And even he he did/does it, that doesn't mean everyone he tells it to should try it.
 
Actually the .223 would probaly be better than the .357 in my opinion, easier to get headshots with which would be an absolute must with either of these cartridges in bear hunting.
 
+1

Besides, if you are using an AR its not like a follow up shot is out of the question. Get in the right place at the right time, make the first shot count I would go for the eye area with a .223... then unload that sucker on its head until it stops charging.


Surprised that a .223 can take down a bear? Well.. A .223, no...im not surprised.

However, if someone told me they did all of the above and he didnt go down I would be amazed.
 
I have seen a National Geographic episode a couple times where they follow a Inuit hunter as he goes after polar bear. Once he tracks one down, he sends half a dozen dogs in to keep it occupied, while he snuck around the flank and put a head shot into the bear with a .222 Remington. Would only take head shots so he didnt have holes in the hide (drops the value maybe?). Said he had been doing it that way for years, and hadn't ever needed a bigger gun. It did get a little hard on the dogs though............they didn't seem to have a real long hunting career.
 
Absolutely people have taken bears with .223. At least I know of black bears that have been killed with .223. Black bears have even been taken by lower calibers.

I doubt there are many stories of people taking grizzlies or polar bears with .223's, but I don't doubt that it has happened. Probably wouldn't be my caliber of choice for such large animals though, but I would prefer it over a .357mag.
 
Bear with a 223

Reminds me a little of an episode I had at the range more than a few years ago, I was shooting with a South African friend who is a proffesional guide and hunter doing trips back to RSA to do big game hunts. His weapon of choice 416 remington Magnum no scope just open sights. He said to me what cartridge you shooting, I replied 30-06 Springfield and to this he replied a very good cartridge but don't shoot a Cape Buffalo with one, I replied why? and he added, all you will do is pi$$ it off. Same holds true for large bears with a 223, sure 8 times out of ten you might make a clean kill but what happens on those other two occasions especially when the first thing that bear see's after being shot is you. I think I would prefer not to take the chance of something going wrong.
 
I'm sure our ancestors killed bears with sharpened sticks. Their survival rate was a hell of a lot lower though. Yes, it would work. Is it ideal? I don't think so.

.223 is would be awful round for grizzlies. If you fired an FMJ and managed to get a head shot wonderful. If not you've got a very angry creature running towards you at 35 mph who's primary attack is usually a one hit kill, whilst you hold a rifle with virtually no take down power. Now if you had a big mag and full auto it might be a different story.

Maybe if you were a long way away it might be alright, but I certainly wouldn't risk it.

.308 and 30-06 are the most popular round I've seen being used, .300 win magnum is also really common. I also know a few people who use a round that something like .377 (I think that's what it was), and 7.62x54R.
 
Can it be done... probably. Does that mean it should be done... probably not. The only two rifles I own that I would even consider for bear are my .308 and my .338 Win Mag. My .223s work well on coyote, P-dogs and bobcats.
 
People use AKMs to kill elephants in Africa all of the time...

...of course, they used all 30 in the magazine on full auto.

Killing a black bear with a .223 is within the realm of possibility, perhaps even probability. Killing any species of great bear with a .223 is barely within the realm of possibility, absent some special circumstances, such as multiple head shots, full auto, etc. I'm not counting waiting for them to die of infection a week later.

Personally, I wouldn't eat a bear, so I have never really studied the realities of hunting them. I have hunted elk, and I would never even consider a .223. Keep in mind, they aren't likely to charge me and fight back.
 
Can it be done... probably. Does that mean it should be done... probably not. The only two rifles I own that I would even consider for bear are my .308 and my .338 Win Mag. My .223s work well on coyote, P-dogs and bobcats.
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I have no sympathy for coyotes, period. One night, I shot one digging through my garbage cans at point-blank range with a .22 Magnum. I watched it run off, and I only found it three days later thanks to the vultures. The bullet had hit it COM and travelled along the spine. After that, I won't even use .223 on a coyote. They are pests, but God didn't put me here to cause animals to suffer needlessly.
 
Seems it could be a bit inhumane in terms of the increased potential for the animal to suffer. Obviously just IMO. I was taught to wait for a proper kill shot or let it go. I was also taught to use enough gun.
 
A better question would be has anyone ever killed anything larger than a varmint with a .223 round. If you're serious about engaging a bear in combat use a .308 FMJ round.
 
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