Has anyone killed a bear with a .223?

Apparently native Alaskans are very happy to use the 223 on everything. The Mini-14 and AR-15 are popular for caribou hunting among the natives.

I saw a program on one of the educational channels ( I think Discovery) where a native was trying to kill a polar bear that was causing problems around a remote village. He seemed comfortable tracking the bear carrying an AR-15.

I wouldn't do it, but apparently they use what they have and find a way to make it work.
 
Thousands of people have killed houndred's of thousand's other people with
.223, and more deer, coyote, full-size dog's and as was already stated many bear, and it is a viable hog round as long as the sights are used!
 
Stationed in AK - Alaska - and there is a bear running around base housing.

Military? Notify the appropriate authority in your chain. The last thing you want is to get involved in an incident that may not need to have taken place.

Most bases don't allow firearms by policy. No doubt Alaska is different. There may be good reason you still have a) a .357 in your possession, because b) there are bears walking around in the housing area.

Ask around, there may be very little to do for it, or a program already in place to handle it. One thing is for sure, if there's one bear, another will take it's place. The only extermination program I ever saw was a contract pest controller shooting banana rats in GTMO. Everywhere else, the wildlife wasn't messed with regardless of the damage they did to the Commander's flower beds.

Don't ask on the i-net, ask your FLL. "Hey, we got a griz in post housing, what's with that?" Don't mention guns, or what you might do. Get the feel for what's up.
 
I shot water buffalo with 223s, does that count???

Back to topic, I lived in Alaska for 22 years, was a cop in Anchorage for 20 of those. Yeah you get a lot of bear and moose calls, hanging around yards and school bus stops. I haven't shot any bears on duty but I have shot several moose with my Model 28 Service Pistol. But I wouldnt take a 357 moose hunting.

Normaly, unless its an emergency, Fish and Game are called to handle problem bears, Even on the military Bases, (Ft Richardson & Elemdorf). They, the Military Police have their own Fish and Game personal, but We, the civilian police had joint juristriction on bases, if its a problem, the Military Fish and game call in the AK Trooper (fish cops), unless its an emergency of course.

Alaska or not, I wouldnt want to get in a hassle of shooting critters in my yard if I lived on Base, not in todays enviorment. If I remember right, the Sec of Defence just changed the rules for off duty guns on base, normaly that was left to the post commander, its differant now.

While I was in Alaska I was also with the Alaska National Guard, I spent a lot of time with the natives as a Company Commander in the Nome, area. I've seen these guys shoot, they arnt really that good, yeah they use 223s (swipped Guard ammo) but they shoot lots not good. I did see a guy kill a Polar bear in Gambell with a 220 Swift, (right in the Village) I also saw them to shoot at seals, if not hit right they sink and are lost, They lost a lot of seals.

I had one Sgt that was a senior boat captain, I was in Brevic mission when he brought in a Whale, I asked him how many times He shot it, He replied "box and a half of 458, two and a half boxes of 222", and there were 6 other guys in the boat shooting as well, Like I said, they shoot lots, not good. There are exceptions, I've taken a lot of native (guardsman) to the Wilson Matches (National Guard Championships), and I've had several that were outstanding shooters in my sniper schools.

Yeah, people hunt with all types of guns, but that dosnt mean they are the best for the job. To me 223s are for varments or NRA High Power shooting, For hunting I like a good bolt gun and a round that is humane, But thats just me, to each his own.
 
I've had a couple Amerind friends. One Aleut was a Marine sniper in Vietnam. The others were Tlingit or other NW tribes, I don't think those guys ever hunted.

Poachers kill elephants with AK 47s. A big bear with 22 center fire isn't that hard to believe.
 
OP, more likely to die in car accident or struck by lightning than that bear harming you or yours.

That being said, if the bear ever is an actual threat to you, than he is already close enough where a 300 win mag is justified regardless of how many houses are in your area.

A stray .223 aint going to tickle if it hits somebody.


In what scenario do you see yourself firing on this bear anyway? If he's on your porch? In your house? What?
 
I'm going to disagree with Bigjfb, I don't doubt the validity of his made up statistic, just the applicability. On average yes its more likely the average person will be in a car accident or stuck my lightening, that is because most people do not live in proximity to such bears.

Within the Anchorage city limits not so much, we've had a number of bears passing though our neighborhood. A few sighted per year. Enough that we can't put our garbage cans out until the morning of garbage day. I can't think of one place that I would go hiking and not be concerned about of bear encounter. Alaska has a lot of bears, I've known people who hunt bears off the river that runs through Fairbanks just a little ways out of town. I'm not saying its likely but, I am saying don't take a .223 into the woods for bear protection.

Grizzlies are quite aggressive and often attack, he has good reason to be worried. Statically though, the moose are more dangerous. They're not skiddish like deer and they're very territorial. A lot more people get stomped each year by moose than attacked by bears.
 
I know at least 20 folks who have killed polar bears and the like with .223 or less

One of the best hunters I know carries a .223 pistol for bear protection


Wildbeatsa44magnumAlaska TM
 
Lightning kills about 100 people per year in the US, bears less than one per year.


Yet "what gun for bear defense?" threads are far more popular than "WHo makes the best lightning rod?" threads.


Maybe because most would rather die from a lightning strike vs a bear strike?


Cars kill many people a day, when was the last time someone asked "Who makes the safest pick-up truck/hunting rig?"



All I am saying is, if it comes down to a situation where you have to shoot a grizz to save your life or the life of a loved one, you dang well better use the biggest gun you got. In the meantime, buckle-up.
 
Not a lot of people get killed by bears, but a lot of people encounter bears. Even from a distance that's a nervewracking situation. I agree that I'd rather be prepared with a large rifle.

I'm sure you can kill a bear with .223, but I'd have to be both a braver man and a better marksman to try it myself.
 
Saw a documentary decades ago about Alaska natives hunting Grizzlies with .22 LR. Worked fine.

Their tactics were to catch them swimming and come up behind them in a boat, and kill them with one well placed shot.
 
Here is a polar bear that was killed with a .223 :

http://shootersforum.com/showthread.htm?t=45973

It was shot by a friend of mine here in Fort Yukon, and I believe is the one that someone mentioned earlier in the thread. I have personal knowledge of a number of bears, caribou and moose killed with .223, it is a popular cartridge in bush Alaska. Usually in a Mini-14 or AR-15. I have not killed any bears with .223, but have killed a couple caribou with .223, it is effective if bullet is placed right.
 
Best way to stay out of trouble...

....avoid it in the first place.


You need to alert the Authorities. If you shot a bear on U.S. Gov't property no telling the amount of people you'll upset, unless you're in immediate danger of course.

Worse then having a bear running around base housing is having a wounded bear running around base housing. You don't want that on your hands.

No need to insult you friend. Weather he killed a bear with a .223 is immaterial. His experience/story doesn't have any bearing on what you decide to do. You see all the postings of .223's and smaller being used for bear. If I decide to go bear hunting you know what amount influence they'd have on my decision to pick a rifle? None.
 
My understanding is that Alaskan law dictates that if a large animal, whether it be moose or bear or whathaveyou, is a threat to your person you are well within your rights to shoot it. You aren't however allowed to keep the meat if its out of season, by law you have to turn it over to fish and game who then donate it to the soup kitchens where its used to feed the poor people.


That's what I've always heard at least, I've never had to use that provision.
 
Alaska natives use the .223 a lot, for all kinds of big game, and they're generally using the cheapest fmj they can find. That doesn't mean it's a good choice for hunting because the part you don't hear about is that they're usually shooting from a snowmobile or ATV and they just keep chasing and shooting until the animal falls down.

That may sound unsporting, but it isn't sport hunting. It's subsistence hunting, no different than using a net instead of a fly rod to catch fish, from their point of view.
 
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
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Call the cops first, if that fails the .300 Win Mag and don't miss. You do know even with a good shot, unless that bear was chewing on somebody they will run your Gluteus Maximus up the flag pole.
 
head shot with the fmj bullet in 223 will kill any animal maybe with exception of elephant.
using average soft point varmint bullet is a mad thing to do because there is always chance of lack of penetration.
a hit in CNS with good bullet can stop or kill any animal, but missing that target with a 223 in hand and your chance of geting killed is great too.;)
 
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