[JonM]

Originally Posted by bluegrasstank66

What about using an ar15 with 5.56 M855 steel core rounds?

Not enough by a longshot. Maybe put that 223 steel core on a 100 round belt fed full auto m249saw you MIGHT be ok.

45+ caliber rifle or 12ga magnum slug. No hollowpoints

[armsmaster270]

Don't piss off the bears.

[Caoimhin]

Am I missing something here or are the bears wearing Level 4 NATO body armor? That 223 will go in and do a little dance. It may well take a few shots to center mass but sure is better than trying to out run it.

[onenut58]

I grew up in northern Idaho on the idaho montanan border.Black bears are every where there and always have been Griz bears are there but nothing like in alaska.You see them occasionly and they are protected.
I know of many many black bears killed with 357 magnums.A 44 magnum is very effective on a black bear.On any Bear any caliber is useless if you dont hit a vital spot.
But some calibers are usless no matter where you land your bullet.
A 5.56 or a 223 is for bear usless period not even a consideration.Your pushing the evelope even for a white tail. They are a man killer and varmit round and they exell at both for close and semi long range.
I have a lot of expereience with black bears and grew up around others who do as well and seen so many kiled with calibers that in these bear threads are condidered to small but commonly used all the time to kill black bears where I come from.
The lines between Griz bears and black bears seem to get crossed up and confused.I have never shot a Giz bear and only know of a few that were shot.I knew a man who was a local county cop who was hunting with a partner back in the sixties.
They had met back up on a ridge and seen what they thought was a brown colored black bear across a narrow canyon and one shot it.Both carried 30-06 model 70 winchesters. They both also were shooting factory ammo silver tips very common at the time.He told me he hit the bear with aheart and lung shot at around 400 yards.It went into thick alders and they could see the brush shaking all over as it headed down hill.
Thinking it was a balck bear still they headed down to cross over and find the bear thinking it would be dead before they hiked over.
They went no more than a hundred yards down before they heard the brush crashing in front of them comming up hill.The bear appeared out of the brush about 30 yards in front of them and they both shot it and it spasmed and retreated into the brush.For he said a few seconds before charging right back out into them both ending up shooting the bear four times a piece with there 30-06 rifles.
A 30-06 is a common round for hunting big game and i know of many elk and black bear killed off that same hillside with a 30-06. I hunted the same area many times myself.
One can speculate if they had been using 30 caliber mags etc.
But a 30-06 is a deadly gun on big game and has proven itself many times over.If it took eight rounds from two shooters to stop a griz. Then go look up balistics and on a 30-06 and 223 then on a 44 magnum.Also look up balistics for a 30-30.
Is a 44 magnum effective as a 30-30 in a hand gun and is a 30-06 more efective than a 30-30.
How far have you carried a N frame S&W 44 mag or ruger red super red or black hawk in 44 mag.When you strap them on they dont feel to bad.But after a few miles they realy become very heavy and cumber some. I carry my model 29 in a shoulder holster when in the woods in summer. I leave it in the pickup when packing my rifle during hunting season.
Leave the ar at home if your going into the woods that have bears in them.It is useless for bears even if you convert it to full auto.Go buy a socom or m-14.If you want a semi auto military style weapon. The 7.62 will make short work of a black bear.and although heavier than a ar is far easier to pack than a ar and 44 mag and will do every thing better than both the others.

[Rex in OTZ]

Spring bear hunt 1992 North West Alaska, male brown bear out north of town on a opposing slope of a snow field (thigh deep average) My co-worker was useing a Remington 700 in 300 winchester mag 200 grain softpoints, first shot was ranged at 328yards, first round was taken 1/4ing side shot to vitals but he screwd up the down slope holdover and the shot was high and he hit the Lt Shoulder, the bear circled 2-3 times and zero'd in on my co-worker and came on the run, my co-worker shot two more times before dropping the bear within 40 yards of where he was standing, the bear ran through some drifts up to waste deep in the ravine bottom and average knee deep on his side the ravine, his ground speed with busted shoulder was still as fast as you could run the 50yard dash on pavement through snow, up hill wounded he was later measured at 7'10".
people will do as they like reguardless of what we tell them.

In the words of the old sage Alaskan 'Let Em' they want to piss off bears with a little gun its not like they hadnt been warn'd

[Zoey]

I think .223R, 5.56 BALL is just about right if you're a good shot. If you're not... run

Don't run, I'm just kidding. You're better off bringing a bucket of sweet salmon and a few lemons.

I have no idea about the 44M.
308 (isnt your choice).. but it is something i would count on if I ever had to enter bear territory.. Even though, you still have to be careful about the mothers out there. They are often shot when they are out looking for food.

Respect wild life, and plan carefully.