Has anyone killed a bear with a .223? - Page 3

jhgreasemonkey · June 18, 2010, 12:44 AM

Just out of curiosity. is it legal to hunt big game in Alaska with a .223? We aren't allowed to here in Wa state. Do they have a minimum caliber to hunt brown bear and polar bear?

jgcoastie · June 18, 2010, 01:50 AM

AFAIK, you can't legally kill polar bears period. SD and natives protecting legally-killed whales are the only two exceptions I know of.

moosemike · June 18, 2010, 09:08 AM

You can kill Polar bear in Canada but I don't think Alaska.

kraigwy · June 18, 2010, 09:58 AM

Quote:

Having lived in Alaska for several years I can say with utmost certainty that the native Alaskans aren't impressive hunters.

I'm not sure about hunting, but I can attest to the fact, that on the average, they cant shoot for poop.

I was a company commander of one native company, the XO of another, and a head of the Marksmanship Unit that was responsible for marksmanship training for the Alaska National Guard.

They normal shoot lots, not good. They shoot 223 mainly because they can get the ammo from the Guard. I've seen them shoot at seals. hit some, wound some, and only recover the ones that don't sink when hit.

They also arnt to hip on taking care of their equipment. I met a guy who traveled from village to village buying up rusty guns, stripping the receivers for re-sale (I bought 6 Model 70 actions off him for $270 total).

There are exceptions, I've taken some natives to the Wilson NG Championships and they did pretty good. Took a team to Nashville for the CNGB postal match also.

But over all, they are great people, friendliest people you will ever run across.

aarondhgraham · June 18, 2010, 10:21 AM

I read a lot about hunting in Alaska when I was a kid,,,
That was when the high velocity small caliber cartridges were gaining in popularity.

If memory serves me correctly the .223 and .243 was a very common cartridges among the native Alaskans,,,
They cited cost, weight for shipping, effectiveness as being the reasons for choosing these over say a 30-06.

My father grew up on an Oklahoma dirt farm during the depression,,,
He tells me stories of hunting everything from squirrel to wild pig to deer with a .22 shorts or Long Rifles.

In his case (and I imagine the Alaskans case) it was all about stalking and proper shot placement,,,
Until his cataracts at age 66 my Pop could still beer cans at 75 yards with his 55 year old J. C. Higgins single-shot.

I have no problem believing a bear can be taken with a .223,,,
It would just take a well aimed shot to the proper spot.

I would rather have something with a bit more whang myself.

.

stevelyn · June 20, 2010, 12:15 AM

Quote:

AFAIK, you can't legally kill polar bears period. SD and natives protecting legally-killed whales are the only two exceptions I know of.

Actually natives can hunt polar bears and any other marine mammal under the subsistence rules.

dsa1115 · June 20, 2010, 02:07 AM

Of course a bear can be taken with a .223 but it's a poor round to use against bear, especially coastal brown bears that can weigh in excess of 1600lbs. I've spent a lot of time in Cooper Landing, Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula.....home to some of the worlds largest brown bears, and many black bears as well. This area has perhaps the largest population of both species of bears on the planet. Also home to some of the best salmon fishing on the planet too. I have never seen a guide carry a .223 for protection or for hunting bear. The vast majority of guides in this area carry a .44 magnum or larger revolvers, and for long guns they'll carry a 12 gauge loaded with 00 and slugs, or 45-70 lever actions, and many hikers carry bear spray and have wrist bells to alert any bear of an approach. Unfortunately there is no shortage of dead people who tried to get too close to a brown bear. Understand that if you surprise one of these brown bears they will be on you before you'd have a chance to even draw your weapon, and for short distances a brown bear can run about 35MPH. Carl Lewis in his prime could not possibly outrun a brown bear. Most bear attacks, including the one this week in Anchorage is the result of a person actually surprising a bear. If your hiking in bear country it's best to travel in larger groups and make plenty of noise. If a bear attacks.....DO NOT RUN. It's best to hold your ground.....as hard as that might be with a 1600lb. raging bear coming at you. At this point, it would be best to roll up into a ball on the ground and play dead. Believe me when I say bears don't want a confrontation and they will not stick around if there are people approaching. Moose are much more likely to go after humans.

jgcoastie · June 20, 2010, 07:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevelyn

Actually natives can hunt polar bears and any other marine mammal under the subsistence rules.

Good to know, thanks for the correction. We don't run into many polar bears in Kodiak...

June 18, 2010, 01:50 AM	#52
jgcoastie Senior Member Join Date: February 15, 2009 Location: Kodiak, Alaska Posts: 2,118	AFAIK, you can't legally kill polar bears period. SD and natives protecting legally-killed whales are the only two exceptions I know of. __________________ "To preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them." -Richard Henry Lee, Virginia delegate to the Continental Congress, initiator of the Declaration of Independence, and member of the first Senate, which passed the Bill of Rights.

June 18, 2010, 09:08 AM	#53
moosemike Senior Member Join Date: July 4, 2009 Location: Lebanon PA Posts: 535	You can kill Polar bear in Canada but I don't think Alaska. __________________ et cognoscetis veritatem et veritas liberabit vos

June 18, 2010, 10:21 AM	#55
aarondhgraham Senior Member Join Date: December 1, 2009 Location: Stillwater, OKlahoma Posts: 8,638	I remember articles from the 1960's,,, I read a lot about hunting in Alaska when I was a kid,,, That was when the high velocity small caliber cartridges were gaining in popularity. If memory serves me correctly the .223 and .243 was a very common cartridges among the native Alaskans,,, They cited cost, weight for shipping, effectiveness as being the reasons for choosing these over say a 30-06. My father grew up on an Oklahoma dirt farm during the depression,,, He tells me stories of hunting everything from squirrel to wild pig to deer with a .22 shorts or Long Rifles. In his case (and I imagine the Alaskans case) it was all about stalking and proper shot placement,,, Until his cataracts at age 66 my Pop could still beer cans at 75 yards with his 55 year old J. C. Higgins single-shot. I have no problem believing a bear can be taken with a .223,,, It would just take a well aimed shot to the proper spot. I would rather have something with a bit more whang myself. . __________________ Never ever give an enemy the advantage of a verbal threat. Caje: The coward dies a thousand times, the brave only once. Kirby: That's about all it takes, ain't it? Aarond is good,,, Aarond is wise,,, Always trust Aarond! (most of the time)

June 18, 2010, 12:44 AM	#51
jhgreasemonkey Senior Member Join Date: February 7, 2006 Location: Pacific Northwest Posts: 2,238	Just out of curiosity. is it legal to hunt big game in Alaska with a .223? We aren't allowed to here in Wa state. Do they have a minimum caliber to hunt brown bear and polar bear?

June 20, 2010, 02:07 AM	#57
dsa1115 Senior Member Join Date: March 10, 2010 Location: Illinois Posts: 444	Of course a bear can be taken with a .223 but it's a poor round to use against bear, especially coastal brown bears that can weigh in excess of 1600lbs. I've spent a lot of time in Cooper Landing, Alaska on the Kenai Peninsula.....home to some of the worlds largest brown bears, and many black bears as well. This area has perhaps the largest population of both species of bears on the planet. Also home to some of the best salmon fishing on the planet too. I have never seen a guide carry a .223 for protection or for hunting bear. The vast majority of guides in this area carry a .44 magnum or larger revolvers, and for long guns they'll carry a 12 gauge loaded with 00 and slugs, or 45-70 lever actions, and many hikers carry bear spray and have wrist bells to alert any bear of an approach. Unfortunately there is no shortage of dead people who tried to get too close to a brown bear. Understand that if you surprise one of these brown bears they will be on you before you'd have a chance to even draw your weapon, and for short distances a brown bear can run about 35MPH. Carl Lewis in his prime could not possibly outrun a brown bear. Most bear attacks, including the one this week in Anchorage is the result of a person actually surprising a bear. If your hiking in bear country it's best to travel in larger groups and make plenty of noise. If a bear attacks.....DO NOT RUN. It's best to hold your ground.....as hard as that might be with a 1600lb. raging bear coming at you. At this point, it would be best to roll up into a ball on the ground and play dead. Believe me when I say bears don't want a confrontation and they will not stick around if there are people approaching. Moose are much more likely to go after humans.