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I know that second-guessing Russian scientists about the efficacy of their weapons is something Americans just can't resist doing. But .. really? You honestly

I know that second-guessing Russian scientists about the efficacy of their weapons is something Americans just can't resist doing. But .. really? You honestly don't think 5.45x39 would stop a Russian bear? This, based on how many years of living in a bear-infested area, like the Russian scientists who made the decision .. ?

coolsunglasses 12y ago
http://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/man-uses-assault-rifle-to-kill-charging-bear-near-anchorage/article_3470e44a-f8b3-11e2-b51b-001a4bcf6878.html http://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/man-uses-assault-r... It's really not the best choice for bear-hunting, but it is possible. More problematic is the barrel length and capacity than the cartridge per se.
- fit2rule 12y ago
  Its not for hunting. It is for defense.
elliptic 12y ago
I've spent most of my life in Alaska. I don't really know anyone who would hunt brown bear with that cartridge; it would possibly suffice for self-defense. Many "smaller" rounds are fine - plenty of locals hunt with 30-06, or even 270 Winchesters, but those rounds are much more heavily loaded. Also, the comment in TFA article about the "tumbling" being key against bears sounds off; the hard part is getting through the protective mass of fur/bone/muscle/fat. That said, bears (and especially wolves) surely represent minimal risk as compared to the elements and more generally being in got-damn space. Funny thing to worry about.
- fit2rule 12y ago
  Yeah, these are not your average bear hunters. Every little bit of weight counts, so I can see where being on the lighter side of the load would make a difference to the science teams putting together these survival packages. Hunting bears? Use what you like. Trying to survive long enough after 6 months in space? I'm okay with having the lighter load out ..
justin66 12y ago
> You honestly don't think 5.45x39 would stop a Russian bear? I think it might piss off one of the larger variety, fully grown Russian bears a little bit if you managed to hit it with that short barrel. It's a light caliber that's prohibited in some places for hunting deer because of its weakness (and that's fired through a long barrel, where all the powder gets to burn) and you wouldn't really expect that lightweight, fragmenting bullet to penetrate all the hide and subcutaneous fat of a fully grown bear, not to mention the thick bone of a shoulder or the skull. I would guess a typical Alaskan pilot's survival kit might weigh the same or a little more than this contraption and contain a collapsible .22 rifle for hunting small game and a pistol loaded with hard-cast rounds (some big revolver or a 10mm Glock). There is some fairly good info on what kind of bullet you'd want on these pages: http://www.garrettcartridges.com/about.html http://www.garrettcartridges.com/about.html The reality is, if you're in a self-defense situation with a large bear, as opposed to a hunting situation where you've stacked everything in your favor, you're almost certainly going to die. Stuff like the Russian contraption (or even the pistol I mentioned) is just for morale. Steven Colbert is totally right about bears.

coolsunglasses 12y ago

http://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/man-uses-assault-rifle-to-kill-charging-bear-near-anchorage/article_3470e44a-f8b3-11e2-b51b-001a4bcf6878.html http://www.newsminer.com/news/alaska_news/man-uses-assault-r... It's really not the best choice for bear-hunting, but it is possible. More problematic is the barrel length and capacity than the cartridge per se.

fit2rule 12y ago
Its not for hunting. It is for defense.

elliptic 12y ago

I've spent most of my life in Alaska. I don't really know anyone who would hunt brown bear with that cartridge; it would possibly suffice for self-defense. Many "smaller" rounds are fine - plenty of locals hunt with 30-06, or even 270 Winchesters, but those rounds are much more heavily loaded. Also, the comment in TFA article about the "tumbling" being key against bears sounds off; the hard part is getting through the protective mass of fur/bone/muscle/fat. That said, bears (and especially wolves) surely represent minimal risk as compared to the elements and more generally being in got-damn space. Funny thing to worry about.

fit2rule 12y ago
Yeah, these are not your average bear hunters. Every little bit of weight counts, so I can see where being on the lighter side of the load would make a difference to the science teams putting together these survival packages. Hunting bears? Use what you like. Trying to survive long enough after 6 months in space? I'm okay with having the lighter load out ..

justin66 12y ago

> You honestly don't think 5.45x39 would stop a Russian bear? I think it might piss off one of the larger variety, fully grown Russian bears a little bit if you managed to hit it with that short barrel. It's a light caliber that's prohibited in some places for hunting deer because of its weakness (and that's fired through a long barrel, where all the powder gets to burn) and you wouldn't really expect that lightweight, fragmenting bullet to penetrate all the hide and subcutaneous fat of a fully grown bear, not to mention the thick bone of a shoulder or the skull. I would guess a typical Alaskan pilot's survival kit might weigh the same or a little more than this contraption and contain a collapsible .22 rifle for hunting small game and a pistol loaded with hard-cast rounds (some big revolver or a 10mm Glock). There is some fairly good info on what kind of bullet you'd want on these pages: http://www.garrettcartridges.com/about.html http://www.garrettcartridges.com/about.html The reality is, if you're in a self-defense situation with a large bear, as opposed to a hunting situation where you've stacked everything in your favor, you're almost certainly going to die. Stuff like the Russian contraption (or even the pistol I mentioned) is just for morale. Steven Colbert is totally right about bears.