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Can a SOCOM 16 Stop a Bear Attack?

I dunno. If I’m gonna tote a long gun in bear country it’s going to have more power than any .30 caliber. CAN it stop a bear? Well they have been stopped with a .22 so yea. BUT given the choice I would want a lot more horsepower per round. The first round or two had better do the job-methinks long time before you reach round 9 or 10 you’re going to be bear chow. My choice is going to be my 1301 Berreta with slugs or my 45/70 Guide Gun with heavy bear loads. In AK a few years ago I packed a 590A1 and a .44 Mag SBH. Have that Ol’ Mossburg on hand gave me a warm feeling when camping in the toolies.
 
If I was going to use an M1A for bear protection, I would select a round loaded with Barnes or another monolithic bullet to get deep penetration. The 30-06 is considered by some to be the minimum for hunting big bears. The 308 will have more muzzle energy than the 30-06 will at 100 yards using the same bullets. And if you’re shooting a bear in self defense, the range will be much shorter compared to the range you would prefer to shoot one while hunting.
 
Don't live in Alaska, and prefer my vacations in warm places with blue water and a white sandy beach. However, I do live adjacent to a National Park with a small population of grizzlies, and I do roam in areas outside of the park. When in those areas, my choice is my Benelli M4 with the full length magazine I installed loaded with 3" Brennke Black Magic slugs with the last two rounds 3" 000. I don't see an encounter with one of these animals lasting long enough to utilize 20 rounds. If the job ain't done by the time that shotgun is emptied...I'm probably breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
 
Answer: Yes, I think so.
I have the Military version M1A because I trained on the M14. Also, as a DMR in Vietnam the National Match 'work-overs' were available. That basic M14 platform is one of the best rifles I have ever used in terms of its overall feel in use and shootability. Those iron sights are everything I could ask for out to 400 meters and beyond. The Central Highlands have things like Water Buffalo and Wild Boar. Both creatures have skin that makes steer hide look like calf skin. I never encountered a crazed, rabid water buffalo, but had to put down a couple for reasons other than a frontal attack. On the other hand, a wild boar encounter is something that will drain your adrenal glands. It's frightening, horrifying, terrorizing, and just something that will put your every nerve on full alert. The target is comparatively small and fast. An M14 with a 20-round magazine will pretty much insure your safety ... as long you can hit that demon as he charges from 15 or 20 meters. As far as I'm concerned, it's all about penetration. Getting through that tough hyde is paramount as opposed to stopping energy (my opinion). A wounded pig like that might fall down from a .45, from an M3A, but if it didn't penetrate far enough, you can be sure he'll get up.
I wouldn't feel naked with the M1A while opposing a Grizzly assuming I get the lead on target. I'd probably opt for a .300 mag or something like that; fast but heavier.
I recently built a 400 Bushmaster AR-15 and after some preliminary fun at the range might question how it would fare against a kilo-pound bear. Again, I'm less paranoid with a .308 than I might be with something like the Bushmaster, but then I have no experience to compare with the 400BM against wild boar and water buffalo.

Keep your eye on the "X",
Bob
I
 
bob betts said:
Answer: Yes, I think so.
I have the Military version M1A because I trained on the M14. Also, as a DMR in Vietnam the National Match 'work-overs' were available. That basic M14 platform is one of the best rifles I have ever used in terms of its overall feel in use and shootability. Those iron sights are everything I could ask for out to 400 meters and beyond. The Central Highlands have things like Water Buffalo and Wild Boar. Both creatures have skin that makes steer hide look like calf skin. I never encountered a crazed, rabid water buffalo, but had to put down a couple for reasons other than a frontal attack. On the other hand, a wild boar encounter is something that will drain your adrenal glands. It's frightening, horrifying, terrorizing, and just something that will put your every nerve on full alert. The target is comparatively small and fast. An M14 with a 20-round magazine will pretty much insure your safety ... as long you can hit that demon as he charges from 15 or 20 meters. As far as I'm concerned, it's all about penetration. Getting through that tough hyde is paramount as opposed to stopping energy (my opinion). A wounded pig like that might fall down from a .45, from an M3A, but if it didn't penetrate far enough, you can be sure he'll get up.
I wouldn't feel naked with the M1A while opposing a Grizzly assuming I get the lead on target. I'd probably opt for a .300 mag or something like that; fast but heavier.
I recently built a 400 Bushmaster AR-15 and after some preliminary fun at the range might question how it would fare against a kilo-pound bear. Again, I'm less paranoid with a .308 than I might be with something like the Bushmaster, but then I have no experience to compare with the 400BM against wild boar and water buffalo.

Keep your eye on the "X",
Bob
I
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That's some good insight. My .45/70 always had the +P 430gr hardcasts and the Super Redhawk has 340gr +P+. As you say, all about penetration.
 
A buddy of mine always said that a .38 J-Frame carried in your waistband- what we now call appendix carry- was best. Because you can get that out and put a round in your mouth pretty quickly….it will hurt less than the mauling you are about to receive.



That being said, I carried a S&W 686 .357 Magnum to Alaska the first time I went. When I got back I ordered a Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 Casull for my subsequent trips. While I can hit just about anything I want to with the Smith, a .357 was just too damn small for that place. (!!!!!!!!!!)



As for the .308 vs. .45-70…. Eh, either would do, I can accurately get off two (or three) rounds out of my M-1A for each one I can get off out of my Marlin 1895 Guide Gun- especially if I am launching Buffalo Bore bear loads. And I’m going to go out on a limb and say neither will guarantee an instantaneous one-shot-stop. I’d think you would start at .416 Rigby and go up from there for that sort of thing.



Phased Plasma Rifle in the 40 watt range, perhaps……???
 
I love the M1a. I have had two of them over the years (not the SOCOM). Always had trouble with groupings (I don't think they liked the 170gr match bullet I was using) but it was so much fun to shoot. I love history so it goes without saying that I am attracted to any gun with a long storied past. Few guns have a cool factor like the M1a.
 
I've never hunted one, nor ever want to hunt a bear, so take this with a grain of kosher salt. You folks are saying I should feel under powered with a weapon carrying 20 rounds of .308 that even in plinking FMJ form packs over 2500 foot pounds of muzzle energy. Jesus. I mean if you're going to go kick a Kodiak in the nads then you probably want a buddy with a 416 Barret standing by, but come on.
 
Having lived in Alaska for 37yrs. (1973-2010) I have seen everything from a .327 Federal Mag to a .458 Win. Mag carried as bear protection. Larry Kelly of Mag-Na-Port fame pretty well proved that a .44 Rem. Mag. with 300+ grain hard cast semi-wadcutters will do the job. I am not aware of anyone being mauled that was carrying a .44 mag. While I would prefer a rifle, it's a little hard to fish and carry a rifle at the same time so I opted to carry the .44 mag. revolver. All my bear encounters resulted in the bear going the other way! Of the guides I knew personally one carried a .338 Win. Mag. and the other a .375 H&H as backup. A friend who has hunted all over the world, think elephant and Marco Polo sheep, used a .300 Wea. to take his Brown bear on Kodiak Is. Another friend who takes church youth out into the Alaska wild carries a Marlin GG 45-70 with Buffalo Bore loads. So, if a M1A was what I had I would load it with some tough bullets and carry on, but, it wouldn't be my first choice in a rifle.
 
I’d say an M1A SOCOM would be a better choice than a Glock 20 10mm and I mean no disrespect to 10mm fans.

I myself would go with a 1895 lever or a 870/Beretta A300/1301 with brenneke slugs just for the compactness over something with large magazine sticking out.

And a decent handgun of some sort 357, 44 hard cast of course!
 
I lived in Alaska for 21 years, most of that time I worked for the University of Alaska Statewide System's Risk Management Department. One of the things I did was fly out the the "bush" to evaluate properties that owners wanted to donate to the UA (Google "Alaska D2 lands). In addition I spent a great deal of time hunting, fishing, hiking, on my own time. Aleutians excluded, you can't throw a dart at a map of Alaska without coming within 150 miles of a place that I've been. In all that time in the bush I can count on the fingers of my hands the number of times I saw a bear in Alaska outside of Denali National Park. One of which I shot, a barren-ground Grizzly in the Klutina River Valley. Three shots right in the boiler room with a .300 Weatherby, and it was still trying to kill something. So, I am glad I didn't see them more often. There are actually 4 species/sub-species of bears in Alaska: Polar Bear, Grizzly Bear, Kodiak Brown Bear, and your standard Black Bear. Black Bear are dangerous because they are so unpredictable. But, having said all that, I was only charged one time by any wild animal in AK, and that was a moose...while I was wading in a stream fly-fishing for Arctic Grayling. I had my standard fishing carry gun, a S&W 57 .41 Mag. I always thought the .41 to be a better choice than the .44. I drew it and continued wading slowly. The moose (much bigger than a horse, BTW) made a series of bluff charges at me, but finally backed away. After I was far enough away to risk looking back, I saw momma moose crossing the creek with her calf. I had gotten between them while wading! THIS is what I consider to be the most dangerous wildlife encounter in the Alaska bush! So, my choices: a heavy revolver or a hot-loaded 10mm for easier packing, and an extended-magazine 12 Ga. with slugs in the first positions and 00 buck in the last positions for a heavier choice. A rifle requires too much precision for a quick-disabling or quick-killing shot. There's just too much insignificant real estate in a big animal that you are more likely to hit when you are being charged. Thank God I never had to test this theory. Awareness is your best defense.
 
No firearm can stop a bear attack (almost all are sudden very fast & close range "oh ****" encounters) if not proper utilized by the operator, and loaded with the appropriate ammunition for the threat.
 
vjb.knife1 said:
I have seen a Ranger cull an African Elephant herd using an FAL in .308. One shot, one Elephant. I am pretty sure it will take down any bear.
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You may wish to confirm this with your ranger friend, but culling an elephant herd that most likely is not even aware of your presence (otherwise you wouldn’t get them all) is not the same as a face-to-face encounter with a charging grizzly intent on doing you serious harm. It is not a question of whether a given caliber will “kill” a given animal. No, it is rather a question of whether a given caliber will “stop” that animal BEFORE they make a mess of you.
 
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