Deer/bear hunting in 1968, then this would likely be the fall. By two Viet Vets? Then they were in Vietnam in mid 1968 at the latest.
According to a quick search, the M16 did not replace the M14 until 1969. I was there in Jan 69, carried the M14 and many units were being issued the M16 at the time. I specifically recall boarding a Caribou heading for the boonies seated by a butter bar and we had a discussion. He had just gotten his M16 and was not impressed.
Maybe some units were issued the M16 in 68, but very few. The author of this article could be confused.
I was in Vietnam from 1969 to 1971. I had an M14 initially and it always worked fine. In mid 1970 they changed it for an M16 and that piece of junk jammed on me in 3 firefights.
We have a very large — VERY large — bear on my property that was picked up on my neighbor’s hunting cam. It used to be we would let the dogs out unattended at night to do their business back in the woods before putting them in for the night, but now, they get an armed escort. 5.56 might be a little small for a bear, but at least you can get a lot of rounds off in a hurry during the retreat.
It isn’t the rifle its the round.
Spitzer rounds are designed to tumble increasing the size of the wound channel. Enter nose exit base after a 180 tumble.
BT are an extension that increases the number of tumbles a round makes in a target medium.
However both follow a straight path through consistent target mediums.
The 223 with cannelure like the spitzer is designed to tumble but it usually breaks at the cannelure causing the pieces to go in divergent paths - at its higher velocity more energy is delivered to the target as well.
There is a very good maxim-
The M1 is a wounding rifle.
The M14 is a killing rifle.
The M16 is a mangling rifle.
in the lat 1970’s Del Ziesloft a local bloomsburge PA, businessman killed a 800 lb black bear during hunting season with a rifle. I don’t know the caliber. When asked about the event and how many bullets it took to take down that size of a bear. he said “all of them”
Joined the USAF in March 1966, qualified with a first model M-16 that month.
After that every year it was qualification with an M1 carbine except 1969 when going to Thailand I again qualified with an M-16. Got to Rock and Roll two 20 magazines!
9mm handguns work well against bear attacks. Surprising, but true.
The AR10 platform can use rounds larger than the 7.62 NATO. I have a AR10 upper in 338 fed. 210gr nosler partition at 2550 fps out of 18” rifle length upper. That’s big bad bear medicine with 3500 ftlbs of energy at the muzzle. It retains 2000ft ftlbs and 1800 fps to well past 200m which means it can take any CP3 class game out to that distance reliably and with authority. That’s Brown bear and moose sized game. For SD you have 25+1 in a 12lb package that can let those off as fast as one can pull a trigger. The AR10 also can use the 358 rem. Another great bear killer. 225 to 250 gr bullets again at moderate velocities and 3000+ ftlbs of muzzle energy.
Going down to the AR15 sized there are a number of bigbore uppers the most useful would be the 458 SOCOM shooting 45_70 sized bullets at medium power 45_70 velocities. It’s the ballistic equal to 45_70 trap door loads which have a 100+ year history of being a bison buster and also brown and black bears. 500gr hard cast at 2200fps will penetrate stem to stern on a 1800lb bison a bear stands little chance of not having full trough and trough hits from any angle. The modern sporting rifle with the appropriate caliber upper is capable of taking any game that walks in North America and in a self defense shooting having 25+1 of 3000+ ftlbs and bonded or hard cast or 10+1 2600ftlbs in the smaller AR15.
When I go to Alaska my AR10 in 338 rides a three point chest rig with Nosler partitions in a 25rd mag. The 44 mag on my waist is only if I run out of 338 or the rifle gets pulled off my body.
Two pretty diff calibers and bullet weights
122 grain over 55 grain
I’ll take 7.62x39 for a bear
I think humanely a larger caliber is better
Hi.
When I used to hunt dear and turkey, I always carried my Ruger GP 100 (.357) with me.
Most all of the places that I have hunted (even FL), had substantial black/brown bear populations.
Besides your Bowie or Kbar, ya gotta have insurance.
5.56mm