Good reading. Maybe a good way to phrase the question is "what caliber would you carry if you are an Alaskan resident hunting alone?" The .25-06 sounded great until I read the report of the .416 shot bear chewing on the guide.
Realize the 25-06 with 80gr TTSXs was not a stunt for several reasons... The bear was determined from the very beginning to be of modest proportion. The bullet had performed very well on a bull moose of far greater mass and the shot selection was going to be "choice" or there would be no shot.
As it was the initial shot and the follow-up were absolutely lethal. The bullets made two holes each within 2" of each other and did significant heart damage. Had they been higher the bear may have taken longer to die by a minute or so, but it would still have died.
At 150 yards and in the wide open the bear would have to survive a hail of bullets all the way in if it charged.
I have every reason to believe a 223 would have done the same with good bullets and the same placement.
And the caliber of the bullet is not magic if it gets delivered to the wrong address.
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
