Origin of the .22LR vs. Grizzly myth?

Todd M.

New member
I just finished reading Jack O'Connor's "The Hunting Rifle", published in 1953. Towards the end of the book he devotes a chapter to 22 rimfire cartridges. In explaining that the lowly 22 can be quite dangerous, he says on page 304 "One of the largest grizzlies I have ever heard of was killed by an Indian woman with one shot from an old single-shot .22 Stevens rifle." He doesn't give any substantial evidence supporting or denying the killing of the grizzly, just states that he heard about it. Can anybody pre-date this reference with an earlier grizzly/.22 tale?
 
While I have not read O'Connor's book you mentioned, I have heard of a story about how Annie Oakley slew a charging grizzly bear with a .22 rim fire.

Annie Oakley was out pass-shooting doves (single shots to the head) with a .22 caliber rimfire (not specific if long rifle or long or short), for sale at the market. While thusly engaged, Oakley noticed that a large grizzley bear was moving toward her at a high rate of speed (charging). Oakley could not outrun the bear and there was no place to hide or otherwise escape. She waited until she could see the whites of his eyes and fired a shot into one of them. The bear veered from his charge and let out a bellow and then, shortly afterward, fell over dead.

While I cannot verify the truth of this tale, I have it on good authority of its accuracy of fact. However, it could only be another myth. Who knows. But, I thought I would share this tidbit anyway, just for the sake of discussion.

I am waiting for the reader who will advocate the veracity of the lowly .22lr as a capable polar bear cartridge.
 
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I think it's not a myth. I'm not sure it was a Stevens rifle, but I've heard the story of an Indian woman in Alberta who used to take a single shot .22LR with her for small game opportunities while berry-picking, and being on one occasion accosted by a not very small grizzly which convinced her it meant to have her, she used what she had, and got a lucky shot into the bear's brain. I can't find the reference right now, but I think I know someone who can - I will get back to you on this.
 
I've heard that one about the Indian woman.Seems to me that the actual bear is on display in Dawson maybe????

I think I rememember reading at some time that the CDN govt. had issued a bunch of 5.56 NATO/.223's to the Inuit in the arctic,and they take polar bears with them?Wouldn't want to have to stop a charge with one.Not like there is any trees to climb neither.They could have at least given them some surplus .303's or something.

"Where is Igonoonuk?I haven't seen him in months?"

"Oh,he went Nanook hunting with his .22"

"I see....poor Igonoonuk"
 
I have read of the eskimos using the .22 RF for polar bears on more than one occasion. Supossedly documented by anthropologists, etc.

According to the story, the eskimo would get right up on the bear and shoot it in the eye and into the brain.

Wish I could remember where I saw the documentation.
 
I haven't killed any grizzly bears, but I have killed several large (800 - 1200 lb.) cows/steers with a .22LR solid between the eyes, dropped every one of them like a rock. Also one it didn't kill, but that's a different story.
I wouldn't rule out killing a large bear with a .22, the skull/head is much the same size.
 
I've got to look around in some of my older magazines. IIRC, I've got a picture of the Indian woman with her single shot .22 and the bear skin. Hopefully, I still have the magazine. If I can find it, I'll pass it on. MI VHNTR
 
I just read about this a short time ago but forget where. The story said as the bear entered her dwelling she had picked up the 22 rifle and as the bear was snapping at her she placed the barrel into the bear's mouth and pulled the trigger. Well close anyway!

Skinner 2
 
Anyone who has been involved in a close quarters encounter with a growler will tell you there is not to many things made that you can hold with both hands that make you feel comfortable. I suspect that if other brave souls have tried to use a 22 rimfire on Brown Bear the reason you are having problems verifying it is lack of survivors.
 
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I suspect that if other brave souls have tried to use a 22 rimfire on Brown Bear the reason you are having problems verifying it is lack of survivors.



I was thinking the same thing. "Let's take the .22's and go bear hunting" sounds like something you would read in the Darwin Awards to me. Still, if you're out of options, it's worth a try.
 
"Bella Twin at age 63 and her friend D. Auger were hunting grouse and picking berries, near Lesser Slave Lake in Northern Alberta. The gun she owned and carried was a single-shot bolt-action .22 caliber rimfire rifle. They were walking a cutline that had been made for oil exploration when they ran into a ex-large grizzly following the same survey line towards them. If they ran,the grizzly would notice them and give chase, so they quietly sat down in a brush pile and hoped the grizzly would pass them by without any trouble. But the grizzly came to close and Bella Twin shot the grizzly in the side of the head with a .22 Long cartridge. The big grizzly dropped, kicked and then lay still. Bella taking no chances went up to it and fired the 7 cartridges that she had left into the grizzly's head. This took place in 1953, was the world-record grizzly for several years. Which goes to show you that anything is possible in an emergency. Twin’s grizzly stands as the longest-reigning provincial big-game record in Alberta.

The Boone and Crockett score for her bear was 26 5/16."

Nice job! The news story gives details matching the legend/myth and authenticates a date of 1953 which corresponds to the date O'connor published his book that I referenced earlier. Origin confirmed. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif Todd
 
It was a "SNIPER" shot. a round behind the ears...I honestly do think that if a sharp shooter was to send a .22lr right behind the ear through the soft tissue, it'll drop almost anything, but only if the animal being shot is not aware of ur presence and there's no adrenaline running at that time in the animal.
 
Longcruise--PBR? What are you saying, she was having a Pabst Blue Ribbon at the time /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
m98 - If this were a shot in the heart or some other muscle you would be right about the adrenaline. But a shot to the brain is a shot to the brain and the lights simply go out no matter how upset the bear is. Its getting a good shot at the brain of a mad animal thats the hard part.
 
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m98 - If this were a shot in the heart or some other muscle you would be right about the adrenaline. But a shot to the brain is a shot to the brain and the lights simply go out no matter how upset the bear is. Its getting a good shot at the brain of a mad animal thats the hard part.



Absolutely right, I was charged by a bear we had accidently startled/scared on Kodiak many years ago. My partner emptied his 30-40 Krag into the bear and it didn't even slow him down until he "spined" him with a shot through the mouth. That shot was like cutting the strings on a puppet. The first shots had all hit heart/lung/liver so he was definately finished but without severing the nervous system connection I'm sure he would have made it the last 30' to me.
 
And we give folks a hard time about shootin coyotes with a .17 hmr. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

B /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

She wouldn't have needed to put the rest of those shots into the bear if she had one of those and the 20 grain xtp's. BWAAAA HAAAA HAAAA HAAA
 
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