Homeowner Uses AR15 type firearm to Defend against Black Bear in Home

On August 20, 2025, Mrgunsngear posted a video on X. The video appears to show a homeowner moving downstairs with an AR15 type rifle with a weapons light. The homeowner moves away from the camera, wearing only shorts. He goes through two doorways and nears the far wall. At this point, looking through the doorways, a bear appears to be moving toward him from the left to the right.

The homeowner fires seven quick shots, and the bear drops. After the video, an image of a dead bear inside a house is posted.  While bear attacks inside of homes are not common, they appear to be increasing with increasing bear populations. In 2024 a woman in California was killed in her home by a black bear. In May of 2025, a man in Florida was dragged from his home and killed by a black bear.

The man who shot the bear has posted details about what happened, firearm and ammunition used, with a bit of video added before and after the video where the bear was shot. The homeowner wears night vision googles in the additional video, then shows his full face in the last segment. The quality of the original video is superior to the version first shown on X.

The home defender was not allowed to keep the bear. In his location, bears shot in self defense belong to Parks and Wildlife.  The bear was able to enter the house through a second story window. The window was cracked to allow the house to cool down at night (no air conditioning). The bear pushed the window open and then pushed in the window screen. The defender’s hearing is fine, because he had a suppressor on his firearm. The firearm is a 556 Geissele Super Duty eleven and a half inch. The 5.56 Critical Defense Hornady cartridges performed very well. All of the seven bullets stayed in the bear, except for one fragment which came out and inflicted a nick on the floor.

The defenders use of the term “Parks and Wildlife”, with the image of the trees and skyline in the later video make it likely the event occurred in Colorado. Texas and Colorado both have agencies known as “Parks and Wildlife”. The type of country depicted is sparse in Texas, and Texas has few bears.

Inside the United States, bears are reasonably common from Florida to Alaska. AR15 type firearms with weapons lights and internal security cameras have become increasingly common in the last two decades. The 5.56 round would typically expell a 55 grain projectile at about 2600-2700 fps out of a eleven to twelve inch barrel.

An AR15 type pistol or rifle is an excellent choice for a home defense weapon. It is sufficiently powerful, easy to handle and easy to control in rapid fire.  Such rifles have shown themselves to be adequate for defense against bears.  The use of a suppressor, especially inside a building can prevent serious hearing loss. It probably did so in this case. The shots are easily heard in the video. Without a suppressor, shots from a 12 inch barrel from a full power 5.56 cartridge, would be deafening.  The flash could be temporarily blinding. One of the advantages of the Hornady Critical Defense load is its use of additives to reduce flash.

The Defender adds some video at the end of his presentation, identifying himself as a Christian, and exhorting other Christians to remember they have a duty to protect others who depend on them.

©2025 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice and link are included.

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