Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Rifle choices for AK

Hey guys I'm trying to make a decision on a rifle purchase and I'm looking for you're opinions. I've decided on a bolt action stainless 30-06 and I would like to stay with a traditional walnut stock. Any advice on gun models and am I crazy for not going synthetic? I don't mind spending the money, you get what you pay for, and I'm willing to take care of my investment. Tell me what you think.

Sounding great,except for the chambering and stock.............

Stick what is the primary game to be hunted with this rifle? I have a different opinion then Big Stick on the chambering depending on what you plan to use it on. I am with Big Stick on the stock, go synthetic specially if SE AK is your distination. The 06 is fine for deer, elk, moose, caribou, goats, and sheep. A little light agruably for bears, though both my father and I have taken black bears with out 06's. Personally I would want more rifle for brownies.

Took a fall in Ak. that may have broken a wooden stock. It may have also done the same here in Pa. The difference is that I was a long way from home and another rifle.

That same fall dunked the rifle in some water and combined with the ocean environment of that location the trigger mechanism was rusting up when I returned home. Didn't realize such until it became unsafe to use the first week of our local Deer season.

Ak is hard on equipment, plan accordingly.

Agree on picking what species you are primarily hunting - nothing wrong with 30-06 unless your primary is coastal bears. I wouldn't feel under gunned hunting interior bears with it. Also, pick a caliber that fits this criteria but also a caliber that you can proficiently shoot regarding recoil. I'd rather shoot an '06 and have proper bullet placement than be skittish shooting a larger magnum and have improper bullet placement. In regards to stock choice - synthetics are stronger but if wood is what you want there are ways to weatherize it. Stainless will still rust so the metal finish must be taken care of as well. If hunting in Alaska your rifle will get dinged, scratched and pitted. But with each of these blemishes hopefully comes a good campfire story.

Bullets matter more than headstamps and nuttin' trumps Stainless/Synthetic................

Agree.

A lot depends on were,when and what you're going to hunt. The rig you discribe will get the job done but wouldn't be my first choice. I'd opt for a synthetic stock every time. Again it depends on what you're up to but in most cases from what I've experienced a nice walnut stock will only get ruined, why do it. 30-06 as long as you shoot it well will do nicely for everything from goats,sheep,black bear,caribou, and moose. Brownies are another story.

The rifle will be first used on a central California boar hunt this spring. Then possibly mule deer in the fall. I plan on traveling to Alaska in 2012 and my primary will be moose or caribou. Depending on how the next year plays out and my time allotment this may be downplayed to deer and black bear.

First AK rifle was a Husqvarna 30-06 Mauser, blue and walnut--high maintenance.

Second was a Ruger SS and synthetic--low maintenance.

None are no maintenance.

Bruce

Syn/stainless/06 would be a great choice in my opinion for whatever that is worth to you.

Can't get much better for 90-some percent of what Alaska offers than an '06 or 300 Win Mag. And a Ruger bolt gun would be (is) a great way to do it. Alaska is a big place and there isn't anything wrong with wood if that's how you like to run.



I know the original Ruger synthetic is probably the best way for this rifle for flying, crawling, swimming, and ice-hopping, but wood has been getting it done for me for a long time.

Although I do tend to baby my stuff......

I don't see it as wood not being able to get it done. I see it as wood on my double guns and syn for rifles and semi-auto shotguns. My first rifle I owned in AK as a young boy my uncle gave me had a wood stock and blued metal. It did me well for many years, but I had to put more time it to it.

Keep in mind that very many little things can make or break your time here besides the gun you carry. Rain gear, a headlamp,good glass,glacier socks, a really good pack to name a few comes to mind.

Waders can come in mighty handy at times.
I like to bring an oily rag in a ziplock bag. Blued steel is ok with a light coat of oil and a wipedown every night. I don't own a stainless synthetic rifle in a big game caliber and I hunt in rain and snow every year. This 35 Whelen was in the rain for 3 straight days in Alaska and not one speck of rust! The bolt handle never fell off either.
whelennut

Cannot like a synthetic stock for using and have not used one on a centerfire for well over 10 years. Doesn't have to be walnut... myrtle, maple, and a few others work just fine...

Seen more than a few rifles,all but ruined in a day.

If you can pick your weather/pursuits,you might could slum some blued steel,but in a day in/day out Utility Rifle...no way. But undoubtedly,you boys are talkin' minute of stop sign rifles and I ain't. I'm talkin' static POA/POI via CBS and hard use.

Knocks,bumps,drops,scritches,scratches,snow,rain,saltwater...the works. I don't even know a guy who hunts a blued barrel and that's not because none of us hasn't BT/DT.

I am sooooooooooooo not into babying schitt and fretting beating upon same. Blued/wood,simply cannot begin to hang..............

balderdash, the glossy stock of my 700 bdl still reflects well enough to part your hair ( I know that's a high priority for you Stick) after 30 years of some hard hunting in Alaska



course it might have something to do that it's sat in a closet for that length of time as well. unazzed it and went synthetic and never looked back.

that rifle's metal was Arctic koted as well, though there's better coatings available these days.

the .338 might still have some blue on it somewhere, maybe under the forearm might be some left......

I would go with the synthetic as well though a wood stock will do just fine since your only planning on coming up to hunt and not staying as a resident.

I broke the wood stock on my M70 years ago trying to cross a swollen creek on my 4men and I replaced it with a synthetic. If that wood stock hadn't of broke, i'd still be using it today.

I'd also run SS though my M70 is CM and coated with Birdsongs Black T coating.

For the animals you mention, your .30-06 wil work just fine. I personally would use it on everything here in the state except for brown bear. Yes, with backup, I'd use it on an interior grizzly. There are guys who have a moose camp about a mile down river from ours and they both use an '.06 and get their game. You also indicate that you may hunt caribou. They are usually located in the interior - not near salt water. I would have no problem with a wood stock but I'd make certain that it was glass bedded and maintained it's point of impact with changes in humidity. There is absolutely no way a piece of wood can be sealed well enough to prevent it from moving with humidity changes. A number of years ago, I built customized, hardwood furniture as a sideline so well know of the problems involved with wood movement in the interior of Ak. August is the one month of the year where we have the highest level of humidity and hardwoods WILL move.
Barring that, I do think I'd lean towards a synthetic stock but if I had a rifle with a wood stock that I liked and was confident in, I'd use it. Just my thoughts.
Bear in Fairbanks