Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Browning BAR MkII .338 Win.Mag.

Would you guys weigh in on using a Browning BAR MkII .338 Win.Mag. for hunting in Alaska?
I'm wondering if this is a viable gun for the weather conditions as far as reliability goes.

If you like it and shoot it well it'll work.

I'd go with manual transmission.

If that's what I had, I'd use it. If buying, I'd look to the manual model.

Learn to break down that auto and clean it....I've known many auto owners that never did figure out how to clean em.

I have one in 7mm Rem.Mag. and like it a lot.
Guess I'm fishing for information as to 'why' the .338 version might not be the best choice vs. the 700 in .375 ULTRA I also have.
Maybe some day I won't want the ULTRA's extra punch, not to mention the ammo is an instant dinosaur ( I won't be handloading anytime soon... ).
I'd like to know the particular reasons a BAR isn't the best choice for hunting in freezing, snowy, inclement weather.
Thought it might help to have the explanations for others on the forum, not just myself.
Thanks for the help!

ETA: ancient pic of said BAR/7mm Rem.Mag. I'd like to put the nice wood stock back on this one and save the Bell&Carlson stock for the possible .338 project.

Mr. Mike Hunt,
We used a BAR in .338mag for quite a few years here in the interior. It never failed us, regardless of the weather.
Biggest mistake I made was letting my hunting partner talk me out of it.
Best Wishes

I know three guys who have been hunting with BARs durring a 9 day dear season for going on 35 years. All sorts of winter weather encountered and I'm sure that they have never done more than run a patch down the bore and wipe down the outside. I'm not saying that's the right thing to do, but, it's been done. They are about as good as it gets for an autoloader IMHO.

Murphy's law; what can go wrong will go wrong. You spend a lot of $$ and burn vacation time to hunt in BEAUTIFUL Alaska, a real privlege. Borrow or buy (used ?) a bolt gun. My Ruger stainless .338 bolt has been on 4 prior Alaska hunts and I know it won't let me down. Failing that, keep yur Brwoning clean, clean, clean. Hope this helps/ Chaz

I would hunt Alaska or any place else with one if I was so inclined, On of my Uncles hunting buddies had shot one for as long as I could remember. The Hunted moose in Newfoundland every year from 1964 to 1978. If there was a problem I would have heard about it.

Learn to, and clean, the gas port. That was the only problem I had with one in several years. After experiencing a feeding problem I learned to clean mine and never had a problem afterward.

Jim

+1 on cleaning. I had a BAR in 7mm Rem Mag for a couple of years. It always shot good at the range. During hunting season, I missed a short doe shot from a blind with it, and it jammed. The doe just stood there and I took her with my son's bolt.

I never trusted that rifle again and I sold it to a good friend that knew the whole story. He said that it was a cleaning problem, and has never had a problem with it to my knowledge.

Would I ever take another BAR to the deer stand again? Sure.

Would I consider one for an AK bear hunt? No.

I have a Win Mod 100 in .308 and an old Rem Mod 81 in .300 Sav for hogs, so I am not against autos, but I would be thinking about a bolt for AK. Good luck.

I'd hunt with my BAR anywhere. If I were going to encounter extreme cold, I'd clean the gas system and all the metal parts with Eezox synthetic gun oil.

http://www.eezox.com/gun-care.html

If it works for you, I'd use it with a couple of exceptions. That is IF I were going after a brown bear or Interior Grizzly.
No way would I use a semi auto in a possible large bear situation. Gimmee a bolt rifle for that. Not saying it would malfunction, just saying the possibility is more likely. Otherwise, take it & go forth to slay thy moose.
Bear in Fairbanks

I have one in .30-06. I would like to aquire one in 7Mag and .300 mag. Maybe .243 as well. They are fun guns to shoot but I have not shot mine enough to know about its reliability. Someday I will get around to it.

As far as an Alaska hunt, everything should be fine. How will you feel if it does encounter a feeding problem and you miss an opportunity on your animal? Seems a bolt gun, if you had one and were comfortable with it, would be a wise choice. If not, have at it. Odds are good that nothing will go wrong. Clean it good and proper before you go.

my brother-in-law told me of a fella he knew who had one in a 7mm mag and his partner a .270 manual transmission....good translation. long story short it was fall time and these 2 were hunting in the Cantwell area some 12yrs. back maybe. Out moose hunting and the fella with the BAR got betwixt a sow and her cub..the mother grizz took out after him, he took a shot at the sow and his follow up shot failed. His buddy who some distance away heard his buddy screaming and yelling came in running and and seen the sow all over him. He killed the sow with his .270 and many months later after extensive medical bandaging he inspected his rifle and found some twig or debris of sort in his action..... I would personally "not" use one in by choice. All of my rifles are bolt guns with the exception of a M1 Garand.