Whats the big Bore Of Alaska!>>458, 416, 375 and the last I see is 338 >> you can put the 358 Alaskan in there !!

My vote would be the 375 H&H!>> why MMM It just does the JOB! not the 375 >> other garbage want to be 375ss!i

A 577 would do the job, but I would take a 338 if I had an opportunity.

My vote would be the 375 H&H as well. I use my 375 H&H quite a bit, and have a few buddies who do as well. Does the job nicely on moose and bear, even took a sitka blacktail with it while on Kodiak. One thing I've noticed about the 375, it really doesn't do much meat damage.

Whatever you can shoot accurately that will do the job

its tough to beat a 375 H&H, a friend used a 338 Win mag, for 20 years up there on bears

When I go up it's a 45-70. Got to get past 0.40 before I consider it big bore.

That would be the 400 Whelen. We can close the thread now.

Would love to try one, but had 500 been made all time?

Whats with the 45-70?? they its the cats meow and then others say the 458 win mag is garbage ??>>MMM I thought the win mag was a world class but no one likes it >> but every one sings like a JAY BIRD about the 45-70>>>>>> I do not get it?????? Any help?

458 isn't garbage. The 45/70 is popular because Marlin makes it in a short fast handling rifle.

I've not run into anyone who says the 458 is garbage. It's a great round and highly useful in Alaska. One of my friends swears by his and I know he's used it to sort out a fair number of tough situations.

I will say that the 45-70 is more readily available in short, compact, easy to carry packages and probably more shootable for many hunters. Not everyone can shoot a 458 well, especially under duress. Just like many cannot shoot big bore handguns well. For the hunters who can handle a 458, it is well ahead of the 45-70.

Honestly, anyone who says the 458 is garbage is a fool. It may not be for everyone but it is a highly effective round in the hands of a competent shooter/hunter.

50 Alaskan. Joe Want would say 500 Nitro Express.

Would be packin' a .45/70 and an itty bitty (4 5/8 or 6 1/2") .480Ruger sidearm. If I was going out to pack game back in...12ga w/ Brennekes.

As bullets got better,bore's lost diameter.

Hint................

"If I was going out to pack game back in...12ga w/ Brennekes."

One of the last combos I would choose. There are more piss poor choices for bear protection, but not many.

I’d say when I was up that the 375s were the most popular of the “big” bores.

I used the 458 some and it was always decisive, never had any trouble with it.

I used a 45/70 some and found I prefer the 300 Savage for levergun duty.

Went to a 35 Whelen that was fantastic on everything I ever shot with it.

Last couple years I hunted with either a 257wby or a 300 Savage. Both worked very well

When I saw the title of this thread my pay answer was Liiisa...

Joe still polluting AOD?

The mods there drove me away 2/3 years ago, thought I'd heard rumors Joe had been giving the boot.

That is what happens when the idiots are protected by idiots and all opinion trumps correct information. Joe might know more about AK hunting than every idiot over there.

WINNER!!!

Chicken dinner!

I would put my money on the 375HH

Thinking here that the only answer containing a recommendation should be from an ALASKAN!

But I had a thought or two. The 45/70 has been loaded up to the moon & the 458 can't be handled by just anyone. So... a loaded down 458 seems to be an answer. But a 20" 375 ruger could? be more versatile? & have ample(a lot of) power? with added flatter trajectory?


Just dreaming, if I ever get up there, it probably wont be with a tag.

The story behind Joe Want, was a fella over there on AOD drew a Kodiak bear tag. This fella went and did the hunt and ended up shooting a 6 1/2 brown bear. The story I got ol Joe Want was not happy, and called this guy every name in the book through pm. The guy who shot it is a well respected guy over there, anyhow Joe Want was never banned he just left due to differences of opinions with this fella and another fella by the name of bushrat the founder of RHAK.

I gave up on AOD when it became more of a Sh?tShw than I wanted. I know Joe from gunshows and from talking to him around town. I taught his grand daughter this past semester. After further thought the 416 Remington Echol's custom used by Tia Shoemaker is the Big Bore Rife of the year.

While have a like nib model 70 classic stainless in a 375 H&H. I bought it new, shot it 15 times 5 yrs ago. I carry either a 338 wsm or 30-06 sometimes my 325 wsm.

Yeah genius...what is your profound knowledge of bears, let alone Wilderness? Betting you haven't been off your couch in years..........if ever.

Let me guess, if it's really dicy bear country, you load alternating slugs and double ought buck!

Good grief.

30-06

All my years up here hunting I have never seen anyone packing 45-70.. I seen just about every bolt action though.. remington, Winchester, browning, Ruger etc.. but no marlin lever gun in 45-70.. far as shotguns only time I ever seen a shotgun being carried was down on the upper Kenai during salmon season..

You made a very bad choice for someone to call out... He might have actually used a handgun on a charging Kodiak bear... and may just have tremendous time in seriously wild country.

And I will say he is widely respected...

And I agree with his comments.

Thanks for the back story...

Who are you to say anything??

Why anyone would readily choose a shotgun with slugs for anything when there was a rifle available was always a puzzler to me.

Oops Jeff has probably spent more time in wild country while at work than most of us get in a season of hunting.


But he may have been on a couch the whole time he was in Africa, sneaky bastid just camouflaged the couch in all those pics he showed me.

I think a 12 gauge slug gun would work fine if loaded with the right slugs. The Dixie hard cast IXL dangerous game slugs weigh 870 grains and have out penetrated alot of medium- big bore rifles in tests using cattle bones and wet newsprint to catch the bullets and measure penetration. Dixie loads the hard cast slugs to 1250 fps out of a 20" slug barrel and sells them as components to load yourself.

I'd wager to say it puzzles most everyone with a fair amount of firearms experience, who also study ballistics a bit; rather than believing old wives tales.

While I've not had to shoot any charging bears, I have spent a fair amount of time(going on 34 years) working/hunting/fishing/camping in just about every corner of Alaska. To include "going out to pack game". But, it looks like there's a new sheriff in Alaska, so I'll defer to his vast knowledge and experience.

Good plan...

Happy New Year!

The good Sheriff's profile doesn't say where he's from. Lots of non-Alaska folks have watched a couple of episodes of Alaska reality shows and feel qualified to tell us how it should be done.

Traded a fellow (20 years ago?) a half. Ounce of gold for a new in the box Withworth in .458 Win Mag. It still sets in my safe unfired and is being saved for a rainy day. The other on I had was carried on my bear ventures up Tustemena and never got used, though I had 4 or 5 hundred rounds through it. I kept it handy for back up if needed and primarily, kept it for bear watch. The recoil was a bitch at practice. A year later I got the itch for a custom Mauser so had a 416 made. It is plenty accurate. The first time I had to use it was on a fox that had all the signs of being rabid. It worked fine (as one might guess) and the 400 grain roundnose at 2,350 did the trick handily. The recoil was still a bitch but I must admit recoil in shooting that first brownie at 4 steps might have been at a 22 short level for all I remember.

All this time I had an old 338 Win that had been carried for a decade prior to the above. It was/is a veteran of close to 25 bears (of the black tribe) and scores of deer, caribou and moose. It also is a veteran of the brownie sucker that thought it might be a good thing to climb my tree and get ornery. A one handed hold on the rifle and the other to the tree was all that gutter trash needed to go to bear heaven if there is one.

I still have these three but absolutely fell in love with a Sako 10 carbine with a 20” barrel, the TRG action/trigger group and a dandy McMillan stock. So far it is very accurate and very easy to carry or bring into action. This year’s moose was an easy take being only 50 yards away. I did have a very close encounter this last spring where the “cock of the walk” grizz was at 5 feet. But that’s a story for another time. He is still kicking so will try to organize him in April or May...

I am afraid that the other rifles will be used les should and less from here on out. I suspect the.375 is my answer to the OP’s question.

I've never hunted Alaska and never will but was wondering if anyone up there uses the Rem 7600 in 35 Whelen. I owned that combo for a while and thought it might be useful as a quick shooting thumper. There's not much need for a thumper of any sort here in New England.

I knew a lady who lived out in Dillingham who had a 7600 carbine chambered for the Whelen. She claimed it killed moose reliably enough.

Shot my moose with a bolt action 35 Whelen this year. A 7600 would have worked just as well. Keep it clean and lightly lubed and they work fine.

Don't know the answer but the 338 and 375 are medium bores and both see a fair amount of use as all around Alaskan cartridges. Fish & game did some testing on bear defense rifles and decided the 458 was too much for a lot of shooters and slower on followup shots.

We carried riot shot guns for bears in camp at night with Brennekes and 00 buck. Never had to use it but it made me feel better when all I could see was a darker patch of bear at about 15 feet one night. The dogs proved better protection than the fire arms and I yelled to my buddy to not shoot with his 44 mag. as that would have pissed the bear off.

The Whelen and 9.3x62 would be about ideal as a general medium bore too.

I have one in the AI version... a couple bears and moose, caribou, and deer...

Would not be my first choice any more due to concerns about extraction if minor events conspire a bit. Went to small base dies and reduced loads, but then, why bother?

Very happy with smaller bores, lighter bullets, and more speed.

I am contemplating re-boring my Rem 760 in 308 to 358 or even 375 Win for a LW carry carbine. Yeah, "mid-bore" but I think it would have enough oompf. We head to Alaska in Apr 2020.

Or...should I stay with 308 and shoot some tough bullets...?

+1...in a Winchester 71 conversion. Fastest follow up shots, ultimate knockdown power. Marlins need not apply (actions too weak compared to Win).

There, NOW we may close this thread!

Do you really mean .375 Winch? That's a significantly smaller case than the 308 so it will be a rather complicated conversion.

I luv this person >> I have a real problem with this thinking I maybe wrong>> I have heard and >>READ> this rag and rag again and the NEW HUNTER THINKING >>>As bullets got better,bore's lost diameter.

Hint................

So your never under Gunned>> take the new 25-o6 to a brown bear hunt because my new bullet is better !!!>>Mass Kills big things! 22 swift kills GOOFS>> but not Bears>>and that what the rags are saying you take a Knife to a gun fight> NO you take a 270 to a brown Bear Fight >> I would say the Bear will win >> put that on his coffin Rag!

My mistake...I am not sure what I was thinking of.

Maybe I was caught up in the 375-08 (375 Raptor?) but JES doesn't list that as an option.

If only "knock-down power" existed...

I thought there was an incident at Uganik Lake?

I doubt you would find many taking your advice over his... though many might not admit it.

Read two of your comments before. Never saw you before. What I learned from those two is there is a DSMF involved here. And AK Jeff does not fit that bill....

If I may, what country were you educated?

I will also ad, I have no clue how anyone can read more than a couple of rantings posts. Need to send him some grammar lessons and a major RX of chill pills.

This post get my vote !

Most of my time in Alaska has been with a .338WM which did just fine. When I finally moved up to a 375HH it worked fine on the moose we took. But to answer the OP query, I think the 375 is probably the most popular of the "Big Bores" with the people I have encountered while hunting in Alaska. Lots of others out there though.

And to answer the question.. I have a 338-06. When I decided to get a big gun we bought a 458 Win. Got a good deal on it and its not bad to shoot. Wife is small, and she will shoot it though full on 500s are not her favorite.

There are lots of good choices and folks make their own decisions, and they all work.

Can someone translate this?

I finally moved up to a 375HH >MM I have never shot a charging Brown bear but I have shot a few big black in dicky willow >close and I always took my 375 H&H even I had a 338!

Can someone translate this?>> My Son Lives in Germany >maybe you can Phone Him!! >>
Can someone translate this?

O great, there’s a <Jr>.

That was Little River Lake, and was a hunting pard, with a .30-06.

I know how to bring you back to your family...

It is cheap and amusing entertainment.

Okay, I was only about 10 miles away!

And a detail or two short! That only could have happened while riding a LazyBoy!

Have hunted from the couch at Uganik a few times as well.

Last brown bear I killed in Uganik upset a whole plate of petit fours... left a stain on the carpet even... at least no champagne was spilled.

Probably not. What you have found is a manuscript of the ancient “bird” language! It is identified by the “bird tracks” (these >>>) imprinted in all the rest of the bird crap...

Can someone translate this?

wow and no maybe not ? so yes just take a 375 H&H just to be safe ?
/

Did it require a shot afterwards? Sounds painful.

When I was on a Bristol Bay salmon boat for ten summers growing up we had Dad's old .410 pump with slugs for "nuisance" wildlife (those would be animals in the water only, we never seemed to touch land). That counts as a big bore right?

It was a little tough to be accurate with, as he had bent the barrel a little on it when he wrecked his bike with it slung over his shoulder at approx age 10.

OK>> I see Its all over the board but the big thing that no one said??? do you hunt and most do not hunt GriZZ that you would need a big bore just to Hunt because of Grizz or is Grizzly contact over rated in an Alaskan Hunt and just take the good old 3006 and do all hunting in Alaska?

Is Grizzly contact in a Hunt in Alaska Over Rated?

Depends on who is initiating said "contact". If Grizzly initiated, I'd say grizzly contact is way over rated.

Big bores are actually more often put into action fishing rather than hunting. I always have a 375 or 458 when packing loads of fish through the brush.

But we really don't think o'l female doggy cares... just trolling stirring the pot, sock puppet of someone.

North America is not Africa and in todays world for almost all of us the grizzly/brown bear is the dangerous animal to hunt. The sow with cubs is the most dangerous animal to surprise up close. The great Three Seven Five has always been the yard stick for big bores in North America, even though it is a medium bore. I know a couple of guys that use a Three Seven Five as their "go to" and one guy who uses a .458 Winny and he shot his sheep with it. Other then that, most of the hunters I know use a .338 Winny, a .300 Winny a .35 Whelen a 30-06 and a .270 Winny as their "go to".

When I was in my mid teens back in the 60's I used to love stopping by old Fred and Inez Bronochis place on Nabesna Road, "I may have misspelled the last name". They had a 5:00 Happy Hour and some other old guides often stopped by to swap stories. Bill Alice, Don DeHart, Avery Moore, Bud Conkle and others I can't remember. In Anchorage I was friends with the Perkins family and old "Perk" introduced me to Roy Biffel, Keith Johnson and Dunchan Gilchrist who Perk helped to get into guiding in Alaska. I also met the sheep hunter Frank Cook through Perk and marveled at the heads in his accounting office.

Any way, the only ones that used a Three Seven Five were hunting polar bear out of Kotz and brown on Kodiak or the Ak. Peninsula and backing up wealthy clients. Other then that they carried a .300 mag of some flavor, the 30-06 or a .270 Winny. None of them desired to carry a heavy barreled Mod. 70 .375 for miles on end chasing sheep in the Wrangell's.

I often carry a modified Mag na Ported Marlin 1895 45-70 stoked with 7 big heavy slugs from Alaska Bullet works. Their Super Bonded Heavy Jacketed 350 and 400 grain bullets have a good reputation for close encounters with bears. I also carry a modified Vang Comped ported Rem. 870 and 600 grain Black Magic slugs. I know they will work on bears as many have proven, to include Alaska's Fish & Game folks.

Lots of calibers to choose from for big bears and bullets are better then ever. Just for the record, if I chase brown bear this spring I will take my .338 Winny and leave my 6.5 Creedmoor at home!

But but but ... slugs won’t work on bears!!!

Nice contribution and thanks taking the time. I’d love to have had the opportunity to have met some of those legends.

Kawi? Is that you?

The only reports I could find about bears and Brenneke is that they leave exits.

I met one guide who followed up with Brenneke slugs and another who used 00 buck. Both liked their choice.

If better bullets make diameter less significant what happens when you use a better bullet in the larger bore?

Mindblown..............

FWIW I was in Anchorage last summer. Had some time to kill and went into some GS as well as Walmart to kill some time.

Looked at what ammo was available...of course the usual 06, 308, 300's, .338.

.375 H&H and .375 Rugers. Even had the Ruger .375s in Walmart. From what I could gather it may be the most popular big bore in Alaska.


Lefty

That's interesting, and not what I would have expected. Planning on spending most of next summer in Alaska. Some river fishing, some day hikes, etc.... Not planning on taking a handgun as we will be driving through Canada. Was considering taking either a short barreled 870 with Brenneke slugs or a Marlin 1895 with 405gr hardcast at about 1900fps. For those of us without the experience, could you expand on that please. Thanks.

Bring the Marlin for piece of mind.

What configuration are the hard cast in?

You have two options to bring a handgun... one is with the proper paperwork and the other would be to send it ahead to either an AK address or FFL just inside the State. Neither is particularly expensive.

405 to 420gr (although some are convinced 465s are optimum) are ideal with an 1895, but you can mitigate the recoil by loading them ~1700fps and you'll be fine. The extra velocity is of NO benefit.

\

The shotgun is a fine choice, as is the GG. I've killed grizzlies with both. I remember old Ed Stevenson swore that the Brennekes were about perfect for browns. Our F/G kill a pile of bears each summer with a 12 gauge @ slugs.

They are Beartooth LFN.

I've found Wolfhawk shipping just inside Alaska on the Alcan. Ever heard of them? The research I've done on taking handguns into Canada has led me to believe that transporting through on the way to Alaska isn't an option. I could only take a handgun into Canada if taking it to a scheduled competition. I'd be happy to be wrong, but that's the way I understand the information on Canada's sites.

Acy: I thought the same thing about transiting Canada with a handgun but was corrected and directed to the Customs Canada website where the rules have recently been changed. Try asking your question on the Canada forum of this website.

Thanks. I'll look into it some more.

I have not heard of them.

As was already posted there is no competition requirement unless you want to use it in Canada...

Goofy question... depends what yer having for dinner, if its big and hairy with claws, take the biggest broomstick you can shoot WELL.

The problem with shipping your handgun, from the state you live in, to Alaska and expect to pick it up once you get there, you are mistaken. They can only transfer it to a resident of Alaska. Your best bet if you want a handgun in Alaska is to fly and bring it with you.

I’ve seen guys ship a handgun to a gun shop in AK for $20 worth of “custom work” and pick it up in person once the “work” was done. Don’t know about the legality as that wasn’t always a priority of the shop in question, but it might be.

Sorry Marlin, but that is not true. You are simply sending a package to yourself, from yourself for them to hold. They are not even allowed to open the package, the shipper/receiver must open it. There is no requirement that an FFL be involved at all and there is NO transfer of possession.

That could cover more than one shop in Anchorage and paying $20 for "Custom Work" would be overpaying!

That is not legal. ATF does not allow for a non FFL to ship a handgun to anyone not licensed by ATF.

[i][/i]Sorry Rusky. Sitka is right.


5. May I lawfully ship a firearm to myself in a different State?
Any person may ship a firearm to himself or herself in the care of another person in the State
where he or she intends to hunt or engage in any other lawful activity. The package should be addressed to the owner of the firearm “in the care of” the out-of-State resident. Upon reaching
its destination, persons other than the owner of the firearm must not open the package or take
possession of the firearm. The out-of-State resident is encouraged to place the package in a safe
and secure location until the owner of the firearm is available to take physical possession.


From the ATF website.

Google is your huckleberry.

Deadly on the biggest bears...

As IB stated my point is correct. Where you possibly confusing shipping handguns by USPS? Only an FFL may ship handguns through the USPS and they have to go to an FFL. A non-FFL shipping handguns has to use a "common carrier" such as FedEx or UPS. It is confusing...

Thank you.

I don't have the time to research this properly. I do know this, The quoted above is an opinion and will not circumvent the law in court. ATF has historically reversed its opinions regularly (bump stock). At the bottom of a regulation you will find the information listed of where to find this ruling in the Federal Register. With out this information its a opinion. The way I read this ruling, You can send whatever you want within YOUR state. Laws rarely changes, opinions change daily. Do whatever makes you happy.



A nonlicensee may ship a firearm by a common or contract carrier to a resident of his or her or her own State or to a licensee in any State. A common or contract carrier must be used to ship a handgun. In addition, Federal law requires that the carrier be notified that the shipment contains a firearm or ammunition, prohibits common or contract carriers from requiring or causing any label to be placed on any package indicating that it contains a firearm and requires obtaining written acknowledgement of receipt.

[18 U.S.C. 922(a)(2)(A), 922(a)(5), 922(e) and (f); 27 CFR 478.30 and 478.31]

BATFE has been reading it this way for years... if they change their "opinion" they announce and publish it...