One of the things I like about he fire is the incredible wealth of experience. Some of it is keyboard commando BS, but a lot of it is the real deal - offered subjectively, of course.
One of the reasons I haunt this board is so I can plan for future hunts (and fishing) in a way that eliminates 80 plus percent of the BS. I'm at a stage in life where I'm working on my bucket list trips, as in the mid sixties my life is getting towards the short strokes. The sad reality is, that at his stage in life, I won't have the ability to go back with lessons learned from he last trip to make the next one easier/better. I just need to go in the first time more or less GTG.
On the same vein, If someone wants to know about deer hunting or bass fishin' along the east coast, especially Georgia, Florida or New England, or for that matter shark fishing in the surf in Africa, or mahseer in South Asia, trout in Chile (or lenguado in the surf for that matter), or Nile Perch on the Oueme River, or grouper in the Arabian Gulf, or wild boar in the Sri Lankan highlands with beaters carrying spears, live baiting sailfish in the Gulf of Siam, or Vermont rabbit hunting, or squirrel hunting in the SE hardwoods, or pheasant shooting in the Midlands over beaters, or long range out of SoCal, or how to wrap a rod for pier fishing for cobia, I'm happy to opine...from experience. Not saying this to impress, its just what it is. I have been blessed, and don't mind sharing even if some my info has become dated in the fullness of time.
With that diatribe out of the way, I look to the future: I ask for my fellow CF member guidance on the issue of barrel length on a rifle used in DG country (probably Alaska, but also the PNW). I read articles on the innernet that talk about a 20" barrel on a ..300 or .338 as being the hot ticket. WTH? I always though that barrel in the 24-26 inch length was the way to roll. But that is all to do with wringing the most efficiency out of the rounds in those calibers. New variable: maneuverability is tight situations.
So if I am to take a moose hunt in Alaska, in brown bear country, carrying a .338WM which is in a stock configuration 24" barrel, should I whack it to 20"? Its a bald barrel, so I am planning to put irons on it and make the scope detachable., so cutting the barrel is no big deal. Thinking this a one and done deal, jus wanna do it ....perfect.
Thoughts?
...................Well imo, any assurances or preferences that you seek from the group here as to either a 20" tube or the 24" tube would simply boil down a personal preference. 4" of shorter barrel length from a 338 Win, say losing between 20 to 30-35 fps per inch, will not give you a different outcome (moose or bear) as opposed to using a 24" barrel. If you are a hardened stickler concerning velocity loss from about 80 fps to about 135 fps then stay with the 24"barrel. If you are a hardened stickler for a better handling rifle because of shorter OAL then go with a 20" barrel.
I own a 20" barreled 375 Ruger Alaskan. Gives me the same velocity ballistics as a 24" - 25" barreled 375 H&H but in a shorter handier rifle. It offers the best of both worlds, a handier OAL and the ballistics of a full lengthed 375 H&H rifle.
Me personally? My preference for moose in bear country or bear in moose country would be that Ruger Alaskan. For the more wide open country, then my 26" tubed 28 Nosler and/or my long tubed 338-378 Accumark beast would get the nod.
In your case go with your gutt personal preference. Cannot go wrong with either. Your moose or big bear will still go down.
