Nothing brings out the long threads like a "bear load" topic or a "hand gun for bears" topic. I enjoy reading them and I have been hunting in Alaska for 55 years and knew several old time guides from the Slana and Nebesna Road area. Others not based out of their but met through the Perkins family were Duncan Gilcrest, Maynard "Perk" Perkins, Roy Biffel and I think a guy named Johnson. A colorful bunch for sure. Old Fred Bronochi used to have "happy hour" at his place on Nebesna down the road from the Heart D Ranch owned by guide Don Dehart. Bill Alice, Doc Taylor, DeHart, Bud Conkle and others my memory has lost, they used to stop in and swap stories. I may have butchered some names. They spoke often about old guide Harry Boyden who I regrettably never took the time to go meet, my loss Old Fred liked me and allowed me to sit in and listen if I was in the area. As a young lad I was in awe to say the least!
They spoke often of bears they and their clients took in the interior and their fall Peninsula brown bear hunts. Most of the interior grizzly were "incidental" to sheep, caribou and moose hunts, so what ever gun they had in their hands was their "bear gun". Most of the calibers I heard about were the .270 Win., the 30-06, the .300 H&H, .308 Norma mag. and the .375 on the Peninsula or for their Kotzebue Polar Bear hunts. Rifles favored were the old Mod. 70, converted Springfield 03A3's and a few Remington 721's. The bullets were mostly the old Rem. Core-Lokt and Nosler Partitions. Usually 180 grains in the .30 calibers and 270 grains in the .375.
One thing I remember well is, to the man they all expressed their desire to get the client close to any big bear for the first shot. They thought 40 yards was perfect and nothing over 200 yards ever at un wounded bears Their reasoning was good shot placement and impact velocity. From what I see and read on the internet times have changed. I have no desire to take long shots at bears.
