Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunting Rifles EDIT: Tell me about rifles in 375 H&h -AK bush living

358wsm,
458win said it: simple buy Ruger 375 and be done with it. Can't go wrong there either. I personally don't have any experance with the 375 HH or Ruger. The only reason is I came here with a 338WM and just did not want one more caliber.
The main point is get comfortable and confident with your firearm..
My most used calibers for me are 30-06, 338-06, 35 Whelen in the interior/Fairbanks area. The coast is a differant story.
John

Probably like any other rifle in whatever caliber they have miserable.. if I’m worried about charging bears I’m packing a benelli semi auto in a 12 gauge loaded with slugs.. or a 870 in a 12 gauge ... as far as trend that one flew over your head I use nothing but model 70’s that’s the trend the other I guess would be I like nosler bullets..

I don’t need to encourage anyone.. buy whatever you want but I can wander into any store in Alaska and get a box of shells for an 06.. I wandered the wilds of unit 13 and never worried about charging bears.. but I have complete faith in whatever I’m carrying to turn a charge if one ever happened. The big question will you be able to hit a charging bear? I don’t care what you have if you can’t hit what’s charging you might as well have a rape whistle and blow on it cause that bear about to give you the ass raping of a lifetime. That bear ain’t going to give you any chocolates afterwards either..

358wsm,
I don't know how to PM, I feel lucky just making a post with not to many miss spellings and such.
Anyway: KISS, Keep It Simple Stupid.
45-70 with buffalo Bore, wide flat nose cuts a nice hole. Close in high velocity cartridges can pass through without expanding or just blow up. It's a crap shoot because you don't know what you will be confronted with. I did a test to prove a point on that subject for my Father who had just bought a 460 Weatherby mag, nasty gun and not needed since the T Rex passed on.. Anyway the very unscientific test:
1 each, 460 mag, 458 WM, and a hot 45-70. Target 8"x8"x16" timber chunks, mostly on the dry side at 20 yards. the 500 gr RN soft point 460 Weatherby drilled a nice 1/2" hole in the block. Next the 458WM with 350 gr RN soft point, split the block. The 45-70 with Barns Originals shatered the block. To much velocity close up does not give the bullet the chance to work. After that my Father shot the 460 for the first time after my testing, one shot and the 460 was for sale. Now there are exceptions to that for sure, but it comes back to KISS. I would shy away from the factory loads in the 45-70, like the Remington, 405 gr at what 1330fps. The Buffalo Bore 45-70 Magnum - Lever Gun Ammo - 405 gr. J.F.N.(2,000fps/M.E.3,597 ft.lbs.) or CorBon has a 460gr at 1650fps.. Buffalo Bore is expencive stuff, but it's not like your going to go plinking and burn up a bunch of ammo, so buy 2 boxes, 1 to test out and one to carry up the mag.
Around the interior or Fairbanks it's rare to get a Grizzly, mostly Blacks and those on the smaller side. But, in unit 19 you could run into Grizz. If you go with a Marlin get an older one and change it over to the Wild West extractor and a few other items to make the Marlin run reliably. No frills, if you get a older one the trigger will possablity be good and smooth. I have a older Marlin with some cleaned up rust pits, bought it that way. Makes for a good boat gun, don't mind getting a ding or 2 in it and it's short, light and comes up fast.
Anyway thats my 2 cents. I'm sure somebody will put thier 2 bits in and say I'm full of it. But you know what they say, opinions are like Azz holes, everybody has one.
Remember: KISS.
John

So.... in order to "hit" and "hit" again, shootability, and recoil recovery would come into play. Figure an 06 might be an advantage there.
Going for CNS coming in at 30 mph could be dicey. A miss might wind up in the chest, right or left, or high (spine works.)

Where did you hit yours when it was charging.??? CNS.? Somewhere else.?

You can pick up used Rugers here in Ak and pretty reasonable. I like rugers but I’m a model 70 guy..

Any idea why there are so many reasonable priced Rugers there.?
I've run 'em, liked them.
To me fit and function...then brand name.

Thanks for your post 79S..

Called Alaska list believe it or not you will find deals on there..

I believe you.
And I appreciate you for bringing some things to the table.

And if my attitude sounded a little wiseashish...it ain't. I'm listening and asking, and learning.

Thank you for helping a brother out.

Guess I’m lucky I never had to worry about charging bears.. hell phil shoemaker killed a charging bear with a 9mm pistol... but whatever I’m lugging in the field up here I feel I’m more than adequately armed to take care of any issue. But if you want a 375 get the Ruger with the money you save buying it over the kimber you can put a good scope on it and get Warne quick disconnect rings for it. So you can switch to irons...

I would think Phil Shoemaker would have had a 30-06/bear charge experience or at least know, first hand, someone that had that experience. Maybe he will weigh in on it soon. I would be very interested myself to know how the 30-06 fares in a bear charge. I use my M70/06 in bear infested areas during drive hunts for boars. RJ

Last year, early fall, on a driven boar hunt, I was charged by a large brown bear. I was holding my M70 in 308 Win. I hollered (probably sounded more like a woman screaming) and he turned away at 3 yards and ran off. The woods was pretty thick in that area and I did not see him coming at me until he was around 15 yards away. I should have started shooting immediately when I saw him. In that situation, with a bolt gun, I would be lucky to get 2 shots off at the bear before he was on me. Since then, I don't mind using that 308 or my 7x57, after the leaves have dropped and I have good visibility, but in those close places, I want to be holding my 9.3x62, 30-06 or 870. I take blood thinners so if a bear slaps me good with a paw, I'll bleed out before before someone can get me to a hospital. And here in Romania, emergency services and hospitals aren't what they are in the states. RJ

I am betting Phil could end a Bear charge with strong language.
When bears gather they talk about him with fear and trepidation, and the "stay away from Phil" memo goes out.

I'll write to him and get his experiences with the 06.
I've a sneaking suspicion he's slamed a few on comers with that number.

If he doesn't post, I'll share what I learn.


What he DID post was simple, "Get the 375 Ruger Alaskan and be done with it.!"

That said, I'd still like to hear from him concerning the 06.