Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Alaskan Big Game Rifle?

I didn't get it that way, Marinehawk

As I understand it, anybody has the choice of using any rifle from the .30-06 to the .375 H&H (or even bigger for that matter) to hunt bears. And that's why cartridges from the .30-06 to the .375 H&H are widely used in Alaska. However, it only makes sense that a guide use enough gun to back his or her clients.

I have been told by a guide that some guides use .338's and up to back their clients.

With most of the modern premium bullets Even the biggest bears can be readily killed with well placed hits from a 270, 7mm, or any of the various 30 caliber rifles. And virtually everybody tend to shoot more consistently with rifles with moderate recoil, especially rifles they are familiar with.
Which is why I recommend them. And if you can make a well placed hit on an unwounded bear when you have time to get ready, you are unlikely to have to follow up a wounded bear. And if you can't then you are certainly unlikely to do any better under stress !
And even with the bigger bores, you still have to hit them correctly!

I need no more info than Shoemakers signature line. Make mine stainless, please, with a good trigger.

Very obviously not Phil, but I suspect he will point out that many clients shoot far better with their trusty '06...

There is really nothing wrong with a 30-06 for back-up, but wounded bears die hard, very hard sometimes and a guide shooting a 375 will see better results assuming he/she shots it well.

I think this question could be easily answered from one of Tia Shoemaker's Facebook Photos. Phil could explain it.

There is no such thing as "too much gun".

There may well be "too much gun to shoot well".

If talking about ONE gun for Africa and Alaska both, get the .375 H&H, assuming you can handle the cartridge well.

As per Phil's posts.

Personally, in OP's shoes, I'd get one of each...

The '06 is all one NEEDS in Alaska. Usually.

But the same is true of the .375

There are situations which may arise where a 12 lb cannon might not be amiss, if one could pack it, aim it, and shoot it accurately and quickly at need. But those situations arise rarely if at all for most of us, even with lesser cannons.

I been poking holes in Alaska's critters for 53 years and all of it has been done with a 30-06 or .338 Winny. I am a Mod. 70 guy and prefer the ones with the old style trigger as it is bullet proof and simple. I have heard many first hand stories over the years about trigger issues on big game rifles. I consider the trigger the most important feature on a rifle.

My custom Mod. 70 "Stainless Classic" .338 with it's Bansners synthetic stock is to me a perfect Alaskan rifle at 7.5 lbs. with out scope. My Pre-64 Featherweight 30-06 is another favorite of mine with the nice walnut stock and rust blue steel. I also have a 6.5 lb. Husqvarna 30-06 that is a keeper, with the Leupold VX3i 2.5-8x36mm it comes in under 7.5 lbs.

As I age it may end up being my "go to" rifle. Stuffed with168 grain Barnes TTSX bullets, it should have all the "right stuff" for Alaska and I believe that bullet will penetrate like a 200 grain Nosler Partition. Gotta love that!

A big thank you to everyone who responded!

I'm thinking a 7.5 pound 30-06 shooting 165 or 168 TTSX's would be pretty tough to beat... A Pre64 Win 70, McMillan Edge, 22-23" #2 contour, NECG back up irons and Talley QD rings and bases wouldn't suck.


X-VERMINATOR

Sounds great to my way of thinking........adjust as needed to get an effective fit and function.

As of this week, I've been here for a 1/2 century. I had two rifles that I primarily used. My first was a pre-64 M70 in three six bits. I used old style 270 gr. NP's I carried it when the fuzz monsters were walking around. Then ,when they were sleeping, I had an old Ruger in 7x57 AI. That was my winter caribou gun. It really liked 160 gr. NP's. I am primarily a target shooter but hunted quite often. So I am no pro. It's just what I did. Worked for me.

Tikka stainless super lite 30-06 with 2-10 variable scope.
I will say I am impressed with the 9.3x62 and would be right up there If I knew I was hunting big bear country.

Not many youngsters would know what you're talking about...

Even with this clue: two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar...

Three six bits in a pre-64. Pretty cool ordinance.

DF

Never been to Alaska (hope to make it there sooner or later) but I do have a Tikka 9.3 x 62. Nice rifle. LH to boot! Probably good for just about anything "big game" on the North American Continent. Availability of 9.3 x 62 ammo in Alaska ??

What I carried was a 7mm RM. But just for the love of the cartridge my lowland rifle would be a 375 H&H but that would make two rifles with the other a 280/7mm/06 and the 375.

Basically anything from 270 to 35 Whelen on the 06 case would be good. If you will be hunting Sheep or Goats a lot then a lighter rifle would be in order. Also varmint hunting is a different proposition in AK as wolves can get up to 100 pounds and if calling be ready for bear. Not sure what is still available but fox and formerly seals were part of the equation too. Moose can be a short range affair and will fall from anything 243 and above. I like to be ready for bad angles and follow up shots if needed to keep them from expiring in the closest bog or lake. The 06 to 375 would do this well. If you are a fisherman the 7mm RM/06 gives confidence the 375 even more for me. The trajectory difference between the 06 and 375 are very similar so other than the weight of the rifle no down side to the 375.

never dealt with big bears in Alaska but when I help with a wounded black bear I carry a 12 gauge shotgun with slugs and at close range that old 12 gauge is one nasty gun with a slug !

Posted this one before, .375 H&H. SS NH Classic, chopped to 21" and fluted. I have a lighter, 1.5-5x20 Leupold that puts the weight at 8# 12oz. It runs around nine with the big Victory 1.5-6x42.

It balances and carries well, feels lighter than what the scale shows. Some like lighter guns, but in this round, to me the wt. is about right. I like the NECG firberoptic front with windowed hood.

DF

Interesting that the longer the interval after Phil's posts, the more often .375 gets mentioned.

Bearanoia !

I lived and hunted in AK for ten years and ran the gamut of rifles and calibers. Started with a 350RM, on to 4570,458,375,444, all at one time or the other. Finally landed on the 35 Whelen, and still feel it's a good choice. But I did notice as time went on that I was gravitating more to individual rifles and not so much cartridges. The last three years I think I shot about 6-7 head of game and found myself using a pair of 300 Savages, a 99 and a Remington M7. I did shoot a couple bull caribou with a 257Wby too.

I think I started to give up on the big rifle deal after seeing kids year after year kill moose with a single shot from their 243s using CoreLokts or Federal blue box.

If you can get within decent range, remain calm, and remember to shoot them in the front half most anything will work. After all there is no magic line you cross going north where animals stop being made of blood and meat and hide, let the blood out and the air in and they die just like anything else.

And, this isn't even a "big bad bear rifle" thread!