Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Minimum caliber for Coastal Brown Bear...

Hoping to do a coastal brown bear hunt in the next two years and need to get a rifle ready. What caliber should I be looking at to keep the guide happy? TIA

That's an exciting prospect. Pick a firearm that you are very familiar with, cartridge choice is important but the right bullet PUT IN THE RIGHT PLACE IS EVEN MORE IMPORTANT. It is a major step backwards in your plan if you pick out something to use that you can't handle well and hit well with. I'd pick a stainless bolt gun with a synthetic stock that fit me well , scoped with my Vari X lll 1.5 x5x with buis on the rifle. Chambered for the 300 win mag.or larger. Probably wouldn'dt even buy a new a new gun as I have enough suitable to choose from all ready.200 + gr NPT's loaded in newer brass. The idea of using handoads does not bother me.What would bother me is the idea of not being practiced enough to have 100% confidence in my outfit and self. No I have not shot any bears. MB

One you shoot well and is large enough to still do the job. Ie don't show up with a .243 and say "but I shoot it well and can put the bullet right where I want to!" Guide likely wouldn't be thrilled.

Also don't show up with a .458 Lott and not be able to hit a thing.

For me I'd grab my .338 win mag. Or if I needed an excuse to buy something else I'd look towards the .375ruger. if the guide was all right with it I wouldn't hesitate to take a .30-06 with premium 200 or 220s.

I should also add I've only taken black bears, if that actually matters.

-Jake

As far as caliber goes, I wouldn’t go under .30 cal. , but as far as cartridges, a 338 mag. or 375 Ruger might be my picks.

What adequate rifles do you currently own, and are you looking for an excuse to buy something bigger/better/ newer. etc.....

I've known LOTS of guys buy a gun "for Africa" - which is an excuse to buy a new gun - and any excuse is a good excuse to purchase...

GUIDED Brown Bear, as your Guide, Probably .30/06 minimum,

As others mentioned, something you can shoot right the first time.

My ss ruger 9.3x62 with 286 nps would get the nod were it my hunt.

IMO this sums it very nicely, but starting cartridge would be a 30-06 and 180gr bullets.

As a side note, when I was in AK this spring black bear hunting. I asked the outfitter, who also does SE Alaska brown bear hunts. What cartridge would you pick for brown bear? As long as shooting accuracy was equal and not a factor. "Probably a 375"

But he also stated that shot placement is primary importance.

I do not plan on ever hunting Browns, but if I did, I would take a 338-06 or 375 in that order.

I bet it's safe to say the 30-06 has been used successfully to kill more brown bears in Alaska (and probably Canada too) then most of the others combined.
If I were to use one I'd load with 220 grain bullets and preferable Nosler Partitions.

So because the OP asked what is minimum I would say the 30-06 or ballistic combination in the same range. 7.62X54R, 7.5 Swiss, 8X57 and a handful of others too.

I like my big rifles and I shoot them very well, so I would take one of my more powerful calibers, but if I was to find myself in Alaska again and had one of my 30-06s, (or my 8X57) I would not feel under armed if I got to choose my own ammo.
Not at all.

I've only been a couple times so take my limited experience with a grain of salt. When inquiring on caliber/chambering, the outfitter asked what I had in the stable already as he preferred comfort/familiarity with something over a larger chambering just for the occasion. At the time, I had 30.06, 300wsm, 338 Win and 35 Whelen - "hey, any of those are perfect but bring the Whelen – I haven't had a hunter shoot a bear with that chambering yet".

His take is way too many guys show up with new rifles and are relatively over-gunned and under-experienced with it/them.
And Phil Shoemaker has reinforced this same thing here for an eternity.

One other note - the gentleman I hunted with is a well-known sheep hunter and his clients have taken several good bears on sheep hunts with .270's - and with zero drama. That's not to suggest it's ideal, just that folks that haven't done it before think it has to be a howitzer to be effective. I'd definitely begin with .30 cal as the starting flavor.

I'm an expert on this subject. The 7th or 10th time while moose hunting that I've come thru a thick screen of brush wilth .30-06 in hand to find a steaming gallon of bear scat at my feet, I up calibered to a .338WM.

It worked, too. 50 plus years in Alaska and i've yet to shoot (or even want to) a brown bear.

I skeert them, I did.

And the reverse a few times.... .

I do not recommend using a pair of binoculars at 3 yards tho. Lacks penetration. Focusing adjustments are now a bit stiffer too.

Maybe if I'd used 15 X 60 instead of 10 x 40?

Good luck on your hunt.

Standard medium bores and 220-300 grain bullets are a great choice. They come in lightweight 4-5 down guns for the steep terrain.

Jesse Occumpaugh can turn any deer rifle into a nice medium bore for about $275 if you dont like the factory offerings:

http://www.35caliber.com/8.html

338 federal, 338-06, 35 whelen, 358 winchester, 9.3x57 mauser, 9.3x62 mauser.

Recovery from recoil and shot number two or three come oughtta these guns in a hurry, if you'll even need a second one......

After over 40 years of doing this, I will say the quickest kills I have witnessed over the year were from propel shooting rifles they were comfortable and competent with, and a 270 or 7 mag, . 308 or a 30-06 loaded with premium bullets is as deadly as any hunter needs. If you have something larger you like take it, but only if you are comfortable with it.

What do you think about about the 358winchester for brown bear or for a bear stopper if you bump into one while moose hunting? I have a 338-06 as well.

Hal Waugh the first Master Guide in AK had a beautiful mannlicher .358 Win. that he shot some bears with. His mainstay was a 375 Weatherby which he went through three different stocks with before adding a second recoil lug.

My choice would be the 375 H&H but if I was buying it would be the 9.3x64 for more magazine capacity and lower recoil/lighter rifle. The 35 Whelen would be good for the same reasons, this would include the 338-06 with good bullets too.

I am in the process of duplicating Hal Waugh's 375 Weatherby M70 "Big Nan" for the APHA banquet this coming Dec. I think Hal claimed he went through 6 stocks, and don't know who did his stockwork but this 1948 version I am stocking does have an additional recoil lug and will be glassbedded as who ever get ps it will be able to use it.

And Hal did like the little 358 Win, and one of my guides brought his over one season and carried it. It certainly is a valid choice.

These type threads are classic.

Pay most attention to the advice of those from down in America who have never seen a brown bear, but know what to shoot.

But seriously, what do you currently own that fits the reco from Phil?

The APHA has been wanting to do a Big Nan repo for years and couple years agi I picked up a nice 1948 vintage M70 , with a Lyman 48 peep, that someone had already had rechamnered to 375 Weatherby.
It took me awhile to locate a similar piece of wood and someone with the old Fajen stock pattern to turn it.
But I have it fitted and working on the finish before sending it off for checkering.

I can tell you what I use, as I have been baiting in SC AK for last 4-5 years. Granted they are not coastal brownies, but there is a salmon stream nearby and we are usually covered up in brownies. I switched to a .338 WM this year from my previous years of hunting mostly with a .300WM. If I could have found a good .375 Ruger at the time, I would have gotten it. My son up until this year has carried a .308 Win, and this year he started carrying my .300WM. I am not targeting brown bear where we bait at, but they are there. If there was only black bear in the area, I'd carry my .30-06, or even my bow more often.

For someone coming up here for a hunt, I'd take Phil's suggestions and run with it. To be honest, my wife probably wishes I would have taken his recommendation on this topic and saved some money on buying rifles. I've hunted with people that have carried everything from a .270 Win, to a .416 Rem Mag. I even know a guy that took over one of my bait stands, that carried a .338 Federal his first season.

I'm going with .338 Norma Mag and a Barnes bullet