Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska 308 for a "do all" Alaskan rifle?

Just to be clear, that’s not my photo. It is the one to which waterrat posted a link.

He "made" her skin it herself, too....

Since it first showed up in the hunting fields of North America the 30-06 was considered a great big game cartridge for every thing. In 2021 we have super bullets and better velocity powders available that easily elevate the .308 Winchester to better ballistics then what the 30-06 could achieve long ago. The great Nosler Partition or Barnes TTSX in 165 grain weight would work on any thing in North America.

I knew an old Kodiak Native guide that carried a 30-30...

If I recall that story correctly, W 'Rat wasn't even there to help her kill that beast. The poor lass was trying to protect the homestead, by herself, and she had to shoot the bear, skin it and handle the carcass by herself.

I truly love that photo. Everything is so serene; the iron lady, the flowers, even the big dead bear looks strangely happy... the pup looks like he's about to blow a gasket....otherwise, very peaceful!

Wow that's incredible! (I was gonna call BS)

I got a Chugach sheep tag for August. Maybe Mike Meekins knows the "secret spot".

He knows the country very well. I would guess though that because Doug flies DS165 and DS160 with great regularity that he would know where you should go. He doesn't answer emails very much because of a very bad experimental aircraft injury. However, you can look him up and call him and he would be the dude to talk to. You could also find him at the Valdez Air Show, not flying but administrating. He has two cubs and my other Cousin Ronal has two cubs down there and they fly constantly.

How many inches is that bore going to be? 4?

I’ve got some of Hagel’s books, and look at them often. He was pretty content with a 7 mag or a 300. He also had no qualms using (much) bigger rounds at times. I think he was pretty recoil tolerant. He is a good read and appeared to have a lot of field experience to back up his opinions.

"Use enough gun".

And that is strictly a matter of opinion. Well, mostly.

IIRC, Bell didn't think the .22 Hornet was much of a rhino gun....

That said, I'd carry a .308 without hesitation. My walk-about rifle is a M94 in 30-30.

But size does matter sometimes, and placement matters more. Shooting a rifle one isn't afraid of is a good idea.

Thank you for that information.
Like I said, my knowledge is very limited.
That ram is a brute!
I am ordering the video.

I was at Iguigig on a bargeing project at the time,,Marlene had 2 nieces to sort of help the skinning process though. When I got home he was fleshed and in the salt!!

What kind of sammich did she have waiting for you?

I know quite a few Alaskan hunters who use the 308 for all their needs. I also have been told by numerous guides and resident hunters in Spain, Tajikistan & Kazakhstan that the 308 is considered "the best" hunting cartridge.. In Zimbabwe two years ago both PH's in our camp used 308's as their personal hunting rifles.

In fact You could safely replace "30-06" with 308 Win in my statement below.

And did she take the plastic wrap off the cheese slice first?

Spent time grounded there.

You expect him to notice fine details?

Cool photo waterrat. I've been to igiugig, nondalton, illiamna, Pedro bay, Newhalen, kokhanok, etc.

Bears are thick over there. Got driven off a fishing hole on the Newhalen river. A bear wanted the spot more than me it seems.

Mostly maintenance man stuff on water treatment plants and clinics.

On my down time, tried to visit local mushers, to talk dogs.

Did the same work on Kodiak villages and all the villages of the Northwest Arctic some on Prince of whales island and some of AK peninsula.

Wish kk Alaska would come out of retirement and go wrench on water treatment plants with me. Best learning experiences ever, are wrenching with those level 3-4 guys like kk Alaska. Some skilled, calibrated dudes right there.

My opinion after loading 200 grain flat base spitzers to 2450 fps from a 20 inch barrel:

That is on par to what I was getting from my 30-06 k98 Mauser with a 22 inch barrel using blue box federal 220 grain hot cor.. It's about as "bison legal" as the 30-06.

Ever been to levelock?

“ Bears are thick over there. Got driven off a fishing hole on the Newhalen river. A bear wanted the spot more than me it seems.”

Right you are.

Made many trips to Illiamna flying out to any one of the Lakes tributaries. Always enjoyed the Newhalen more as caught the largest Rainbows and Char there.

We had a middle aged boar that earned the nicknamed “3 O’clock Charlie” as he would always appear in the afternoon. My usual companion Karl was napping in the tent after a long morning of fishing. I was close enough to hear him snoring, even though the sound of the gorge was loud enough to drown out mere mortals sleep noise. Just happened to glance back at the sound of an extra loud round of his snoring and saw “Charlie” peering into the open flap at the “symphony” offered. It’s a good thing that Charlie wasn’t a music critic as he snorted, turned around and headed uphill.

To this day, Karl does not believe this happened. That the statement “ignorance is bliss” has been used to describe many different occasion (at the least) seemed fitting to this one. Karl continued to accompany on several trips after without any reservation or concern. Just so others here appreciate this is not an attempt at “thread hijacking” Karl carried his Model 88 in 308 on every trip. He never once fired a shot for any reason. He was always comfortable packing it, certainly.