Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Caliber / gun recommendations

My wife is expressing interest in an Alaskan caribou hunt. Chance she might pursue other game there. Current firearms are savage high country 6.5 creedmore and ruger .308. Open to buying a new rifle.

Wife is on petite side. Not a dedicated shooter (recoild has to be considered). Not really strong (i.e. probably won't like carrying heavy rifle long sistance).

What caliber / gun would you recommend?

She is already armed well.

10-4. He just wants a new rifle to blame on his wife. 22-250, 243, 6mm Creed(lots of ammo on the shelf for that up here) or 257 Roberts maybe.

You’re set. Get out your credit card!

Oops. Wrong thread.

She has more than enough gun now!

The 6.5 is fine for bou and similar size game.
My choice would switch to .308 if moose or black bear were being considered, but if all I had was a 6.5 I'd make it work. Maybe just pick the lighter of the two and go with that.
But there's no *need* for a new gun.
Like Las said though, we'd be happy to tell you what to buy next if you want an excuse.

Not Alaska, but most northern places I've been, people used 30-06, 223, or .303 brit, some .308s. Others say that the SKS has some popularity, but I didn't spend enough time in the arctic to find out. Lots of natives use a .22 centerfire on bigger stuff than I thought would be the case.

Never understood men who coddle women from recoil. Women give birth for cripes sake, they can handle recoil better than most men.

Of the common short action deer calibers, i like the 308 winchester the best for Alaskan hunting. It is versatile enough to be bison-legal. So over the other short action cartridges like the 7mm-08, 260 rem, 6.5 creed and the 243 winchester, the little 308 easily takes readily available 200 grain bullets, and spits them out the barrel at 2550 fps.

Ruger 308's typically have 1:10 twists and stabilize the 200 grainers with great accuracy.

Factory rounds, the 308 fusion stuff is perfect winter caribou ammo. I have cronographed common 308 win, non-premium 180 grain ammo at 20 below zero. The federal used the most temp-stable powders and consitently yielded 2550 fps.

The worst, was 180 grain winchester powerpoint. At 20 below zero, the stuff was leaving the barrel at 2340 fps. It said 2620 fps on the box.

Lots of calibers will take caribou...they are pretty easy to kill and tend to go down when hurt. For a petite woman I think rifle fit and weight needs to be considered. The Savage High Country is long and a bit heavy. A Youth carbine in 7-08 or would be about ideal. For my wife I have a little BRNO 21H in 7x57 with a short cut stock. I like the 7mm for low recoil versatility better than the 6.5's though my own favourite caribou only rifle is a 25-06 in a 5.75 pound Forbes 24B..It has been a death ray on caribou! .... If your Ruger is a youth carbine in 308 you are pretty well set.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MM2d7w0wLKk

My sister lives in Soldotna and has been using a 308 since she moved there in 1984. She's killed caribou and Moose and one bear with it. It's a peep-sighted M88 Winchester lever action.

So go get a new gun. Because you can ------------- and you will enjoy it. But you should take the guns you shoot best with you to Alaska. If that your 6.5CM and 308, so what? No problem with either one.

Just take ammo with good bullets that don't break up badly, and you'll be fine.

Thanks!

Yep. Little bit of hankering to justify new gun mixed in... stopped at local gun shop. They had the new savage ultralight, as well as a Christianson arms titanium, and some others. Handled them, came home and handled her high country, and thought "there is no way she'll be happy if she has to carry that high country far". It is set up for long range so has a high power, heavy scope on an already not light rifle.

Thought something like one of those two at the LGS might be pretty nice there; but also if ever want to do something involving more walking and perhaps bigger critters later. Also, LGS employee said that some areas required at least 30 caliber. Didn't know if that was accurste.

back when the Tikka T3's appeared, bought the gal a Tikka T3 in 300 WSM to replace the bigger, heavy Win70 300 Win Mag she was using for a number of years, and she used it to take a couple of big bull moose and never mentioned recoil, It was understood that it's what guns do and there was nothing to fear ..... , couple years later I had Homer Strickland (RIP) install a muzzle brake and she's taken a bunch of big bull moose with it over the years, again never mentioning recoil or lack of

most guys overstate the recoil thing and then mess up the minds of women & kids , instilling the mania/fear of recoil even though it's not that bad, I suppose it makes them feel like their piddly little guns are some monster recoiling demons and they talk loudly about it with their buddies .... "Man the 7 Mag kicks" ... Fer realz ?

a rifle is supposed to recoil and if it doesn't outright hurt like a 458 Lott then there's nothing to worry about

You are likely one of the few who shoots as well or better with significant recoil.

Us mere mortals shoot better and enjoy shooting more with less recoil; all else being equal.

Also, LGS employee said that some areas required at least 30 caliber. Didn't know if that was accurste.

He/she was full of it. The regulations are on line.

Shot placement, good bullets.

Consider purchasing her a Kimber "Adirondack" in .308 Winchester. (Weight 4 3/4 Pounds) Then sell all her other firearms, as she will be the most feared of "Riflemen" (She who owns just one firearm and is skilled with-its abilities).

You need to find the sweet spot in term of weight and recoil. Very light rifles can have significant perceived recoil, yet be easy to carry.

Vice versa for a heavier gun.

Of course, reduced loads are an option as well.

Bison is the only animal with +30 caliber requirement. That goes back to a pipeline oilworker who decided to kill a Copper River bison with a 270 Weatherby in the early 1980s. He wounded the bison and got stomped and the wounded bison took it upon itself to wreck a number of cars in the Kenny Lake area until it eventually was put down.

Were the bullet weight and 100 yd ft-lb requirements removed?