I was wondering who wrote this, until I got to the last paragraph 😁[/quote]
Phil if you look at his sentence structure it is very similar to yours. Taj. You write very well. You know that there is an opening at Rifle and Handloader with Muledeer retiring. You have to deal with Hoots but you would be very well received by the rest of us.
Unfortunately, the only time I do much writing is when I am sitting at the computer procrastinating from filling out permits or whatever other dreadful part of the job requires being inside....
Ok, I agree with just about everything you've said above, but take issue with your Weatherby Comment above in Bold, I'd be interested in where you came by this info, so as to have this opinion.....? also FWIW, see attached..... Lj
Note I did not say that Weatherbys or Remington 700s are bad rifles or that I don't like them, only that they are generally despised by guides in Alaska and Africa too for that matter. Truth is, I do not have enough personal experience with them to know if I like them or not. And not every guide dislikes them, but quite a few do. Note that Reminton 700s are and have been for a long time popular with resident hunters. And well they should be, they are the most common sporting rifle in the world. Guides are a slightly different dynamic and I know very few that use them.
I think this is from accidental discharges on Remingtons (49 out of 50 might be fine but one AD is all it takes, and as a guide you see all 50 rifles in action....). I realize that this is an easy fix, but that doesn't mean that a lot of guides are going to change their mind. There is also some question on reliability of extractors and bolt handles. This may or may not have merit - doesn't matter, perception is 9/10ths of the law. Once you get a bad rap in a community it's hard to fix.
As for Weatherby - from talking to others AND my personal experience, Weatherbys are most commonly seen in the hands of less experienced hunters to make up for lack of practice. This is not always the case - but it is often enough. Weatherby has always been good at marketing, and seeing the likes of John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Elgin Gates, and Herb Klein use them left a lasting impression on a generation - 'buy a Weatherby - be a better hunter!'. Doesn't work like that. I have had a few clients bring Weatherbys that were excellent shots, but more often than not that was not the case. Traditionally, whenever someone shows up with a Weatherby, you brace yourself for lots of barely informed ballistic bragging, painfully loud muzzle brakes, piss poor shooting, and lots of excuses after. But I think that is changing. There seems to be a shift from that thinking, and maybe in the future guides will love Weatherbys, we will see. It seems Weatherby is making some really great products and I would love to try their 6 lug action in 338RPM. I will say that traditionally they have been more expensive and flashier than other rifles of similar capability. Same reason you don't see a lot of Hummers in African Safari camps.
Ok then,,,,, I know now, to whom I'm speaking too,,,,, so, I guess I'd be splitting hair's here, but your 1st ref. was to Action's Not Rifles, but you can't have one, without the other..... So lets talk Rem. MD700's .30-06 Mtn. Rifle, as I've got one of those as well, after Hunting with it a few yrs, I had my Gunsmith Modify the Bolt with the Win. 3-Position Safety, I've never had any issues with this Rifle what so ever, in the 38yrs I've had it..... it's still with me here in Alaska. Now for the Weatherby, I purchased that Rifle in 1995, and it's been modified accordingly,,,,, but that MK-V Action with the 54deg Bolt-Lift, is so Slick-Smooth, like Butter, and Quick on the Draw,,,,, you really should check one out sometime,,,,, and I get it, the Name association game,,,,, Roy Rodgers, John Wayne and the like,,,, but there are guy's like me that have a Weatherby Rifle, but are not part of that Crowd, that's for sure...... And then there's the whole CRF vs. Push-Feed, One of the reason's I went with the Weatherby..... You take Care..... Lj
I was wondering who wrote this, until I got to the last paragraph 😁
Phil if you look at his sentence structure it is very similar to yours. Taj. You write very well. You know that there is an opening at Rifle and Handloader with Muledeer retiring. You have to deal with Hoots but you would be very well received by the rest of us.[/quote]
As I understand it, Lee no longer is employed by Wolfe
Phil I just don't want you to get any retirement ideas from your buddy Master Guide Jerry Jacques who is fighting with the Ukrainians as a sniper right now. I would just rather have you work on your book.
Very cool post! Seems right on. The first rifle I carried guiding was the Hawkeye Alaskan, matte stainless that I switched out the hogue over molded it came with for a sleeker standard Ruger synthetic stock. I liked it pretty well and used it a few years but my goodness did I find that 375 ruger unpleasant to shoot and listen to! ! Like you said as well, I’m on the gun nut side of the spectrum so I’ve enjoyed carrying different rifles afield
Yea, the ol' 375 Ruger does boot. Seems a little worse than the H&H but probably from light rifles and short barrels. As long as you carry more than you shoot it... goes the thinking.
I tried both molded and wood factory stocks, and a McMillian, before going back to the 'Gummy Bear' Houge. The Houge was my least favorite part of the rifle to begin with, but I learned to like it as it definitely reduces the felt recoil for me. And it is tough. I slimed mine down a bit. https://www.americanhunter.org/content/how-to-build-the-ultimate-brown-bear-rifle/
Mine also has a 23" stainless bbl which I find helps with muzzle blast. But most guides I know don't really care - the short barrel is handy, the thing is tough and reliable, and kills stuff dead!
“So magnificently ugly that it was beautiful”… LOL! That’s great. Yea that’s a neat write up. I believe you’re probably correct on the barrel length, the 23” would be nice for blast and noise, but the 20 “ is handy. Always pros and cons I suppose. I do like all those modifications you made that’s pretty cool. The original butt pad on mine finally started to disintegrate from being used as a trekking pole, ha! They are pretty bomb proof units
You see a pretty good cross section of rifles here in the guiding industry. Ruger definitely leads the pack. The takeover started with the cheap 338 Win Mags sold by Longs Drugs in Anchorage for years. A lot of older guides still use them. The State of Alaska also used a fleet of them for bear guns for a lot of years. They were rivaled or maybe overtaken by the SS Classic 375 H&H Winchesters. These were a great gun, no experience yet with the current production ones. But the old ones still command a premium here. Their downsides were: long and heavy, occasionally had feeding issues and rarely the bolt handles would slip, rendering them useless in the field. With light gunsmithing they were arguably as good as you could get. When Ruger introduced the 357 Ruger in a SS/synthetic, short, and reliable rifle, they basically made the perfect Alaska gun. There's not really far to go from there. A reliable and rugged, short and handy, powerful and accurate, and not least of all - affordable- rifle pretty much takes the prize. Now that Hornady is producing the very good Outfitter line of ammo with a bullet that doesn't disintegrate, there is not much to improve upon for working guides. If you like rifles or want to stand out from the crowd is about the only real reason for something different.
As a remote pilot I see a lot of rifles come though. It used to be primarily Rugers and Kimbers for resident hunters but now you see a lot of budget rifles (Ruger American, Savage Axis, etc...) and a surprising number of custom rifles. Generally geared toward the long-range movement. Mostly these are mountain style but quite often tactical.
Guides tend to be a bit more conservative (maybe cheaper, maybe just stick with what works) in choices. Many are not interested in guns and just want the best value tool. Today, Ruger provides this, and they lead the pack but not by a huge margin. The older Classic series SS Winchesters are probably second but hard to say. A few Remingtons, but very few. M700s rival Weatherbys for least liked action by guides. I even know those who will not let a client bring a Remington due to bad past experiences with accidental discharges. Browning A-bolts are surprisingly common, with X-bolts beginning to show up regularly. The X-bolt appears to be a pretty good improvement over the A-bolt and seems like a great gun to me. Quite a few Kimbers too, both in Montana and Talkeetna variety, with a few Mountain Accents with hardcore mountain guides. The Kimbers don't seem as prolific as they were 10 years ago, I think some folks got tired of not being able to get a second round in the chamber. Still quite a few Pre-64 M70s around. This was THE classis Alaskan guide rifle (actually voted as the official Alaska State Rifle) and those who appreciate the panache use them still. The Mauser variants, mostly Mk Xs, were once very prolific, but are still seen occasionally. Husqvarnas and BSAs were/are generally notable in that they are very uncommon but those that use them love them and are well versed in rifles. CZ's and BRNOs are slightly more common, but nothing like the proliferation in Africa. I assume this is due to a higher price, lack of SS, and being a bit heavy and long for dragging though the alders all day.
Surprisingly, you don't see a lot of the new plastic budget guns in guides' hands. With some being made in 375R and 338 now I would not be surprised to see that change. However, though most guides are on a limited budget, they realize that their rifle is an important tool, and that buying bottom shelf is perhaps not the best idea. Again, Ruger M77s represent that step up in durability with not a great price increase. It's really hard to wear a Ruger M77 out.
Marlin Guide guns are VERY common, though mostly as bear protection, i.e. fishing guides, those hunting heavy timber for bear, etc.... With the new Ruger ones coming out this is likely to only increase. If you only need a rifle for under 100yds they are tough to beat. Short, reliable, fast into action, lots of firepower, and powerful to boot. Still a few Winchester 71s and 86s, in 348, 45-70, and wildcats, and a very few M95s. Most of these are the excellent Browning models although there are still some original in use. Surprisingly I've only ever seen one BLR in the field and it was a resident hunter, not guide. A SS takedown 358win would be a great general-purpose guide rifle. You used to see some carrying M99s but that is pretty well a thing of the past. Great guns but long in the tooth and other than the rare
I'm sure I forgot a few but that is a basic summary of what I have seen in the past 25 years of guiding and flying hunters around the State.
My personal choice is just that. I did put my money where my mouth is and bought a 375 Ruger as soon as they came out. I'm on my second one due to theft, not wear. This rifle really can't be improved on much in my opinion and is the one I have used the most. However, it gets loaned out a lot to new guides and clients, so I don't carry it as much myself as I used to. The smart thing to do would be to buy another one and just have a pair. However, I do like rifles and trying other things so I carry a Browning 71 475 Turnbull and old tang safety m77 Ruger with a stainless 35 Whelen barrel more than my 375 Ruger lately. The 475 is a better tool for close and fast, the Whelen just happens to work great and I like it. My Whelen was built on an action that a friend found in a bag of wet and rusty parts at the dump. Did I mention its hard to wear (or over-abuse) a m77?
I would like to hear more of your opinion of the .358 Winchester in regards to your personal application. Thanks.
ETA. Also interested in your opinion on Tikka as well.
i am very glad to read about what rifles are really the better choice to use for Alaska hunting and /or maybe buy for hunting in the tougher weather conditions . i thank you guys for posting what has been posted and what or could yet be posted ! this is very interesting and you guides know what should be used in Alaska . thank you much , Pete53
Ruff tuff bear country and my life depends upon it? Wellll, I'll answer you not just with what I've done in the past but what I am taking for Coastal Brown bears this spring.
In the past? Everything that you can imagine, quite likely. A lot of the old and many of the newer actions, in everything from hunting Kodiak deer with a .22 Hornet single shot to a .470 NE double, most every bolt action and many leverguns/slide actions. I was fortunate to hunt a lot of calibers that likely would have ended up poorly if I ran into a bear. I would, however, marvel on the crushing success of dropping bears with good bullets, well-placed, in calibers that one might not expect.
This spring? My hunting pard is taking his 325 WSM in a Kimber action. My little brother his Marlin Model 1895 in .45-70. I am taking my .378 Weatherby in a MK V action.
Years to come? Remington Model 8/81 in .35 Remington...and why not?
I would like to hear more of your opinion of the .358 Winchester in regards to your personal application. Thanks.
ETA. Also interested in your opinion on Tikka as well.
I don't have any personal experience with the 358, but everyone I know that does seems to like it. Famous guide Hal Waugh spoke highly of his - even though he liked the improved version of the 375. The 358 seems about 100-200fps slower than the Whelen with the same bullets (except for Hornady data where it has the smaller case exceeding the larger one...🤔). So unless you are looking for the last little bit of performance should be a good killer. If you are looking for range, get a 338 or 300 anyways... I prefer a standard length m77 action so the Whelen is the easiest way to get max thump out of a standard action with 5 down, but if I was using an action that dictated shorter COAL the 358 would be worth a try.
I also have no experience with Tikkas but see a lot of resident hunter and a couple of guides using them, especially those who are a little more interested in rifle performance, but not so much as to go custom. I have never heard a bad word about them. One very experienced guide I know uses a pre-64 m70 and an older custom Brno as his backup rifles, but has a couple of Tikkas for assistants or client use.
I've shifted to B&C stocks, got a good deal on their "Black Friday" sale. Currently restocking a new .243 Win. Classic from Newhaven, CT.
ALASKA is a "HARD COUNTRY for OLDMEN". (But if you live it wide'ass open, balls'to the wall, the pedal floored, full throttle, it is a delightful place, to finally just sit-back and savor those memories while sipping Tequila).
You see a pretty good cross section of rifles here in the guiding industry. Ruger definitely leads the pack. The takeover started with the cheap 338 Win Mags sold by Longs Drugs in Anchorage for years. A lot of older guides still use them. The State of Alaska also used a fleet of them for bear guns for a lot of years. They were rivaled or maybe overtaken by the SS Classic 375 H&H Winchesters. These were a great gun, no experience yet with the current production ones. But the old ones still command a premium here. Their downsides were: long and heavy, occasionally had feeding issues and rarely the bolt handles would slip, rendering them useless in the field. With light gunsmithing they were arguably as good as you could get. When Ruger introduced the 357 Ruger in a SS/synthetic, short, and reliable rifle, they basically made the perfect Alaska gun. There's not really far to go from there. A reliable and rugged, short and handy, powerful and accurate, and not least of all - affordable- rifle pretty much takes the prize. Now that Hornady is producing the very good Outfitter line of ammo with a bullet that doesn't disintegrate, there is not much to improve upon for working guides. If you like rifles or want to stand out from the crowd is about the only real reason for something different.
As a remote pilot I see a lot of rifles come though. It used to be primarily Rugers and Kimbers for resident hunters but now you see a lot of budget rifles (Ruger American, Savage Axis, etc...) and a surprising number of custom rifles. Generally geared toward the long-range movement. Mostly these are mountain style but quite often tactical.
Guides tend to be a bit more conservative (maybe cheaper, maybe just stick with what works) in choices. Many are not interested in guns and just want the best value tool. Today, Ruger provides this, and they lead the pack but not by a huge margin. The older Classic series SS Winchesters are probably second but hard to say. A few Remingtons, but very few. M700s rival Weatherbys for least liked action by guides. I even know those who will not let a client bring a Remington due to bad past experiences with accidental discharges. Browning A-bolts are surprisingly common, with X-bolts beginning to show up regularly. The X-bolt appears to be a pretty good improvement over the A-bolt and seems like a great gun to me. Quite a few Kimbers too, both in Montana and Talkeetna variety, with a few Mountain Accents with hardcore mountain guides. The Kimbers don't seem as prolific as they were 10 years ago, I think some folks got tired of not being able to get a second round in the chamber. Still quite a few Pre-64 M70s around. This was THE classis Alaskan guide rifle (actually voted as the official Alaska State Rifle) and those who appreciate the panache use them still. The Mauser variants, mostly Mk Xs, were once very prolific, but are still seen occasionally. Husqvarnas and BSAs were/are generally notable in that they are very uncommon but those that use them love them and are well versed in rifles. CZ's and BRNOs are slightly more common, but nothing like the proliferation in Africa. I assume this is due to a higher price, lack of SS, and being a bit heavy and long for dragging though the alders all day.
Surprisingly, you don't see a lot of the new plastic budget guns in guides' hands. With some being made in 375R and 338 now I would not be surprised to see that change. However, though most guides are on a limited budget, they realize that their rifle is an important tool, and that buying bottom shelf is perhaps not the best idea. Again, Ruger M77s represent that step up in durability with not a great price increase. It's really hard to wear a Ruger M77 out.
Marlin Guide guns are VERY common, though mostly as bear protection, i.e. fishing guides, those hunting heavy timber for bear, etc.... With the new Ruger ones coming out this is likely to only increase. If you only need a rifle for under 100yds they are tough to beat. Short, reliable, fast into action, lots of firepower, and powerful to boot. Still a few Winchester 71s and 86s, in 348, 45-70, and wildcats, and a very few M95s. Most of these are the excellent Browning models although there are still some original in use. Surprisingly I've only ever seen one BLR in the field and it was a resident hunter, not guide. A SS takedown 358win would be a great general-purpose guide rifle. You used to see some carrying M99s but that is pretty well a thing of the past. Great guns but long in the tooth and other than the rare
I'm sure I forgot a few but that is a basic summary of what I have seen in the past 25 years of guiding and flying hunters around the State.
My personal choice is just that. I did put my money where my mouth is and bought a 375 Ruger as soon as they came out. I'm on my second one due to theft, not wear. This rifle really can't be improved on much in my opinion and is the one I have used the most. However, it gets loaned out a lot to new guides and clients, so I don't carry it as much myself as I used to. The smart thing to do would be to buy another one and just have a pair. However, I do like rifles and trying other things so I carry a Browning 71 475 Turnbull and old tang safety m77 Ruger with a stainless 35 Whelen barrel more than my 375 Ruger lately. The 475 is a better tool for close and fast, the Whelen just happens to work great and I like it. My Whelen was built on an action that a friend found in a bag of wet and rusty parts at the dump. Did I mention its hard to wear (or over-abuse) a m77?
I would like to hear more of your opinion of the .358 Winchester in regards to your personal application. Thanks.
ETA. Also interested in your opinion on Tikka as well.
I’m not the bone you were talking to so my apologies if I’m out of line. I’ve noticed a lot more tikkas up here over the past few years. I have a few and most guys I know or hunt with also have a few. I used one in 30-06 last year for a mountain goat hunt and one in 6.5 creedmoor for my last three sheep hunts. At times it feels like there isn’t really any current production rifles that are as nice as the tikkas for the money.
Great thread and it’s refreshing to see some new folks as well as those that are busy with real life stopping by and sharing their experienced opinions. 👍🏼👍🏼
�Politicians are the lowest form of life on earth. Liberal Democrats are the lowest form of politician.� �General George S. Patton, Jr.
hillbillyjake; Top of the morning to you sir, I trust wherever this finds you that it finds you well.
With the understanding that I live and hunt the vast majority of the time in the south Okanagan area of BC which emphatically is not in any way Alaska, I do have friends who live in the Yukon which is a wee bit closer and know folks who hunt northern BC too.
When a friend who is a miner/geologist was looking to get a stainless .350 Rem Mag put together for a rifle to carry when hunting season is open - he carries a stainless .454 Casull revolver at times with a "hen's teeth" tough to get permit up here or a stainless .454 lever carbine otherwise - I found a shop up in north eastern BC, Corlane's in Dawson Creek, BC.
The fellow I chatted with was part owner of the store and did some guiding as well up in the Muskwa-Kechika area which includes up into the Prophet. Anyways he mentioned that they were building more and more rifles for guides on the Tikka stainless actions and had good luck with them so far.
Again I'd guess from being up on Haida Gwaii once and Vancouver Island many, many times, it'd be much wetter on the coastal sections of Alaska than it would be up in northern BC past the coast mountains inland but that's just a semi-educated guess.
The Canadian Rangers have been issued Colt Canada made Tikka rifles now too and while some don't like them as much as the old No. 4 LE, I don't believe it's because the Tikkas are failing in any way or at least haven't heard that.
Hope that was useful to you or someone out there.
It's been a wonderful thread and thanks to all who've added to it.
Best to you all.
Dwayne
Last edited by BC30cal; 01/22/23. Reason: more information
i would like know what rifle brand you trust to carry in the ruff tuff cold weather in bear country if your life depended on that brand rifle . maybe the cartridge too ? i have heard its mostly Winchesters and Rugers ? thank you ,Pete53
Have yet to see a Ruger in the woods...
You need to get out more rost495!
I see Rugers M77's a lot out in the bush. The 375 Ruger Alaskan has only increased these sightings.
My main gun is a Stainless Classic 375 H&H. Had he barrels lathed down, cut to 22" and dropped in a Winlite take off. Love that gun.
But like a lot of Alaskans I have used and owned a lot of different brands like Remington, Ruger, Kimber etc. Only one that has let me down was my Stainless Rem 338 Win. Went to clear the action before getting in the cub and it "fired" on closing the bolt on an empty chamber. Was a bunch of gunk and a spruce needle or two in the box trigger. So really I have to blame that on me for not taking care of my equipment. I do like the old style Winchester triggers for this reason though.
i would like know what rifle brand you trust to carry in the ruff tuff cold weather in bear country if your life depended on that brand rifle . maybe the cartridge too ? i have heard its mostly Winchesters and Rugers ? thank you ,Pete53
Have yet to see a Ruger in the woods...
You need to get out more rost495!
I see Rugers M77's a lot out in the bush. The 375 Ruger Alaskan has only increased these sightings.
My main gun is a Stainless Classic 375 H&H. Had he barrels lathed down, cut to 22" and dropped in a Winlite take off. Love that gun.
But like a lot of Alaskans I have used and owned a lot of different brands like Remington, Ruger, Kimber etc. Only one that has let me down was my Stainless Rem 338 Win. Went to clear the action before getting in the cub and it "fired" on closing the bolt on an empty chamber. Was a bunch of gunk and a spruce needle or two in the box trigger. So really I have to blame that on me for not taking care of my equipment. I do like the old style Winchester triggers for this reason though.
