Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska 358 Win in BLR or 45-70 in Marlin Guide gun??

My vote would also be for fishing in August, if only to get a feel for Alaska before going hunting.

Thanks for all the feedback guys. For certain, I have alot to learn before I execute this trip, and much to plan as well.

I reload all my rifle ammo, and like leverguns in general. My leaning towards the 358 was because it'd give me an excuse to own a takedown stainless BLR (which I've always thought looked like nice guns) and I have ample 308 brass on hand, which can be easily formed into 358 brass.

To your points, though... my primary focus should be finding out what is in season and reliably huntable in the given time frame. The way the funding is showing up for this trip (sssssllllloooooowwwwwllllyyyyy), it may be 2045 before I can afford it anyhow.....

and I certainly intend to spent alot of time up there fishing.

shane

I've killed both moose and caribou with both the 358 and the 7mm-08, and both work quite well within their range. Of the two, I take the 7 more frequently as a better all-arounder, but the 308 would probably be an even better choice for an all-around round in a compact rifle. (A recent caribou hunt, however, did not impress me that the 120 TSX can paddle upstream with the weightier 140 - which I've never recovered in many caribou kills [in the XFB version]. I recovered a 120 in one of five animals I killed and it wasn't much impressive in expansion.) Then again, where bigger, toothy critters might be part of the equation I'd rather have the extra finger room which a standard long action offers so the '06 would be quite logical. Qualms would be few with nothing fancier than a boat paddle M77 stainless in 30-06...for me anyway.

FWIW, I have and like the Marlin stainless Guide Gun. However, when I hunt wit the 45-70 I prefer to use a #1. My Guide gun makes a camp and boat gun which ideally doesn't involve much killing, not that it couldn't. But 30 cals are very well suited to much use in Alaska. Prepare yourself rather than arm yourself for the rather improbable dire "what-if" situations.

Thanks for the feedback. Seems like excellent advice.

I'm gonna have to do a test on one of those big interior moose this year with a 140 tsx out of the 7-08 , anybody wanna catch it for me on the other side?

Don't worry, the hide will catch it for you!

I shoot a 7mm-08 too, and I just love that thing. I dont think I've missed a darned thing with it. Its just an awesome round.

And I wouldnt wait on the far side to catch that tsx!

Watch your back. I know of at least one 140 XFB as well as a couple 160 Failsafes that didn't stop in varied mooses, as well as many of those XFBs which sailed on through a good number of caribou. They might still be in low orbit somewhere. I would definitely be careful about shooting an animal for which I had only one tag or ticket if I was using monos and the critters cam in pairs. I have taken two animals with them (and other bullets) on several occasions. In at least one case, I could have probably taken at least one more with a single bullet.

Regarding the 358 Winchester, if all you had was a 225 TSX at 2350 f/s muzzle velocity and limited your shots to 250 yards, what would you not hunt with it?

Not much. It worked as well on this one at a bit more than 250 (with the 225 XFB) as it has on several other occasions on moose and browny at more civil yardages. The scribes who dissed the round in the beginning were full of "stuff". (Of course, they did lack many of the fine bullets for the caliber that we now have.)

I have a .45-70 Marlin GG and I have shot my last two 8 point white tails with a .308 Sav 99 lever. That being said, I have always thought that if I ever hunted AK, the .300WBY would be my one "do it all" rifle. Good luck.

Those saying just go and get your feet wet so to speak are giving the best advice. Hunting or fishing either seems like it should be a sole purpose trip. Things are so expensive in Alaska it is hard to do both. Some float trip options could work for a combo of hunting and fishing, but this would need to be the primary objective. It would require an outfitter or at least a plane shuttle and pick up.

Rifle choice, your favorite beater rifle.

Years ago I used the Browning in a .300 Win mag and it did all I needed. I was a trim 160 lbs in those days. However, to go again I would take my .338 Win mag and never look back. Your .358 caliber will do the trick in spades you betcha with the proper bullet choice.

Hunting Alaska is more about "where" you'll hunt, and "how" you'll get there than about what you'll kill it with. Big country, and it can be very difficult to get to "where" the game is. A Moose is the easiest big game animal I've killed. All sorts of calibers will do the trick. Getting them out is the hard part.

I definately wouldn't want to do one solo. In fact, I don't want to be part of anymore Moose hunts if I can help it!

I'd be thinking more along the lines of quads, boats and planes than calibers.


Don't want to discourage you, but hunting in Alaska can often be more of an expedition than a hunt. At least compared to hunting the lower 48. Go for it, just get your bases covered before you head out.

One other thing. On my 2nd Alaska hunt I was going to use a 45-70. Common sense prevailed and it's well it did. I shot a Moose at about 45 yards. That would have been right in the 45-70's wheel house. But, the Grizzly I shot was right at about 300 yards. Last day, getting dark and if I wanted one, that was the shot. I wouldn't have taken that shot with a 45-70. My 300 Weatherby killed him with 1 shot.

Just things to consider for a non-resident.

For the time of year you describe, I'd invest in fishing, and photography gear. You could conceivably hunt black bear, and caribou, but it would be a waste of time, and game. The hides on the black bear won't be worth a hoot. The only 'bou you could hunt that time of year, are on a fly out, and in the summer, you'll likely lose the meat, before you even get picked up. Fish, take pictures, and have fun!

Jeff

Id go with the 358 Win it plenty an with the right ammo longer ranged.