Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Fishing gun for AK

This is what I would pack...Redhawk 45 Colt..or..

my Marlin GS 18" 45-70....along with a lot of common sense

Agreed.

That is a dandy piece tikka nut ... Been thinking about picking up one of those when/if the money gets flowing again...

Of the two you listed, I would recommend the rifle. Having used slugs on whitetail deer, I was never impressed with the horrible sectional density. Since you have some time before you come up here (where abouts, BTW?), I would suggest a little penetration testing: take two 5 gallon plastic buckets, fill them with sheets of newspaper and cardboard. (75/25, keeping everything nice and flat), then top them off with water until saturated. Snap the covers back on, and duct tape the the two buckets together, lid to lid. Shoot at the base from about 10 yards away so that your bullet has the opportunity to travel lengthwise through both of them. Let us know how well they penetrate.

I personally carry either my 329PD w/ 265s, a .30-06 w/ 200s, a .45-70 w/ 405s, or a .375HH w/ 270s. It all depends on how far I am hiking that day, and the perceived likelihood of running into a bear. In general, I am lazy and go w/ the .44 because it is lightweight, and bears are typically nice to me.

I also carry spray in addition to a firearm when fishing.

Best of luck, and I hope you have a great time fishing up here. Stay safe.

I have a rifle I was told was built for a well known outdoor writer as a rifle for use while fishing in Alaska. I just had to own it even though I don't fish and have never been to Alaska. I DO like to eat fresh salmon grilled with dill and mustard however. The rifle is an 03 Springfield with all original wood. Bolt handle was obviously forged by Les Womack as it has his distinctive stamp on root of handle. Safety has been modified to a Win Mdl 70 type. Scope mount is a G&H with a Lyman Alaskan scope. Trigger is a Timney. There is a small precision compass inset in left side of Buttstock - very accurate. The original trap buttplate has a plastic container that once came with Polaroid Film for coating the developed picture. It contains stick matches,monofilament line and fishhooks. The part that is totally unusual is the barrel has been shortened to 16" and has had all the associated metal and wood shortened the equivalent amount and remounted. Looks like an issue short barreled 03 in every respect. Stock is the original 03 straight grip model. Barrel is a 2 groove and it shoots 150gr factories like a good custom should. Have no idea who actually built/modified it other than the bolt modification stamp. Work is impeccable and mounting of G&H mount is so finely done it is hard to detect the two taper pins that are installed in the base. It's such an unusual modification I had to have it and the price was better than right.

I knew a guy who worked at Ft Wainwright decades ago that had a cutdown O3A3 Springfield for his bush gun. That big peep on the A3 was fast and flikking that bolt could be done post haste with no scope in the way. He carried 220 Corelokts in it.

OK. I actually read the OP.

Take the RIFLE.

I thought I was on AOD for a minute there.

Another vote for the rifle.

Well I gave my view given the two options. That said, I bought this 500 Linebaugh from an Alaskan that had Hamilton build to carry whilst he fished up there. What do I know??

Yeah, the rifle would be the choice if fishing wasn't the planned activity, That's why I personally would use a pistol. Fishing with a rifle slung on my back just doesn't sound like it would be any fun and not having it in hand when needed seems kinda useless. You'll probably never need it, but if you do and it's lying on the ground out of reach or propped up on a tree it's worthless.

Best of luck on the trip!

1- a Remington 7600 35 whelen with 280 aframes at around 2100
2- a browning BPS 3 in 12 ga with Dixie slugs ( 660 gr hard cast at 1200


Between those two I'd go with the shorter/lighter/handier package...whichever that is. The 7600 with a 2.5 leupold would be nice...but I'm a rifle slut and like 35's.

Question: Best weapon while fishing within Alaska's remote bear country?

Answer: Common sense.

I would find the most powerful pistol/ammo combo that was light enough to carry all the time. Truth is that you will not ever need it, but it makes you feel much better. I assume we are talking brown bears here. I don't know squat about black bears. Brown bears are much more concerned about fishing than messing with a person. Only two documented bear attack deaths in Katmai National Park. Park has been open for 80+ years and is littered with brown bears. Timothy Treadwell and sadly his girlfriend were the only ones killed. Treadwell aka. " Grizzly Man" basically begged for it by treating the bears like pets and likely feeding them.

Yeah, right. Nothing makes me feel better than knowing someone else on the river might be packing an automatic pistol or a super-energy revolver and who's also possibly/probably never been confronted a wild bear that might (probably) only be "testing" the situation, at worst. Yeah, that gives me great peace=of-mind -- knowing that some inexperienced person might also be on the river and with a firearm and, possibly amongst innocent bears.

I don't know for the visitor but I have a perfect legally 14 inches pump action shotgun ... I can't bring it in Alaska too short (18 is the mini they want us to have) and a norinco hp9 ... works better that the 870s have seen lately.

my bps is 20 inches and is legal but I prefer shorter ...

we can own and use 12.5 inches barrel legally non restricted again I don't know for the visitors.

and I like very well brenneke slugs in 3".

I seem to recall Phil Shoemaker saying he carries a S&W Mountain Gun in .44 mag AND a can of pepper spray when he goes fishing.

Packing a big 12ga slug gun or a heavy ass rifle on my back all day while wading the river & fly fishing is not my ideal of fun.

My Ruger Redhawk 4" Custom Packer by Bowen is my go to fly fishing gun in big bear country. It rides very comfortably in a El Paso Saddlery Tanker Sholder Holster

Mines a 45 Colt Caliber and its loaded with Buffalo Bore's 325gr LFN Hard Cast bullet @ 1325 fps with 1260 foot pounds of muzzle energy.

That combo & a large can of Pepper Spray will handle any situation or animal of any kind I might run across. But your best tool is right between your ears!

I am wondering all the people who are recommending hand guns, how man have actually faced a bear charge with one? In the late 70s My uncle a Provincial Conservation Officer was on a bear complaint. A calf had been killed by a bear and partly consumed. As they approached the site a medium size Black Bear charged them at about 30 Yds with no bluff intended. We are talking a man who was raise and worked in the bush all his life and I can attest from other experiences he had ice water in his veins. He Pulled his 44mag and emptied 5 hot loaded 300 gr. cast bears toppers into the bear. It died with it front paw on my uncle's boot when the rancher put a 358 Win. bullet thru its spine. From that time on he never relied on a handgun for bear defence again, and neither would I especially not for Big G bears or AB Bears.

OK - Here's what I got:

1) 6" 357 Mag revolver
2) 23" 870 turkey gun
3) 21.5" 303 w/ iron sights
4) 23" 458 WM w/ iron sights

What would ya'll pick?