Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters .270 Winchester For Caribou in Alaska

We are heading to Alaska next year on a DIY Caribou hunt with 40 Mile Air out of Tok.

I've been thinking hard about bringing a lightweight 270 Winchester on this adventure loaded with 150gr Premium bullets.

The only thing that I'm a little hesitant about are the Grizzly bears that roam the area we are hunting. I've got a wide variety of larger calibers that could prove to be a better choice, but the 270 has always faired nicely.

I'd like to hear your experiences, would you choose a different caliber?

223 AI for sure.

The 270 will do just fine on caribou. That area has lotsa bears that seldom bother but your 270 will work on those also. If I were guiding for grizzly bears or purposely hunting them over bait, I'd probably up the ante a bit.

Have you hunted there before?......and what time of year are you flying in?

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Contrary to what the counter leaners in any given gunshop would have you believe, there is not a grizzly behind every bush in Alaska. And the ones we have are not bullet proof. A 270 with a 150 grain premium will serve you well.

I've never hunted in Alaska before. The hunt will be in Mid August, 2016. I understand bullet placement is key; I consider myself to be a good shot. Would you recommend the 150gr Nosler or 150gr TTSX with the possibly of a big grizzly lurking?

Yes to both of those. Whichever your rifle likes best.

More important than what gun you pack is not doing stupid stuff in bear country. And when it comes to bou hunting, the biggest risk you'll have is if you carry pack out the meat from the kill site in multiple trips, finding a bear that has claimed what's left.

That said I think the biggest problem hunters face when coming up is trying to gear up for every possible scenario vs. focusing on the primary reason for the trip. Since it's a bou hunt, your .270 is a fine choice and I'd let your rifle tell you what bullet it likes best whether a 150 nosler, 150 ttsx, or even a 130 ttsx.

.270's have accounted for plenty of bears over the years.

I thought there was some big fines and court actions for shooting a grizzly that had not yet attacked you?

Quit worrying about the stupid bears and go hunting! Your chances of getting daggered by a half-dead caribou when you walk up to it are probably greater than getting eaten by a grizz.

I agree, the 270 is better than its ever been.Bullet selection is fantastic these days for all chamberings.

That's why I let them have one bite of me before I start shooting.

There is no 150 gr TTSX but no worries any premium 130 gr or heavier bullet will do the trick. I would choose the 150 gr Partition myself but there are also a bunch of other great bullets.

Yes they work fine up here.

Sis inlaw, 150 Partition, JC Penney branded FN Mauser. One shot deal

Wife woman, 150 Gameking, FN 98 I rebarreled and restocked. Not a grizzly but also a one shot deal.

Caribou are really easy to kill. Load up whatever bullet shoots well in your rifle and have fun. There's lots of bears in that country but odds are pretty good you won't even see one. Odds of you needing to shoot one are way low if you use your head. Pack a thermocell and enjoy the heck out of your trip.

I would absolutely use a 270. A plain old 130 Interlock would be perfect or whatever similar bullet your rifle likes. If you are worried about running into bears, bring a few ‘hard’ bullets along as back ups loads for bear. 25-06 and 270 are just perfect caribou rifles.

Only know two old pals who had to sort things out with aggressive grizzlies at short range in sheep/caribou country.Both use 270's with 130 Partitions and 130 Bitterroots.Both bear were dead pretty quick,one at under 50 yards and the other a lot closer.

[quote=TheKid]Yes they work fine up here.

Sis inlaw, 150 Partition, JC Penney branded FN Mauser. One shot deal

Wife woman, 150 Gameking, FN 98 I rebarreled and restocked. Not a grizzly but also a one shot deal.

That is a really nice bear!

My Grandpa spent the Korean war stationed in Alaska because the Gov't was worried Russia was going to invade. Anyway, he told me while he was there that the largest Brown Bear taken up to that time was killed by a Colonel with a .270. That's good enough for me.

Maybe Phil Shoemaker will post his experience with brown bear clients who use .270 Winchesters.

I've killed a number of caribou with the .270 and its rifle-loony equivalent, the .280 Remington, but one of the biggest bull caribou taken on any of my trips was killed by a kid whose father had given him a Northwest Territories hunt as a high-school graduation present. He took the bull with one shot from a .22-250, as I recall with factory ammo that was NOT loaded with Barnes TSX's, or any of the other bullets that supposedly transformed .224 centerfires into big game rifles over the past few years.

I always wanted a .220 swift for culling wild burros. Someday maybe, if I ever end up with a honey hole full of wild burros.

Yep, apparently the best burro-culling cartridge ever!

I used to know an old Montana game department employye, and one of his jobs way back when was to shoot elk that were destroying rancher's haystacks. (They use different solutions today.) His favorite "elk stack" rifle was a .220 Swift, as I recall a pre-'64 Model 70 Winchester. If close enough he'd head-shoot them, but if the range was a little longer (sometimes necessary on warier elk) he'd put the bullet right behind the shoulder, through the top of the heart. It worked every darn time.