To cover most of the bigger animals in alaska what caliber would you choose?
375 Ruger ?
338 Win?
300 UMag?

.375 H&H! If you a hand loader, for a few bucks you can make it an AI. Then you have both a close range stopping rifle and a 500+ yard Caribou rifle …..with the proper bullets! A pretty good “do it all” cartridge! You’ll thank me later! 😉 memtb

Life's too short to live with only one rifle.

I would worry less about the caliber or chambering and use a premium bullet in the rifle I was most comfortable with and with which I was most confident. If that’s a 308 or 7x57 so be it. If that’s a 375H&H so be it.

the caliber would be 30 caliber the cartridge would be just the simple 30-06 because ammo is so easy to find , but i hope i never have to only have one cartridge / rifle

Not on your list....

But here's a 375 H&H from Sako..............(:


https://www.eurooptic.com/sako-85-safari-375-hh-mag-jrs2a37-90th-anniversary.aspx

.30 but I've always lusted for a .375

Did carry one for 4 seasons on USFS trail crew. It's nice that the 270 gr in .375 has the same trajectory as the .30-180.

PS - I've made it a pact with the big bears not to go around trying to poke holes in them if they aren't trying to do the same to me. For 54 years, the pact has held, so I've never had the "need" for the big bore.

Close Encounters of the Turd Kind don't count as "need". I can get scared chitless with a smaller bore!

If you’re bored…..a lifetime is much longer 😂! Been a one rifle/cartridge hunter for 42 years, 32 years with the same combo! The calibers have been the same for 42, in 1990 I got a rifle and cartridge upgrade! memtb

Only one... ought six hands down

Definitely don’t have just one.
But what I was trying to get at is one caliber just for Alaska!
Moose Bears etc.
Too old and outta shape to hunt sheep.

I have a.338 Federal but it’s blued.

Thinking about a stainless rifle, reliable weather resistant.
Have always been intrigued by the Ruger 375.

Have a stainless 300 UM that hammers everything I’ve ever pointed it at.

A good cartridge no doubt! I picked “one” that would work well in Alaska, as well as legal for the big stuff in most of Africa! More than necessary for most of America…..but, ther is no such thing as “overkill”! 😉 memtb

From my current rifles, it would be my Model 70 Classic stainless cerakoted in a Mcmillan Edge stock chambered in 338-06.
Top one in the photo.

Love the looks of the 338-06.

Hell with just 1, but .35 Whelen fills the bill.
RB

300 RUM because it's the best , why is it the best ?

because it can also be a .....

30-378 Wby
300 Norma Mag
300 Wby
300 PRC
300 Win Mag
300 WSM
300 H&H
30-06
308 Win
and all others not mentioned, including wildcats ...

but the best things about it ? it's phenomenally accurate and easy to handle even with heavy 230-250 gr bullets loaded hot without needing a muzzle brake, kills far better up close and further out than anything in 7mm, 270, 6.5mm ever did or ever will .....

the 300 RUM effectively negates the need or usefullness of anything in those calibers . FACT

That top one is a very nice looking rifle

[quote=hikerbum][quote=CRS]From my current rifles, it would be my Model 70 Classic stainless cerakoted in a Mcmillan Edge stock chambered in 338-06.
Top one in the photo.

I have that same setup except a standard fill McMillan and not cerekoted, Yet.
Very handy and capable rifle.

"Caliber" would be .308, chambering in something like 30-06 or 300 Win Mag.

Nice rifles!

For Alaska, one rifle only, I would choose the .375 Ruger. My go-to two rifle battery is the 30-06 and 375 Ruger anyway, and as mentioned above, the 30-06 180 and 270 375 in handloads have practically the same trajectory. For the lower 48 states, 30-06 is the choice.

One rifle for everything would be .375. My other choices 30-06 and .338wm.

correct ....

that's why I said the 300 RUM can be any of the lower power scale 30 cals ... and 30 cal is a far better killer than anything ever dreamed up in the 7mm, 270 & 6.5 cals .... effectively negating their usefullness for Alaskan big game hunting .... one King to rule them all !

also ... how can the 300 RUM be a 30-06 ? well, at 500 yards the 300 RUM has the same velocity/energy as the 30-06 at the muzzle .... etc . etc

Like many Alaskans, when I lived up in AK, I had multiple. From .270 up to 458Lott.

One only would be a toss up between the 338winny and the 30-06.

Not as fancy as the OP's list but if I'm in Tok or somewhere and for some ungodly reason and need ammo , I can run to 3 bears or similar and find something.

375 HH shooting 270 Gr. TSX

Uh did we just become best friends?? I have 300 rum in a model 70 and that thing is a shooter. Was shooting 180 ttsx the other day over the chrono’ed at 3280. Unfortunately mines twisted wrong and can’t take advantage of the 212 Lrx

338 Win Mag if I lived up there

The 375 Ruger is a lighter rifle than any 375 H&H rifle for all day carry. It has the same or slightly better ballistics. The Alaskan model is stainless steel for the damp weather up there. Then the 35 Whelen followed by the 30-06. The 338 Win Mag is ok, but it's ballistics aren't as good as the 375 for big bears and moose. I have a 35 Whelen and a 30-06 so there is that.

[Linked Image] My choice would be a bigger 35 ai 358 Norma, 35 Gibbs, 358 STA, etc,etc

Good bullets from 180grs to 310gr,, perfect for my Alaska!

Huh???? 338 win mag is a great all around cartridge for up here..

yes sir it is, so popular that ammo is non-existent around hunting season, recently loaded up a bunch of 225 gr Accubonds for a fella out of ammo right at the start of moose season

.30-06

Think I only had 1 stainless rifle. Kimber in 30-06. Rest were either blued, rust blued, or parkerized. My 338 had a krylon finish, ugly but dang it held up.

I’ve got a 6.67 # ouch n ouch KS which begs to differ.

Hopelessly old skool, but I bought a nicely sporterized Mauser 8mm-06 from my cousin in McGrath in 1969, got a big coffee can full of Hodgdon surplus 4831, a custom Belding and Mull handloader , and a bunch of old Hornady 220 gr spire point bullets for the grand sum of 150 bucks. It did everything well, mice to moose. I traveled constantly, the rifle got borrowed by everybody in the village since I didn't take it with me on jobs. The original Lyman 4x got killed in a boat wreck and the borrower put a new Leupold 4x on it. I got 20 offers to buy it, but I kept it to this day, but it's not needed down here, more's the pity. Nobody would go looking for an 8mm-06, but if you had one, it's a workhorse with the 220.

.325 WSM , .348 Winchester or my 45-70 Marlin . I'd be pretty comfortable with my .358 W BLR truth told.

Caliber wouldn’t matter much to me ‘slong as it was running 80 grain or heavier TTSXs around 3300 fps…give or take - or 180 grain or heavier Hard-Cast at 1200 fps on up.

Now if for some reason I was in the interior and feared that the boas might dump my ammunition to the bottom of the river (but miraculously I’m still holding my rifle) then that’s an obvious choice…but we’ve beaten that horse until the flies came off.

I had a Remington KS in .375 H&H that I sold several years ago. I have a .35 Whelen and a .338wm so I don’t have the need for a niche type rifle. I don’t feel undergunned carrying my Sako in .308 but I built the Whelen for a 1 gun Alaska rifle but luckily I have more than 1 rifle that will be living up north.

My 3 main rifles when I lived up there, and will have when I move back are my 30-06, and 338 WM (both stainless) and my 375 H&H Sako which is blue with a Macmillan stock. Weather there is tough on the finish, so my primary was the 338 WM. I used my 30-06 mostly for Caribou when I was up in Barrow.

Had enough of America? Come on home!

Yes I have. I'm I am coming home. Be there in about 3 weeks.

This time I'll be valley trash.

Hee doggies!!

I fully understand this!

Your one lucky S OB, I'm stuck in Michigan. I'd give my left nut to pack up and move back.

Congrats

I see folks leaving Alaska all the time cause momma wants to be close to the grandkids. Ph uck all that noise..

Yup. We know people that made that same move. My wife made similar noises when we had a grandbaby soon-to-be in Florida.

I told her of the interesting fact that there are big airplanes that go both ways….every day!

Yep I will find a nice town house In Phoenix if she wants to be near grandkids. She can survive 100 plus degree days.

100+?

I just broke a sweat reading that!
🤦‍♂️

100 degree days I think they avg over 5 months of that horrible weather too.. No thank you.. I will suffer through out horrible 70-80 degree days.

Of which there have been none since July 12 when the rains started.

70 is the top end of my thermoneutral zone.

Remember 3 years ago? I had 98 GD degrees on my thermometer on July #4. All I could do was sit in my chair and moan. AC was out.

I was thinking 300 PRC since it can do pretty much what the 300 RUM does but more efficiently. Also, I don't want to carry my 375 H&H Magnum up the mountains for sheep and goats. So, I will split the difference between 300 PRC and 375 H&H and go with my trusty 338 Win Mag. In the end Dead is Dead....

Interesting thread. Learned the 338wm sucks by some guy in Ak. Seems weird, as it works great on big critters in the lower 48..

If you hang around Alaska gun shops you’ll hear all sorts of blather. I heard one loud mouth several years ago claiming the 375 H&H wouldn’t kill a moose. He claimed his son shot one in the neck and it didn’t kill the moose. I had to ask if he didn’t recover the moose, how did his son know it was hit in the neck. Seems the people who know the least, say it the loudest.

If I lived up there I would be perfectly comfortable with the 325 WSM in a Kimber Montana.

My Ruger 77 in .338 Win Mag should be just fine and I will not need to buy anther rifle.
It did great in Africa - all one shot kills on 7 critters, which included an Eland bull.

Still the smartest reply. Pluck that just 1 crap, sounds like something an anti gun liberal would say. Then they would question why you think you need a decent ammo supply. Damn that mentality to hell..mb

Winchester didn't name their original .338 the "Alaskan" for nothing! If Africa was ever in the cards then sure maybe a 375... But otherwise, I love my 1958 "Alaskan" for just about anything short of varmints.

I think you left before I did. One thing for sure in the almost 10 years I've been gone the cost to move back has more than doubled. Seriously spendy!!!

Good post mart..

Beautiful rifles that will do it all, in my experience.

Nuf said

I'd add my Ruger MK II SS 9.3x62 into the mix as well.

30-06

Always thought the .358 STA had to be one of the very best "zero to whatever" chamberings ever devised for NA............and most of the rest of the world. There's a Model 70 Classic in .300 Wby in the safe that never sees any use. I've entertained the thought............. But there's also a .375 Wby in the safe that DOES get used and there's a pretty big redundancy factor there. Still not sure if redundancy is a valid reason NOT to, yet.

I always thought that a “hot rod” .35 caliber may be on of the best caliber options for the handloader….. with the .358 STA possibly the best! 👍 memtb

Yoder, you really need to put that Weatherby to use! 😉 memtb

Truth of the matter is if you have a 30-06, it will do anything you need it to do. Having said that people choose their rifle and cartridge based on wants, rather than needs. Nothing wrong with that. I'd never be without a 30-06, but I dearly love my 338 mag, worked for me in Alaska and Africa. Awesome cartridge. If my 375 H&H was stainless rather than blued it would have been used more than it has, and it's still killed my biggest moose and my brown bear.

The donor possibility is high.

If you “really must” eliminate your .375……you could do far worse than the .358 STA! Especially so, if you’re a hand loader that likes to shoot cast bullets or perhaps jacketed pistol bullets at much reduced velocity. The “hot rod” .35 calibers offer a lot in versatility! memtb

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH, NOOOOOOOOO !!!!

There'll be no elimination of Whomper !!!! No way!!!

I've crawled on my belly and lips, pushing that rifle ahead of me for more miles than most would believe. We've been through thick and thicker together. Whomper has accounted for, likely, the only B&C entry I'll ever have. And when things go to schidt.........guess who draws the short straw to go in and fix it ?? Me and Whomper.

That rifle ain't going NOWHERE.

A nice, pretty and classy walnut Model 70 in .358 STA could share stable space with him. But it'd have to live a row or two back.

I misunderstood! I love my .375 AI, and have no intention of “ever” getting rid of it. However, if I were starting over and Africa were “not” on the “bucket list”…..the .358 STA would be a top contender for my “go to, do it all” cartridge! 😉 memtb

You are forgiven.

And I concur with your .358 STA theory.

I have three rifles chambered in 375 H&H and two in 375 Ruger. I also have the big bores and the lighter bores. I think the .375 is the sweet spot and the best "all-arounder" is the 375 H&H. The 375H&H has great knockdown power but a very tolerable "push" recoil. Plus, it can be loaded to duplicate 30-06 ballistics.

The375 Ruger can slightly exceed 375 H&H velocities but at the expense of a much sharper felt recoil.

Bullet velocity isn't everything. In general, the lower velocities on heavy game produce deeper penetration.

The 375 H&H is very effective, drives deep but doesn't needlessly produce massive tissue damage and as they say, "you can eat right up to the hole". I have killed game from small whitetails to the huge eland with a 375 H&H. One shot kills are common.

For the cape buffaloes and up. I use my 458 Lott but, I doubt there are many of those in Alaska. :-)

T.S.

Don’t know how many 458 Lotts there are, but I know of two .416 Taylors.

I've owned 4 ea. 338 Win Mag's (2 ea 700's and 2 ea 70's) and I liked them, but they all went away. It's not on your list, but I'll suggest the 300 Weatherby with 200 grain (or heavier) partitions for the closest shooting and 200 partitions on the longest shooting. I've heard some complain about the 300's recoil, which I don't understand it isn't a heavy kicker on the 700 Classic platform - I have a BDL stock on the one I shoot.

I have a 375 H&H AI and that would be another option for me. It doesn't kick when at game, but it can get tiresome on a long bench rest shooting day.

I like the 375 Ruger cartridge, but I don't like the Ruger 77's - (I get to like and to dis-like what I want).

According to the Navy, you'd have a barrel that was as long as the diameter of the projectile in question (or of interest, to quote a certain Navy vet).

For me it’s hard to beat a 338 Win Mag. Bullets from 160 gr - 300 gr for any game challenge. .33s have a nice sweet spot when it comes to quality bullets and BC/SD characteristics. Provides close to .30 mag trajectories and can provide close to .375 performance when loaded heavy.

For AK, 1894 JM Marlin, .45-70.

Simple, the 30-06. Because that is what the M1 Garand and 1903 shoot.

kwg

Agree with just one rifle being a depressing concept, but if I was in AK, had to pick just one, I'd go with this SS M-70 Classic in .375 H&H with Zeiss Victory 1.5-6x42, QD's and NECG irons.

I just sold a very nice FN Mauser 336-06 which would work. But, the old .375 H&H is a time proven classic, so many ways you can load it and you'll never come up short.

This one's a keeper.

DF

Bingo! We have a winner! Dirtfarmer….isn’t it ironic that two Louisiana boys just happen to know the best rifle for the job! 😉

However, the Sako Talkeetna would be a great one to consider….. it’s quite a bit lighter than the Winchester. It’s pretty much the Winchester in a lighter package!

Run a chamber reamer into either making an AI or a Weatherby……and you have a near ultimate Alaskan hunting rifle! 😉 memtb

Kimber Talkeetna?

I never wished for more velocity on the H&H, and in fact it is one chambering that I don't load to its limits. Still seems to kill stuff pretty well. I do agree that it's a good single chambering for all of AK, but I think I would be fine with most anything 280 rem and up.

Quit making sense, chw2

I haven’t seen a kimber talkeetna in years… the stainless model 70’s pop occasionally.. standard 375 with RL15 and 300gr tsx is all you need.

One of those two has become a safe queen at this point, Mike. The old girl is decisive on anything it's aimed at, make no mistake. The Sako 375 w/20"" bbl, mickey stock and trg package seems to kill just as much... but not the shoulder so much Carries easier and shoots little tiny groups close to the .338. It is still reserved more for the Ursus crowd, though the moose brothers go down without much fanfare.
To the OP: What chw2 said. . .

Depends where you live and hunt, if in the states 30-06 will do with bullets ranging from 150 grain to 220 grain, if in Africa of course something like 375 H&H. We're spoiled today, in the old days they only had one gun and one caliber and all the game was killed with that one rifle, but since they only had that one rifle and were dependent on it for food and survival they were proficient with it, unlike many today that have multiple rifles in multiple calibers and are mediocre marksmen. Sometimes I think of the old timers and wonder if I shouldn't just settle on one rifle and one caliber and use it for all my hunting, but then the voice inside says "perish the thought and enjoy all your rifles and calibers".

If i lived in Alaska it'd be the 338 WM, 250gr A-Frames at 2750 would do it all from 0 to 400 yards.

.338 WM for US, .416 Rigby for Africa. I can live with that.

But some lightweights are just too heavy...

Back for resupply. Been too warm. Fking blackflies everywhere, low moose population.

Lotta gibberish in this here thread so pay attention:
375 h&h is a piss-poor do-all for Alaska.

Most are too long and heavy for hunting in the mountains. Winter caribou by dog team, too bulky. Too much recoil for extended shooting sessions, sharpening your skills for the longish, treeless alaska shots. Not ideal hoofing mountains.

A 9.3x62 would be much better "all-rounder". But very limited choices for lighter bullets for extended range practice. Still too heavy for the Mountains. In light guns, too much recoil. Still too much bullet for 30 mph winds/treeless alaska winter caribou.

.338 calibers:
About ideal one-gun. Scores of high bc 225 grainers that buck winds very well. Low enough recoil that you can get decent practice in light-weight guns.

Anchoring shots on moose, where the big bulls need to be on the dry bank, not seconds later in a muskeg swamp or in the river, to be blasted into a wood pile up, lots of good 250 grainers. I run the 275 grain a-frames, which are a great moose bullet for big bulls called to the river.

308/30-06. Very few available 220 grainers like the .338's. At 225 grains, the 338's are just getting warmed up.

For anchoring big bulls on the dry bank and bear protection in spring/summer:

I have a massive pile of 30 caliber 220 grain partitions, and those fkn things costed more than 300 grain 9.3 a-frames, or 250 grain a-frames, or 275 grain a-frames. Currently, there are none in stock, anywhere.

180 grainers: good for extended range practice with tolerable recoil, great for mountains, winter caribou, spring bear, calling in wolves etc.

For youth guns and mountain rifles, the 308 winchester edges out the 30-06.

With lever revolution powder, the 308 winchester gives an easy 2700 fps with 180 grainers, 2600 fps with 200 grainers, and 2480 fps from 220 grain partitions. All with minimal recoil from a 6 lb. mountain rifle.


Below 308 winchester/30-06: no fkn thank you. Not really an "all-rounder"


Lightweight 338 win mag, 338-06, 338 rcm or 338 rpm (that new weatherby), about the most ideal Alaskan calibers ever made.

What's usually kicking round my dog sled or canoe as general purpose stuff:

308 winchester/220 grain partition, 338 rcm 225 grain interbond/225 grain fusion, 338 rcm 275 grain a-frame, 9.3x62 300 grain a-frames

A .375 H&H doesn’t have to be long, heavy or bulky. I think it is perfectly adequate as an all around AK round. Sheep are about the only species I think that keeps it from being near the best and that is only because they’re often shot at ranges that I wouldn’t consider the .375 H&H with normal bullets good for. It is fine on deer and caribou sized critters though a sometimes caribou can be out there a ways too.


I carried my .375 H&H into sheep country a few times this year and didn’t find it too terribly heavy. I was after bear though and didn’t expect to have to take longer shots. The two days I was specifically after sheep I carried an even heavier rifle that that.

Like most anywhere else, I think the best all around rifle for AK is a 22” barreled .264, .284 or .308 cal of some flavor with a 6x scope, simply so it can reach out a bit easier but is also good for up close stuff.

Ok, here we go again, and here is what I've been packin since 1995, I have this and a Custom 06 built in 1985 that I still Hunt with.....
LJ in Alaska....

I’m certainly glad that my .375 doesn’t fall into the too long, too heavy group!

Yes, my rifle barrel could be a bit shorter than 24”…..but, unless all of your hunting is done in Alder Thickets, 24” is quite practical!

However, the 24” barrel on my 9 pound AI makes it a pretty decent long (er) range rifle for caribou and or sheep. A 270 grain LRX @ 3000+ makes for a prettt decent “all around” package! memtb

0.45

This one. ^^^

My only other exception for a bush gun is a K98, 8x57 with a short barrel.

kwg

I'd worry about scratching up a nice rifle. Not this one. It's strictly utilitarian.

With the fluted 21" tube, not overly heavy. I didn't like it much with the heavy OEM 24" barrel, this version mo better, IMO.

DF

Sako 9.3x62

Until you have gone into a real alder thicket with a 24" barrel you have no idea how ridiculously long it is...

Isn’t that the damn truth!

Sitka, not to mention, where the fk could you put the dmn thing on a snow machine or dog sled??

After rolling a widetrak lx on an icy ravine, I bent a 24" barreled pump shotgun beyond repair, years ago.

I ended up never bringing another long gun except an over/under shotgun/rifle that folded in half. I stowed it safely in the under-seat storage.

When I switched to dogs and freight sleds, it was so bad (space wise), could only store rifle inside a gutted caribou carcass in the freight sled. The ONLY safe place where a gun will survive a crash, is vertical scabbard, UNDER the handle bar.

Before I built my custom freight sled, I was desperate enough to consider bullpup rifles.

With my new freightsled: 40 inches, max length on rifles.

24hourcampfire, where lower-48 do nothing pipe-dreamers school Alaskans, everyday.

In southeast, the best all around rifle I’ve found is a 9.3x62 with a 20” barrel. A 300 yard shot is rare, and either the 250s or 286s witless do that. If I lived in the interior I’d be tempted to use a .300 win/wsm with a 22” barre because bears seem to be less of a concern and it seems like everything is at least 300 yards away.

Sadly, the other .416 that was beerhuntr-inspired is now an orphan.

I couldn’t agree more! One of my first moose hunts I was toting my .300 WM through an alder thicket with lots of brown bear sign. I haven’t hunted that particular area since then, but a 20” 9.3x62 would be about perfect for it.

After reading Walter Bell's "Small bores versus big bores", I think I would take good 308 and become proficient with it as he was with his rifles, the man killed 1011 elephants and countless lions and buffalo's and other game with 7mm Mauser. He also used 256 Gibbs with which he killed all sorts of game for over 100 natives to eat daily.

I don't know about an 375h&h in that part of the world but indo have an nice handy 375 Ruger but again it's not exactly light.

Your aware I also have the Ruger compact 338RCM and it is perhaps the best hunting rifle I have had. It's just about perfect in size and weight, has iron sights and mine has an optic and and now an Aimpoint 9000 in QD mounts. It's like an tiny express rifle. Like you mentioned it's fast enough for longer shots yet can throw fairly heavy lead and the package is not oversized. Mine gets used for elk and carry in grizzly areas in the northern rockies. Ironically the most dangerous or formidable thing I've used in Alaska is an chainsaw. My time there was for work only and no other pursuits.

Olepine,
You, gunner500 and beretz know your sht. I've always been impressed with the three of you.

Yah, for a lefty, you should be on cloud 9 to be toting that 338 rcm "micro-dangerous game" gun. Ruger treated you good! Left handed shooters only ever got meat n taters, common deer hunting cartridges.

Man thats cool you did some saw work up here. Dang are there some impressive chainsaw scars up here on some old fellers n woodsman back before good chain brakes and safety chain.

But don't worry, these new-age no-torque beta-male stihl-born saws couldn't cut their way out of a brown paper bag.

Im Selling one now, going back to pre-chain brake muscle saw for milling:


https://fairbanks.craigslist.org/tls/d/fort-wainwright-stihl-ms-881-magnum/7537628321.html

The Original post:

If you were to have just one caliber ?
To cover most of the bigger animals in alaska what caliber would you choose?


So now my question to you fellas…… Are Alder Thickets the only place that game is found in Alaska? So….do your sheep, mt. goats, and caribou reside there as well? 😉 memtb

Well … sometimes (oftentimes?) you need to go through said alders to get up to where the sheep/goats/‘bou reside.
😉

During my 3yr stint in AK in the early 90s, I carried a Ruger 77 Tanger in 338WM that I purchased at Long Drug on C St. Never felt under gunned. I did however wish I had stainless/synthetic rifle, but at the time stainless/synthetic rifles were pretty much unheard of, and certainly not seen in the gun shops I visited in Anchorage or the valley.

After the first season of hunting I sent the barrel action to the lower 48 and had it Teflon coated - Cerakote and Dura-cote weren't heard of at the time. Even finding a place to Teflon coat was a little trying.

During the same off-season I but a Brown Precision stock on it - my first synthetic stock. It was a lot of work finishing up the Brown blank with the mold lines still showing. Bedding it was easy by comparison!

Got plenty of strange looks when carrying that gun with the 'plastic stock'. But look at where we're at today!

No there’s also Devilsclub thickets as well. 😁

It’s not so much as everything lives in the alder thickets as much as WHAT lives in the alder thickets. You usually gotta go through the thickets at the lower elevations to get to the sheep and goats at higher elevations. In many places in Alaska alder thickets and devilsclub are just a fact of life that you have to deal with.

It’s better to plan around the worst conditions you know for a fact you’ll face then it is to plan around the best conditions hoped for.

Missed this reply but it’s the TRUTH!

Yes



I carried a longbow through some alder thickets on two caribou hunts, and trudged around the SE AK rainforests with a 23" rifle. You really need to experience it to understand.


Apples and oranges, Heavy for caliber solids vs modern expanding bullets. Now if had said 338 Federal.....

For my original post, I went with what I had in my safe.

A 338RCM would be good too. I was already deep into 338-06's before it came out. Sourcing ammo is the same trouble as a 338-06 at this point. From a truly practical standpoint a 338WM would get the nod.

I would prefer a lightweight 375 H&H to an 06, but that is just me. Have never been enamored with 30 caliber anything. But then I do not have a lot of experience with the 30's either. The experience I do have, they worked, but nothing earth shattering.

I don’t currently own one, but if limited to one cartridge it would be a.308.

Phil (.458Win) writes that his daughter uses her .416 Rem for everything, including caribou. Works for her and doubt she ever comes up short. Of course, she can shoot it.

DF

Yep, but she also has to sort things out when a client screws up.

I am more than a little enamored with my 416 at the moment. Trying to figure out a way back to Africa for some buffalo as a matter of fact. Would work as a one gun do it all in AK, but mine is longer and heavier package. Me thinks my 338-06 is a better all rounder from gun safes.

Your 375 would fit the bill too. In fact, should ever decide to part ways with that one.... Do not advertise it, just PM me. Dead serious

That .375 has more than a few followers. So, you’d have to take a number.

It’s not hard to set one up like that.

DF

.30-06

That is probably best.... I had one and was going to give it the same treatment. Decided to sell it and go 416 Remington for my biggest rifle. Yours would just be too easy of a button to push..

Oh man... I didn't read the whole thread but I'm guessing you got ridiculed on your cartridge choices and was given suggestions for about every other round out there. Probably was even told to buy better gear instead of a new rifle...


"We hear from guides on here that the worst outcome is a client showing up with a newly purchased ubermag"


I ended up going with the 300RUM and the moose don't seem to like it

350 remington Magnum

Great thread - only been to Alaska twice flyfishing so can’t comment personally on what I’d personally use & what works for others.

If I’m tossing out an under-informed opinion - a versatile .30 with good bullets doesn’t sound like a bad starting point after being across a river from grizzlies several times.

"The .30-06 is never a mistake".........Townsend Whelen

I carried a 30-06 and a 35-06 most of the time I was stationed up there.

Prolly covered before but those are Cartridges not calibers.

30 cal

Fun to dream and commiserate about the perfect one caliber. Truth is dead is forever and plenty of folks have filled their caches with 270s and even 243s. Definitely not bear guns. Most people filling their larder and only have one gun are not hunting bears, they are hunting what the bears hunt.

So bear calibers are a mute point, people that can only own one gun, do not have wheelers and rvs and riverboats and snowgos and super cubs. If so guaran ffing Teed that can afford several firearms. People that cant own all the "stuff" are not hunting multiple species, moose & caribou are where its at, and a occasional berry black bear, which can typically be taken with a smaller caliber.

Coastal bears are for mostly wall hangers not meat, so meat hunters typically do not hunt the big brownies or blacks, if they are eating fish they are not fit for consumption.

Bear protection is best done with a shotgun, which can be used for fowl that can be eaten and is at times, plentiful.

I always figured guys who bought 338s couldn't hit jack schit and just hope they hit some part of the animal and make a big enough hole to f it up.

Ought six, is all you need if yer a meat hunter, ok, a 308 would make sense as well if ya gots to have two and only two.

Cannot begin to count the bears I have seen killed very neatly with .243, 6mm, 257Roberts, 25-06...

And they were mostly destined for the table.

I’m not a bear hunter, no expectations of becoming one.

But, I’ve read that the 200 NPT out of an ‘06 will penetrate tough critters about as well as most any round.

Someone mentioned the shotgun as good bear medicine. I’ve also read that a shotgun slug won’t penetrate nearly as well as the above mentioned combo.

Would appreciate comments by those who’ve BTDT.

DF

I’ve yet to kill anything with a 200gr partition, but I can testify that foster slugs are absolute garbage as a projectile to be used on brown bears. I maimed a grumpy one with 12ga fosters years ago. The fiasco involved a lot of roaring, shooting, and slide shucking until matters were properly settled by a .458 and a .375.

One of the best ways I know for a person to instantly demonstrate ignorance is if they use/recommend foster slugs or buckshot for bear defense.

Well, sure. But the smart way to go is to alternate slugs and buckshot. (/sarc)

Ok, I'll add this to the conversation about using a Shot Gun, and Yea, the Foster Slugs are for Deer or the like in the lower-48, the ONLY Ammo I use here in Alaska in my Shot Gun is Brenneke's 12ga 3"mag Black Magic Slugs, that's a 602gr Slug @ 1502 fps => 3,014 ft/lbs of ME.... That's what Allen Gilliland (Katmai Parks Pilot) used to Kill the Bear that Killed and Ate Timmy Treadwell, and his Girl friend in 2003, I know of what I speak, as I was there.....
LJ in Alaska....

45-70 Government.

A perfect caliber for everything is just about as silly as a perfect boat for all over the state.

Takes a minimum of 5 boats to get the job done, often 2 at a time!

Did the bear make any noise ?

Yeah, he roared at the start of his charge and after he was hit.

Truth

I agree, could never decide on slug first or double ought first....

The .338 Marlin Express

Yeah, I expect a few sniggers and some outright skepticism. That's OK.

I favor lever actions. I particularly like Marlins. I bought my MXLR 11 years ago because it was purported the .338 ME had more long range pop. It has become my go-to rifle.

Thus far I've killed 25 critters, to include a bunch a of moose and caribou (include a 50" bull moose this year), and a number of African game species such as kudu, wildebeest, impala, wart hog, blesbok, and springbok. Everything I have shot it at, it's killed, without exception. I know for some of you that's a small sample size, but I am happy with how it's performed.

I use factory ammo because it's really accurate, but if the factory ammo every dries up, I have enough brass to last several lifetimes. (I handload)

Just one caliber? The .338 Marlin is my choice.

👍! memtb

IMO….There is no such thing as anything being “perfect” for any one specific purpose. There are always other options that will work as well. It generally “boils down” to personal preference! Perhaps if you could perfectly script every scenario….one could have the “perfect (?) cartridge/firearm for each of these scenarios! I for one would love to know how to script, without variance, any hunting scenario!

There are however, a few cartridges/firearms that will check most of the boxes. Probably not “perfect” for any specific one…..but, will work quite well!

In the “real world” everything is a bit of a compromise! memtb

I live "downstairs" and won't pretend to know the answer to this one.

I think many living down here forget just how vast Alaska is. Which means highly varied conditions and topography. Not to mention greater variance in game size and temperament.

I would guess that like here, many (most?) hunters stay fairly local, hunt what is there and arm themselves appropriately.

Is that fair or even accurate?

Pretty darn accurate assessment! memtb

Nice Rifles! Is the Weatherby also a 338-06?

These would be my go-to rifles for Alaska:

My go-to if I only had 1 would be this BSA Sporterized P17, that was sporterized between 1949 and 1953 by BSA and was further sporterized by my father Keith E. Smith with hand carved Ferlach Austrian style stock. The BSA love Winchester Super X in 180 gr. so shells are readily available. Super accurate and everything I have shot with it has basically dropped in its tracks.

The second if I could have 2 choices would be this Weatherby Mark V Ultra Lightweight .300 Win Mag. I replaced the barrel with a Wilson Match Grade, then glass bedded the barrel so it is free floating and now shoots sub-MOA <.25 @ 100 yards. I would use it if I knew that I would be taking longer range shots.

If I only had 1 caliber, I would go with my 30-06.

I think AK is one of the few places where you can realistically say that the 30-06 is truly versatile.
In the lower 48 it is overkill, but there are lots of big critters in AK

30-06 is hardly overkill in the lower 48, especially here in the Rockies where you can kill a big elk or moose, then have its ownership contested by a griz.

Nor is it overkill where the shots can be extended due to environmental factors that tend to occur in the late season, such as when the elk move down into the open sagebrush hills.

Any shoulder fired firearm, that is easily carried on a hunt……is hardly overkill. There is no such thing as “overkill”…….except in Disney movies! 😉 memtb

30-06 that's all I'm saying.

30-06 is neat until you see a 70" class bull from the top of a hill out at 800-900 yards with absolutely no other shot or way to get closer because of terrain & brush with 2 hrs of light left on the last day of your hunt .....

I sold my '06 and vowed to never, ever be hampered and screwed by some fabled cartridge that didn't have the balls to deliver when it was needed most

What cartridge did you select to take a 70" bull, 800 yards away, 2 hours before sunset?

300 Remington Ultra Magnum ....

and later the 338 EDGE .....

moose stoned dead on their feet out past 1200 yards & working on 1 mile with newer faster more powerful wildcats ....

Kinda depends on several factors, main one being ammo availability. If I am rolling my own it’d be my 358 Norma Magnum. 158 grain 357 bullets to shoot small game, and 250gr Hornady RN for the bigger stuff. If ammo is a concern, then 338 WM or 3006. You can pretty much pick up ammo for those any place.

if ammo is not a problem give me my 338 Lapua but otherwise still tough to ever beat a 30-06 for just one cartridge rifle.

No reason to shoot 800 yards on a moose.
Get closer, do some actual hunting

22LR, you can do anything when yer dreaming

Next you are going to tell us you were scuba diver in Okinawa.

Yeah the 30-06.

^^^^^^ What he said^^^^^

Some of you Fudds need to learn how to shoot

Fudds are guys that think the 2nd amendment is about hunting rights and no one should own a AR15.. in short Mary Peltola voters..

I started my mediocre Alaska hunting career in 1966. All I have ever used in Alaska is a 30-06 and a .338 Win. Mag. and both cartridges work great, especially with a Barnes TTSX bullet put in the right place at the right impact velocity.

If only one it would be my lightly customized pre-64 Mod. 70 Win. "Featherweight" 30-06 made in 1958. Those wonderful 168 grain Barnes TTSX bullets can do it all, if I put them in the right place.

For about six years I ran a informal survey on the Alaska Outdoors Forum. I asked the responding rifle hunters how far away from the big game animal they were when they fired their all important first shot.

The average shot distance given was about 160 yards.

how stupid does one have to be to vote for a skeemo, thinking that some indiginass Democrat libtard kcunt is right for Alaska ? just because it's a native ? SMH

about as stupid as the ones who voted for that homo kneegoer for president, just because he was black... twice FFS !

Some white mfkrs have lost their minds and turned traitor to their own kind

aside from that...

guys that can't shoot for sh it will always need a target the size of a bus within 100 yards, so when they shrink back in terror of recoil as they yank on the trigger, they still have hopes of blowing a knee off the moose and slowing it down so they can try shooting at it again .... Alaska is full of these Fudds, just hang out at the gun counter and listen to the stupid that comes through, lmao !

Me you get along just fine in person everything you said is true. My buddy shoots long distance for moose etc. but he shoots all the time. I spot for him at talkeetna, he’s shot 1000yd mstches to see what his gun is doing on moa targets at 1000yds. Most guys talking only shoot 100yds are as you say fudds. I invite folks to come out 600yd matches bring your hunting rifle. Do they come 99% of the time they don’t. 600yds is not that hard, with a decent rifle. The last 1000td match I did it with a 223 lol.

.30-06 for me

Agree. Many people go through the ultra magnum teen learning experience. That 120 grains of powder will end the hunt when lessor calibers will fall by the wayside. After 10-20 rifles over 40 years. I have several pre-64 model 70 .308s and .30-06s and Kimber .308 and .30-06s thrown in for back-ups. If that magical animal is 800 yards away and I can't get a shot off. There is always another day of hunting tomorrow.

What I want to end the hunt and go home?

They are both model 70 classics.

I have exactly one Alaska hunt under my belt so my personal experience might as well be zero...however, I have been in the alders with a 20" .35 Whelen and it certainly didn't feel too short. I would not have complained if it was 18" while we were following a piss poor blood trail of a wounded bear.

My Whelen is a cut down Ruger 77 rebore with the standard sporter .30-06 contour. It is a handy setup that is light enough for a sheep hunt and snorty enough for a big brown (I would think). With todays powder options it can get a 225-250 class bullet moving fast enough to do some serious work near and far. Mine is setup with a scope but I also have front irons installed and an NECG ghost ring that lives in my hunting pack that works with the integral receiver mounts. If you have time to remove the scope, you have time to install the irons and it seems to hold zero just fine.





I think the medium bores offer a lot because their favorable expansion ratios minimize velocity loss with shorter tubes. Anything over 22" would be disqualified for me as a "one and done" AK rifle (not that I wouldn't happily carry my 24" .300 WM on an open ground caribou hunt).

I have a pile of niche rifles for future AK hunts but if I am honest I could sell them all and be pretty well setup with just the Whelen.

Some have the ability. Some don't. The ones that do have it also know when to shoot and when not to.

If I had that client this year we'd have had a 70 plus inch bull. As it was it was too close to dark and the stalk took too long even though we walked up to his bed. He'd gone wandering in the middle of the long stalk.

That said one caliber for the stuff thats around in AK starts at least 375 caliber in my books.

guys will shoot animals with a cartridge that expends most of it's lethality at about 200 yards, they shoot pie plate 3 shot groups at 50 paces a couple times a year then shoot an animal from at or under 100 yards, two, three shots before they hit it right, if not... a guide or buddy blasts it = proud "ethical hunters"

we shoot cartridges that have more lethality at 800 yards than yours at 100 yards, we shoot tiny little 5 shot groups at 200 yards you can cover with a dime and have fired thousands of rounds and practiced at ranges out to 1000+ yards in increments and have our data memorized, most if not all long range hunters are DIY in rough mountain country, no guides, no backup shooters, no meat packers, no feed plots or watering holes or fences
sounds like we do a lot more that's real huning

How many of you go hiking into the mountains solo ?Spend time setting up properly and "paying attention to the wind" that part is most important and could force you to move location multiple times, meaning more hiking/climbing etc, moving camp & gear, more days of glassing and selecting your game and waiting for the right moment for the shot, y'know ... real hunting stuff

unlike the slob hunters that jump out of a vehicle and open fire on an animal on the other side of the ditch or from a SXS or 4 Wheeler off a trail or edge of a swamp, nice & "ehical" tracking & getting in close = real hunting, lol !

Heimo Korth has survived decades with his 22/250

As the old saying goes, " it's the Indian, not the arrow"

I now shoot most everything using .243 Winchester with FMJ solids.

When I started this post I was thinking more along the lines of the best caliber/cartridge to cover what Alaska has to offer!

Something that could handle a big moose or bear, survive the weather and ocean etc.

I guess I wasn’t all that clear.

But I have enjoyed everyone’s input.
Thank You all.

Most of my hunting has been with a 300 H&H, gets a bit heavy on sheep hunts, however there was a time when that was the only CF rifle I owned. It shot well and still does. I know have a 375 that gathers dust, nothing in the interior that I need that for unless I get a bison permit (they should have open season on the plains buffler), even then the 300 would do the job. I inherited the 375 and a buff would be fitting. If I was hunting coastal brownies it would be my choice.
Still, a ought 6 would hands down do it all.
Knowing your capabilities is key, no shot is ever a "sure thing"...

[quote=Swamplord

we shoot cartridges that have more lethality at 800 yards than yours at 100 yards, (bla, blah, blah)...we shoot tiny little 5 shot groups at 200 yards...
!!l ![/quote]
Seen plenty of guys flinch and miss shooting canons, run what you bring and buys lotsa ammo, practice, practice...if ya cant kill it with a ought 6, you missed.

I didn't realize this. Always assumed something bigger. Is that his primary rifle?

Hunters today are in an endless search for the perfect cartridge/firearm to compensate for their "LACK" of time afield, hunting skills, and inability to shoot "off-hand". They are skilled paper shooters off of a bench but are lacking in the skill to shoot "off-hand". So called hunters today were not born and raised on ranches or farms, but in some level of urban or suburban environment.

A person today who thinks of themselves as a hunter, are primarily skilled in internet searching to compensate for living decades harmoniously with the species they aspire to harvest. They desire to know where the desired species lives in abundance, the cheapest way to get there, what qualities about that species makes it a trophy in the eyes of their friends, and fellow internet so-called highly skilled hunters. The endless quest for approval of others and in an endless search for being accepted by theme self as achieving manhood.

For far too long society has lacked an acknowledged "right-of-passage" for males to social acceptance of "manhood".

Y
Yes

FMJ?…Frank Glaser loved the .220 Swift for his meat rifle and especially for sheep but he had nothing good to say about FMJ’s even from his 30-06. He almost got ate by the bear that wasn’t impressed with his 147gr FMJ.

Can’t use FMJ here even if I wanted to….which I don’t. 😉

Every time the "long range hunting" conversation comes up, theres always going to be some out of shape fat Fudd who has zero experience nor has anything that can be used for LR hunting making the most noise, not sure where the tantrums come from but can guess that .....
1. Doesn't have a clue how to shoot past 200 yards, then neither should you
2. Can't afford the gear, you shouldn't be doing it
3. Only his way of hunting works, you can't do anything else

Well guess what ? Long range hunting is not illegal and if we choose to set up for a hunt that will present shots from 100 - 1000 yards, it means we have done our homework and are ready ...
our rifles, scopes & cartridges aren't the same as yours

your sub par crap equipment is chosen for the type of hunting you do and definitely will not work for us ...
And all LR hunters can do your rock throwing distance hunting with ease .... but a very small percentage of you guys can pull off shots beyond 500 yards and there's nothing wrong with that, stick to what you know and don't bash what you have no experience in, that's just pure ignorant ranting .... not our fault you suck at shooting, learn how to shoot .... period !

We shoot one n done, wether it's 100 or 1000 yards, our chosen cartridges have more energy at 500-600 yards than what yours have at the muzzle ..... our scopes have 120 moa of adjustments and sit on 20 moa rails, we can dial in beyond 2000 yards, most of you have 2x7 or 3x9 crap scopes that are like looking through a dirty coke bottle & what I've seen is guys unloading their guns into an animal then trailing it for a lengthy time then shooting again multiple times then walking up for an execution shot .....
that's a LOT more shooting at one animal than we do...

I suppose you think you're "hunting and stalking" it to death with multiple shots ....

your personal lack of proper equipment, training & shooting ability limits you to close in "off hand" shots but doesn't automatically make you an "ethical" hunter .... your self proclaimed "ethics" don't extend beyond the halo you think you have

modern firearms, cartridges & optics are capable of so much more than what you are ....

LEARN HOW TO SHOOT !

and quit bashing other hunters, some of you are worse than anti-hunters

It has zero to do with "ethics", the way you talk you'd think everyone should be a long range hunter. Maybe some of us don't prefer that method and would rather spend a little time trying to actually "hunt" whatever it is we're after, doesn't mean their a bad shot or a so called "fudd" as you like to call them.

And here you are complaining about bashing hunters while at the same time, bashing hunters and yes, some of you are worse than the anti-hunters.

I have shot 14 Alaska Mountain Goats using 55 gr. FMJ 5.56X45 using 16" AR-15. I've shot 7 or 8 other Mt. Goats with a .338 Win. Mag. 210 gr. Nosler. In my experience the effective result was the same. Time between being hit and being dead was as near as I could assess the same.

"the way you talk you'd think everyone should be a long range hunter. Maybe some of us don't prefer that method "

hit the nail on the head ! it works both ways ...,

except LR hunters don't attack SR (rock throwing distance) hunters on every post, on every website forum, social media etc ....

everytime LR hunting comes up, some 30'06 or 45-70 handicapped Fudd has a sh it fit

Apparently this thread is all about you and your buddies "supposed" accomplishments. Who T F cares? So you "claim" you make this incredible shots from unimaginable distances. Quit bragging and beating your chest, no one gives a schit and your making yourself look damn stupid.

This is the stupidest fkn post I've read on 24 Hr Campfire in a long, long time, I mean... Lil Stick posts stupid sh it all the time but at least he's amusing .. in a dumb kind of way ... but still funny & the guy knows guns & can shoot .. unlike you

Were you in a bowel movement as you wrote this sh it ? Because it is SH IT & just reading this drivel gives a fella the runs ....

Your attempt at trying to write a Freudian piece is laughable and total bulls hit !

Simply put .... Try again ... SMFH

It's always these fkn guys ..... every time, lol !

.....

Nice setup

I hear ya bud... I saw this coming from a mile away.... the Gents of 24hrcf just can't help themselves to show you how much smarter they are then the next guy.

They don't want to hear the words, RUM, PRC or SAUM.... "30-06/270 or bust!" HAHA

I Started a post similar about 5 years ago about comparing moose cartridges and I was given answers to questions I never even asked. Then was pretty much called a snot nosed kid who should be saving their money... it was quite comical. I ended up making it to AK twice now and have had VERY successful hunts and wait for it...... I used a freshly built 300RUM (GASP) I know crazy right... I hope I still have street cred with the local guides LOL

This is a forum. An eclectic forum. I read everyone's opinion and support their right to have an opinion. Still, I must give substantial weight to the sheer volume and massive amount of experience in the Alaska field between the respondents. It is one thing to have a few Alaska hunts under one's belt but compare that to those who spent 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 decades spending three and half to four months per year guiding ten and sometimes twenty or more hunters per year, and remember we used to do four species 10-day guided hunts, for Grizzly, Caribou, Black Bear and Moose with near 100% success. Those people viewed the results of hundreds and thousands of harvests, with wide range of cartridges.

I heard from one member about his 300 Rum he loves it.
I like mine as well. I was looking at the 375 Ruger but brass is non existent right now.
I’ll keep looking,keep reading, and enjoying.

That is an outstanding reference of pictures. Thought I was looking in the mirror last year, not now though. Lost that fatty fatty.

Would it actually be safe to say that the 30-06 is an really good choice because of availability? Logistics from someone traveling there, living there on a shorter term of a few years, or even budget constraints could dictate what tool is chosen. In those terms is the 30-06 tips in the field despite its limitations?

As cool as the massive huge 338 and 375 ultra capacity cartridges are there's still weight limitations, component issues at current times, and some folks are truly just better off getting an 30-06 and putting the real money in better optics and shooting more ammo on their budgets.

How does an 30-06 or other choice fit and work with those parameters? Seriously.

Swamplord,

There are some of us hunters that strive to get close and make clean one shot kills. I have killed moose, elk, bear, deer, at less than 20 yards. It is what drives me. Getting close is my thing. I would rather not fill my tag, than to shoot an animal at long range. You, on the other hand enjoy the the challenge of LR shooting.

Last weekend called a bull elk in to 40 yards for a friend, one and done. The interaction with the herd was incredible, could feel the bugles and experience the rutting chaos.

So you like to call short range slob hunters Fudds.

But what do you call slob long range hunters?
Another question, does a long range hunter need to wear camo?

I have done a bit of long range shooting. A good friend had a mile range for awhile, and I can get to about 975 yards on our place. Great fun when banging plates, just not my thing when it comes to hunting.

I thrive on the challenge of getting close! You thrive on making long range kills.

Laughing, this post pretty much proves you are the dumbass you profess to be. Which of the pics is a selfie.... ?
Pretty apparent you are out to prove something. Usally the guy with the biggest mouth is also the biggest liar.

This was about one caliber that can do it all, you have taken it to a whole new level of bashing other hunters and stroking your ego to try to prove something. Trying to push some caliber that is not readily available because you do not know how to walk, stalk and call..
Thats what hunting is, not taking hail mary pot shots from 800 yards. WTFU

Correct ... This was about one caliber that can "do it all" y'all chose 30'06 ... for YOUR style of hunting .. I chose the 300 RUM for mine ... both 30 caliber .. so why are you having anal pains?
SMF, I bet you call ammunition "bullets" don't you ..

You jumped my sh it first & now y'all crying ! lmao

Does your opinion carry more weight ? Every other opinion different than yours is subject to your rage because you can't shoot worth a sh it beyond a couple hundred yards ?

What you don't get is that we intentionally & strategically set up for long range shots ..... nobody is taking "pot shots" at 800 yards .. It's all calculated and 100% confirmed before the shot, besides, 800 aint't that fkn far... in your mind it is because you have no clue how it's done ....

Stay in your lane, bro ....

or learn how to shoot !

HAHAHAHA Man that is funny :o)

Big gun little dick syndrome.

Arguing on these forums is like running in the special Olympics
Even if you win
You are still retarded

Swamprat,
regarding 06 vs 300 rum, 06 still wins as a one caliber rifle in AK.
The rum may be the end all be all caliber with a
308 "bullet" for a jackass. It isn't for everyone.

Requires magnum action.... heavier rifle
Muzzle blast.....horrible
Throat erosion...... shorter barrel life
Ammo cost....... EXPENSIVE
Ammo availability....... poor
Recoil...... about twice as a 06

Recoil that heavy is unmanageable for some people, all other issues aside, recoil affects accuracy.

I would not advise a new hunter to take game at 800 yards.... maybe you would...?

I assume, perhaps incorrectly the hunters objective is to put meat on the table, if so why tote a heavier rifle that shoots expensive ammo, wears out faster and kicks like a mule?

If your goal is to take animal's from the next borough, so be it, IMO it's not ethical hunting and I would not advise someone to fill their freezer in that way.

There are only a couple, mainly one game animal that could necessitate a long shot, everything else can typically be taken in less than 200 yards. This bs about the only shot on a moose was 800 yards is all in your mind. Do some hunting your own damn self.

You brag about your LR skill.... kudos, quit bragging, it's not becoming, it's degrading as [bleep]. Quit degrading other's you don't know.

Is the 06 the best one caliber for AK, doubtful, there are other good choices, but it would be a good choice and for damn sure it wouldn't be a rum.

One of the best statements ever concerning the interwebs.

458Win for the best post

I agree. Thinking that would be a solid Alaskan rig. It reminds me of pabucktail's .416 Taylor Project.

A lot of great points Johnn!

I had a .300 wsm, Browning Mountain Ti, loved it but I sold it, why? Because I could not find the ammo it liked for it. It was a colossal pain in the azz.

OK, I’ll play. Sometimes the rifle makes the cartridge or the cartridge makes the rifle. If I were forced to pick just one it would be my lefty Ruger in 338 RCM. My reasoning is:
The rifle is built with a stock with a slightly smaller LOP than standard.
Comes with a 20 inch barrel with factory iron sights
Control round feed if that is important to you.
The shorter barrel and LOP makes it easier/faster to shoulder in the thick stuff. I never shot an animal beyond 300 yards in my life so the shorter barrel wouldn’t be a concern to me ballistic wise.

Plenty of rifles on the market could be made to emulate the Ruger. My decision takes into consideration it is a factory rifle.

Have to toss in a good story. Met an old sourdougher in Fairbanks back in the middle 1970’s. He owned a pre 64 Winchester 70 and I believe it was chambered in 300 H&H. Rifle had iron sights. He said he bought the rifle new 16–17 years before and one box of factory ammo. There were 4 rounds left in the box. He told me he killed 16 moose with it.

So what is the most common and useful up there at this time of shortages? I think that's the important question. I've heard 30-06 but I don't know about how available things are current

Last data I read was that the 30-06 is still the most popular in the state. Of course what would you expect when the world record Brown bear was taken on Kodiak Island in 1952 with the 30-06 and the official state rifle, as voted on by our legislature, is the pre 64 M70 in 30-06

Looking at your whine list about the 300 RUM ....

I'm afraid I have bad news for you ... you might look into changing your pronouns to her/she, change your wardrobe into something more feminine & change your name to Joanie or Jenny

That's the best you can do? Laughing....

you go Karen !

That’s a cool trivia fact about my favorite state that I did not know about. Thanks a lot…now the 1953 model 70 in 30-06 might not go to JES but rather with me on the ferry outta B’ham soon. 👍

Thanks. That's interesting and I learned something.

Don't have any problems with the 30-06, first fired one back in '78 and hunted with one growing up in Alaska living off grid in a commercial fishing family, Which gave me the opportunity to circle the Kodiak Islands dozens of times and kill piles of deer, elk, reindeer & mt. goat along with a bunch of wild cattle on the Sanak Islands & few other islands around Sand Point & Dutch Harbor

Back on the mainland a bunch of moose , black bear & a few brownies got whacked, 30-06 was king in our family and all the boys had one .... of course we also had the usual surplus mausers in 8x57, 7x57, 7,65 Arg & 6.5x55 .. but when moose season came around, the 30-06 was numero uno !

Until that one day where I saw the moose of a lifetime, with two satellite dishes attached to it's head and had no way of getting down to it & take a shot, terrain, brush and time .. darkness approaching on the last day of the season ....

I remember clearly ... being pissed as hell and thinking Why TF can't I shoot it from here ? There's gotta be something better than this damned '06 ....

By this time I was old enough to buy my own rifle & after some digging around & seriously getting into ballistic comparisons , I bought me a 300 Win Mag & sold the '06 to a cousin .... Ballistic studies got me into handloading, in order to load up the fastest, flattest shooting ammo I could possibly get at the time .... This was 1988 and I haven't needed a 30-06 for anything since .....

The quality of my moose improved dramatically, I was taking longer shots on bigger bulls, I quit shooting spikes/forks and raghorn bulls on the first weeks of the season & made plans to set up for some decent shots (500+ yards) on bigger bulls with racks all hardened & sharpened up in the last two weeks of the hunting season , then came the 8mm Rem Mag & my favorite, the 340 Weatherby .. It was all over for the 30-06, there was absolutely no need for it, because I could kill anything in Alaska with my 8mm Rem Mag & 340 Wby at typical '06 range & I could whack a bull way tf out there as well ...

Enter the 300 RUM .... Nobody in Alaska knew what it was at the time & I talked Joe at GNG into special ordering me one & he ordered a dozen from what I remember, Rifle showed up with a limit of two boxes of Remington ammo & a set of Hornady dies .... The 180 gr Factory ammo at the time was loaded hot, right around 3320 fps according to my Gamma Master Chrony , and I absolutely loved it ! Finally a cartridge worthy of Long Range Hunting ...

With a case full of Reloader 25 and 200 gr Accubond bullets it laid waste to some fantastic bull moose since , at ranges my old '06 royally pissed me off at ....

After 30 plus years of "sending it" I don't need some clueless Fudd, stuck in a rut, trying to school me on what I should shoot and how close it should be ...

I understand the fact that some guys love the 30-06 and will call it king ..... I once did .... then I grew up

Swamprat, the first part of your post would garner some respect...if true.

The last part sounds like something from a petulant child.... which makes the first part irrelevant..... hint... laughing

Oh man, the “I’m smarter than you” dudes still can’t help themselves.

I need to get more popcorn. The 24hrcf never ceases to amaze me

458, for the win.

This needs tacked up somewhere for all to read.

From what I've seen over the years since the 300 RUM showed up is a bunch of crying

Usually from the gun dummy simps still attached to old stuff better left in the past

,,,,,

Read in an technical bulletin update on how to make the 300RUM fly faster and more accurate, an exciting new development making it more effective than ever. Apparently tying the 300RUM to the azz end of an 30-06 makes it far more effective. Solves accuracy, range, and social acceptance issues.

I imagine the 300 RUM destroys more than it’s share of otherwise good edible meat…I guess that is the price you pay for horn hunting and 800 yard shots…

I ain’t got no problem with a RUM either. It does a lot of stuff pretty well. I’ve got room for all of them in my house.

No different than any other cartridge.

Shot placement, shot placement, shot placement, ... bullet construction,...

There you go

If I were to move to Alaska (my Sister lives there, so at one time I was thinking about going) I would be happy with any of several cartridges. If I were to be offered an unlimited amount of bullets but just 1 rifle I would probably go with my 9.3X62 or my 375H&H. (flip a coin)

If I were limited to a 30-06 however I doubt I'd ever really find it lacking, again if I can use any bullets I'd want.


Of all the rifles I own now-days I'd be happy with my 270, my 308, my 30-06, my 300 H&H, my 8X57, my 358 Winchester, my 9.3X57 my 9.3X62, my 9,.3X74R or my 375H&H.

Of those I have owned in the past that would also feel fine with are the 7.5 Swiss, the 300 Winchester, the 308 Norma, the 300 Weatherby, the 338-06, and the 338 Winchester.

As long as I got to choose the loads I would be fine with any one of those listed above. Shoot any of those well, and use a good bullet that doesn't blow up easily and you can kill any game in Alaska you need to.

"Those who know, do not speak.
Those who speak, do not know"

Lao Tzu

True when traversing a narrow path. However, those that do not speak, do not educate future generations.

Open minded conversation and willingness to listen and learn are a better path to enlightenment.

You should have brought a Barrett, then you could have shot them black tails from the boat and had your lackeys go step & fetch em... knowing how little you like to walk.

Don't need a fitty when a 14 lb 338 Edge works great out to 1500 yards, and I do get off the boat, gotta have a nice rest to shoot from then climb up to get the dead heads ....

Hunt smarter... not dumber ....

...

Coworker took two bearded seals, whale,bull moose, and some snow geese this year with a Mini 14 running factory loads in 223 Remington..iron sights of course.

Yaaas, but did he do it form a mile away...? laughing

20 years of running into other Alaskans out in the field, rarely do we ever blather incessantly about guns. Alaskans generally, really don't give a fk about what other Alaskans use for a rifle.

The conversations always revolve around fuel usage, engine troubles, weather, trail conditions, river conditions, old timers who used to use a specific river before my generation, trapping legends, mining legends, sled dog-behavior, snowmachine performance, weird animal encounters, etc.

Here on campfire, the obsession of lower-48 folks over rifle/cartridge and scope in Alaska, is really fkn nerdy and senlesss.

Talking about a box of fkn rocks is more useful. At least there might be gold in those rocks.

Those who incessantly brag about how far they shoot or how powerful their rifles and scopes are have other issues.

I’ll be up there next year grizzly hunting. 30.06.

Osky

.30-06. If I ever get to AK it will be for trout and/or salmon so I don't expect getting to shoot anything.

Used that same number a lot for cross canyon shots in steep brushy units. Been doing the same thing long long before laser rangefinders and the current smartphone and PDA's that run ballistic software and kestrel units. Back in those days it was notes with an scientific calculator and my protractor and inclinometer. Dan Lilja supplied a lot of the barrels back in those early days.

One thing remains constant .... and is seriously distubing ....

Those who can't shoot/have the proper equipment for long range hunting ...

Will always tread & stomp all over the rights of those who can & do ....

on the other hand ..

Long range hunters never stomp on other hunters rights ...

Why is that ?

With a lot of you guys ... the 30-06 is considered a phenomenal Alaskan big game hunting cartridge out to 400 yards with xxx fps of velocity & ft lbs of energy . Where the reg Elmer Fudd "abbity abbity" gun dummy oblivious to external ballistics, shooting run of the mill factory ammo in mixed brands & bullet weights is a celebrated "hunter" .....

The 300 RUM does the same at 500 yards as the '06 at the muzzle ...... so in other words (& math) the 300 RUM is the same as the 400 yard '06 at 900 yards ..... & the hunter is an experienced shooter, using handloaded ammunition with the highest bc bullets designed for long range hunting, painstakingly worked up for extreme velocity & precision accuracy that absolutely surpasses the 30-06 at any range ...

is spat on & ridiculed .......

For some reason I thought hunters were supposed to be on the same side .......

I guess not .....

I would choose a treadmill. Most of the lower 48 kuiu army i see in our airports should worry less about kit and more about exersize.

truth ! > maybe more salad less potatoes and gravy

Truth.

Haven't read the entire thread yet, but if I had to choose one "caliber"(cartridge) for the rest of my hunting days in Alaska without a doubt it would be the one cartridge I have yet to ever own just because we don't live in the crazy world of only having to choose one cartridge.....30-06 all day everyday. Its never the best answer, but never the wrong answer either.

That said, since I don't have to pick just one usually I'll grab the 338-06 shooting 230s as my do all. Its short/handy/light and works 0-500 yards just fine. If its further than that I got a 300 WSM with 212s that isn't as short, handy, or light as it has 6" more barrel and weighs in at 2 pounds more as well.

338-06:


300 WSM:


If I had to hunt with just a 30-06 though I would hack it down to a 16-18" barrel as I may never surpass the numbers of critters my wife and I have killed with just 20" barrel 308s and they seem to work just fine.

I'm not one to say you're wrong at all for a cartridge or hunting style choice...but you do realize that a given bullet's velocity gap between two starting speeds decreases the further downrange you get, right?

That is to say, your 200 Accubond at 3200 FPS (.300 RUM) is only going 1751 FPS at 1000 yards, where if you started that bullet at 2700 FPS (.30-06) at 1000 yards that bullet is going 1419 FPS. That cuts the 500 FPS head start at the muzzle down to only a 332 FPS difference.


As for this: I am not sure where your math here is coming from....as it just simply isn't adding up. There's nothing wrong with the RUM...rock on...but it isn't quite as magical as you're making it out to be at long range, unless you're just referring to recoil and muzzle blast.

I have a confession to make.. lord forgive me …. But I have a small dick and long live 30-378 with 150gr tsx bullets..

Must be a Valley Trash thing 😜

Dude you bettah be packing the shed up Ol Peltola coming for you white eyes. White man, on our land, choot all our caribou, catch all our fish.. eat all our berries..

Those are always great. Places are even unofficially named based on who put that trail in or who used to hunt it. If you are quick, you can even meet some of the characters.

I wouldn’t say Swamp’s numbers are far off the mark. The RUM with 250 gr loads with +.700 BC started at 2,850 fps does yield about 2,750 ft-lbs at 500 yards. Depending if you start the 30-06 with 180 gr at 2,750 fps you’d get around 3,000 ft-lbs at the muzzle.

At 900 yds the RUM will maintain around 1,750 ft-lbs, that’s right about where the 06 is at 400 yds with a 180 gr load.

I respect Alaskan folks a great deal and spent a year in Anchorage working on some engineering projects and traveled some of the state. I always enjoy reading what Mainer, Phil and Swamp write. They all bring a different opinion because they all hunt game differently. Never meeting them my opinion after reading many posts is Phil is a big time Brownie guide/hunter, known by many because of magazine hunting articles. His family operation on coastal and grizzly hunting as well as other species is well known. Mainer IMO is a pioneer and a subsistence man who hunts and lives with freedom and survival in mind. A true Alaskan spirit with a high utilitarian IQ which is needed to live and survive in Alaska. Swamp is an elite rifleman/LR hunter (great photos on factory and wildcatted cartridges, especially Wby RPM derived wildcats). His taking of game at extended ranges with the most recent technology/equipment and knowledge of how to use it and fine tune it are difficult to accomplish.

I could be wrong on the above, it’s just my feeling after reading many posts. Point is they all hunt differently and all appear to be proficient and fine with their methods and equipment. That’s all that really matters.

Comparing just the energy of a 250 grain out of a .300 RUM vs 180 grain out of a .30-06 at those distances may very well be comparable.....I dunno.....but using the same bullets the velocity and energy math doesn't add up.

It is not foot lbs that kill. It is adequate holes in the proper place.

Thanks for sharing that link. I am anxiously awaiting a .400 Whelen in a similar configuration to his (lighter contour barrel at 20" on a CRF action) that only needs sights and then should be complete. I had a few hiccups along the way (like when pac-nor sent me a CM barrel vs stainless...something we discovered after the machining and bedding were complete) but looking forward to launching some big pills.

Swamplord,

Even though you spend tens of thousands of dollars on all your own equipment and adventures, you're not doing it right.

What you need to do, is take 20-30k per dumb fker, and have adventures on their dime.

Shoot a stoopid fkn juvenile bear with a 9 mil handgun, then brag it up all over the gun magazines........

did you ignore this part and fill in the rest ?

" & the hunter is an experienced shooter, using handloaded ammunition with the highest bc bullets designed for long range hunting, painstakingly worked up for extreme velocity & precision accuracy "

the typical 30-06 guys will pick up a box of factory ammo, usually whatever is available off the shelf with potato shaped bullets, hit a pie plate sized target a couple times and are ready for moose hunting ....... you guys applaud !

then sh it all over the other guys who use cartridges that have the same or more energy at 2x the distance with much smaller groups beyond 2x the distance .....

the ammunition we load must have high bc bullets at 1/2 moa or less with single digit sd ... there is no exception ....

With all that said ... I've killed more moose at typical short ranges , 100- 400 yards than beyond that , my hunts are late Sept. where I call & rake them in then hammer the snot out of them ... Guillotine execution style, no running, no tracking, no follow up shots, & no guides blasting at my moose ... one shot ....

I've solo hunted Alaska over 30 years with many different cartridges and tested just about every bullet made, usually before most even see the bullets .... I've had custom bullets made for me, designed specifically for the intended use with wildcat cartridges that put factory cartridges to shame in regards to velocity/energy and extreme accuracy

And yes... I agree that "shot placement" is paramount ! (see pics for reference , 338 Edge 285 gr ELDM, RL 33)

Some of us can "shot placement" a hell of a lot farther than the fat bastards with the 30'06 who don't shoot more than ten rounds a year

Some people tend to use Their Own Lack Of ability/skill, experience and equipment to judge others with ...

Do you tell Indy 500 drivers how to drive ? or F35 Lightning ll pilots how to fly ?
Why not ? you don't have what it takes to do that .... so go ahead and tell them what it is they shouldn't do ...

......

When SHTF I know who I want on overwatch. 😁

Most guides in Alaska & especially "PH's" in Africa hate the accomplished & experienced DIY hunters simply because we have no need for them , they prefer the inexperienced guys so they can feel superior around them and feel like celebrities

I'd probably sell my pristine pre-64 Win 70, 375 H&H AI.

235 grain bullets to 300 grain should cover the works.

I appreciate you sharing your .35 Whelen on this thread, and eagerly await a similar exposition of your .400 Whelen when it's ready.

my old man has probably taken over 50 bull moose, 70% taken with a 7mm Rem Mag and others with an old beat up Win70 pre-64 30-06

Both are great cartridges for hunting in Alaska with properly selected bullets for what you're planning to do at typical moose hunting range

bro hunts with his Win70 375 H&H, other bro with Tikka 300 WSM ... moose die every time !

I do things a bit different and in any given day in two weeks of the hunting season I'll be out with a different rifle/cartridge & bullet and hunt different areas, set up for long range or rock throwing distance

Cool story guys but after Meemaw Peltola gets reelected and gets to work Only thing you all be shooting is ph ucking tree stumps.

Damn what Phil do to you??

No, I did not miss that part at all.
I am however, wondering if you missed this part of my response:

If people are hell'bent on obsessing about anything reference hunting, obsessing about the best "type" firearm would be time better spent then masturbating about perfect cartridge.

Think one could successfully hunt anything on the planet - w/ a 24" Bbl'ed 30-06 and 168 gr. Barnes TSX bullets loaded to ~ 2850 at the muzzle.




GR

and I would agree ......

I can do same .... but further out ....

300 RUM 180 gr TTSX bullets

.....

Maybe a disgruntled RHAK member who hates all guides? He certainly can't distinguish an adult brown bear from a juvenile one.

But he does act like he knows all about guides. I know many dozens of both Alaskan guides and African PH's and every single one prefers competent and experienced hunters over arrogant know it alls.

At ~ 47 Ft-Lbs of recoil...?

Stick w/ my 10.5 lb./18 Ft-Lb 30-06 M1 rifle... and get a little closer.

8>)




GR

👍

Ah the infamous Rural Hombres of Alaska (RHAK).. is mark Richards still el presidente of that crew?

You guys hear 👂 that?? It’s River Boat Cpt meemaw Peltola coming after yo hunting and fishing rights. Not a federal subsistence hunter sucks to be you..

WTF or rather Who TF is/are RHAK ?

Resident Hunter of AK.
I believe they are a non-profit, non government organization.

https://www.residenthuntersofalaska.org/about

Uh it’s rural hombres of Alaska gees..

It’s a group of fun loving guys that dislikes Non residents, guides, any restrictions on sheep hunting, I’m sure I left other things out..

They broke away from back pack pantry hunters of alaska or whatever land tawney operation is called

Sounds good, maybe I could be a member if i got a 300rumsuckingwunderlicker

Meh, not a member & don't know anyone who is, in my circle of family & friends .... I'm not against guides or non-resident hunters and I have a lot of respect for Phil and his experience as a hunter & guide in Alaska, our hunting styles differ greatly and I expect some commentary & it doesn't bother me in the least

I guess my comments were incomplete about guide/PH hunter preferences , I meant they hate long range hunters, especially the PH's in Africa, they seem to think everyone should hunt like them at rock throwing distance with ancient cartridges, regardless of the fact that we are a world apart ..... and I don't hunt with guides/PH's ... period

IF I ended up on a guided hunt and a guide shot my animal ... He'd better have a tag 'cause ain't no way in hell I'd be punching mine .... not paying $10-20k and have someone else shoot my animal... that's the only gripe I have about guiding..... don't shoot my animal

carry on ...

Swamp, no push-back from this guy. I respect what you're doing.

You're specialized, unique and a very successful hunter. You work hard for your equipment and go through great efforts to be precise and ethical with your shots.

You post hilarious memes, and are not boring.

You even poke fun at my "potato-shaped bullets".

Anyways, nobody runs your style, it's just different and many folks are too quick to disrespect that.


Like you, my way is different. I was in the back of a gun truck in Iraq, drawing canoes on graphing paper during fuel-stops. Other soldiers found that to be weird.

I hunt only by the canoes, dog sleds and dog teams I build, which is still weird to many.

I wouldn't know the first fkn thing to do with a scope turret or complicated reticle. Just like these guys judging you wouldn't know the first thing to do running with a fkn team of Alaskan Malamutes.

John, some of these subsistence groups are already locking out folks from the fairbanks wasilla and anchorage areas from hunts, which is bllsht. I thought Larry Bartlett did a good job comparing all the wanton waste he saw,to their actions:



Kirk Wilson over in glenallen proposed closing federal lands away from anchorage, fbx, wasilla and other folks, which was also bllsht. And it happened! There used to be all these cool canoe families from fairbanks and anchorage along the tangle lakes/delta river. Went back there again couple years ago, it was a fkn ghost town. Nobody was there.

These groups will be emboldened if she stays. Gawd I hope Nick Begich pulls ahead.

I get it man…. I have no friends I just work at the Burroughs dump over on 49th street.

Exactly people just don’t know how dangerous she will be. Until they try to go hunt caribou/moose in unit 13.. all federal lands shut down.. people don’t realize how much blm land their is in unit 13..

One of the beauties of this state is that there is room and opportunities for all of us where we can paddle our own canoes. The size, terrain, game and weather of the state sort out the fit and competent and if I have learned anything it's that there are numerous "right" ways

Been doing this a long, long time and I know what works for me & will keep on doing it, just like everybody else

Certainly not going to change anything because some anally pained jackoff Johnn on the internet threw a hissy fit ..... I fart in his general direction .... other than that I'll go to a bigger cartridge, bigger higher bc bullet at scorching speed .... and one mile moose hunting ... coming next year !

It ain't rocket scien .......
No wait ... it is like rocket science ,, ha !

Peace .... brothers & sisters

....



....

A Husqvarna chainsaw?? See you and stick have more in common than you thought. I'm trying not to cry, I'm overwhelmed with joy. I will ignore the fact you still have facebook..

ya .. the AIH special littlest one

somebody lifted my Stihl the previous year

Ph ucking thieves my buddy just told ph ucking meth heads are cutting catalytic converters off at rabbit slough parking lot while guys are out duck hunting.

[/quote]

A Husqvarna chainsaw?? See you and stick have more in common than you thought. I'm trying not to cry, I'm overwhelmed with joy. I will ignore the fact you still have facebook..[/quote]


Stick knows HIS shyte and that is all .... As far as what we do .. he has training wheels on ..

He just had enough over the years of the gun dummy bs that fills these pages, and I just troll him from time to time for kicks, lol !

Yup, still got Farcebook, my 4th or 5th account so far, the Socialist re-educators can't break me so they jail me over n over, until finally account is deleted, another one pops up and the cycle of shyte resumes, lol

Aslo keep in touch with some of the King of 2 Mile shooters , y'know the guys doing that long rangey shooting that is frowned upon here because these mfkr's don't know how to ......

2 miles that’s so yesterday…. Now it’s 2 3/4 miles… I’m poor I can only afford a single shot H&R in a 30-30..

That F’ing sucks about ass wipes cutting off catalytic converters at Rabbit Slough. I went in there about 6 years ago and I’m pretty sure there was a mobile whore house set up there. Small camper in the parking lot they had before they extended when the salmon were running. I went down to see if the salmon were in yet, and there was a guy in the parking lot and this skank ass woman walks out of the camper and tried to to talk to me. From what she had was on, it wasn’t a normal camping trip. I just got back in my truck and left.

She’s like $30 dollars for the best time of your life..

That was kind of rude.

You could have at least complimented her by telling her she had a nice tooth.

Now that is funny!,

Swamplord, out of curiosity what are your thoughts on the 338-378 Weatherby?

needs an 8 twist 30" barrel minimum.... to make use of the case capacity for the heavy high bc bullets, if not hunting at long range (1k) then you don't need it, the 340 Wby will work just fine and Peterson makes brass for it, the 338-378 Wby needs a muzzle brake but the 340 Wby does not

don't have a 338-378 Wby but load ammo for three 30-378 Wby rifles and they all shoot great with crafted handloads, two of them have never had factory ammo through them and none ever will again, they want $169.00 for a box of Hornady crap and I'm not giving red box a red cent for anything anymore

same deal with the 30-378, needs a faster twist 30" plus barrel

If you're wanting to stomp the hell out of big game at the usual hunting distances, the 338-378 will do a damn fine job

....

Been awhile, I see internet pornstar swamp cock is still beating his chest.

And the consensus is ought six as "one gun".... lol

And those long shots on game animals, unethical.

Definately unethical for you 'cause you're too stupid to learn how to shoot beyond bow range with a rifle and your choice of "one gun" is fitting and telling

Your cartridge choice is yours, your ethics are yours & don't apply to anyone else

now piss off sissi boi, I'm busy reloading .410 brass shotshells

Its friday nite, you really should get a girlfriend so you dont have to beat off for case lube......

Is your wife still doing outcalls ?

Msg me her #, I lost her contact info when my iphone 11 crashed

Did you run out of Dependz? Dumb fuch, lol

Only a dumb mfkr like you would use lube for reloading brass .410 shotshells, for what I have no clue... I have 100 pcs of .410 brass cases & 100 pcs of .444 Marlin cases I'm loading up & have zero use for lube on anything

Shows how much of a "gundummy" Fudd you are ....

...

PS; Of the three you listed I would choose the .338 Winchester. Might not be ideal but it's enough.

Its ok, nobody really cares what you do in your basement, dumb fuch...lol

New guy here. Like my handle I would go with my Whelen. It has never let me down and kills what ever it is shot at. I have other bigger, faster,newer guns to chose from but the Whelen is the one my hand always reaches for.

One...
I don't know which to choose a 308, 9,3x62 or 375 H&H. Like them all.

300 WSM or 7mm Wby

In the literal interpretation of the OP I believe that MY minimum caliber for Alaska begins with a .30 and goes up from there. In my opinion the .338WM is perfect for a one gun guy and iirc the .338WM was designed for Alaska big game hunting.

Just 1 s h I t don't fly period...mb

My interpretation of the OP is one caliber for the bigger stuff in Alaska. That does not necessarily mean only one rifle so chambered for that purpose, nor only one caliber and rifle for all Alaskan game.

One Rifle, one ctg will DO IT for AK, if you handload...

.338-06AI is a pretty good choice. The AI enables mild velocity boost with heavy bullets, 250gr and up. The 40deg shoulder enables long-lived brass; minimal stretching. Great bullet weight range to choose from. 160's all the way to 300gr. Cast bullets with the 220gr Lee for small game.

The .338/300win is also very versatile. 3 or 4 in the magazine instead of 5. Allows mild loads with 250gr bullets. I started off with 65gr of xmr 4350 with 250gr and with a Rem 700 got up to over 75gr before recoil was worrisome. Never saw pressure signs on a primer. A great ctg for the range you can load. Enables mild loads with jacketed and cast.

.35WhelenAI is also versatile and improved with heavy bullets. The Whelen can shoot pistol bullets. Not that the .357mag is a great woods handgun in AK, but there are 200gr flatpoint molds out there. The .357Maximum might be a choice for a duo, but the Dan Wesson's are a rarity. Seems like S&W could chamber their big mag frame for the Maximum???

Many acclaim the .375 H&H for "one rifle/ctg". The .375 Ruger Mag is better. More velocity, no belt (maybe a plus, maybe not), chambers in any `06 length action and uses standard magnum boltface diameter.



If the .30-06 is sufficient or "good enough" for All-Around In AK; the .338-06AI is just that much more because bullet weight choices.


A guy could probably do just fine with a .280remAI as that one is acknowledged as gaining most velocity boost of all the AI'ed `06 ctgs. Leaves a bit to be desired with max 180gr weights for a Bear Confrontation. Still probably enough.



The .358 Norma Mag is an AK Classic Round. Handloading that one makes lots of options open up.

At one time I had .378wby ctgs, Lapua mag, Lazzeroni, and Rem Ultra Mags in 30 & 338 cals, also a .375rum. Just too big and too limited. Big volume ctgs just can't be safely loaded to mild velocities.

Personally, I can't see shooting any rifle without handloading for it.

QUOTE: Big volume ctgs just can't be safely loaded to mild velocities.


😂! Been doing it for almost 40 years! Maybe I’ve just been lucky, or can do that which no one else is capable! Granted, I’ve not worked with some of the cartridges that you mentioned…..but, have developed pretty good “light loads” in a .375 AI. That is if……280 grain (cast) bullets @ approximately 1300 fps is considered mild. I’m reasonably certain that I could get down to around 1000 fps…..but, to what end? memtb

Hola Gringo....

Was referring to .30-378wby, Ultra Mags, Lapua Mags as "Big Volume Ctgs"

The .375 H&H etc has lesser volume than the standard Weatherby ctgs and the 8mm Rem Mag ctgs.
I am not a fan of the Express length magnums.

Dunno if the old standby 10gr Unq is usable in the H&H? Detonation is pretty likely in a lg capacity ctg, most of those only work with big charges of slow burning powder, iirc.

The .375 has a good bullet weight range, from 235 (maybe some lighter), on up to 350gr. I know some guys tout the .375 Whelen, but not much shoulder on that one. The .375/284 enables same powder charge and ballistics but has more shoulder area. That would be a good One Gun round for AK. I never tried any light loads in the .375 ruger I used to own. That is a pretty excellent round in all respects. Easy to improve any standard Belted Magnum to .375 Ruger; unless it's Express length.

The .375 Weatherby is the AI'd version of the H&H. Very good choice if you like an Express length ctg.

I was leaning towards the Ruger 375 Alaskan.
Brass is hard to come by though.
Agree with your statement about hand loading.

Thanks for the info

Hogan, I am loading the AI version of the H&H…..pretty much a .375 Weatherby without the radius shoulder! memtb

The 375 Wby and the 375 H&H AI are not the same cartridge. The AI is a small amount larger and lacks the radiused Wby shoulder.

I am always interested in reading Swamplord’s posts. He is pushing the envelope and doing very interesting things. I always learn something PLUS unlike BS he writes clearly and is civil.

I wouldn’t attempt to do the hunting which I do with one of his rifles because they don’t fit with my hunting methods. However, what he uses works for him. A big plus is that he has actual experience. There isn’t any conjecture.

You have a team of Mals? I got a team off Alaskan huskys and been looking for some good Malamutes. Any chance your looking to downsize your kennel a bit? You have a team of Mals? I've got a team of huskys now but have been wanting some Malumutes. Any chance you want to downsize your kennel a bit?

Sled dog guy,
Thanks for your interest in my malamutes and congrats on the fresh snow, I bet your AK huskies must be really amped up.

I'm not currently selling or rehoming any of my dogs. Nor do i have a litter planned for quite some time.

I usually have a litter of pups every 2-3 years. They're slow to mature and grow, so it's not like huskies that are race-ready as yearlings, hence the 2-3 year training commitment to a litter of pups, before I contemplate having another litter.

I completely understand. Still looking though, so if you or someone you may know happen to be looking to sell a few dogs try to let me know.

My thoughts are that if you're including sheep and goats and deer along with moose, brown/grizz, and caribou, that you're going to compromise.
A .375 would be great for the big stuff, while a flat shooting, wind cutting caliber is better for the far stuff.

I'm going .300 Weatherby mag for everything.
It demolished my 10 foot brown bear first shot...I'm a believer.

I have sought after "ideal" niche weapons for so many years that it's kind of a crazy question. However, I'd go as low as 7x57/7mm-08 and up to 375 H&H. But mid-ground cartridges: 30-06 or 300 Win Mag is where I'd settle if forced. I've never owned a 300, and like my '06s just fine, so...

Well the rifle to handle the bigger stuff is going to be a
375 H&H.
My best friend found a Sako in one.

Need some brass, and dies.

And a scope somewhere in in 1-8ish range:)

300 ultra mag for me probably

The 338 Winchester & 375 Ruger have worked very well for me on moose. Due to visibility, I will not be shooting over 230 yards in the present area that I hunt.
A 20" 375 Ruger is a favorite.

Somehow I missed the responses to this thread but Thank you for the kind words sir ....

Everybody has a personal limit in their abilities & the equipment they possess, some tend to use their own insecurities, lack of ability, knowledge, experience & training .. & attempt to shout others down, simply because they feel inferior & that sends them into a rage .. It's psychological insanity that they cannot control, something very prevalent on the 24 Hr Campfire with some of the members

most of these fktards were still in their diapers (or an itch in their daddy's britches) when some of us were shooting shyte way beyond 1k, the others are old fkrs set in their ways & think everybody should adhere to their standards .....

I saluted them with one finger & did & do whatever the hell I wanted ...

Freedom is awesome !
(wasn't that supposed to be America's theme ?)
now we have these would be Socialists trying to tell us which cartridge we must use & how far we can shoot....

Pic below is me about to leave on my 2004 solo moose hunting trip for two weeks into the Alaskan wilderness around Talkeetna with nobody to keep me company but the big rock Mt.McKinley & my trusty buddy & best friend the 500 S&W Mag on my side

Dear God I was so good lookin back then, wtf happened to me now ? lol !

Sako TRGS M995 chambered in 7.82 Warbird good out to 1500 yards ...
Doing long range hunting before it was cool ..
2004 was a very successful season... I made it back home alive, lol ! with a monstrous moose rack, yo !

...

Swamplord, Thanks for your posts and photos! Though, in this most recent photo…..your youth and inexperience is noted with your choice of handguns. Obviously at the time, you were not aware that it was far too heavy and had far too much recoil to be effective in the field! 😉 memtb

Swamplord you should wright a book about your hunts with pics. it would be a good 👍

Actually, Swamplord, the guys at longrangehunting were shooting Moose down Palmer way at over 1000yds and posting about it in the late 90s. Guys were also shooting elk across canyons in the lower 48. Not as minimalist as you but 97/98 was when I discovered that forum. Even bought a takeoff .338 rum sendero fluted barrel off one of them. Just about the time the .338 Edge was developed or launched.

As far as longrange venues in the late 90s, the other one was snipercountry. The duty roster there was an interesting member exchange. The main contributors, reviewers, organizers there were writing articles for the tactical oriented magazine published by long defunct Precision Shooting.

There was a guy who used to post on the old snipershide lived over Dillingham way who shot lots of moose with a .50 beowulf and posted pix pretty often back around `05/6. Not many were hunting with the EBR back then.

Roger that
some of us were using 300 Win Mags, 300 & 340 WBY's before the 300 Rum appeared, then we switched to the bigger dog, I had my gunsmith rebuild my 1st 300 RUM with a longer barrel and chambered in a 300 Rum Improved, it was a gunboot ATV carry rifle only, but worked very well off a bi-pod to shoot across valleys

The Sako in 7.82 Warbird shot so freakin good I wasn't gonna chop it up back then, it also was an easy carry rifle for hiking up the bumps on the map, was why I used it so much

Phil i discovered what a night stuck in the bush while guiding for caribou. then i read your shiswash article when back to civilization: a great lesson to all.

Out of what I have, my Winchester M70 Extreme Weather Stainless with Leupold VX-3i 3.5-10x40. I don't intend on ever hunt Grizzlies and I think it's about perfect for mountain game, caribou, and moose. Maybe on the light side for a big alaskan bull moose but I haven't gotten the chance to shoot anything but Caribou up here. I prepared myself to be capable out to 500 but both bulls I shot were 125 and in due to terrain. I'm no expert on Alaskan hunting but I'd say two would be my unhappy minimum for all big game. The .270 as mentioned for Caribou and Mountain Game and probably a fast handling .338 WM or .375 for the rest. My .375 is a Ruger No.1 or I'd include it.

For Alaska, the .375 Ruger. My worldwide two rifle battery is the 30 06 and .375 Ruger. For Alaska, the .375 is the right answer.

35 Whelen has done the job for 40 years, no reason to change now.

Yes, I read the entire thread. Very entertaining.

Now I want to collect my Special Olympics "participation trophy."

In 1985 when I pitched up at Elmendorf AFB, I had in tow a .340 WbyMag Fibermark.
It was the first factory rifle with a fiberglass stock, an early McMillan with black wrinkle paint covering it.
That was special !
So I put away my wood-stocked .30-06, .375 H&H, .458 WinMag and .460 WbyMag rifles.
I did find a Brown Precision stock for an (ugh) 7mm RemMag for sheep hunting.
By 1986 I was dragging the .340 WbyMag to Kodiak in August-September for deer,
and for use as a noise-maker to scare off the Kodiak bear that pressed his nose on my tent on a moonless night.
In November of that same year that I first became a RHAK,
I did a solo, fly-in caribou hunt on the AK Peninsula, landing at Danny's Dune (where Danny crashed a Piper Cherokee)
near Shotsky Creek, for a five-day, four-night stay.
My biggest 'bou I shot at 350 yards with the .340 WbyMag, it went down at the shot, but was still trying to get up until I shot him a second time.
Two other smaller bou's were DRT at closer ranges with one shot each.
I didn't bother to fill my fourth tag, as survival issues set in after that.

A featherweight .375 H&H (6.75 lbs dry weight) made a dandy black bear rifle for Prince William Sound.
No. 3 Douglas stainless on a Pre-'64 M70 action in a Brown Pounder stock, a recipe for success.

My second trip to Kodiak was with a Whitworth Mk X re-chambered to .375 Weatherby Magnum, and sunk into a Brown Precision stock, ugly as I could make it.
It cut deer in half with greater authority, made it easier to haul them out of the ravines or off the hillsides
when the deer was cut in two amidships.
Angled shooting tended to result in spine hits.
I had a bear tag for Jap Bay that year but King Kong of Kodiak eluded me,
though I actually made a run at him from a mile away, until he vanished into the alders at 300 yards.
Was it my BO or was it the noise of my heavy breathing or bad breath ?
What a disappointment.

I used a .458 WinMag for cow moose on a Fort Rich drawing permit.
After I did that the General decided to make it bow hunting only for next year.

I love the .458 WinMag best of all, for Alaska or anywhere.
Prefer the 404-gr Shock Hammer at 2500 fps MV.
That is a better sheep rifle than Mr. Chadwick's .404 Jeffery, taker of the Chadwick Ram, greatest North American trophy ever.
I have a 23" barreled M70 Classic that weighs about 7.5 pounds bare/empty/dry.
The perfect Alaskan Sheep Rifle.



That would be my "one caliber" rifle but I would have at least a half dozen rifles so chambered in various formats
walnut and blue, synthetic and stainless, bolt-action and single-shot.
Bare/dry/unloaded rifle weights of 7 to 9 pounds,
barrel lengths from 17" to 25" are OK with me.
The 17"-barreled .458 WinMag can do +5000 ft-lbs KE with 400-grainer quite easily,
even works in a sub-3.4" magazine box length.

It would begin with a "3"

15 shots total in three consecutive groups:

300 Weatherby Remington , 700 Classic, 200 grain Nosler Partition, 215, 78.2 grains RE 26, 0.66 MOA
300 Weatherby Remington , 700 Classic, 200 grain Nosler Partition, 215, 78.2 grains RE 26, 0.71 MOA
300 Weatherby Remington , 700 Classic, 200 grain Nosler Partition, 215, 78.2 grains RE 26, 0.71 MOA

So far, no recovered bullets, so I'm not sure how they performed. (in other words, good penetration)

But my impression is that it will do. Not sure what I'd come across in the Western Hemisphere that would make me believe I need more.

If that doesn’t do it with a well placed shot I wouldn’t want to be within 100 miles of that critter irregardless of “caliber”. 😉

So here is what I ended up with, a Sako 375 H+H.
Thank you for the input.

Ok,,,,, you did Good, I had a SAKO L61R .30-06 Finn-Bear back in the day..... Very Good Rifles.....

It should read 9.49 pounds.

+1.

worth the reading again that fall hunting season is coming again. i sold my 375 ruger and getting a second 9.3x62 to help the 9.3x74r ...

500 Jeffery. It's all I shoot these days. Kills everything from jackrabbits to dinosaurs.

[img]https://i.imgur.com/BD0shRU.jpg?1[/img]

Need to remove everything after the “jpg”.

338 is hard to beat, the caliber....in '06 to WM brass will do plenty. A 225 Partition will do about all that needs doing, and a 200 BT/AB is on tap for smaller animals at good ranges, a tad flatter.

That said, a 9.3 would not disappoint on shots to say 200-250 yds. You sacrifice some range going to these heavier larger bullets, in the common rounds like x62. IIRC, the 250 is in the AB, and a 286 will handle most anything fairly hit, but more dope is required.

Thanks I was wondering why my images weren't posting right.

Lucky for me, my grand kids live here in Alaska.

.35 Whelen with 225s or 250s; or .30-06 w/ 200s or 220s. Maybe a 9.3x62.

For a good soft-recoiling option, go with a .378 Roy.

338 ?

ya, it good for 1MMHH (1 mile moose head hunting) if it's done right !

I used the 470 Nitro Express case as an inspiration, improved the body and maxed the case length for ease of extraction of a fired round in a Remington 700 long action

duplicating the velocity of the 338 Chey Tac in a Rem 700 hunting rifle is most appealing to me

275 gr Badlands Superbulldozer 2 hunting bullets with a G1 bc at .880 (.451 G7) at 3300 fps makes for an extreme long range killing machine

Y'know what's super cool about my 338 Headhunter wildcat ?

Nobody else in the universe has one, dis my baby !

life's too short to hunt with generic, boring guns, cartridges & bullets at rock throwing distances !

I like that.

As Major Plaster describes it, The Magnificent 300 Winchester Magnum. I harvested everything in Alaska that I was interested in taking with a 30-06 decades ago, but graduated when reading Plaster on modern military and police sniping. I still love my pre-64 Winchester 30-06, and stilllove my customized Browning Stainless Stalker Alaska Special 338 WinMag, but in the open Alaskan country above 3000' where Itend to spend my time these days, The customized Tikka T-3 in 300 WinMag with 3x10 Shepherd is my carry rifle. I shoot 200 grain Accubonds pushed by 67.3 grains of IMR 4350. Apparently, those are pretty popular bullets. Haven't seen them in 3 years. Nosler tells me to watch for them soon. I'm seeing 180 grainers of late.........

Caliber: .308
Cartridge: 308 Winchester or 300 WSM

Ok,,,,,, One more time, FWIW, here is what I've been Packing,,,, for awhile now.....
Lj in Alaska....

True. But what if you weren't a Special Olympian, and ran against them as a Partner, and lost to them? What would that make you? Unretarded, and still a loser?

Can you run a 440 in under 1:09.99 seconds, an 800 in under 2:40.4, or a mile in under 5:54.50? Could you have done it when you were in high school?

https://www.frontiersman.com/sports...c54ebb2-ebbe-11ec-ba89-9b6168a74059.html

Bazinga! Take that, you mockers of the Special Olympians! 😳

Oh yea, the one cartridge thing? The correct answer is 35 Whelen. Thanks to all who participated.

I'm amazed by those who don't know the difference between caliber and cartridge.

I can do well with just a 30 caliber rifle chambered in 30-06.

Good point. That criteria allows multiple cartridges. So I'm definitely a 30 caliber guy;

7.62x39
7.62x51
30-06
300 WinMag