[andrew cochran]

^ You get your username from 6.65x55 swede?

One thing that mooseman said is very true. You will always find .30-06 and .300 win mag in Alaska, and anywhere else for the matter.

[Rex in OTZ]

I do believe there is a song of that very subject
30-06 got its foot in the door in these parts a while back when Mucktuk Marstin was equipping the ATG (Alaska Territorial Guard) quite a few WWI era 1917 Enfields were handed out with crates of ammo all along the coast, quite a few have survived to this day (I had a 10/1918 dated eddystone sporter) most had been sporterized.

[travisg96]

300 WSM is available at Walmart here. Do they have Walmart up there:}?

[338RUM]

there is a walmart everywhere!!! But my choice would be a 338 WM nothin like the ability to push 250gr bullets 27-2800 FPS and reach 250 yards!

[SwedeSteve]

I am SwedeSteve because I am Swedish. If you go out to the bush and wait till then to buy ammo, you're a fool. I wouldn't get on a plane without having 40 rds of my own hand tailored loads. As for calibers at Walmart, you'll never know when they are out of stock. No one, with any sense, comes here to hunt, and buys ammo here. If you haven't shot 50-100 rds of your load before getting on the plane, then you haven't done your part.

[Rex in OTZ]

I know one co-worker that thinks that the .300 WinMag is the minimum to leave home with, there are the pitiful few of the Magnum crowd here.
I know the coastal guys like the .458 Win Mag for shooting Baluga's
I know of some fellas who carry just .243's and swear by them "Sonny from WLK loves his Rem 700 BDL"
and the few ive seen around packing just the Mini - 14 "scoped" these guys are always butchering game in the yard and not much escapes em.
my neighbor has only one rifle 'the 7mm Remington Mag' thats it.
As I remember it most the bear encounters here the people that were hurt by bears dident try to avoid bears (out of towners), the few bears Ive seen the hides hanging up around town drying were harvested because they were in the way.
I had a girl friend (Mz Kaleak) in Barrow whose uncle shot polar bears useing a .22Lr. nothing else
I worked with a plane cleaner form Shungnak that hunted his moose useing a .22-250 and never thought he was under gunned!
Noatak "Mr B" who shot caribou with the .22mag (H&K 300) that was all he felt like carrying!!!!!
I had a brother in law who only hunted with a IverJohnson M1 carbine for as long as I knew him that's was his only gun.
My good friend H.B. Gibson of Barrow swore only a marlin 10ga bolt action shotgun was ever needed and related many stories of goldmineing on the seward penn and the Marlin 10 was the only gun in camp.
some the best hunters I knew had only one gun and it was all they needed.
Me I cannot decide what I like to take mabe the Mosin P-27 or the Savage 30-06?

[andrew cochran]

Quote:       Originally Posted by SwedeSteve

I am SwedeSteve because I am Swedish. If you go out to the bush and wait till then to buy ammo, you're a fool. I wouldn't get on a plane without having 40 rds of my own hand tailored loads. As for calibers at Walmart, you'll never know when they are out of stock. No one, with any sense, comes here to hunt, and buys ammo here. If you haven't shot 50-100 rds of your load before getting on the plane, then you haven't done your part.

That is VERY true! You cannot say that enough.

BUT if your in my case you have to pick a caliber that is redily avaible.

I've heard alot about some of them Alaskans taking mini-14's for moose.

[Rex in OTZ]

I must clearify that for the most part the majority of meat harvested is Caribou and Seal with Moose in third place but pound wise it comes in behind chum salmon and white fish.
the guys shoot targets of opertunity, Caribou if they are fat in winter and Wolf and Wolverine.

[travisg96]

Mabe a 50 BMG. A near miss would be all it takes.

[samuel]

A .22lr,if I miss with a big gun I will have expended so much on ammo I will starve anyway.The price of ammo is terrible up there and the people have no wercy on someone that goes broke buying ammo and missing the game. sam.

[SwedeSteve]

^ All the more reason to reload. Oh, and don't miss !!

[kansascoyote]

My personal favorite is my 7mm mauser . Flat trajectory and proven to kill almost anything god has created .

[SwedeSteve]

I love the 7mm too !! and the 7Mag.

[K75RT]

If you are going to travel into Grizzly country caliber should be the most you can handle. There are choices to carry like a 12ga. Slug gun, or a Bolt Action Rifle, if you choose a BA make sure that it has a Mauser style extractor. Your firearm must feed and extract the cartridges as needed, any bobbling in the real situation will lead to mauling or death. D'Arcy Echols guarantees his rifles to work 100% of the time, you do your part his will do its part....

[SwedeSteve]

Another popular Alaskan caliber is the 338 Win Mag.

[Recluse]

Although I don't have one, I agree with the 338 Win Mag...pretty versatile round, especially if you hand load. Many people I know own this caliber. My pet rifle is chambered in 300 WBY. I have taken one shot kills on brown bear, dalls sheep, elk and moose. Years ago I underestimated the toughness of a Billy and didn't load appropriately. I had to take a follow-up shot to anchor him before he did a cliff dive...tough critters! Proper bullet and shot placement really means more than just caliber alone.

[privateer]

this may sound strange to you magnum guys but I'm being serious.
Buy your brother an M1A . I hunted with one up here for years, the right rifle is a tack driver and the 308 is enough gun for most game in Alaska. And for that nightmare Big Brown charging - Well I really liked the idea of that 20 round mag full of 308. alot of you mentioned the 45/70 I think it's a great camp gun but not my idea of a real great hunting weapon.

As an added thought - when one of those big wolly bastards is is the long grass grunting and snapping his teeth at you, no gun feels like enough.

John

[ratltrap]

Really depends on where he plans to hunt.

You say your bro is in Kenai, then the target animals will probably be moose, the bears, and caribou. For that area I'd personally take my 338 WM, but I think a 300 mag of some flavor is probably ideal with the 300 WM being most common. 338 Mag is another good choice and would probably be my minimum if I was inclined toward a coastal brown bear. The RUM and Lapua will give you better range (can you say 'bou hoo) but the WM is probably most common. Mags in 358 and 375 are fine cartridges too. 30-06 or a 7 mag will do the job for the recoil intolerant. I don't like the WSMs for dangerous game 'cause I've seen them misfeed too often.

If he likes to travel a bit to hunt then sheep, goats, deer, and maybe elk can be added to the menu. The 30+ Mags are still a good choices, but you can easily get away with a 270 or 280 for a light kicker.

If a 300 mag or less is chosen, most of those critters will use up premium bullets. Otherwise use discretion with bullets range and speed.

[SwedeSteve]

Privateer has a point !!

[Jim Rau]

My personal preference is the 338 WM. I call it the Alaskan 30-06.
But as Moose elated to, 300 WM is hard to beat!
You can't go wrong with either of them.
I have a 45-70, but unless I am hunting in heavy cover I would not use it. I do take it with me for bear defense when I go camping/fishing.