Backpacking gun, .308 or heavier?

For going out into the wild where hunting for survival might be required, I would also want a .22 pistol and a LOT of lightweight .22 ammo.

For defense only, a short 12ga with a foldable stock or a .44mag pistol and practice.

Nothing wrong with a .308. Or 45-70 as suggested. A 12ga is cheap, lightweight and allows for everything from birdshot to buckshot to slugs.

Old Time Hunter,
wise advice and at long range the bolt is also recommended due to their accuracy. Even cases with a rebated rim are not recommended in bolt actions for dangerous game as sometimes they have problems with the extractors.
A dangerous game system is a very serious business and nothing to be taking lightly by anyone.
For deer if you have an issue with your AR and miss the shot, big deal, no dinner maybe. with a charging grizzle, or brown bear, you tell me.

That is why I said if I had to choose an semi auto (although hesitant) I would bet on the saiga .308 (AK). This and the VEPR are widely used in Siberia and Ukraine with great success even in extreme weather. They were designed for their country and extensively tested in extreme conditions. The looseness of the system, simplicity and strong magazines have to do a lot with their reliability. So far my oldest 308 (the one in the link I sent) is going with over 3K rounds w.o one single failure to eject and feed. It is cleaned every 500 rounds or so. I only use clean NATO rounds like the stuff I used to shoot back in the service. Nothing fancy but the carbine likes it.

Cheers,
E.

islandphish,
Nitro express was never mentioned here, I think. In America are not very popular and not really needed and abroad are seen in hunts and not the choice nr. one assuming anyone can afford to adquire one.
I mentioned double barrels as they were for a long time preferred in safaries for certain game but the quick bolt action replaced them.
Anyway this is a forum to give your opinion and it is always welcome no doubt. (At least on my side.)
And if the local laws allow it and you feel better with a FAL go ahead. But the facts are that the levers are favored for the reasons I told you before. In organized hunts here and abroad they will not let you hunt with a FAL.
On your own turf and time you can do whatever you want.
This is a free country, still. Just be informed of what is allowed and what not so you are legal.

I will stop right here as I don't want to derail the thread from the originally intended purpose.

mid size bear vs .223 polytip...
http://www.calguns.net/calgunforum/showthread.php?t=355393

General info...
http://www.chuckhawks.com/rifles_dangerous_game.htm

Cheers,
E.

I see your point. Obviously he would be better off taking a dangerous game rifle since he's really likely to need to shoot a 1000lb grizz (nevermind that average grizz is maybe 600).

This thread is starting to remind me of the guy who was gonna take me bear hunting. .35 Whelen, .44 mag, 3 piece knife kit....no rubber boots, and dragging butt all the way to the truck.

He better take that AR you recommended too, so he can shoot all the deer he sees along the Yukon. :banghead:

...

THE cheap solution, NEF Handi rifle in 45/70. Cut the barrel down to 17" and add one of the collapsable stock. It is about as cheap, lightweight and compact backpack rifle as one is going to find

Id say, a Mosin 91 59 carbine with barnaul 203 gr SP . Handy and reliable . Has a lot of punch from that 54 R cartridge.

Doesn't Ruger make a revolver called "The Alaskan?" .44 Mag, I believe.

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S&W has the "460 Emergency Survival Kit," featuring a revolver in 44 Magnum, 460 Magnum or 500 Magnum. I'm sure the revolvers are fine, but for my money the "kit" wastes a lot of space for backpacking.

http://www.gunblast.com/AndyTuttle_SW460ES.htm

Did you consider a .223 Pistol?
Very concealable, in a rifle caliber
and very effective if you are not shooting
at 300 yards.

Not as much power as the .308 but you
can use 30 shot AR mags.

Quite a few options.

A Thompson Contender in .308 with a 14" barrel is a great hunting option and very light.

I have a NEF Handi Rifle with the youth stock and short barrel. It can be taken apart farily easily to put in a backpack. Even when assembled, it's mighty short and very light. Take your pick for cartridges, 270, 308, 30-06, 45-70.

I have a BLR lightweight takedown in .325 WSM. It's pretty handy to take apart and put together, but still heavier than the above options.

I have a Marlin Guide Gun and really like it. I didn't realize they made a take-down version until I read it above. It's still heavier than the top 2 options though.

KISS applies. Mossberg 500, slugster barrel, Brenneke slugs, slung in an Alaska Sportsman scabbard. Works great, easy to carry or to draw. Leave the frills off of it and leave the $1,500 co-pilot at home. Assume whatever goes down the river with you will be in and out of the river multiple times.

While bears are a minor concern in Alaska, Moose are actually responsible for more injuries and deaths. TBH, I'm less concerned about bears than Moose, and .223 is simply inadequate for m005e. (A m0053 bit my sister once. . .)

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Not sure where that info is coming from. I'm only aware of two moose fatalities, one of which was entirely avoidable and the other I don't know enough details of. I've been chased by many, many moose and run into them at close quarters all the time. They just want you out of their space, and are only a threat if provoked. Even then they don't represent the threat posed by a griz on the Yukon. Not even close. They're amiable creatures and very good eating.

When you say things like this, you get folks outside paranoid about moose and they're liable to start blasting them on the trial on sight. That's a freezer full of meat wasted by some fool cheechako. Not to mention the very real possibility of criminal charges and jail time. Juries here do not like bear much, but a moose is someone's food for winter. You'd have to hope for a jury of gardeners.

Also, moose don't take much bullet to kill. I've seen them killed with 7.62x39 SP's. They usually take a minute to die, but the heart/lung area is enormous on them and a very easy target. Killing moose is not half so hard as getting them butchered and packed out.

I think the misnomer about Moose being the deadliest creature in AK comes from automobile accidents; which is more prevalent than bear attacks IIRC. That said, a rifle isn't going to do you much good if you're barreling towards a Moose in the middle of the road.

Has to do with the fact that you're several orders of magnitude more likely to run into moose than bear,

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Depends on where you are. Here, there is a population of about 1 brownie per square mile. Take a long walk, and you will run into a bear.

As for the OP, I really haven't seen a good description of what the intended use is. Is this for hunting or defense?
If it's just for defense (and maybe some small game) then a coach gun fits all the criteria. It will fit in a backpack with the butt over your shoulder. Or broken down, completely concealed within the pack.
If you're looking for primarily a hunting rifle then a number of good bolt gun will do the job, though not very many will break down into your pack unless you pay the big bucks for a specialty rifle.

The new Ruger Scout rifle would probably break down and fit in a pack. It's in .308 with a 16 inch barrel.

I would say yes on the 10mm, yes on your buddy bringing the .357 and just go, I'd suggest a bear spray too. That's for hiking.

I carried a .357 for years in AK, stoked with 200 grain Cor-Bon hard casts. Never did shoot any man killers though, thankfully.

The odds of bringing a long gun to bear in time to stop a bear attack are small when you consider most attacks begin with a surprise at very short range. I'd rather have the convenience of a handgun and those two are both good sized.

If on a float trip, still with the above choices but keep the 870 for camp protection at night. That is always when I have felt most vulnerable. Noises outside the tent at night are investigated with a headlamp and slugs.