.260 rem for my alaska rifle

[paintballdude902]

im heading to alaska next summer and im buying gear over the next 6 months im thinking about a rifle in .260 rem for moose

decent rifle for moose?

or should i go with a .30-06

 

[1200 meters]

.260?, In Alaska?

Moose is one thing, but Big Griz is another story. 30-06 is as small as I'd go,but I met a fellow In the woods up there once who talked about emptying 5 rounds of 30-06 into a Grizzly charging up his backyard that finally died in his kitchen. I'm pretty sure a .260 would not have done the job. I'm not even sure it would do that well with a Moose. better to be safe than gored are ripped to shreds. Try a 413 Rigby. Of course there are the Ackleys in .280. Blitz

 

[pete f]

First off, I believe you need a guide to hunt moose in alaska, not positive but I think so. So you need to bring what ever he calls as the minimum.

THe 260 is a hot rod 6.5x55. Which is the Number 1 moose gun in Scandinavia. So with the right bullet, (at least a 140 grain nosler partition.) you should do find if the guide allows it.

Often guides are very happy to see someone show up with a "modest" rifle vs a Monster magnum because the shooter usually does a better job, the guide keeps his hearing, and animal is just as dead.

Start with a guide's recommendation, and go from there.

 

[blitzen]

a .260 Rem is my brothers favorite sheep gun, because it fits in that tiny little Ruger he carries. If your going to be up here for any length of time do yourself a favor and buy a .338 or better yet a .375. (a 30-06 with 220 gr bullets will do). wherever you go in Alaska you will be in bear country, remember that. A .260 is not a fit caliber for a quartering away shot on moose where you might have to shoot through from the last rib to the off shoulder. Unless a badly gut shot moose is what your after. They are not really that tough and a shot through the lungs will put them down but they are really big. Picture a beast 3 feet thick at the shoulder when they are laid out flat on the ground and you will get the idea. You don't always get to pick your shot. It's been said before, Use enough gun! I don't have a regulations book handy at the moment but as far as I know you will not need a guide to hunt moose in AK. Brown bear yes.

 

[islandphish]

non residents, guide required for brown bear/grizz, sheep, goat.

 

[paintballdude902]

this will be a summer adventure when i graduate next year.

im planning on staying in the petersburg area for 3-4 months

im looking into jobs with the parks service and processing plants

i dont have plans to hunt brown or griz while im up there too dang expensive for an 18 year old kid

maybe ill got for black bear but thats not really appealing to me since i do that here and we average 600lbs

 

[X-Rap]

If you are just looking for a knock around gun to take hiking, fishing, or camping a Marlin Guide Gun in 45-70 will do in anything in Alaska and will also be a fine hunting gun for 150 yd and under shooting. I think it is now made in stainless steel.

 

[paintballdude902]

x-rap ive been thinking about taking my brother inlaws ive used it for bear here many times and its a good rifle

but i idk just seams kinda excessive if i decide to go on a plain jane deer hunt there

 

[AKCOP]

Do yourself a favor and listen to blitzen. You certainly can kill a moose with a .260 but the first time you come face to face with a big brownie
you will wish to God you had something more.

 

[paintballdude902]

ok well i dont really want to buy a rifle ina caliber i wont use when i come home so would i be better to take a .30-06 or a .45-70?

 

[woof]

Also in the .308 family how about the new .338 Federal? Can be had in shorter actions, with hot loads comes close to .338 mag, very adequate for moose, and available in lighter loads as a great thick woods whitetail gun back east. Check this out:
http://www.gunbroker.com/Auction/ViewItem.asp?Item=101624828
Or upscale from that, the Kimber 84M for 800 or so.

Here's a good article on the cartridge:
http://www.chuckhawks.com/338_federal_first_look.htm

 

[pete f]

sorry for the mis info on the non res guide requirements,

Again, the chances of running up against a big brownie are smaller than most people say. It depends on location as much as anything. I would be more comfy sending someone in the woods with a .260 that they have had a chance to shoot a lot and do a lot of work with than someone who's just gotten a new 338 and is not ready for the kick.

A .260 in a 140 or 160 will kill moose just fine, it will out penetrate a 150 or 180 30-06, and it will do it nice and clean.

I have seen 160 6.5 x 55 's run the full length of a big deer, and I have seen them kill big black bears well too, as they penetrate a whole lot better than they should but they do.

WMD Bell killed hundreds of elephants with a 6.5 x54 which is even less stout than the 55 swede and 300 fps behind the 260.

 

[koja48]

big brownie . . . depends on location

. . . and in the event I were moose hunting and the brownie & I just "happened" to be in the same location at the same time & considering the chance that could occur, I'd rather carry something a bit more robust, yet within my capability to use accurately. That's just me, but I've been around for 60 years & would prefer to eke-out a few more. I wear warm clothes in the winter, shorts in the summer, rain gear during downpours, carry water in the desert . . . as the Boy Scouts say . . . "Be Prepared." "Wishing" for something different provides NO advantage during times of duress.

 

[cjanak]

How about you get a reasonably priced rifle in .260 (a fine all-around cartridge) and then pick up some bear spray?

 

[BIGR]

Better take something bigger, incase you run into something that wants to eat you.

 

[esheato]

I've got a .260 and I would opt for a larger caliber were I to set foot in Alaska.

YMMV.

Ed

 

[Cosmoline]

THe 260 is a hot rod 6.5x55. Which is the Number 1 moose gun in Scandinavia. So with the right bullet, (at least a 140 grain nosler partition.) you should do find if the guide allows it.

The .260 is not the equal of the Swede with larger bullets. It was designed for shrunken size actions and sacrificed the capacity and throat needed for the famous 160 grain+ crossbow bolts. Well those bolts are exactly what people use to bring down Alces with a 6.5. I'm not saying a 140 or smaller wouldn't work on a moose, but the intended use was longer range and smaller game, like sheep and goats. I guess the question is what distance are you going to be shooting at and how well does your rifle stabilize the big bullets. If you shoot a moose inside 50 yards in thick forest it won't know the difference, but you could be selling yourself short in more open country in a different GMU. The main reason for bigger iron isn't so much brown bear but giving yourself more options for more shots.

 

[Shawnee]

Take a .270.

 

[auschip]

Two guides I duck hunt with, also guide in Alaska (both hunting & fishing). When I asked what they prefer hunters to show up with, they both said .338. I believe it was a combination of less tracking after the shot (specifically with regard to lost animals), and better performance.

90% of the time you would be fine with the 30-06, but why take the chance on missing out on a trophy or losing an animal?