Alaska rifle

[mike6161]

I have a question for THR.

My brother just moved to Alaska and is getting in to guns. He has a 10-22 but now he wants to get a hunting rifle he will most likely be hunting moose. He asked me what rifle to get (I am a handgun guy and do not know much about rifles) I told him I would ask around.
What rifle would you get to hunt moose in Alaska what caliber would you get.
I’m thinking a Remington 700 in 338 magnum.

Thanks.

 

[jcjacobvt]

There are lots of rifles that he can get and do the same job. If I was in Alaska my first gun would be a lever action Marlin stainless steel guide gun in
.45-70, and my second gun would be a bolt action scoped rifle in .300 Win. Mag. But you could get away with .308, or .30-06 if he does not want a mag caliber. Higher grained bullets are going to give you more recoil, but you need them to work. In .45-70 the 300 grain rounds are the lest you want, and in a .30 caliber round you need at lest a 150 grain plus to stop a large animal.

Since you are a handgun person, you already know about the .45 Colt revolvers for a good carry gun, for a semi-auto the 10mm is the caliber of choice by the Alaskan State Police from what I have read. I have a few of those in S&W in bothsemi and revolvers; great guns.

 

[JShirley]

I think it should start at 7mm Magnum, and go up from there.
Personally, I'd go with a .35 Whelen. In fact, I have two for when I finally make it to Alaska.

John

 

[gvnwst]

I would think about the .338 federal. it has 7mm mag muzzle energy, but is shorter, and has a larger bullet diameter. more suited to this IMO

 

[KBintheSLC]

If I was going hunting in Alaska, I would likely take either a .308 or a 12ga full of slugs. My sidearm would be my Glock 20 in 10mm auto.
The .308 is not the very best round for extra large game, but it is good enough to do the job if he does his job. Plus, he can use it for many other purposes, and ammo is cheaper and more available. The 12ga is always an option because with 1.25oz 3" slugs will take any game on the continent.

 

[vicdotcom]

The .308 is not the very best round for extra large game, but it is good enough to do the job if he does his job.

The game is only one of the problems. You have to have something to stop grizzly bears jik. I dont think 308 would be enough.

 

[Cosmoline]

For hunting the .338 WM is very popular and you can always find used ones kicking around. It has the advantage of large bullets and KO power at close range but also excellent long-range power.

You don't need anything that powerful for moose, though. The old saying is no matter what you shoot a moose with it takes about a minute for him to die. They're an easy kill as big game goes. I've seen one killed with 7.62x39 SP's. The hard part is finding legal ones and the even harder part is butchering them and hauling the meat and sundries out. When I say harder I mean back-breaking unspeakably difficult while the flies are eating you hard. Oh, and of course keeping two eyes out for old Ephriam, who is often drawn to the sound of rifles during moose season. You can't always shoot them for it, either. You may have to give up your kill or use spray. So there's something to be said for packing a lighter rifle than the .338. If I go again I'll bring the Win 94 in a backpack scabbard. OTOH I'm kind of inclined to just take excess meat from others. Memories of having to pull a stomach as big as my torso out of a sticky bloody gut sack are still fresh.

10mm is the caliber of choice by the Alaskan State Police from what I have read.

That would be really cool, but I believe they're still using .40's. For bears they use slug guns. Those are pretty limited for hunting, though, for the obvious reasons.

 

[Tarvis]

A good place to start would be finding him a rifle to shoot in different calibers with full power hunting loads so he can experience the recoil. That being said, 30-06 would be a good place to start, I suppose.

 

[foo]

The game is only one of the problems. You have to have something to stop grizzly bears jik. I dont think 308 would be enough.

No, you don't. I spent the first 18 years of my life in southeast AK (Juneau) hunting, hiking, fishing and camping without having an interaction with a bear end badly (no shots fired, no people hurt). Anecdotally (like statistics, but I get to pick the data that matches my conclusion ), more of the people I knew and read about had issues with navigation and clothing/shelter than animals. It's much more likely that you'll catch hypothermia than run into a bear that has it out for you

Now, thats not to say that you shouldn't carry a big gun. But I wouldn't worry about heading out with out one.

 

[younganddumb]

welcome foo

I think I would get a .308 for hunting and maybe a super shorty as a side arm with a slug and some buck shot http://serbu.com/top/superShorty.php

 

[Old Time Hunter]

From personal experience a shotgun works like sh*@ on moose, especially if all you have is buckshot....long story

All you need is a Winchester BB chambered for .444 Marlin, or a .444 Marlin XLR for that matter, 'course the suggestion of a .45-70 is just fine too. A levergun is the way to go, too hard to chamber a round in a bolt action when you're running from that Brown you just clipped, and it ain't fun clean'n the crap out of your diapers when the gas holes frost up on your semi when your try'n to stop that charging bull. Semi's are the worst in damp, cold climates.

 

[Atla]

If I lived in Alaska I'd carry a CO-PILOT!

http://www.wildwestguns.com/copilot.html

 

[everallm]

The rifle choice depends upon budget and what handles well to him.

The ammunition caliber really starts with .303, 30-06, .308 and goes on up, but those 3 in the right bullet weight and type will cover almost all of his needs.

Hell, I I'd love a HS-Precision take down in .308 and .300 Win Mag or an Accuracy International in .338 Lapua but few of us have 5-8K.....

 

[Shawnee]

An Alaskan guide I spoke with at an Outfitters' show a couple years ago told me that many of the guys going to Alaska are actually quite capable of doing good work with the .338 and larger calibers. He also made some comments similar to "Cosmoline's" about no matter what you shoot a moose with, or where, it will die when it gets good and ready to.
Now that I recall that guy, I remember that his biggest beef with the hunters was that they are often out-of-shape.

 

[jmr40]

If I were moving to Alaska I would take a Stainless Ruger Hawkeye in either 35 Whelen, or 30-06.

 

[paintballdude902]

im going up in june to work and have a post high school adventure

im taking a marlin .45-70 guide gun and either a .30-06 or a .300winmag

im thinking about getting a marlin xl7 to take seams like a good rifle either that or a remington

 

[Z-Michigan]

I would probably choose a .30-06, as it will do pretty much everything and is widely available and affordable. I wouldn't rule out .308 Win either. If budget was really tight I'd get a Mosin-Nagant which of course is in 7.62x54R, which has similar ballistics to .30-06. If budget was unlimited, I'd get a .308 Win semiauto (anything quality, personally I like EBR's) for general use, and something like a .338 magnum for big angry animals that I was expecting or going after.

 

[Irish Maddog]

I live up in Alaska and am a Hunter. I can tell you exactly what we carry.

To hunt moose, it's usually a .30-06 or .300 Win-Mag. Those will bring them down, no problem. It is vital you carry a bear gun though! Most guys like a good 'ole .44 mags and I've seen a lot of .500 being carried now. When I'd go hunting with my dad, we'd usually have three guys with all three carrying .30-06 or .338, with one of the guys also having a 12ga pump shotgun slung on the quad with slugs and one or two guys strapped with .44s.

Whenever I go hunting, I like to use my father's beautiful .300 Weatherby and have on the quad or on my person a 12ga, a 10/22 or 4-10 for popping ptarmigans and a SA xD .45acp for the people. Alaska has some nutcases up here and everyone is packing.

Really, if you want the "ultimate" gun to use for everything you could encounter up here, get a CZ .375. My father just got that and I'm insanely jealous.

 

[alaskanativeson]

Here's another Alaskan's viewpoint:

If your brother is just getting into guns he may want to be careful to not get so much gun that he's afraid to shoot it or that he learns to flich before shooting straight. If recoil is not a problem for him, I like your recommendation, .338 is a great caliber. I have a Barnes muzzle break on the end of mine, it kicks less that my 30.06 did that I traded for my .338 I now carry. I'm partial to the Mauser style actions but the Remingtons have a great history and the Marines can't be wrong.

That said, I'd certainly agree with what everyone has said about a lever gun. Quick handling and shooting, light weight to carry, and reliable as hell in more extreme conditions. The .444 Marlin is a really good choice, but so is a BLR in 30.06, the round I consider to be one of the most versatile rounds ever made. Though it may be dated, it's still one hell of a round.

I'd say a sidearm is practically a given up here. I'd carry a Glock 20 if I KNEW I weren't going into big bear country, but there's few of those places in Alaska. My Ruger Super Redhawk in .454 is what I have in my shoulder holster any time I venture out of the confines of my village these days.

 

[georgeky]

If I were going to Alaska you can bet my 45-70 Marlin would be along with me. For protection it is as good as they come. The guide guns were built for this. If you come across an angry bruin you don't need a 1000 yard rifle you need stopping power and maybe lots of it. The 45-70 has that and the ability for fast back up shots.

 

[Cosmoline]

Isn't the OP asking about a hunting rifle, not a bear protection rifle?

 

[rcmodel]

Most folks who have never fired a center-fire rifle of any caliber would do well to stick with a 30-06 class rifle for thier first one.

Very few new shooters are going to do at all well with a .338 Mag until they learn to shoot something with less recoil first.

The 30-06 is at the upper limit for most new shooters to learn to shoot well.

Factory ammo costs for practice are also about 2/3 less for a 30-06 then for any of the belted mags, and 1/2 that of .35 Whelen, .444 Marlin, or 45-70 Government.

Get a 30-06 first, and learn to use it, and you will be well served.

rcmodel

 

[Shawnee]

Like RCmodel said...

"The .25/06 Remington is at the upper limit for most new shooters to learn to shoot well."

 

[texas bulldog]

atla,

that co-pilot is awesome! too bad that thing costs a small fortune, 'cause that thing would definitely make the wish list!

 

[georgeky]

Cosmoline, the 45-70 makes a fine hunting rifle. I did think he was asking more about a protection rifle but the 45-70 works well for both. High on the recoil end though when loaded with good kill anything ammo.