Alaskan Hunters Advice

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loadedround

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I would like to have some advice and comments from some real Alaskans who have been there, done that:
Four of use are planning an extensive Alaskan fishing trip in the fall of next year. We will be living in wall tents and all of us are experienced outdoorsmen from Pa. I have stories about Grizzly and Alsakan Brown Bears sometimes invading camps or being surprised on trails. While not looking for trouble, I want to have means of camp/lakeshore protection. I have a Winchester 70XTR in 338 WM and do reload...what loads/bullets do you recommend? I also have a Mossburg Maverick 12 ga/18" bbl, is that effective on the big bears with slugs, again any reommendations and finally should i forget both and just buy a Marlin Guide Rifle in 45-70 and be done with it. I really don't need another rifle, but.... Some help from you experts please. :)
 
I don't live there and I have only been once, but I would recommend the Shotgun with slugs or the Guide Gun. I did not bring a short rifle, only my .338-06 and it was too big for anything other than the moose hunt I was on. I was basically without a powerful firearm once inside the tent, collecting firewood, etc. We never had any problems, but a group of hunters that left at the same time we did were so horrified by the bears, they flagged down a passing plane and were extracted very early in their hunt. They were lucky the plane passed over them so low.

I did have a 10mm handgun, but would have felt much better with my Marlin GG. It is going next time with a Wild West Guns light mount and a Surefire light attached. A light is essential. The shotgun you own would work as well. I would use slugs and practice before you go.

Here is a pretty good video about shooting a Guide Gun quickly and if you look closely he has the light mount I mentioned.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5XCB4A911SM

Good Luck and have fun,

Matt
 
Always take a fat guy with you to Alaska.

You don't have to outrun the bear, just outrun the fat guy.
 
Appears to be a lack of "real Alaskans" on this forum. Myself included. :eek:
 
If I were going fishing in Alaska I would use that as an excuse to buy a S&W 629 Mountain Gun in .44 Mag. And I'd load it with heavy, hard cast, flat point, lead bullets. That would be a lot easier to always have handy. A 12 ga. is definitely preferable but will you always have it right there with you?
 
Cerberus:
I do own a S&W 4" 629 and do load heavy lead bullets for it and would consider it as a last resort. I am not looking for an encounter and will do everything to avoid one. However, if a situation does develop, I want something that will stop it immediately, hence my questions.
 
I've got some AK time, of those choices I'd pick the shotgun. I'm not familiar with the guide gun, have never shot a 45-70. That Maverick is the right size for carry and I'd put slugs in it. I have found myself bear hunting and in thick thick cover, having a gun with a fast follow up capability is a comfort. I'd rule out the Winchester because of that.

I believe that Buckshot may work too, perhaps as the first shot. But that just complicates things.

Regarding the guys that say how likely are you to have it with you? Carry it as much as possible. More importantly, encourage all of the other guys you are with to carry a gun too.
 
I don't live there and I have only been once, but I would recommend the Shotgun with slugs or the Guide Gun. I did not bring a short rifle, only my .338-06 and it was too big for anything other than the moose hunt I was on. I was basically without a powerful firearm once inside the tent, collecting firewood, etc. We never had any problems, but a group of hunters that left at the same time we did were so horrified by the bears, they flagged down a passing plane and were extracted very early in their hunt. They were lucky the plane passed over them so low.
I did have a 10mm handgun, but would have felt much better with my Marlin GG. It is going next time with a Wild West Guns light mount and a Surefire light attached. A light is essential. The shotgun you own would work as well. I would use slugs and practice before you go.

Here is a pretty good video about shooting a Guide Gun quickly and if you look closely he has the light mount I mentioned.
Click to expand...

:what::rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes::D
 
Though the 45-70 is a great caliber if I were going fishing to Alaska I would take my marlin 450 instead. It shoots a 350gr bullet at over 2000 ft per second and only has a drop of 5 inches at 200 yds. Delivers over 2200lbs of energy at 100 yds and over 1500 lbs of energy at 200 yds. My 450 has a 16 1/2 inch barrel which makes it very portable. This caliber can be bought off the shelf and can be reloaded just as easily as accessories are plentiful in the market. I have it because my friend from Alaska gave it to me since he wants me to back him up when he hunts bear with a bow and arrow.
 
As long as your Model 70 and Mossberg function 100% and you are well practiced in their use you'll do fine with them. Degrease them thoroughly including the Model 70's bolt and you'll be good to go.

Have fun, run a clean camp, no food or bloody clothing in your sleeping tent, blah blah blah.
 
Im a Subsistance hunter/fisher/gather'r and Bears of three kinds roam my relm.

I only carry a M-39 Finn'd Mosin.
Never , in my life , have I had to shoot a Bear in self defense. I use my good habits first, my rifle next.
I dont carry "Back up" because the rifle in my hands is whats gonna be used when needed. Carrying a shotgun is a good defense, but why when you have your rifle.?

I dont prowl dense brush. Bears do, and they use the cover to travle in, ambush animals there, creek crossings and such. When I am near or passing through willows and such I strike up a conversation with my partners or even my self, singing a tune, and I have heard Bears that were leaving ahead of me, seeing them flee up outta creek bed I was looking for mammoth tusks in.
Make noise and they will flee. The Biggest Browns run away every chance they get.
Those that dont will probly be shot with your rifle;)

The Best way to avoid Bears is to have a loose dog or two.

Piss around your camp, it works, been there, done that, this summer, stranded on an Island with a BIG Brown.
We play the radio at camp and the Bears stay away.
Dont eat or cook near where you sleep. Keep them a few yards apart. Keep your fire lit, if you need. A nice fire keeps away all wildlife.


Hunters out on the ice use Dogs to warn and keep off Polar Bears. They too, like Browns hate Dogs as much as Dogs hate them.


Good luck and enjoy Alaska. (Where you going?):D
 
If I understand correctly what most of you are saying, a pump shotgun with slugs is a better defensive weapon than a 338WM with 250 gr premium bullets like the Nosler Partition.
 
ms6852 said:
Though the 45-70 is a great caliber if I were going fishing to Alaska I would take my marlin 450 instead. It shoots a 350gr bullet at over 2000 ft per second and only has a drop of 5 inches at 200 yds. Delivers over 2200lbs of energy at 100 yds and over 1500 lbs of energy at 200 yds. My 450 has a 16 1/2 inch barrel which makes it very portable. This caliber can be bought off the shelf and can be reloaded just as easily as accessories are plentiful in the market. I have it because my friend from Alaska gave it to me since he wants me to back him up when he hunts bear with a bow and arrow.
Click to expand...
ms6852, the energy numbers don't mean any thing....it is the construction of the bullet and it's momentum during it's use in the proper velocity window that matters.

.270 Win. and 7-08, among many others, also have over 2200lbs. of energy at 100 yards and over 1500lbs. of energy at 200 yards.

loadedround, I think it would be good to try the shotgun with full-power premium slugs in a defensive drill and do the same with the 338 with 250 or 300 grain loads. See which one you are more effective with since they have different recoil impulse and different stock to shooter fit, different type of sights, different handling abilities, etc.

Without doing some type of drills now and then, both physically and mentally, it would be similar to hand-to-hand self-defense, chances are you will freeze in an actual attack and neither shotgun or rifle would matter. Since shot placement is always number one you want to be as practiced as possible so your body pretty much goes to work on its own....fight or flight response will mess up your shots and a cool-headed, experienced shooter using 30-06 would of been much more effective.
 
If I understand correctly what most of you are saying, a pump shotgun with slugs is a better defensive weapon than a 338WM with 250 gr premium bullets like the Nosler Partition.
Click to expand...

Yes for close range defence a pump shotgun or a lever action 45-70 rifle would serve you better than a bolt action 338, especially if the latter is fitted with glass for medium and long range hunting.

My 338 has a 4-16X 40 scope and no iron sights...it is great for bear hunting but a terrible choice for wildlife defence.

A pump action or lever action is more manoeuvrable, it points quicker and you get fast repeating shots, if the situation give you the chance for more than one.
Furthermore, the pump action shotgun route can be significantly cheaper than a lever action 45-70 or a high power bolt action rifle

Another excellent alternative is a Remington 760/7600 30-06 pump action rifle in 30-06 with an 10 rounds aftermarket extended magazine.
Use it with the provided iron sights (or put some aftermarket that you like better) and with heavy for caliber/premium bullets (200-220 gr.)
With a pump you can be even faster than a lever action and without having to re-acquire visually your target between shots.
On top of that, the Remington pump rifle is tremendously versatile...put a scope with quick detachable rings, swap your loads and you get an excellent long range rifle, something a 45-70 will never be.

A used Remington 760 in very good conditions can be had for way less money ($200-250 around here) than a 45-70.
 
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What makes you think that I don't know anything about sectional density. Thats is why I never mentioned a 270 caliber. Anyway based on what he already has in hand I would use the 338 or the 12 guage shot gun but would favor the 338 because of its terminal ballistics are much more devastating than that of the 300 gr slug.
 
loadedround have you looked at this thread? http://thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=486098

That should be enough and the 250 grain Partition would just be mo' better if you feel ok with the recoil and a slightly slower recovery for repeat shots. Most of the time the bonded bullets have less penetration because of the larger diameter causing more resistance in test media/animals. Barnes type rounds have even more penetration but much smaller wound cavity in comparison as you increase the caliber.

Partitions remain the perfected Goldilocks.
 
I've had several guides on trips to AK. Some carried lever guns, but several carried shotties. My last guide loaded buckshot followed by slugs. He said the the shot was to get their attention (in the face), kinda give them pause, then follow up with slugs. I carried a rifle and my SRH in .454. When I go back I'll have the shorter SRH Alaskan.
 
I've had several guides on trips to AK. Some carried lever guns, but several carried shotties. My last guide loaded buckshot followed by slugs. He said the the shot was to get their attention (in the face), kinda give them pause, then follow up with slugs. I carried a rifle and my SRH in .454. When I go back I'll have the shorter SRH Alaskan.
Click to expand...

Where in Alaska?
 
Where in Alaska?
Click to expand...

Out west of Lilamna, accross Cook inlet from Homer. Last couple trips I took were fishing only. Stayed just outside Soldotna, fished Kaselhoff, Kenai rivers, Halibut out of Homer and float plane trips to boonies. Actually fished with the bears (us in a boat), bears on the rocks.

Years back, took one moose trip and one bear trip.
 
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