My father has hunted (and killed) brown bear multiple times in AK, incl. successful hunts on Kodiak, the AK peninsula and the Seward peninsula. He always hunts with a .375 H&H, usually his Browning Stainless Stalker but last year with a Kimber. The .375 H&H cartridge is plenty for bear, can be had in readily affordable rifles, produces recoil that is manageable (tho not necessarily pleasant) for most adult males, and ammo is a) available everywhere and b) among the most affordable of the true big game cartridges. My dad is 62 yrs old, 5'11" and 165 lbs and tho he says the fun of shooting the .375 is beginning to wear off (he's been hunting with his Browning for abt 15 yrs.), he's never had a problem shooting one.
Cartridge for Brown Bears?
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Car Knocker
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I see that Wild West Guns has just converted an AR-30 to .338 Federal. 
A buddy of mine has gone after brown's twice now. The first time, he carried a 375 H&H, and the second time he took a 416 Rem mag. He said if he goes a third time, he will take the 375 again. Both worked very well, but the 375 is a little easier to shoot in the field for him.
12GA00buck
Member
I'm sure he knows this already, but remember SHOT PLACEMENT & Propper bullet construction. Allot of brownies have been downed with a 30-06 loaded with 220 grain controlled expansion loads. The ADFG says its far better to use a caliber you shoot well than a magnum you can't. They say a 220 grainer from a 06' is adequate for brownies. Jack O' Connor has used an 06' with great success on a number of brownies. That being said, theres nothing wrong with stacking the odds in your favor with a .375 H&H, or .338 win mag. I've seen a number of folks using 45/70's, but the SE is pretty thick brush country. It depends on where he's hunting. I would not feel the least underguned with a 30-06 or 45/70. You dont really want to use that heavy magnum for a mountain hunt. I prefer a more all round caliber.
Good Luck
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