Shooting in the North American Big Game Country

[Randal]

Hi,

If you are like me and like to do a lot of research instead of just rushing in blindly, you'll appreciate the following.

After getting dizzy reading about calibers for the various game animals, you may have the cash and the time to hunt, consider this: you are hunting caribou in the Yukon carrying a rifle. You must consider the following:

1. You may end up way to close to or the subject of unwanted scrutiny by a rutting bull moose or a wandering grizzly bear. Statistics say you are more likely to be charged by the moose but most likely to suffer the most from the less likely charge (if completed) of the grizzly.
2. You may see numerous caribou at 200 yards
3. You may see nothing
4. You can only carry one rifle and you do not have a guide for a backup carrying a shoulder mounted anti-tank weapon.

What is the caliber of the rifle you are carrying. For the best answer I have seen after spending 10 hours on the internet and another 20 reading ballistics and hunting tomes, go to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game site and read their stuff on hunting. Superbly written, factual and sensical.

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=hunting.firearms

Don't spend another minute researching or another penny shopping before reading it!

 

[Zor]

I would recommend a large caliber magnum pistol for encounters too close for a rifle.

 

[bangaway]

That was an interesting post. Thank you for the link. A .338 mag. is a good choice as its heavy constructed bullets help it to penetrate even at velocities like the .338/06. Practice alot. Pack a large revolver with heavy for cal. heads. Like 300 + gr. for .44 mag, .45 colt in ruger only power 300 +grs. Have fun and bangaway.

 

[roklok]

Well, I go sheep hunting every year with a .270 in moose and grizzly country. I keep 150 grain Grand Slams in the rifle when I am trudging through the willows and brush in the creek bottoms, switch to my 130 grain sheep load when I gain altitude and have better visibility.

 

[jmr40]

Nothing new in that article for me. I've always said if going to Alaksa I'd take my stainless model 70 30-06 in a McMillan stock and use the best quality bullets I could buy.

If I didn't already have the Wichester and was on a budget, I'd buy the stainless Ruger in 30-06 and go hunting.

 

[valnar]

OK, I am not a hunter at all, but clicked on this thread and the link out of fascination.

This may be ignorance on my part, but I had no idea this was true:

You cannot wear ear protection when you are hunting

Really? You can't put any on right before you take a shot?

 

[~Abstract~]

After reading the article, I'd still prefer a belted magnum at least .300 in diameter.


And maybe a 44mag pistol.

 

[jmr40]

You cannot wear ear protection when you are hunting

Really? You can't put any on right before you take a shot?

It would be a rare chance when big game hunting. Most of the time you only have a few seconds between the time you decide to shoot and when you have to pull the trigger. Take the time and movement to put ear protection on and you might s well forget about it.

 

[Randal]

I have contacted an Alaskan outfitter since posting yesterday. His recommendation was a 338 Magnum shooting 250 grain bonded bullets. Professional writers (and hunters?) on the web chose the 375 H&H. After everything I've read and assuming target game is moose, caribou, buffalo and possibly big bears the latter seems like a good choice compromising between recoil, variety of loads, availability of ammunition and weight.

As a geologist I also carry a 44magnum with controlled expansion bullets (which I have not needed as yet) so the lighter 30-06, 308 or 270 option for a rifle with a 44 backup seems like a possibilty. Not sure if I could hold still long enough to aim and fire it with a bear approaching inside 25 yards though!

 

[bangaway]

Norton makes a sonic ear valve. Stops noise above a certain decible level but you can still hear lower sounds. There is a new .375 cal, rifle out. I believe it is called .375 Ruger. Is shorter and as powerful as the H&H. Might be a cheaper rifle. Speer used to make a 275 gr. head for the .338. Elmer Keith liked this bullet. Have fun and bangaway.

 

[RhinoDefense]

Yeah, that hearing protection comment is where they lost me. They are way off base.

For me, my rifle of choice is a Remington Model 7 .308 using 180gr Nosler Accubond in my handloads. Light, handy, plenty for anything in North America.

 

[KodiakBeer]

I shoot a .350 Rem Mag for more reasons than I want to go into, but mostly because I live here and not in the lower 48.

If I did live in the lower 48 and was just coming north for an occasional moose or caribou hunt, I'd just get a 30.06 and not worry about it. Even a .308 with 180's (as mentioned above) would be entirely suitable for 99% of the situations you'd run into.

The one thing I would absolutely recommend is that you install a low powered variable of the 1x5 variety so that if you do run into bear problems you aren't blind at close range.

A .375 with a 3x9 scope is pretty much useless for a close range bear encounter.

 

[jmr40]

Yeah, that hearing protection comment is where they lost me. They are way off base.

They are talking about firing a rifle with a muzzle brake. The muzzle blast from a rifle with a standard barrel is tolerable for 1 or 2 rounds for the shooter and any nearby hunters/guides. Touch off a round on a rifle with a muzzle brake and anyone nearby without ear protection may suffer permanent damage instantly. Damage may even happen with protection if it is not up to the severe noise created by muzzle brakes. The damage from reasonable muzzle blast is rarely detrimental in small doses. It will have a cumulative effect over time if you shoot a lot with no protection.

I don't recommend shooting without hearing protection when ever possible, but the fact is that it is rarely practical when big game hunting.

 

[RhinoDefense]

Shooting a rifle with supersonic ammunition and no hearing protection will cause permanent hearing damage. If the sound pressure level at the ear exceeds 139dB, there will be permanent hearing damage. Period. Damage is not reasonable, damage is permanent.

When I hunt I always wear hearing protection. When I target shoot, I always have a suppressor on my weapon; if shooting supersonic ammunition with a suppressor I also wear hearing protection as supersonic suppressed shooting is not 100% hearing safe as many believe.

Hearing protections is always practical in hunting. Some people take the time to do everything they can to ensure their hearing is protected and some people don't.

 

[Lincoln4]

I always wear hearing protection when I hunt these days. Wish I had done it when I was younger. You can pick up noise cancelling muffs reasonably if you keep your eyes open for sales. Keep my ears warm as well!

Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using Tapatalk

 

[Randal]

308

I am trying to plan a rifle purchase. Based on replies here I think I'll sell my 12 gauge short barrel shotgun and my used 308 and buy a new 308 and look for a used 375H&H.

I'm in western Canada. Anyone have a used 375 for sale?

 

[jnoble87]

I paid 24 dollars for a part of noise canceling electronic ear muffs, for working on diesel trucks. I can do tire work with a 1 inch impact gun all day long with these on and never hear anything louder than 85 decibels. Anyone whose heard an Inch gun at full tilt knows the dB they put out. They are SWEET! They come in high-vis orange too, so I wear them when shooting. Keeps my ears protected and keeps me from getting my butt shot off in the brush, lol.

As far as the caliber situation goes. Anything less than .44 mag in pistol format is just asking for trouble on big game hunts. And some hot .30-06 rounds will do anything your whiz bang high dollar magnums can do and then some.

 

[Limey46]

I like what KodiakBeer said. My own choice is a .350 Rem mag and a 1x-4x Leupold scope. Believe me, once you've tried to find an oncoming dangerous critter in a 3X-plus scope, you'll never want to do it again.

 

[Hizzie]

If I was gonna head to AK for some big game I would tote a Ruger Alaskan in .416 Ruger, loaded with 350gr TSX's and topped with a good 1-5 scope. I just prefer a bigger stick. Guns are meant to be comforting, not comfortable.

 

[hinton03]

Learned all that through experience; spent 4 years in Alaska in the service and I quickly noticed that anyone who had hunted more than a couple season was toting a 338 win mag. Hits hard enough to drop a big brown and shoots flat enough for Dall Sheep.