Rifle for Alaska

[Anschutz]

For all you guys and gals that live in or have hunted in Alaska, if you had to pick a rifle for Moose and Caribou, what would you pick. I may be moving up there next spring for work and currently have a Marlin Guide Gun and HEAVY piped .243. The guide gun is great but open sights and the 55gal drum it shoots hinder any range out of it. I've mainly been looking at .300 WM and WSM, .338, 9.3x62 and .375 HH or Ruger. The 9.3 and HH just intrigue me. Also, personally, are bears a consideration when picking your rifle?

Thanks

 

[Deleted member 38069]

.300 win mag 180 gr! No experience in AK but I have no doubt that this would do the job. I am not factoring bear into this.

 

[Cogreeny]

I’ve hunted there and if anywhere can rust a gun it’s Alaska. I’d choose a stainless and synthetic option if it were me.

 

[nrpate05]

If you'll be hunting in bear country I'd pick something that you'd feel comfortable taking a bear with. At a minimum I'd personally start at a .300 WM with a heavy monolithic bullet. Stainless/Synthetic for sure!

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I think you’d be hard pressed to do better than a .30-06 tikka stainless.

 

[Brian in Montana]

My father in law grew up in Fairbanks and hunted everything with a .270. That said, a good friend of mine lives up there and his experience would support what other have said about stainless and synthetic. He told me the best way to test your equipment for a hunt on Adak Island is to put on all your gear, rifle included, stand in the shower on cold and see how you do.

 

[Anschutz]

Rifle will be stainless synthitic or at least coated metal. Only rifles I could see buying in wood and blue are Ruger #1s.

 

[Anschutz]

I think you’d be hard pressed to do better than a .30-06 tikka stainless.

The tikka is high on my list.

 

[Aussie_hunter_JD]

9.3x62 with 250gn ttsx is a great combo.

I haven't hunted bears but given that the 9.3 is going give you real world performance comparable to a 375 H&H (with less recoil) and that in some African countries it's legal for everything up to and including elephant you'll be set there.

The 250gn ttsx also opens up down to around 1600fps which if you handload to recommended levels without pushing it still gets you out to at least 450 yards if that'syour thing. My brother has taken sambar (3rd largest deer in the world) at 500 yards.

Of course there are plenty of other great ammo choices, for what it's worth I love Norma Oryx. But can't go wrong with the venerable 9.3x62.

 

[Kaitum]

I looked for a 35 Whelen and a 9.3x62 when I moved to AK. Just never found one I liked. Ended up using a .30-06 with 180 gr Partitions. Worked just fine for caribou and moose.

 

[VikingsGuy]

While I have no AK experience, I'd go Tikka T3X in stainless 300WSM in a B&C stock + carry bear spray + 44Mag Revolver.

 

[Brian in Montana]

The tikka is high on my list.

I have a Tikka and love it. But if your budget is a little tighter than a stainless T3X, don't over-look a Remington 700 SPS. I have a couple of those and they are accurate and reliable. My 7mm08 is a stainless, I probably got it for $600.

 

[HighDesertSage]

50 BMG API minimum

 

[Setcams4u]

.338 Win Mag - stop a bear with 225 grain and with a muzzle break kicks like your .243

 

[MT_Chad]

I plan to take my 300 win in a few years when we go. It is a tikka stainless synthetic. I would also look hard at the new savage storm. Hard to go wrong with 300 short mag, 300 win mag, or 338 win mag.

 

[memtb]

While we haven’t hunted Alaska yet.... we hunt big game from antelope/deer up through moose, including black bear! My wife loves her .338 WM, and uses it for everything. I hunt everything with my .375AI, however.....you would be well-served with a .375 H&H. Both are tried and proven in Alaska.....as well as the rest of the world! memtb

 

[Cogreeny]

50 BMG API minimum

 

[mtmuley]

Ask Bambi. mtmuley

 

[Anschutz]

While I have no AK experience, I'd go Tikka T3X in stainless 300WSM in a B&C stock + carry bear spray + 44Mag Revolver.

Honestly, I'll probably just strap my .357 on if I carry a sidearm. 180 grain Grizzly Cartridge is no joke and I have 8 DA as opposed to the .44 SA.

50 BMG API minimum

I have a source on that stuff but they like to keep track of it real tight.

.338 Win Mag - stop a bear with 225 grain and with a muzzle break kicks like your .243

I load my .45-70 with 436gr hard cast at about 1800 fps. I'm thinking recoil would be similar. Stout but manageable.

I plan to take my 300 win in a few years when we go. It is a tikka stainless synthetic. I would also look hard at the new savage storm. Hard to go wrong with 300 short mag, 300 win mag, or 338 win mag.

I hate the new stock system savage has. As much as I like my Savage, there is a lot I would change.

While we haven’t hunted Alaska yet.... we hunt big game from antelope/deer up through moose, including black bear! My wife loves her .338 WM, and uses it for everything. I hunt everything with my .375AI, however.....you would be well-served with a .375 H&H. Both are tried and proven in Alaska.....as well as the rest of the world! memtb

I think the .375 is just a plain cool cartridge. Gained success in the field instead of in the marketing division.

 

[Deleted member 28227]

I have a Tikka and love it. But if your budget is a little tighter than a stainless T3X, don't over-look a Remington 700 SPS. I have a couple of those and they are accurate and reliable. My 7mm08 is a stainless, I probably got it for $600.

My only qualm about the SPS is the trigger... it’s just terrible IMHO.