best gun for moose and bear
#11
RE: best gun for moose and bear
HOLY COW!!! a 10' brownie? thats gonna take alot of milk. haha. seriously though, thanks for all the good info. Im actually gonna be at Ft. Wainwright in Fairbanks. I knew about the kodiak tag but i intend on maintaining my residency and probably having to fly back up there after i leave in 3 yrs to hunt them so i figured i should just go ahead and get the right gun. I currently shoot a .270 but was just a little concerned about shooting something as large as a moose. I know that a well placed shot from almost any gun will work but we all know that stuff happens and the ABSOLUTE last thing i want to do is wound a animal. I just wanna have enough gun that if i do miss my mark by a little that it will still give the animal the repect it deserves. Once again, thanks for the info. Jimmy
#12
RE: best gun for moose and bear
Just remember that you have to maintain your "domicile" in order to maintain residency after you leave. The military will let you keep your residency there after you move, but the state of Alaska will consider you a non-resident if you pack up all of your belongings and don't keepyour primaryhome in the state. Alaska just joined the Interstate Wildlife Violators Compact, so don't try and fudge it or you can get blacklisted from hunting a whole bunch of other states too. It was less than a year ago that AK F&G busted a whole bunch of military guys in the Fairbanks area for illegally claiming Alaska residency to get cheap licenses.
Just don't let that magnum fever get the best of you for those "stuff happens" moments. A paunch shot from a .375 isn't any better than one from a .270 and if the big guns make you flinch they won't be doing you any favors. Bigger isn't always better when it comes to guns and that's a motto you'll hear a lot of from the old time Alaskans.
Best of luck at Fort Wainwright.
Jeff
#13
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location:
Posts: 17
RE: best gun for moose and bear
Alot of hunters use the 338 Win with 225gr bullets.............the 30-06 with 180 bullets is also very popular!
For Caribou I like the 270 Win.
For Moose my 338 Win with 225gr NoslerAccubonds
Black bear hunting is great here in Fairbanks as well as Moose.
For Black bear 30-30 and above will do if hunting over bait!
You can Moose hunt with a Bow in City Limits at Cramers Field in Fairbanks.......sweet state!
For Caribou I like the 270 Win.
For Moose my 338 Win with 225gr NoslerAccubonds
Black bear hunting is great here in Fairbanks as well as Moose.
For Black bear 30-30 and above will do if hunting over bait!
You can Moose hunt with a Bow in City Limits at Cramers Field in Fairbanks.......sweet state!
#14
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jun 2005
Posts: 604
RE: best gun for moose and bear
My first pick would be a 35 Whelen second would be a 338 win mag. The Whelen has a max point blank range of 250 yards with a 250 grain partition.If you like even heavier stuff the 280 grain A-Frame is also a great performer. Its an extremely efficient cartridge and the terminal performance is amazing from the smallish 06 based case. Below is an idea of the Whelen's performance capabilities.
http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_46
http://www.doubletapammo.com/php/catalog/index.php?cPath=21_46
#15
RE: best gun for moose and bear
My personal opinion is that I wouldn't trek into BIG BEAR country with anything lighter than a 300 Mag. I would prefer the 338 or the 300 Ultra Mag. I also agree that, if given a 200 yard shot at a broadside bear, the 30-06 would do the job. However, this may not be the case in Alaska. You may be hunting Moose, and encounter a Huge bear by accident. This happened to a friend of mine some years back. He and his father-in-lawwere hunting Moose, and actually had shot one. It ran into some trees and disappeared. While tracking it, they encountered a HUGE grizzly that had found the Moose and claimed it. He charge them from 20 yards, and after 3 shots from a 375 H&H, he ran another 400 yards, and scared off their horsesbefore dying.He now has the bear mounted at his home. It stands 5'6"to the top of his headon all fours! Anyhow, after hearing his experience, I figured that there is no such thing as overkill if your life may depend on it!
#17
RE: best gun for moose and bear
.338 win mag, been told thats the Alaskan standby. Getting a common cartrige should also aid in the ability to buy ammo in the towns up there, which is always a plus.
#18
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Oct 2004
Posts: 1,085
RE: best gun for moose and bear
It's really pretty simple...Your .270 would handle anything up to the big bears...
If you want more punch, consider this...The .300 mags kick nearly as much as the .338, andis considered MINIMUM by many guides for grizzly..
If I were you, I'd buy a .338 and use it for everything.. You may not need it for caribou and moose, but you may need it for what comes AFTER your caribou or moose after you shoot it..
I'm no authority on AK hunting, but I've done 6 DIY hunts up there..I started out with a .280 Rem, and it worked fine on caribou and moose..
After seeing a couple dozen of those "hairy Volkswagons" rambling around up there, I decided itmight be prudent to carry a heavier rifle..
My current Alaska rifle is a 9.3 x 62, which is roughly equivalent to a .338, at least within 250 -300 yards..
If you want more punch, consider this...The .300 mags kick nearly as much as the .338, andis considered MINIMUM by many guides for grizzly..
If I were you, I'd buy a .338 and use it for everything.. You may not need it for caribou and moose, but you may need it for what comes AFTER your caribou or moose after you shoot it..
I'm no authority on AK hunting, but I've done 6 DIY hunts up there..I started out with a .280 Rem, and it worked fine on caribou and moose..
After seeing a couple dozen of those "hairy Volkswagons" rambling around up there, I decided itmight be prudent to carry a heavier rifle..
My current Alaska rifle is a 9.3 x 62, which is roughly equivalent to a .338, at least within 250 -300 yards..
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