I know this has been beat around for a while, but since I' m going in the air force one of the first places I want to go is alaska and I was wondering what the best rifle to have in alaska is.

Recoil is not that much of an issue as I' m sure a great big paw with big claws across the face has more recoil than any rifle. What kind of scope should I look into?

I was thinking of something like a marlin lever rifle, but I don' t know which of the options on calibers and such would be best. Ammo avalibility would be something to think about too (do they have a walmart in alaska?). I don' t need a long range caliber, I don' t think I' d shoot that far anyway.

I' m guessing a synthetic stock would be best also?