GCW,

I hope you enjoy your stay in the Big State. I take it you're in the military and you're going to be stationed around Fairbanks? I live in Fairbanks and I love it. You'll probably get a better idea of what type of scope is the best once you're on the ground and have a few honey holes you like to tromp around. I mostly carry a .300 Winny with a 3.5x10 Leupold VX3 with quick release levers and iron sights. That way I can reach out and touch something, and in the event I send a wounded bear into the pucker brush and have to follow him in I can quickly take the scope off for quick OH S#$% target acquisition. Some guys prefer the lower power scopes because they stick to the brushy areas and others use long range scopes for hunting the tundra. You'll quickly realize that Alaska is VAST and the different terrain types are equally as vast. You might find yourself on the treeless tundra where you can see forever, or in a brushy thicket that is so dense you couldn't see a hot pinkelephant at 15 yards. Hunting in Alaska is very different, and often very discouraging, but it can be rewarding if you get out and put your time in and stay persistent. Good luck.

AK Jeff