brown bear rifle
03-21-2012, 04:44 AM
#1
Typical Buck
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Wichita Kansas USA
Posts: 699
brown bear rifle
I am planning on a spring coastal brown bear hunt in May of 2013. The hunt will be done along the coast spotting from boats and going inland for the stalk. Question is what caliber? I was thinking 338 mag or 375. The biggest bore I have is a 7 mag so I will be purchasing whatever I take. Give the potential for salt water I was thinking stainless steel barrel with sinthetic stock. I do prefer wood stocks. Do you think that would be an issue in the conditions I am likely to encounter?
03-21-2012, 06:01 AM
#2
Nontypical Buck
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: Adirondacks
Posts: 1,305
Alaska's weather can be nasty but with care a wood stock and/or blued barrel will survive no problem.Either cal would be great but unless you plan to go to Africa some day IMO the .338 would be the better choice for N American game.
03-21-2012, 06:35 AM
#3
Fork Horn
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Nebraska
Posts: 261
Couldn't have said it better. You can also ask your outfitter his suggestions as he has probally seen both and knows first hand what work better. Good luck on your bear hunt.
03-21-2012, 06:59 AM
#4
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: IL
Posts: 6,575
375 H&H
340 Weatherby
I want a 375 in a synthetic stock/stainless with a controlled feed.
You could get this in a winchester in .338win.mag.
synthetic stocks supposedly soak up recoil better than wood.
I'd want a 24" barrel max btw.
CZ offers a synthetic stock with a blued action/barrel.
340 Weatherby
I want a 375 in a synthetic stock/stainless with a controlled feed.
You could get this in a winchester in .338win.mag.
synthetic stocks supposedly soak up recoil better than wood.
I'd want a 24" barrel max btw.
CZ offers a synthetic stock with a blued action/barrel.
03-21-2012, 09:24 AM
#6
Giant Nontypical
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location:
Posts: 5,130
That's what my Browning X-Bolt Stainless Stalker in .338WM is for.
http://www.browning.com/products/cat...5&tid=202&bg=x
Biggest caliber / cartridge I'll ever need to hunt any big game in North America.
BTW - Bring my 7MM RM as a back-up.
Mine is a Sako A7 Stainless
http://www.browning.com/products/cat...5&tid=202&bg=x
Biggest caliber / cartridge I'll ever need to hunt any big game in North America.
BTW - Bring my 7MM RM as a back-up.
Mine is a Sako A7 Stainless
Last edited by Sheridan; 03-21-2012 at 08:27 PM.
03-22-2012, 06:59 AM
#8
Fork Horn
Join Date: Sep 2007
Location: Slippery Rock, Pa.
Posts: 393
friend of mine took a 10 ft coastal brownie years ago, he got off 3 shoulder hits at less than 75 yards, guide finaly finished it, the hunter had a 338 win mag his review after the hunt was, a 338 isn't near big enough, the guide stopped the charging bear at 11 yards with the 375. just passing on the info the hunter gave me.
RR
RR
03-22-2012, 08:04 AM
#9
Typical Buck
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: Wisconsin
Posts: 970
On the same token, I was reading about Craig Boddington's article about his last Alaskan brown bear hunt where he killed a bear with a single shot from a 338 WM. I forget what the distance was though.
After doing research on brown bear hunting, I don't know what gun to recomend, but the 338 WM is currently the smallest suggested round by many outfitters. It's smaller, but hits harder than your other traditional calibers. Opinions on the best brown bear caliber are nowhere near as contentious as the best whitetail caliber though.
Good luck on your hunt. Shoot straight, and don't stand in front of your guide just in case things go bad.
After doing research on brown bear hunting, I don't know what gun to recomend, but the 338 WM is currently the smallest suggested round by many outfitters. It's smaller, but hits harder than your other traditional calibers. Opinions on the best brown bear caliber are nowhere near as contentious as the best whitetail caliber though.
Good luck on your hunt. Shoot straight, and don't stand in front of your guide just in case things go bad.