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Of the following which do you guys think would be the better Grizzly bear rifle/bullet combo? I will also be using it on caribou on the same hunt. I will be up in the Brooks Range unit 26 in September 2009 and I am obsessing on which one of these to bring. Winchester Model 70 synthetic stainless 300 Win Mag 180 or 200 grain Nosler Partition fixed Leupold VXlll 3.5x10x40mm . Weatherby Euromark wood stock blued barrel 300 Weatherby Mag 180 grain Barnes X fixed Leupold VXlll 4.5x14x40mm Winchester Model 70 synthetic stainless 375 H&H 300 grain Nosler Partition Talley detachable mounts VXlll 1.5x5x20mm and backup scope Leupold VXlll 1.75x6x32mm | ||
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Any of the 3 would work just fine, but I'd eliminate the .375 H&H if you plan on switching scopes during the hunt. No matter how well the setup has worked before, I feel that swapping scopes during the course of a hunt is a recipe for disaster. But that's just my opinion... Of course, if the other scope is truly "backup" only, then my choice would be the .375. Bobby Μολὼν λαβέ The most important thing in life is not what we do but how and why we do it. - Nana Mouskouri | |||
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No question, for me it would be the .375 H+H. | |||
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I think I would put the 1.75x6 on the 375 HH and work up a load for the Barnes 270 grn Triple Shock and it will be flat enough for caribou and enough bunch for grizzly Mike Legistine actu? Quid scripsi? Never under estimate the internet community's ability to reply to your post with their personal rant about their tangentially related, single occurrence issue.  What I have learned on AR, since 2001: 1. The proper answer to: Where is the best place in town to get a steak dinner? is…You should go to Mel's Diner and get the fried chicken. 2. Big game animals can tell the difference between .015 of an inch in diameter, 15 grains of bullet weight, and 150 fps. 3. There is a difference in the performance of two identical projectiles launched at the same velocity if they came from different cartridges. 4. While a double rifle is the perfect DGR, every 375HH bolt gun needs to be modified to carry at least 5 down. 5. While a floor plate and detachable box magazine both use a mechanical latch, only the floor plate latch is reliable. Disregard the fact that every modern military rifle uses a detachable box magazine. 6. The Remington 700 is unreliable regardless of the fact it is the basis of the USMC M40 sniper rifle for 40+ years with no changes to the receiver or extractor and is the choice of more military and law enforcement sniper units than any other rifle. 7. PF actions are not suitable for a DGR and it is irrelevant that the M1, M14, M16, & AK47 which were designed for hunting men that can shoot back are all PF actions. 8. 95 deg F in Africa is different than 95 deg F in TX or CA and that is why you must worry about ammunition temperature in Africa (even though most safaris take place in winter) but not in TX or in CA. 9. The size of a ding in a gun's finish doesn't matter, what matters is whether it’s a safe ding or not. 10. 1 in a row is a trend, 2 in a row is statistically significant, and 3 in a row is an irrefutable fact. 11. Never buy a WSM or RCM cartridge for a safari rifle or your go to rifle in the USA because if they lose your ammo you can't find replacement ammo but don't worry 280 Rem, 338-06, 35 Whelen, and all Weatherby cartridges abound in Africa and back country stores. 12. A well hit animal can run 75 yds. in the open and suddenly drop with no initial blood trail, but the one I shot from 200 yds. away that ran 10 yds. and disappeared into a thicket and was not found was lost because the bullet penciled thru. I am 100% certain of this even though I have no physical evidence. 13. A 300 Win Mag is a 500 yard elk cartridge but a 308 Win is not a 300 yard elk cartridge even though the same bullet is travelling at the same velocity at those respective distances. | |||
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375 no question. If you got it, use it, the bigger the better. TSX, Aframe, Northfork, Partition....all good. Ted Kennedy's car has killed more people than my guns | |||
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.300 win mag 180 gr. barnes THey are not that hard to kill! | |||
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The bears he's talking about hunting are just little bitty fellers mind you. I'm not positive, but I think a 7'square Brooks Range bear would be a good average size. | |||
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Any of the 3 would be fine for G-bear. Cheers, Canuck | |||
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you take the lightest one that is impurvious to rain and snow. | |||
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I used the .375 H&H in the Brooks for Grizzly and Caribou and Moose 20 odd years ago. It was the right choice. I use QD's and have great faith thru practice with them. It's your best option in my opinion.  Member NRA, SCI- Life #358 28+ years now! DRSS, double owner-shooter since 1983, O/U .30-06 Browning Continental set. | |||
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Bro, you're over-thinking! Have fun and hunt hard!  friar Our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain. | |||
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I am with you on this one Mike. That is an excellent combination. The .375 is probably my favorite round. ****************************** There comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor polite, nor popular -- but one must ask, "Is it right?" Martin Luther King, Jr. | |||
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I would take the 375 H&H just because of the bear. I went to the Brooks Range unit 26 in 2004 on a Caribou, we saw a nice Grizzly on the 2nd day there. The bear got to within 200 yards of us, but we were not hunting bear, so we made a slow and careful retreat away from the bear. We seen thousands of Caribou each day. Have a great hunt. If you're going to make a hole, make it a big one. ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ Member of the Delaware Destroyers Member Reeders Misfits NRA Life Member ENDOWMENT MEMBER NAHC Life Member DSA Life Member | |||
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couple of old guide friends of mine in ak say bring whatever you want, but if it isn't a 375, they'll lend you one of theirs. enuf said? | |||
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Conditions are never perfect or constant. If you get in a situation with a wounded bear, he charges and gets to you, chances are he will kill you. It is just that simple. Take the 375H&H or bigger. With the Grizz your mindset better be ALL business. Free men should not be subjected to permits, paperwork and taxation in order to carry any firearm. NRA Benefactor | |||
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Which one can you shoot so well you don't think about it? The one that you'd be willing to shoot an target out of a loved ones hand with? Answer that then pick a bullet. Nate | |||
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Mike D has the right idea, put the 1.75X6 on and hunt. You can certainly take the other scope for back up, but I wouldn't want to be switching around unless I had to. You can't beat the .375 for an all around weapon. Good Huntin'! Let us speak courteously, deal fairly, and keep ourselves armed and ready Theodore Roosevelt | |||
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Sounds like a nice dilema to have. Im not aware of any coastal Grizz on the Brooks range. I would prolly go with the 300 WM and 200 gn partitions, or better yet 200 gn North Forks.. Enjoy Alaska.. | |||
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joejr: Of the rifles you listed, all you need is the Mod. 70. and I'd use a North Fork bullet of about 180 gr. (if available). Are there grizzlies up there? Yup! Is there one behind every tree? Nope! There aren't any trees up there. Seriously, there aren't bears every 50 ft. or so. I think lottsa people worry about it more than necessary, IMHO. Your bigger concern should be having QUALITY clothing/equipment for the weather. Bear in Fairbanks Unless you're the lead dog, the scenery never changes. I never thought that I'd live to see a President worse than Jimmy Carter. Well, I have. Gun control means using two hands. | |||
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They will all work just fine. Bring the one you shoot best with. | |||
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That would probably apply to the coastal grizz/brown bear guys, but I'd be surprised to hear an interior outfitter say it. The Brooks bears aren't any bigger than the g-bears around here. 7 ft, 450 lbs is a pretty decent bear. I would bet 95+% of the bears around here get shot with something like a 7mm RM or 300 Win Mag. The 375 will work just fine, but it sure isn't necessary. I would want at least a 375 if I was crawling into the alders after a coastal g-bear though...but these are two different things. Cheers, Canuck | |||
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See ... this is cool to know, and I can't imagine I'd ever have learned it without this thread's discussion. Not that I'm planning on hunting G bears soon, if at all -- but I do love learning things like this. Thanks. | |||
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I would use my cz375hyh .Juan www.huntinginargentina.com.ar FULL PROFESSIONAL MEMBER OF IPHA INTERNATIONAL PROFESSIONAL HUNTERS ASOCIATION . DSC PROFESSIONAL MEMBER DRSS--SCI NRA IDPA IPSC-FAT -argentine shooting federation cred number2- | |||
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...Juan is wise !!! This may come as a suprise to many people , but there are alot of 7-71/2 ' brown bears killed down here [ down in relation to the Brooks Range ] , out the coast...And there are plenty of bears shot with 30 cals. Repeatedly ....The guys who say it works well usually do their best to conceal the # of shots it took and the amount of time it took for the bear to die......The 375 H&H works so well at longer range that after alot of shooting of both I got rid of my 338 RUM ..... because out to 450 yrds I couldn,t tell any difference.....And the 338 Rum is a better long range killer than any 30 ........I think a big reason many people don,t shoot their 375 and larger rifles well is they don,t shoot them often enough and so really over work their brains with all these elaborite senarios of perfact shots ect.......If you can shoot your 375 well enough , bring it .. If you can,t ,,,,Do ... .If it can,t be grown , its gotta be mined .... | |||
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I definitely don't disagree with taking a 375... Joedjr, I thought I'd put up a pic' just to help you get jazzed up for your hunt. It was shot here in the Kootenays in 2004 by a good friend of mine (he posts here occasionally as Iceman), with a 190gr BTSP from a 300 Win Mag incidently, but that is not why I am posting it. It is 7' 10", don't know the weight....pretty darn nice boar for the interior...  Cheers, Canuck | |||
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This is a great thread... I am in the same dilemma. I will be going to Unit 26 this Year, Mid August, and I have been agonizing on whether to take my 7MM Rem Mag, Rem 700 AWR, my .340 Weatherby Mag, or my .375 H&H... I have a 4.5x14 B&C reticle Leupy on the AWR, and am consistent out to 400+ yards with it, I am OK out to 300 with the .340, and out to 150 with the .375, which wears a 1.5x5VX-III Leupy. I wasnt sure at what ranges I would be shooting at Caribou, so I was leaning towards my 7MM , but after reading all of the support for the .375, now I am just not sure....  NRA Endowment Member | |||
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Keep in mind that in Alaska both the .300WM and the .338WM outnumber the great .375 H&H by a wide margin, and therefore more bears are killed with these two. The average .375 H&H a little too heavy to carry around for a long time. Take the .300WM with premium Federal ammo loaded with tough bullets from 180 grains and up. How about 180-grain Triple-Shock? I would suggest that you ask the question at the Alaska forum. | |||
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Coco, I could be wrong, but I think that most of the folks that have supported the use of the .375 are from the lower 48, and therefore have limited or no experience. Canuck for example lives a little north, and has expressed a preference for the .300. I've hunted Unit 26 twice now and my party has been successful on bear, sheep and caribou. Members of my party have used a .270 and a 30-06, and I would think it silly to bring anything larger. If I had your choices of rifles, I wouldn't think of bringing anything other than the 7mm. In the blue moon situation where you had to defend yourself against a bear I think you'd find the 7mm to be quite more than enough gun. The North Slope grizzlies are just plain little guys, and don't require the heavier calibers. | |||
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Guys, Check out this same thread on the Alaska Forum. The Alaskan guys are all basically saying what Scott is saying. Don't need a cannon. Take whatever you shoot best with out of the 3 and enjoy your hunt. Got to love these grizzly bear threads. | |||
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joejr & coco: Reference my above post. Secondly, I'm planning a sheep hunt out off the slope this Aug. What rifle am I gonna take? My .270 Win., of course, loaded with 150 gr. Partitions. The grizzly season opens at the same time and if I see a legal one, I'm gonna pop him. Ya don't need a large bore artillery piece for interior bears. Just load a quality bullet in the .300 Win. and be done with it. Bear in Fairbanks Unless you're the lead dog, the scenery never changes. I never thought that I'd live to see a President worse than Jimmy Carter. Well, I have. Gun control means using two hands. | |||
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Thank You to all that replied so far. I guess I'm going with the 300 Win Mag even though I would feel better in a bad situation with an agressive bear with the 375. I'll probably use this as a good excuse to pick up another gun anyway. Thinking about adding one more. Maybe 340 wthby mag. Also thinking about seeing a Shrink to help me from obsessing about a hunt that is 900 days away. I count down every day. | |||
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Thanks for the info, guys... I think Im gonna stick with my 7MM Rem mag and call it a day. What you guys are saying makes alot of sense... NRA Endowment Member | |||
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Joe: any of the three calibers are fine, but I think you're overscoped. My preference would be the 300 Weatherby with maybe a 2.5X8 Leupold or thereabouts. cocomen, your choice is easy; 340 Weatherby; perfect! jorge USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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I'm with you Jorge. Looks over scoped to me too. Big targets don't need large optics. | |||
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Jorge, I was originally leaning towards the .340, as it has a Zeiss 2.5x8 with a German #4 reticle, and I thought it would be a good compromise for long range, hard hittting, and not too heavy a rig... decisions, decisions... NRA Endowment Member | |||
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My340 Accumark sports a Swarovski "PH" 1.75X6X42. I think it's the perfect rifle for Alaska and for large plains game. jorge USN (ret) DRSS Verney-Carron 450NE Cogswell & Harrison 375 Fl NE Sabatti Big Five 375 FL Magnum NE DSC Life Member NRA Life Member | |||
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Any of the 3 will work fine. I would use the one you shoot best - but I agree, dump the high power optics when bear hunting. You want something with 1.5x or 2x on the low end. | |||
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If I get to go it would be my 35 whelen which for now is the largest caliber I own. Remington 700 CDL 2.5 -8 VX III in talley light weights shooting 225 gr. barnes XXX shocks. Straight shootin to ya | |||
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With the caveat that I have never shot a Grizz (nor do I currently plan to in the immediate future) I would never even consider using a 30caliber rifle to do so... Of the choices given I'd have to say the 375. Though personally if I were going on your hunt I'd take my 338Mag as that is a "Grizz" caliber. AD If I provoke you into thinking then I've done my good deed for the day! Those who manage to provoke themselves into other activities have only themselves to blame. *We Band of 45-70er's* 35 year Life Member of the NRA NRA Life Member since 1984 | |||
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I would also choose the .375 H&H using a 270-gr Barnes Tripple Shock bullet. "JB" | |||
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