Thanks Phil.

Cold Zero, Wild Alaskan Guides is owned by Michael Mroczynski. I can't speak highly enough about Mike's dedication to his clients. The hunt I went on is probably not for everybody as it was a lot of work. The inclement weather had a lot to do with it. There was a ton of snow on the ground and the bears were really not moving out of their dens yet. It was probably the worst possible conditions, however Mike kept my spirits high and we stuck it out. The 2 day stalk was the highlight of my hunting career. The outfitter earned every penny on my hunt as well as my utter respect. Like I said, Alaskan Guides/Hunters are a breed unto themselves......they are as tough as they make em. www.wildalaskanguides.com

boom stick ----- I shoot a couple of .358 STA rifles and use the North Fork bullet you have in the picture. My son and I have taken several Elk with that bullet and I agree it would make the ideal Brown Bear bullet. My rifles shoot the bullet from 2850 fps to 2950 fps. I recovered one of the 270 grainers from a Kongoni (Litchenstein Hartebeest) I shot in the Selous. That bullet was loaded to 2850 fps and penetrated both the shoulder and neck bone then was recovered on the offside of the neck in the hide. It had 85% weight retention and the perfect mushroom you see in all the pictures. Needless to say I am high on the North Fork bullets. Good shooting.

Stew;

Thanks for the info and congrats on a hard earned and very nice bear. thanks for posting the photo. Fitness and proper mindset pay dividends.

I too like a .340 wthby with 250 gr. n.p. bullets for big bears or moose.

Minimum of a .338 but recommend at least a .375.
Also carry a good large caliber sidearm. Seen too many G.I.s through the years carry those silly little 9mm and do nothing but upset Mr. Bear as he eats on them.
Fairbanks Resident!

Stew,

Congrats on the bear. I hunted the same area this past April, but the bears weren't coming out yet. Going back this next spring, and hopefully will go when the pilot starts seeing bears. He suggested we didn't go the day we flew cause he hadn't seen any bears out yet. Saw one flying in but he went back in his den and didn't come out. I will also be in a lot better shape this year. I thought they said sheep hunting was the most physically challenging Any tips that you learned on your hunt you don't mind sharing?

The 35 whelan with the 275 north fork, or Kodiak Bonded Core{ if your going to hunt in thier back yard you might as well use thier bullets} Admiralty is just a rifle shot accross Stephens Pass from Douglas is. which is where K.B.C,s mail box is.Or the Swift 280. Acouple friends of mine here have killed bears with the 9.3x62 with 286 gr Lapua and norma orynx bullets and the bears were all knocked off thier feet. In my limited experience that seldom happens with the 30 calibers. Use a big bullet in a small gun and it acts like a big gun.

Hello Blackfoot,
The issue that I ran into was the deep snow as well as the fact that I really needed to cover a lot of ground quickly in order to catch my bear. The best advice I can give is to make sure that you are in good shape from a cardio perspective. Leg strength is also a big plus. I hit the stair master very hard 6 mos prior to my hunt as well as lunges, squarts....etc. My outfitter said I showed up in great shape..........however after a hard first day on the snowshoes I had sore muscles where I didn't even know I had. Like I said, the deep snow was the killer. In the morning things were great when the crust of the snow was still hard. Walking or covering a lot of ground quickly was not bad. After the sun came up and the crust was soft, the constant "punching through" of the snowshoes was physically taxing. Pray for the snow to be gone and you will be fine.........smile. Seriously, strong legs and cardio endurance will equip you for your hunt. Good Hunting and Good Luck

stew, great bear congrats just started resurching for abear hunt of my own thanks for posting pics

Well guys thanks! The plan is to take the 35.

I sent it off last week to have iron sights added, have it Black T coated and a High Tech stock fitted. Should be one heck of a bear gun.