Nice Moose Scott! A good friend of mine is leaving in the morning to hunt Moose in British Columbia with a nice handy little 9.3x62, so hope to be eating a couple Moose steaks in a week or two.

Thanks Gumboot for the input, I can see where a .223 would be handy. Sounds like you like your .375 Ruger a lot. Keep us posted if you would on some results on the big stuff. Very curious.

Great input all; it's interesting to hear what is being used there, and with what results. The largest game here is the Roosevelt Elk and I do like bigger bores for them. In fact I like the .338s and up for our small Blacktail Deer. Not that they are needed for sure, but I've never been a fan of the high velocity small bores for anything except varmints, and I use handguns for them these days.
If I was leaving tomorrow for a large Brown Bear, though I understand as Phil say's, that they are not really needed; I think I would just feel better with a .416, or at least a .375 in my hands. Could be I just think it would be a lot more fun to hit them HARD, and it would give me a real reason to shoot the bigger bores. Most of my shooting buddies think I'm crazy for taking ground squirrels with my .300WM, or a .375. But I kinda like it!
Cheers!

quote:

Originally posted by Buliwyf:
The Ruger Hawkeye .375 Ruger Alaskan would be HARD to beat. Mine is a .375 Weatherby I've had for years before the .375 Ruger was a twinkle in Ruger's eyes

I had a .375 Weatherby in a re-chambered Ruger #1 years ago. I really liked it for Blacktail across canyons in Calif. & here in Oregon. The thing I really like about the small big bores with some power, is that if you do miss, you can better see the strikes to walk in the next shot. I did that once on a grassy slope in California with that .375 on a Blacktail. My buddy spotted one across a canyon on a massive grassy mountain face. It was the last hour of the last day of the season, or else he would never had even attemped the shot. Long story short, he had unloaded his .270 Win. at the deer as is scurried all over the mountain side. We could not see any strikes from the little .270. So after he ran out of ammo. He gave me permission to give it a shot. I waited until the deer stopped for a moment; held quite a ways over it's back & touched off the .375. I watched the bullet blow dirt up right under it's belly. The deer took off like a scalded dog and ran about 200 yards side-hill, but not really increasing the distance much from our position. It stopped again, ran in a couple circles confused as to where the shot's were coming from. As it stopped once more I raised up just that much more, and let another 270gr Hornady go. I hit him hard right thru the shoulders he went straight down. It took us about an hour and a half to go down the canyon and back up the other side to that deer. But Kevin never did raz me about my cannon (as he called it) again!
That was years ago, and looking back now, I would not even think of trying that shot today. But we were young, and I guess you have to learn somehow.
Cheers!

I just put my new stainless Ruger 375 Alaskan into one of the newer Ruger factory black composite stocks and what a dandy quick handling powerful rifle it is now. I had to open the barrel channel a bit but it turned out very well. An all-around rifle don't get any better than that. Those Houge stocks make them kinda clubby but they are ok I guess.

http://i280.photobucket.com/al...izskins/P1000725.jpg

I had an easier time wrinkling this bear out of the pucker brush and killing it with my 30-06 than I have trying to post a photo.

quote:

Originally posted by 458Win:
http://i280.photobucket.com/al...izskins/P1000725.jpg

I had an easier time wrinkling this bear out of the pucker brush and killing it with my 30-06 than I have trying to post a photo.

Nice pic. And glad you like the '06. Is that a ruger, does it have sights?

458 win..... sent you a e mail. Nice website. I would think your experience counts towards an experienced response to this topic.

BTDT once each with 338-06. Moose/caribou in NWT one shot each and DRT with 225 partitions; brown bear in SE Alaska w/250 A Frame.

This rifle is pre 64 fwt '06 bored to 338 in a mickey w/leo 6X42 on top and comes all in fully loaded at just 8 lbs.

Nearly got talked into the 338 WM on the brown bear hunt but held my ground and could not have been happier with the 338-06 humping the "beaches"!

458Win,
So was it the 220 Nosler PT or the 240 Woodleigh?
dmw

I was using the 220 Partitions as I did a test using damp magazines and the 220 Partitions outpenetrated everything else by quite a bit. Next in line were the 200 Swifts and 180 TSX ( which gave identical penetration), followed by the 240 Woodleighs PP and finally the 220 Woodleigh RN.

The 220 Partitions equalled 300 gr Partitions from a 375 H&H and beat 400 gr DGX Hornady softs from a 416.

Holy Crap Phil! Nice bear! And nice rifle as well. I'm sure we will all appreciate that picture. I'm going to save it to admire. Very interesting as to bullet choice as well. i have not have very good results with the Noslers, but then again, I have had strange results with most things. I will have to try them again. I know I can be hard headed, but I do have a tremendous respect for your experiences, and your opinions. Been a big fan ever since your article with old ugly, your .458 and the bondo'd stock. Love that gun! i'd bet most everyone on this forum would really love to see more of your pictures. I think we should start a thread with just that. Antone else interested in seeing them? Thanks Phil!

quote:

i'd bet most everyone on this forum would really love to see more of your pictures. I think we should start a thread with just that. Antone else interested in seeing them? Thanks Phil!

+1

Lots of choices as well as opinions on this. Don't think there is any "right" answer on this subject. One point well made was ammo availability in AK may need to be considered if you are only taking one box of bullets. With the rifle I would take would be at least two boxes of bullets. That being said, if I had to pull one rifle out of my safe to take, it would be my 375 Ruger Hawkeye Alaskan. This is a true 200 yard gun so you don't have to get so close to where you could smell a bear's breath to close the deal and still have enough punch to put down whatever you are shooting. I also like the fact that it is a short barreled rifle and therefore is easier to maneuver in tight quarters. If I had a quarter for every post and opinion on this subject I would off hunting somewhere rather than trying to figure out how I am going to pay for my next hunt.

Thanks for the reply Phil. I bought a bunch of 220 Nosler PT a few years ago and have not had a chance to shoot anything big with them. By the looks of that bear, dead, and you, alive and smiling, they work fine.
Best regards,
dmw

There are many good reasons why the 30-06 is - and has been for seventy years - the most popular caliber in Alaska. Basically though it comes down to what I have been preaching for thirty years and have written many times -
ANYONE WHO CLAIMS THE 30-06 IS NOT EFFECTIVE HAS EITHER NOT USED ONE: OR ELSE IS UNWITTINGLY COMMENTING ON THEIR MARKSMANSHIP.

With the bullets and powders that we have today it will suffice for anything.

Great point Phil. . . . . . Now, we all wanna see more pics!
I'm betting there will be a few of us bringing our .06s out of retirement.

I already have mine, it's a Ruger Hawkeye matte SS in 35 Whelen, if I were to buy something new specifically for dangerous game I'd imagine taking a long hard look at the Hawkeye Alaskan in 375 Ruger.

I'd have a hard time disputing the .35 Whelen. I have on in a custom 1909 Agentine Mauser that I would take anything with, anywhere. Probably my all time favorite cartridge if truth be known. I just got a .375 Ruger Alaskan and have not taken anything with it, but it sure looks like a winner. Hope to deflower it here next month on a Roosevelt Elk. If I don't get the chance, maybe a Oregon Ground squirrel come spring. Or as they refer to them here' Grey diggers'. They make great practice targets!

I read an article 20-30 years ago regarding the effectiveness of the 375 Wea on Brown Bear.
The article stated this cartridge lost its best friend when Nosler discontinued making the 300 gr partition. Which they did for a long time.
The article mentioned that this combination was especially effective on large bears.
I know there are quite a few people on this forum that could vouch for that and the anxiety when Nosler decided to stop the 375 caliber; 300 gr offering.
In those days I do not believe there were any other premium offerings outside of bitteroot and I am not sure they made 375 caliber bullets.
I have never had a partition fail on me.
I have shot a few +1500 lb Alaskan moose broadside at 50 yards with a 250 partition out of a 340 wea. at 2930 FPs and never found a bullet. You could practically stick your fist through the exit hole. That is a pretty significant impact!
In fact I have never found a 338; 250 gr NP bullet in any animal I have shot; all pass throughs.

I don't know Phil...first you defend the .458 Winchester as a reliable Dangerous Game round with no real gains in real world stopping effect by going to a Lott, and then the 30-06 as a "anything" Alaska rifle. And on the Internet no less. Probably more dangerous than that bear in the alders...was.
best regards,
dmw

I interpreted this thread to be asking for the best all around Alaskan rifle and statistically, as well as from my experience, I think I'm on pretty safe ground claiming that that title should be given to the 30-06 . It works for long range, short range, large game and small and if the shooter is up to the task it can be pressed into service even for backup. By definition the term "all-around" means a compromise must be made on both ends.
If the thread was asking for a professional's DG stopping rifle I would say that statistically, as well in my experience, the 458 Win is the best.

I could not agree more with either statement even though I have no experience with the professional DG rifle. I do have a .458 Win Mag and have shot some game with it but not DG. I do however have common sense and have shot quite a lot of big game and have read the unquestioned masters of African DG like WDM Bell and understand the Central Nervous system and the Circulatory system and the fact you better hit the first if you want a "stop" and/or mess up the second quite a lot if you want death to occur in any period of short time.
I still stand behind the fact that your testing the limits of risk anent the Internet, with your positions however well supported they are by experience and fact! I will stand with you on both however just not as well supported.
best regards,
dmw

Nah, I don't think Phil is on any dangerous ground with his opinions here. I DID ask to an 'all around' rig. And I believe his point will be well taken. He's clearified his views, and I vote that he is right on all counts.

I think the idea of an all around rifle for Alaska makes for some interesting answer's and that we can all enjoy the discussion.

Besides Fury01, don't you dare get him all irritated, or we won't get to see any more pictures!

I have been designing, building and using THE "perfect all around Alaskan rifle" now for over thirty years and have an entire rack full of them ranging from 30-06, to 338 Win, 35 Whelen, 9.3x62, 9.5x62 (aka 375 Scovill), 375 H&H, 375 Ruger, 416 Rem.,416 Rigby and my 458.
What I have learned is that it's still hard to beat the 30-06 for "all around" use.
There are no bad ones though. It's up to the shooter to make them work. Even the .223 works for a lot of folks.

Dear Mr. Shoemaker:

I am curious about your pictured 30-06 and the bullets that you used on that brown bear.

What rifle was it, and you did take him with the Nosler 220 grain partition?

Hey, that's a wooden stock, isn't that a sin in Alaska?

Sincerely,

Chris Bemis

I havn't been in AK for a few years now but I'd use the 300WM I've had for years and years if I had to use one rifle, I have no plans to ever hunt bears, and in a pinch a real well made .30 cal bullet at a resonable speed will kill a big bear as already pointed out. Or I could buy a nice .338WM barrel and rebarrel the gun, geuss that could be an option if I was re-relocating to AK.

Chris, The rifle is my FN actioned 30-06 that Lon Paul re-built with a stainless steel Danny Peterson barrel, Jerry Fisher bottom metal and re-stocked. It is reminiscent of many of the early custom Springfield and Mauser sporters carried by so many of the early Alaskan guides.
It works just as well too.
It is not meant to be a permanent replacement for Ole Ugly though.

Like Phil, I live in Alaska (very close actually in the MAT-SU valley), have multiple guns that I have owned & used: 257 AI for sheep & caribou, 270 win for black bear, caribou & moose, 338 Win Mag & 300 Win Mag for all species, 444 Marlin & Ruger Mini -14 for my boat guns, 223 black gun & 257 AI for predators, Savage 99 in 308 Win; my 14 yr old son been shooting a 7mm-08 for moose, caribou & black bear since he was 11

Only 30-06 I own is an M1 Garand, I never bought a 30-06 because I was afraid I would stop searching for other guns to fill a certain niche (or should I say itch); but the 30-06 would be a strong contended if I was limited a one gun battery

My go to gun now is a 375 H&H Whitworth Mark X (wood & blued) that I had touched up by a gunsmith; takes all the guesswork out, I never feel under gunned & with the right loads, it is fine on game down to our little island deer & even predators (little hole in & out)
If I lived in the southeast part of the state, I would probably be compelled to go SS & plastic but as long as I wipe her down & keep her oiled, the Mark X does just fine even in places like Kodiak.

I usually have a Leupold 1.5x5 on it, do have a Leupold 2.5x8 I can put on when anticipating long shots (for me, anything over 250 yds is long); both have Kimber QR rings so I can switch out easily

Only real con to my 375 is the weight, it makes it comfortable to shoot but a pain on long hikes or when packing out meat; however, since I have QR rings, I take the scope off when not needed, unload the gun (that is nothing in the camber) and use it as a walking stick

Just one Alaskan’s opinion

dWright,
Don't get me wrong, I agree with everything Phil wrote here and I can't think of anything I have read of his that I disagreed with in fact. I am just amused by the folks that go Hydrophobic over .458 Win vs. Lott and 30-06 vs. this that or the other and was trying to say that in inference. I too want to see his pictures by the way. I love that Lon Paul '06 by the way. Some kind of rifle for a rifleman.
Best regards,
dmw

I spent a few wonderful hours last week handling all the lithe, limber and lethal 30-06 Springfield Sporters in Michael Petrov's collection. Some of them were owned and used by long past Alaskan guides who considered them to be perfect for all Alaskan hunting.
One of the reasons I carried my LP 06 was that it is build along the same lines as those, plus it has a 1 in 8 twist for use with heavier bullets. although it seems to shoot weil with everything from 150 grs and up.

458Win,
I am envious of those few wonderful hours. Yes the guns that leap to the shoulder and settle just underneath the perfectly aligned front sight. What a treasure they are.
dmw

Phil, try bracketing the Photobucket address ( the "http://....") with "[IMG]".

That LP 06 certainly is a Little Honey!

Thanks Mike

Since we had to clear brush to take the shot it looks pretty open but if you look close you can see the hunter on the left side and he is only five or six feet away.

My first post was for a 338 or 375 but I also own several 06's One with a good 200- 220gr bullet would be very useful. And I wouldn't be sad to have one in my hands.

This guy seems happy with his choice. I wouldn't be.

Bruce

http://vilda.alaska.edu/u?/cdmg21,99

Nice bear Phil. That one looks bigger than any of mine from this fall. Blake did some of my flying this year.

As far as the best rifle for Alaska I'm not sure I know what that is but what ever it is Im sure I have two of them.

I've shot foxes on a bear hunt with a .375 without tearing them up and I shot brown bear with a 30-06. so ether of these or anything in between will do just fine.

I did carry a .243 deer hunting on Kodiak for a few years because it was great for the deer as well as all the fur down there. After the second bear scare I went back to a .300 win just in case. So I'll count out the .243 for AK but I'm sure everyone else here has already done that.

Once the bears go to sleep for the winter I don't let my .223's get too far away from me.

OK, here's a question for you guys, and really interested to hear Phil's take on this question. Just for intertainment. . . . what would be the minimum caliber that you would consider, taking every animal in Alaska with?
Mine for example would be a 7mm-08 with a Barnes TSX of at least 140 grains. Anything smaller then that, and I'm pretty sure I'd bow out!

In my opinion you are about right. A 6.5x55 or .260 Rem could be made to make it as well. Of course so could a 25-06 or .257 Roberts with TSX, Partitions or Swifts.

When I was guiding sheep hunters I had a number of clients armed with .243's and I always claimed that I wouldn't be afraid of any Grizzly in the high country if I had a 243. that is still true but I think I would draw the line on initiating hostilities with a large Brown bear with one, no matter what bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by DWright:
OK, here's a question for you guys, and really interested to hear Phil's take on this question. Just for intertainment. . . . what would be the minimum caliber that you would consider, taking every animal in Alaska with?
Mine for example would be a 7mm-08 with a Barnes TXS of at least 140 grains. Anything smaller then that, and I'm pretty sure I'd bow out!

Watched the wife (now ex) of one of my friends (Dr Ed Ashby) shoot a grizzly that squared out at 7 1/2 feet with a .243 Donaldson. One shot in the heart about 50 yards away. Bear ran about 25 yards and dropped dead. I think the bullet was 90 grain Barnes original. He was backing her up with a .375 Whelen so it wasnt a fool hardy mission.

In Frank Glasser's book he mentioned that he woulden't reccomend useing a .220 swift for grizzly bears. I don't remember exactly how it was worded but it was apparent that he was speaking from expiriance.

Frank was a market hunter, I think he said he killed "everything" with his 220 swift but did not recommend it for grizzly

I loaned out his book or I would look it up