I'm thinking about hunting moose next year in Northwest Alaska. The hunting will be in September. I'm told I have a 60% chance of drawing a permit. Is that accurate?

How mountainous is the country likely to be? I notice most gear lists mention waders. How much slogging around takes place?

I have a 375 H&H and a 300 WSM. The 300 would be plenty, but I want to hunt with the 375. I'm reading that 300 yard shots might be required. I prefer shots within 200 for the 375. How much long-range gunning really takes place? Are we talking fairly wide-open country?

Can I expect a lot of cold, wet weather?

My plan would be to bring the antlers back to the States and a small amount of backstrap. Are there any major problems doing that?

Any shared experience would be appreciated.

Lot's of open space, and you could shoot at 300 yards. I've seen a few shot at about 250 yards, and shot my first at that range. There aren't many trees around Nome, and Kotz is farther North than Nome. You might need waders for crossing rivers. Depends on how your guide hunts, or if you go by yourself, how you travel.

All of the meat needs to be retrieved, and bringing the antlers back is no problem. If you can find someone to take your meat, it's no issue. The weather could be very cold and wet. Maybe some snow as well. Be prepared for any kind of weather.

quote:

Be prepared for any kind of weather

this is #1 advice. I've been there on consecutive years the first with 70 degrees and the next with 4' of snow. that 375 is perfect. it'll reach out a lot further than most think - look at the tables and you'll find its just an overgrown 06

Waders, IMO, are a necessity when hunting moose. They like to inhabit wet terrain and can usually be found in river corridors but I have seen them way out on the tundra a few times.

Only time I didn't wear waders while moose hunting was last year while bowhunting near Anchorage, other than that I practically live in them while hunting moose.

I'd look into the breathable hip waders, full size neoprene chest waders will make you sweat and really aren't neccessary, hippers should do the trick.

I may have come to my senses a little bit. I can't justify carrying the 375. I'll probably carry the 300 WSM and shoot 180gr. bullets. I see the choice of Federal loads is pretty good; Nosler AccuBond, Nosler Partition, Barnes TSX, and Barnes MRX. I'm looking closely at the Barnes MRX.

I have hunted bear out of Nome.
I flew in and out of Kotzebue

I saw some moose there. Take the 300 Mag.

Your shot could be fairly long.

Leave the .375 home. I took a 66" bull out of Kotzebue on the Kelly river awhile ago and you are shooting 300-400 yds no problem. Its wide open and without a rangefinder you cannot tell the range.I shoot a .338 with hand loads of 225 gr noslers with a shephard scope and I do shoot alot of range so it very easy for myself. Is its cold and wet--its Alaska-its always cold. Lots of griz and grouse and good char fishing. Have lots of fun.....

www.african-montana-taxidermy.com

+1 for the 300, but I wouldn't hesitate to take my 375 H&H. More than likely I will take my 300 WBY this year. Lou

I hunted out of Kotzebue in the late 1980's and found the .375 to be just fine for Moose. The Moose is an enormous target, and 300 yards isn't so far away.

. The 375 is the better of the 2 rounds for Alaska ....... Sight in for 200 yards , with the 270 gr loads , you will be 9-10 inches low @ 300 and 2 foot low @ 400 .. . A range finder is a very handy tool ... Recomended for Otz ..

I've been doing a quick comparison on the Federal ammo for the 300WSM and the 375H&H. The 180gr MRX in 300WSM compares very favorably with the 250gr TBBC in 375H&H. The energy curves cross paths at 135 yards. At 100 yards the 375 has about a 2% advantage. At 150 yards the 300SWM has about the same advantage. (At the muzzle the 375 has a 12% advantage.)

I might consider sighting-in the 300WSM at 4" high at 100. That would have me about 4" low at 300, and maybe -12" at 400 yards.

The above gives me the confidence that the 300WSM is the way I'll go. Thanks for the recommendations.

You will need the waders. Lots of very wet tundra as well as swampy areas. Plan on long range shots. Some areas have plenty of trees, but most is an awful lot of tundra and low brush. And count on the rain. It will be wet.
Good luck,

Bill

A few of you mention waders. Do you wear them all the time you're hunting, or just slip them out of a backpack and put them on when needed? I've had one pair of waders in my life, and they were uncomfortable as Hell. I can't imagine hunting in them.

4" high at 100 yards is going to put you a lot higher at 200 and 300 yards -- it will be a very strange trajectory.

I'd sight it in no more than 3" high at 100 yards and even at 400 yards you'll still be holding on "hair" --- a moose is a lot bigger than any white-tail --- it's a big target.

I'll take another look at that. Maybe I missed something. The tables show 1.5" high at 100 yields 6.4" low at 300. I was just trying to bring that 300 yard number up a tad.

Kensco,

I've only flown into and out of Kotz but last Sept I did hunt 1/2 between Kotz and Nome; on the American rivers north of Teller. Here is a link to my story.

http://forums.accuratereloadin...361004101#5361004101

Depending upon the terrain you hunt which I can't vouch for, my experience must have been very different than some previous posters above. For one, waders were not needed. I was in rolling, low mountains; no bogs/swamps. Muskeg/Tussucks, YES! Plenty of moose, incredible, extremley open country with out trees for maybe 100+ miles to the east of us. Emphasis on "excellent" glass for spotting. I spotted the bear I went after 1/2 mile or so away from the moose I ended up shooting; they were 6 miles away when I found them through my Zeiss 15-45x60 spotting scope.

We had snow but very light and it drizzled a few times. Basically put, we had gorgeous weather. Only put my rain gear on 1x. IMHO either rifle will work just fine.

Alan

DB Bill

You are right. I was off a little bit. The MRX at 2980 fps compares close to something I found for 3000 fps.

At a Muzzle Velocity of 3000 fps I will be better off with +3.5" high @ 100; +4.25" @ 200; -0.25 @ 300; and about -10.25" @ 400.

I'm reading a Maximum Point Blank Range (+/- 5") out to about 350 yards. Seems like that should cover it.

Unless you're worried about a close-up bear encounter I see no reason to lug the .375 around. The .300 should do fine......lot's of moose are taken with less.

Can somebody come back to me on the "wader" issue. I've only owned chest waders. I'm assuming no one is recommending them, but are you wearing hip waders full-time in Alaska when you're hunting, or taking them out of a backpack and wearing them only when required?

Prior warning.....I've only hunted moose once in 2004 and Cabelas was the outfitter, went to the Alaska Range near McGrath and everybody got a nice moose. As far as waders go, my experience was with rubber chest waders in the Stuttgart Duck Swamps in Arkansas. I took hip waders with ankle fit and we would leave them after we got across the big waters. If I was going again, I would use the beathable stocking foot waders that my hunting boots would fit over, and just wear them all the time, of course, the guides opinion would trump mine!
I came away very impressed with the volume of meat that is carried away from the carcass...wow! I only need one moose in my lifetime. Also, when I shot mine it was about 300yds off and ran to 400yds before dying. I hit it 8 times with my Dakota .330 in a driving snow (ie range finder was not working).
It was an experience! Have fun,
Don

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:
I have hunted bear out of Nome.
I flew in and out of Kotzebue

I saw some moose there. Take the 300 Mag.

Your shot could be fairly long.

Most of the State has gone to spike fork 50"
rule awfully hard to count brow tines at extreme range! Or judge 50" or larger.

Damn! This is starting to sound like a tougher hunt than I thought. I better get this one done before I'm too old to do it.

You can't go wrong bringing hip waders either rubber or neoprene. You could be hunting along a river or in marshy areas and need to wear them all the time or you could be on the high ground and never need them.

The 300 is more than plenty for moose at any range close or far. Far smaller calibers have been used to take down moose and bears in Alaska. Any quality bullet 165gr or larger will work well for you.

Bring synthetic clothing you can wear in layers as it can be snowing raining or nice and sunny up there at that time of the year.

Don't worry about the open spaces moose are not the smartest animals and you should be able to sneak within 200 yards of them even without trees.

Bring a fishing pole as the fishing is outstanding up there.

Bring good optics and a range finder as they well help you locate game and to make sure of the range when it comes time to shoot.

I lived and hunted out of Kotzebue for several years. Hip waiters are an absolute necessity in unit 23. You will be crossing streams multiple times a day and you'll be wading around in some serious mucky tundra and marsh in the low lying areas.

I got to where I just wore the darn things all the time as I got sick and tired of changing into them and out of them multiple times a day.

Another viable option is to get a pair of the goretex hip waiters that slip over your boots. They are light and easy to slip on and off.

As far as rifles go I carried a .375H&H the whole time I was up there and I still do today when I hunt in AK. A 270gr bullet out of a .375 is within inches of your .300 out to 400+ yards and it is simply a better caliber for cruising thick alder in bear country. And yes climbing and descending out of the river bottoms you'll bee in plenty of thick nasty alder using bear trails. Unit 23 is crawling with bears.

Surestrike , You the Man .... Doing my work for me ,,, Thank you ... I know several guys from Kivalena that did or are going to the 338 for moose , and they are all Eskimos , so there everyone who thinks eskimos only hunt with a 22 Hornet .......

Kensco- When I hunted bear on the peninsula(where there were also moose), on both trips I and my guides, as has been said here, wore hip boots ALL the time- because it was necessary. You are in water or boggy ground constantly; you get used to it. As for your choice of bullets, they are all good. For moose I would opt for the Barnes TSX simply because they have worked so well for me and I handload. I would however try all of them to find out which ones work best in your rifle. My son also handloads; he tried the Barnes MRX and they were very poor in his rifle. But, the TSX was very accurate for him. For the .300WSM, once you select your load then I would sight in 3.5" high at 100 yds and then check it for 200,300 and 400 yds. Aiming dead on out to 300 yds you should be in the kill zone. Not all loads will shoot to the same point of impact. Thats why you need to try them. DO NOT RELY ON THE TABLES; they are just a guide. As example, my .300WSM, with handloaded 180 gr Horn SST, is set for this sight in and at 300yds its about 3.5" low. Then, once you have chosen load and sight in- practice, practice. practice. And not from the bench, but from field poitions. If it were me I would take the .375 because of the chance of a bear encounter and I think it works better on big moose, plus it is underrated as a long distance cartridge. But, if you use a premium, deep penetrating bullet the .300 will do the job. I would not opt for it for an alert, or, certainly, an aroused, wounded or charging bear. You cannot always rely on your guide for backup; somtimes situations go to hell in a hurry. On my last brown bear hunt, at 30 yds, I put a 225 gr Failsafe .338 WM slug into my bear, whereupon it did not immdeiately drop- so my guide shot and missed wi his .458WM. I quickly shot again and dropped it. If I had not dropped it would we have had time for another shot? Turns out my first shot was fatal- but bear did not know it. My second shot impacted just an inch from
the first one. If this is guided hunt you should also discuss this with your guide. Good luck on your planning.

olguy

I appreciate what you're saying. Luckily I have 50 years of hunting experience because I have to bring it together quickly, and make the right decisions the first time. Somcetime in September I will start buying gear, and pull out the 300 WSM and hit the range with the 180 gr. MRX round if I can find them. The rifle then goes back in storage, and I have to continue to plan the hunt, and learn everything I can about moose and moose hunting. A year later I will hit the U.S. again, pull out the 300 WSM and hit the range one last time. (Usually I will shoot three different days. A week later I will climb aboard the plane and head to Alaska. The hunt will be guided.

Unfortunately I have had to hunt this way the last thirteen years; six international hunts. So far so good, but it's not ideal. My choices are hunt this way, or don't hunt. So I try to gain as much from people that hunt the game I will hunt, and make sure I have a very steep learning curve. If I don't get it right the first time, whether it is gear or hunting technique, I may never get a second chance.

That is the beauty of this forum. Before I ever hunted cape buffalo, plains game (sable, kudu, oryx), or Dall sheep; in Zimbabwe, RSA or the Northwest Territories, I had already been their through the hunts of others. The fact that I'm 100% on what I go after is a testament to the excellent knowledge shared here.

IMO, goretex chest waders are the way to go. I threw away a pair of worn out hip waders several years ago and don't plan on replacing them.
I think one of the advantages of light breathable chestwaders is the lighter weight for carrying around -> if I have them, I do not take bib rainpants. With a raincoat and chestwaders you are covered. Get good shoes and they are more comfortable walking around all day than hip waders.

Another added benefit is that you can sit down wherever you want and your rear stays dry.

YMMV,

phil

I have just finished working up handloads for a .375 H&H Sako for Africa next year on plainsgame. My best results came from RL-15 pushing a the Barnes 270 grain TSX. I sighted in 2" high at 100 yards, on the button at 200 yards and 13" low at 300 yards. The groups were excellent, 5/8" at 100, 1-1/4" at 200 yards and 2-3/4" at 300 yards. The drop doesn't bother me as I carry a range finder and I think I can deal with the drop. I don't know much about moose but I think a .300 or .375 would work great. Confidence is a big factor. However, I like big bullets that make big holes and create big blood trails. Regarding waders, I was in a Cabelas store when two guys were getting ready for a Russian moose hunt and these boys had bought waist high waders, not hip waders, not chest waders, but waist high waders. They had bought the type with the external boots. It looked like a comfortable combination.

Kensco
I hunted out of Kots.last year and can tell you that the light weight breathable chest waders with a very good wading boot to go over the built-in neoprene sock is the only way to go.They feel no different than having on rain gear pants, except you never break stride when you come to a river or stream. They are warm, durable,and a very good wind breaker. As was mentioned here before you can sit down to glass anywhere and not get wet, muddy, or full of blood. I can also tell you that there were many times while crossing water that I would have been wet or worse with only hip boots!!!
Have fun---shoot straight

quote:

Another viable option is to get a pair of the goretex hip waiters that slip over your boots. They are light and easy to slip on and off.

+1 if you can get away with it!!! Barney's Sports Chalet in Anchorage sells them they're called Sourdough Slippers and made by Neos. They run $142ish. You can wear your normal hunting boot (ie. arch and ankle support) and when needed slip them on to cross creeks. They aren't the answer if you're in swampy tundra all day, but if you only need them occasionally I would forget the hip waiders. Talk to your guide and see what the terrain/water situation is in the area. If you need hip waders I hear LaCross ankle fit hip waders recommended frequently. Remember tundra in hard on ankles so support is great if you can get it.

Brett

In Alaska the only way to go is foot waders without boots; pull your reg boots over the feet. Hip or chest? Gee, I have only used hip boots and can't recall a problem, other than falling down hauling moose meat across a river. That was cold.

I totally agree about the long shot vs judging trophy width/brow tines. Use a variable scope, take it to the range, and see how you can measure 50 inches. In the field, use your rangefinder to get the range. Knowing the subtension, you can judge the width.

Judging that 50 inches is easier said than done.

Stevet50, are the chest waders "hot" when wearing them all day. Sounds like they would wear an old man out, but I'm leaning towards them.

I hope I can judge a 60" rack. I think 50" might be a little of a let-down. (Maybe my expectations are a little high.)

IIRC, last year my outfitter told me to use their eye to eye distance at 10". I got really excited when I thought my 62" bull was 70".

Alan

I don't have to think about it any more, for a while anyway. I've done it. I'll be hunting moose from Kotzebue starting September 11th through the 20th next year, if I draw a tag, that is. I've put down my deposit.

I asked the outfitter whether the 375 H&H or 300WSM sounded best to him. He said bring the 300.

Supposedly I will find out whether I have a tag in March. Once I clear that hurdle I'll start thinking about gear.

I looked at a good number of waders in September. I'm not as nervous as I was. The technology has improved a lot since the last time I put on waders.