I am leaving on May 14 for a week long black bear hunt.The hunt is boat based.I'm trying to decide between my go to Ruger stainless 30 06 with 3x12x50 Schmidt & Bender or a stainless M70 syn.in 338 Win mag.and 4x Schmidt or 3x10x40 VXIII in Talley Lightweights.I have not shot the 338 much.I would use 230 Failsafes in the 338 and 180 Nosler PT in the 3006.I know these bears can get rather large for black bear and the cover is thick of the beach. Thanks

quote:

Originally posted by Rsm458Lott:
I have not shot the 338 much.

Although most people tend to fall into the "bigger is better" group, I'd say based on the above statement take your "go to" 30-06.

I've taken SEAK black bears with everything from 6mm Rem to 375 H&H - this year I'll be trying 35 Rem. Well placed 180 NPs from your 30-06 will serve you well on any black bear.

+3, go with the -06.

quote:

Originally posted by Rsm458Lott:
I am leaving on May 14 for a week long black bear hunt.The hunt is boat based.I'm trying to decide between my go to Ruger stainless 30 06 with 3x12x50 Schmidt & Bender or a stainless M70 syn.in 338 Win mag.and 4x Schmidt or 3x10x40 VXIII in Talley Lightweights.I have not shot the 338 much.I would use 230 Failsafes in the 338 and 180 Nosler PT in the 3006.I know these bears can get rather large for black bear and the cover is thick of the beach. Thanks

Either is fine take the one that YOU ARE more accurate and or Comfortable with Have a good time Let us know how it goes!! I will have C Spine (5,6,&7) Fusion 4-11 so my Bear hunt plans are on hold probably until fall

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. Tsturm I hope your surgery goes smooth so you can get back hunting.

Other than gun is there any other gear you would reccomend that might helpfull for this type of hunt.

Rsm,

If you shoot it well take the 338. Of course the '06 will work fine but if you are on the last day of the hunt and that lumbering toad of your dreams is walking dead away from you would you take the shot with your '06? With the 338 and the Failsafe he is dead meat with the bullet easily traveling the whole length of his body.

Also think the best rain gear and hip boots you can afford.

Mark

.338

Couple of sound points made for each side. My so-called experience with SEAK black bear is way short, but I'd vote for the one you shoot best/are most comfortable with. The three our party took all died from single pokes to the boiler room after stalks. Calibers were 7mmRM (yours truly), .300WM, .458WM. The farthest bear went about 10 feet--the one shot with the .458WM, actually. Not terribly hard to kill if the first shot is on the money. If brown bears are likely to be around, then my answer is still, take what you shoot best.

I have worked more than hunted Southeast, and I agree with the best rain gear and waders/boots you can afford. Cabellas has a two piece guide wear, with reinforced knees and elbows. Helly Hanson is really good commercial quality as well.
For the same reason what ever you shoot well in syn/stainless. My old wood stocked Ruger 77 bent like a pretzel in the rain.
I shot mine with a .338 Win. 210 Nosler Partition. It did not take a step, but destroyed quite a lot of shoulder meat.

My 3006 is laminate stocked will it hold up in the rain?

Nothing like leaving things until the last minute, I always say.

;;;;;;;;;;okey;;;;whi dont yu think abut the .458winnie, 460 wetherby, 10.75x 68;;;;;;;416 wetherby mag,

TAKE a rel mans gun!!!!!!!!!!!lev the girly 30cals home with your daghter!!!!!

Ok, sorry about that guys, I've been waiting for him to chime in and I just couldn't stand it any longer.

RSM,

Mark duly points out the only thing in favor of the .338 but the difference between your options is not that great. I wouldn't think twice about the '06 and if that's what you're most accurate with, it'll certainly do it's part.

As the hunt is boat based, you should have the opportunity to dry out over night and a laminated stock, properly finished, should be fine. It's another story if you were going to be tenting out in the rain as things get wet and stay wet and trenchfoot creeps up on you and your gear.

If I had to change one thing, I'd go with lower powered scopes overall but that is splitting hairs. I would anticipate most of your first shots will be in the open but if you smack one and he gets into the puckerbrush...

May can be a great month for weather - some years - so don't scrimp on raingear and hippers!

I've taken 3 black bear with a 30-06 and 1 with a .338 as well as a bunch more with other cal.

My suggestion is flip a coin they both work just fine

either one will work. if you shoot the .338 well enough than i would choose that one with 250 gr. n.p.. dead is dead, may as well be a larger wound channel.

I'd take the 338WM due to the synthetic stock, with the 4x scope.

No wood to worry about, plenty of bullet (as is the 30-06), and plenty of scope for the usual ranges encountered.

If I only had one rifle to hunt with ? .338 Ruger would be it !

I agree with others about bringing the .338WM if you can shoot it well. Bring the best Federal with 250-grain bullets you can find, or Federal with 225-grain Triple Shock. You can buy the ammo up here, but such ammo would not cost as much if you buy in in Anchorage or Fairbanks.

I don't think the laminated stock will give you a problem. Each layer is glued or sealed in resin. My old Ruger was just "out of the box" wood with no bedding.
It's already raining here. Overcast and 48 degrees in south central. It was snowing in Juneau last week, but I suspect it will start raining soon.
Layer up the best you can afford. We started in the cool mornings, sun high and hot by 10: or so, and raining when we stopped for lunch, with the sun still out! Best thing in the world was that dry spot at the end of the day!( that was in Sitka, and Ketchikan was similar, but warmer.) Both had lots of fog early in the day.
It's spectacular country. Enjoy your hunt.

I'll be heading home when you are departing for AK. This is my first hunting trip to AK as well as my first Bear Hunt. I'm getting excited as it is now less than a month away.

I had pretty much the same dilemma you are facing. I'm going on my first bear hunt in SE AK as well this year. I had two rifles I really wanted to take a .338-06 and my .35 Whelen, the problem was these are very nice wood stocked and blued rifles. I wasn't so much worried about the bluing as I was the nice wood stocks. After seeing how badly the rifles got beat up by the guys I'm going with the previous year I decided to leave my nice rifles home.

I had a Rem M700 ADL .30-06 setting around, in fact I had never taken it out of the box since I bought it. So I decided to work with this one and I bought an VXIII 2.5-8X36 Leupold and mounted it on QR bases and rings to keep the iron sites intact. I also had a couple of boxes of 200 grain Nosler Partitions laying around the bench. I got my best load using 52 grains of H4350, I think this should handle any black bear I might come across.

Suggestions I got for rain gear, and I decided to take the advice was Helle Hansen Impertech. I got the jacket and bibs, bought them a little large but they should work ok over layers. I bought the Cabela's ankle fit neoprene hip waders, after trying on several hip waders they just fit my foot the best, which should help when I'm walking the beaches.

Good luck on your hunt.

Thanks for all the input.I have pretty much decided on the 338.The 4x Schmidt & Bender is steel and I don't want it to get rusted.I am thinking of a 2x7 VXII with the long range duplex.I think this would be a great choice for this rifle.I am trying to get a sheep hunt together for maybe next year and if it's in bear country I would feel better with the 338 than my 270.With that reticle I think longer shots would be possible and still be able to shoot close fast if needed.

Thanks for all the advice.

Good luck on your hunt!

The coastal temperate rainforest is a fascinating biome.