Want kind of firearms and what caliber would I need if I moved to Alaska? I really ain't to much into eating bear meat,but I'd rather him be lunch than me or the wife.Have 7mm-08,50 calinline,20 ga,12ga,44mag pistol,9mm luger.What else should I have on the list?

The only thing you really need is something bigger than the 7-08 for the big stuff. Anything from one of the .300 Mags to the .375 will fill the role. I personally recommend one in the middle of that range: the .338 Win. Mag., although you will find plenty of other experienced hunters that will pick the others.

What about these 358,450marlin,325WSM,375H&H,300WSM.The reason I ask is I can get"m in Browning with a Boss.Have worked my butt of teaching the wife to shot good,an don't want to scare her off with a shoulder killer.Oh forgot to ask about Bar's in cold weather(do they freeze up or not ?)

Browning with a Boss for maybe DG? I'll let everyone else chime in here. Find her a 30-06 Mauser, Win Model 70, Kimber, even one of the new Rem 798s and put a big Decellerator recoil pad on it. Sight it in for her, then let her shoot from field positions. You can even start her with some of the "low recoil" loads if you want. Then get her a bolt action .22 for practice. She'll never notice the recoil of the '06 if most of her shooting is at game.

Get yourself a .300 or .338 Win Mag in one of the above model rifles, but remember you are going to step up in recoil a bit.

red, pick up a CZ 9.3x62 American for around 529.00--controlled feed. I seriously doubt you can do better for the money.

ooops. meant to say slewfoot. When I sell my last Rem. I will get the controlled feed 9.3x62. Seen a nice FS 9.3 x 62-pretty sweet.

by the way do not even consider the BAR, pretty risky if you get some debris of sorts in that action-will lock up on you. Fella in Cantwell experienced that after he was layed up for about 3 months when chewed on by a sow protecting her cubs. He went home and inspected his rifle and seen what failed the 2nd shot- twig debris. Bolt action/controlled fed or a lever gun.

I did completely forget about CZ - nice save grizz.

quote:

Originally posted by Slewfoot:
Want kind of firearms and what caliber would I need if I moved to Alaska?

You would need a military Mauser 98 action (for reliability) converted to 9.2 x 62 (for big stuff, small stuff, short range, long range) with QD mounts and iron sights. And lots of ammo.

A ruger MKII stainless in 338 mag or a pair of them.

The Rugers are solid dependable guns, a 300WM or a 338WM would do anything you need it to. If one of those were lightweight they would even work for sheep/goat hunting. Ammo is also readily available in a variety of loads. I have no use for pistols except for self defense on the highways or at home.The 12 gauge will work for waterfowl/grouse and Ptarmigan and a varmint caliber (22-250, .204,.223) for Fox,Lynx,Coyotes and Wolf.

I use three rifles calibers in Alaska.The 338 win mag ,my 338-378 weatherby and my 416 rem mag.I use the 338-378 about 90 % of the time.I use the 4316 in the tent and thickets when a long shot on bears is 15 feet.I Love all three of these calibers but use the 338-378 weatherby accumark the most.You could buy a stainless 338 win mag Ruger 77 and be set with a good scope on it.

quote:

Originally posted by Slewfoot:
Want kind of firearms and what caliber would I need if I moved to Alaska? I really ain't to much into eating bear meat,but I'd rather him be lunch than me or the wife.Have 7mm-08,50 calinline,20 ga,12ga,44mag pistol,9mm luger.What else should I have on the list?

Depends on where you move to and what you intend to hunt. Might be the 7-08 is all you would need. Or, you might want a 338 or 375 or some other bear stopper.

It's getting to the point that I think it should be all Alaskans personal duty to go shoot a bear or three and several wolves so the game animals have a lower yearling mortality rate. Some places of the state are hurting bad because of bears and wolves.

What others have said: stainless .338WM or .300WM.

These are the most popular cartridges up here besides the .30-06, and you can find ammo for them in the local stores. Something else: you may find pretty good deals right here in Alaska. For example, I paid $399.00 for my .338 WM Ruger M77 MKII.

500 grains
Do you think the milatary 98 is more reliable than the Comercial FN mauser. If so why?
Thanks
DR B

The most populer gun in Alaska is the .338 Win Mag. I own two Rugers and a Thompson Center Rifle in .338WM. The Rugers are reliable, and take a beating and still hold up. One is an older M-77, I put it in a Bell and Carlson stock. The other is a M-77 MK-II, it came with a synthetic stock. The TCR has a Synthetic Thumbhole stock. Alaska is not the place for wood, definatelly go with synthetic stocks. I have been carrying a .338WM for 21 years. Have taken lots of game and never lost one yet. Ranges from 20 to 580 yards.

I just bought a Weatherby Accumark in .338-378. When I get the loads worked out it will be the one I carry most of the time. Only draw back ammo is $85.00 to $90.00 a box, and hard to find.

I purchased a Kimber 8400 Montana in .300 WSM. I packed it all over the place on Kodiak hunting Goats. I never got tired of carying it! I put a Leupold 2.5X10 LPS with S&K Skulpted one piece rings.

A target 3 rapid shots prone position 200 yards. 180 grain Barnes TSX. The light barrel is sesitive to heating when fired fast.
[EMAIL]http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j293/will_tania/IMG_0113.jpg[/EMAIL]

It would kill Alaskan Browns but probably not the Ideal caliber. But still a great all around set up.

I need to work on photo size! Sorry

Thank ya'll for the responses,we are lookinh hard into moveing.Maybe after spring,so we can get used to the weather,on a gradual basis.Paul H if you read this thank you for the info link to Lousianaman on the oil&gas links.I will be sending some resumes this week.God help us we'll have to probable live in Big town,my wife is a nurse,I might be on the slope.But to answer ya'lls question I really don't plan to hunt bears,but I don't want either of us being lunch,either.Looks like I'd better start looking for a 338,an a couple of 460 pistols.

quote:

Originally posted by Dr B:
500 grains
Do you think the milatary 98 is more reliable than the Comercial FN mauser. If so why?
Thanks
DR B

Yes. The military 98 is slopper and can stand more sand/mud/pine needles in the action and keep working.

I'd just add a Ruger 338 ss and be done with it. I've worked well up the big bore scale, but realize a lightweight medium bore is utterly more useful in the field.

The 7-08 is really enough for all but the great bears. I can like a 338 for moose, because a big hole all the way through is comforting, but I'm not about to say a 7-08 can't kill the biggest moose, because it certainly can.

If your wife is looking for a nursing job, she should look in Anchorage, the mat-su (I think the hospital is in Palmer) and Fairbanks. If you're working on the slope, you'll be flying out of Anchorage, so something to consider as to your local.

It used to be that Alaska airlines ran the shared services flights, so if your flights were delayed, you wouldn't have much trouble have your connecting flights changed. But that is no more, and I've heard plenty of grieved slopers who have to spent a bunch of coin on changing flights, and hotel rooms in Anchorage.