I have a Grizzly Bear hunt in April near Nome AK.

My primary rifle will be a Blaser R 93 in 300 Win Mag with a Leupold 3.5-10 LR with Ballistic Cam. I will use the Federal Factory 200gr Trophy Bonded Bearclaw.

I will also be hunting wolf and wolverine.

My question is which would ya'll recommend as a back-up rifle a Blaser R 93 in 375 H&H or 308 Win?

To me the 300 would be enough but if you want to bring a back-up I would go with the 375. The 308 would work but I know I would feel a little more comfortable with the 375.

Thats an easy one, 375 H$H

NE 450no2 did you know that the #1 I think SCI Ak brown bear was shot with a 450#2 double rifle ....... The 450 is ideal .. the 375 is nearly so .. For all around and all the game you listed If you use a 250-270 gr mono metal spitrer boat tail like a Lost River Ballistics or GS custom HV your 375 will work execently from 10 ft.-around 450 yrds possibly a bit further .. The 300 won,t and the 308 relly won,t....If you want a spare trade the muley rifle for another 375 and bring 2

gumboot
I have been advised by the guide that for this hunt the 300 is better as a primary, than the 375 as a longer shot might be necessary.

Apparently this is open country.

I have done some tests with the Lost River 375 bullets in 300gr and 225gr weights. I was not impressed. However I have not shot game with them yet, I still have several boxes and plan to test them on pigs.
In the 375 I would use the Federal 300gr Nosler Partition as I have a lot of them on hand, and the bbl is sighted in for them.

If I was shooting the bear at close range I would definately use a double rifle for sure.
While I love the 450 No2, on a bear hunt, if shooting close, I would use the 9,3x74R or my 450/400, both which are scoped.

My Blaser R 93, with the Federal 200gr TB has proven itself capable of hitting a coke can at 400 yards. I agree with the guide as it being the best first choice.

If I was hunting brown bears in the alders then a double or a 375 Blaser would be my choice.

I have shot black bear with the 308 and my wife had excellent results on zebra, kudu, and wildebeast with the 308.

My Blaser 308 is capable of hitting javilina at 328 and 412 yards, so for longer shots I would prefer it to the 375 H&H.

If it gets nasty up close I will have my S&W 44 Mag Mountain Gun.

For this hunt I am more concerned with being able to connect at longer range if necessary.

I would prefer however, to shoot my bear at 30 feet, as I like to be close.

That is why I chose the 200gr TB in the 300.
It should hold together well for close range shots as well as good expansion at longer distances. I have recovered bullets from elk at @ 100 yards and @ 325 yards.

Both gave perfect performance.

Sure hope you know the guide. I don't know much about grizzlie hunting but long shots on DG don't usually go together. My idea of a long shot is 200 - 300 yards. I'd want something more substantial than a 300 WM at any range. Just my opinion and I could be wrong.

I have used my 300 win mag for grizz up to 150yds and worked out as good as you can get and with the XLC 180-went clear thru. Boar must of been a good 8ft. Exited with evidence of bone,blood, hair and lungs-went about 250 yds and dropped dead-thats when I went and bought a .375RUM 3 months later-for them supposed long shots now and again. hope that helped.

I'd say take the 375 as the only gun. You can easily take 300 yard shots with authority. You'll probably shoot your bear MUCH closer than that, so I'd rather have the extra horsepower.

I've never been to Nome, but as I understand it it's fairly open tundra type country. If thats the case, I'd think the .300 and .375 would work really well. I'd think it'd be really easy to get into a circumstance where you need to make a 300 (or so,) yard shot.
Last year I used a 30-06 to kill an interior grizzly and it seemed to work fine. Nome is interior grizzly country so you shouldn't run into the 10' coastal brown bears. For the last year I've been loading and using the TSX on game in my .375 and 30-06 and have been very impressed. I'd think that for bear the 180g out of the .300, and maybe the 270g out of the .375 would work really well.

I've never hunted griz, so am completely unqualified to comment on griz rifles, but I'll chime in anyway. Have you given any thought to the .358 STA?

I would invest in a 338 barrel for the Blaser. IMHO the hunt you are describing would be perfect for a 338.

N E 450 #2 ----- I used a .300 Winny with 200 grain Nosler Partitions on my 91/2 ft. Brown Bear at Cold Bay. My party was immediately confronted by three additional Bears, the .300 felt tiny indeed. That encounter turned out OK for us but the next time I went into Bear country I had a .340 Wby and the trip after that a .358 STA, that Cobrad mentioned. To a practised shooter and a 270 grain North Fork at 2900 fps the task seems much more weighted toward the hunter instead of the hunted. Good shooting.

''''NE450#2 What exactly was your results with the J36 bullets....I would think the 300gr may be too long for a standard 12" twist but a 225 or 250 should do well ......I have killed deer at over 400 yrds with a 375 that I built myself .. with Fed High Energy 300 gr Trophy Bonded Bear Claw .....I usually hand load all my hunting ammo but if I were to hunt bear with a 375 H&H it would be the load I used....It goes as fast as it says on the box.........I guess it is all about preception but a 458 480 grbullet @ 2150 or there abouts , is in no way ,, too much gun for a grizzly.. ,.,.Sorry ,, but there are just too many wounded bear around here for me to say the 300 is any better a bear caliber than a 260 Rem......And it is definatly not much beyond 200 yrds...... I,m done......

The J36, both weights shed the metal point, slightly expanded then yawed and failed to maintain a straight line of penetration.
However this was not on a real animal.

The 338 is an excellent calibre, however I have just too much 300 and 375 ammo to get one.

I like many of you thought the 375 would be the better choice but the guide Is very knowlegeable on rifles and ammo and just yesterday reconvirmed the 300 is the best choice for this area and hunt.

I like the Trophy Bonded bullets quite a bit as well.

I would love to use one of my doubles on a bear hunt, but this is not the place for a double.


I much prefer to shoot game at close range, heck I prefer 30 feet over 30 yards, but on some hunts a long shot might be required.

N E 450 #2

Your guide is spot on with his choice of your .300 win as perfect for this hunt.
I have hunted big bears as far north as the north slope and as far south as Kodiak island and the bears and terrain in both areas can not be compared.
With my .300 win I shoot a 180 gr Nosler and carry the same powder charge with a 180 gr. Sierra match bullet for use on furbearer's should the chance come up. I don't think that your 200 gr. bullets will cause any un due dammadge to a wolf pelt though.
I'm not sure why you feel the need for a backup rifle I'd guess just in case somthing was wrong with your .300 upon arrival or during the hunt. If this is the case then for sure the .375 but keep in mind that in Alaska extra baggage can be a burden.
I've guided many hunters carrying .300 win mags over the past 28 years and they work great for even the really large bears.

Tony,
The way you shoot...take the 300 and leave the 375 at home...no need for a back-up rifle. The average inland griz is not a huge animal so the 300 with 200g Partitions is perfect! I would expect your shot distance to be less than 200 yards....probably closer to 100. The wolf will be the long range shooting!

Tony:

One word for you:

PHOTOS!

This is Ne450N02 at Heritage arms on his computer.

Thanks for the advise.
I just cannot go aywhere with only one rifle.

A broken down Blaser does not take up much weight or space, another advantage to them.

RE, the ":burden/bother of an extra rifle.

I weighed several Blasers today, with out scope they weighed 6.5lbs bare, 8,5 with a scope and mounts.
Figure with extra ammo and soft case 11 or 12 lbs extra, total.
Broken down it takes up little space.

Of course with the Blaser R 93 I could just carry the extra 375, or 308 scoped bbl and an extra bolt head and carrier, but the stock/reciever does not add much.

Seems like a small price to pay for the extra security of 2 rifles.

The security of a back up rifle is nice....however depending on the type of hunt you are doing...it is not always practical. On all of my Alaska hunts I have had to carry my camp with me on my back. On two hunts I had a raft...but space and weight are always an issue. In this case I always consider my hunting partner or guides rifle as my back up rifle. If weight and space is not an issue then the extra rifle might make more sense. I do believe a different argument can be made for having an extra scope in your pack sighted in with QD rings. In my experience catastrophic failures tend to involve optics.

I would use my 375 H&H shooting 350gr bullets. As a back up I would have with me my 416 Rem.

quote:

Originally posted by N E 450 No2:

I have been advised by the guide that for this hunt the 300 is better as a primary, than the 375 as a longer shot might be necessary.

Apparently this is open country.

I'm curious as to why you booked this long range hunt when you've said twice on this thread that you'd prefer up close hunting conditions?

[/QUOTE]

I'm curious as to why you booked this long range hunt when you've said twice on this thread that you'd prefer up close hunting conditions?[/QUOTE]


Well he probably wants to shoot a grizzly.

And who knows how far he actually will be if he gets a shot, but common sense and his guide say it's a possibility.

KC carlin
Right on. Anytime you hunt interior or arctic grizzly you have the possibility of a long shot or a long follow up shot

Good luck NE 450,

Your hunt sounds like it sould be a true adventure. Let us know how it goes.

Not that I've hunted Griz before, but I'd take the 375 as backup.

N E 450 No2,

I sure wish I had to make such decisions. Best of luck for a great hunt.

Cheers

......Assuming it isn,t a 16" barreled 375 and that it will produce standard H&H mag. balistics ...There isn,t that much more drop with the 375 than the 300 win mag....I am curious as to the group sixe of the Lost River J36 bullets in your rifle ????? .. I would Never consider the guides rifle as my backup rifle ...... shy of ,say ,Waterrat,,, his 358 Norma is real good !!!.. If you don,t bring a spare rifle , and you need it , you will probably nail a boot to a 2x4 to kick yourself in the backside,,,,,repeatedly!!!...I still vote for an over 40 cal double !!The bush and plains bison wouldn,t have been eradicated if a 458 bullet didn,t kill well at long range..!!!

Thanks for all the input and replies.

gumboot
I would love to use my 450/400 or my 9,3 double, both have killed black bears... but this is open snow country.

You are correct in that it is much better to have your own spare rifle.

As to why I booked this particular hunt.

I do prefer to hunt/shoot up close, but, I met this guide through work. He is retired US Military [combat decorated{a real Hero}, I have seen his citations and I personally know people who have served with him], started guiding in AK where he lived after retirement. I met him through work, where durring a shooting range session, I learned he guided AK hunts.

We hit it off. He is a true professional and I know I will get a quality hunt.

Who knows, maybe I will get to shoot a 15 foot Grizzly trying to get in the tent.

Still if a long shot presents itself I want to be prepared for it.

Out to 300 yards I shoot the 375 as good as the 300, as proven on my metal gong at the deer lease, but if I need more distance the 300 can hit a coke can at 400 and a man sized chest plate at 535 yards. I have not shot the 375 that far.

I do not want to shoot that far, but if there is little wind I can if necessary. Also wolf and wolverine will be hunted also.

His website is www.alaskaextremesafaris.com

No need for a back up on this hunt your 300 will be fine. I have hunted north of the Brooks Range on several hunts,lots of open tundra. Your shot could be out to 250yds(mine was at 254yds.) just depends on the wind and where the bear is when you spot him.Wolf will probably be a long shot unless you are REAL LUCKY. These bears do not typically get a lot of pressure or human contact.Have reasonable expectations on trophy quality,9' bears here are rare,their diet is just not the same as other bears in Alaska.7 1/2' to 8 1/2' would seem reasonable to me. Be mentally prepared for weather as it does change quickly there(in minutes so times). When I was their some seemed almost curious about us.Take your time and look them over there is no shortage of bears in this area. Good Hunting.
Thanks
Wesley

;;;;;;NE 450 No 2 ,, I don,t want to sound like it can,t be done with a 300, .. I have spent time above the circle , tho out west , I would not choose a 30 cal as my rifle for there....338 Rum 340 Whby , 338/378 , 338 Excaliber, or the 358 STA , 358 RUM ,..There are lots of brush chocked draws where lots of game travel, whre I have been.....Sevral of the Eskimos I know have gone to the 338 win or want to .. they say they are tired of following bears and moose after it has been shot......I hope you have a great hunt .....And that you are wearing leg weights all day in preparation ....I have seen and heard about too many 30 cal problems to ever say it is a good caliber to shoot a bear with !!! And I have used the 375 at 400 yrds and know how well it works......A 6.5/284 ,, Now that would be a good round for up there for wolf and wolverine and with a 140 gr X bullet would kill as well as a 30 cal mag...........But ....If you are dead set on useing my 2nd most hated cartridge then have fun.....Have you considered the 338 win mag ????

I would venture to say those brushy draws will be full of snow in April. I'd still stick with the .300. Even if the gun failed you in some way tracking a bloody bear trail over open snow covered tundra presumably with a snowmobile dosn't rank high on the list of most diffacult tracking jobs.
Good luck on the hunt.

Good post and some good replies. I am in the same boat as you trying to decide which gun to take. My post is on this forum topic "GRIZZLY RIFLE" I just can't decide wether to take my 300 win mag or my 375 H&H. My guide also said that the 300 is more than I will need and will be better for the caribou which we may have a further shot on. I just feel a little more gun (375) if a bear is up closer would be better. I would take both my 300 and my 375 but we are only allowed 50 lbs.

My 300 and my 375 weigh the same, both Blaser R 93's. I could take a second R 93 in 300 which would cut down on 2 different types of ammo.

The main advantage of the primary 300 is that it has a Leupold 3.5-10 LR with a BDC.

So when the range is determined I can dial the scope to the exact range, no guess on holdover.

Makes life simple.

After futher thought I am going to take only one rifle... At least I am going to try.

I will take an extra scope already sighted in, and an extra bolt assembly.

I am going to try and go as light as possible....

Heck I always say that, then I take two kitchen sinks....

But I will say I have never been anywhere and did not have what I needed, and many times loaned stuff to others on the hunt.

I do have lightweight equipment, problem is I always carry a lot of it.

Except when I am actually backpacking.

Tony,
Wise choice...When I do my back back hunts I always lay all my gear on the floor before packing. I then remove half of it and take what is left over. I will also be hunting in the Brooks Range this summer. I will take 3 changes of socks and underwear. One extra shirt, rain gear, and a fleece pullover. Non clothing items include a blade tech knife, compact flashlight, small role of black tape, Super Glue, and some parachute cord. This will be my 7th Alaska hunt and I have found that this is all that I ever use. Nothing more, nothing less.

Roscoe
I do kit about the same way.
I pack everything I own, scale it back to the bear minimum, then right before I leave I repack everything I own, go buy and borrow some more stuff.

Not really but it seems like it.

Actually I have my kit scaled down pretty good for this trip. All my bags are under the new 50 lb weight limit. Even my ammo is under the 11 pound limit.
That is a first for me, as I usually carry at least 25 to 30 lbs of ammo.

How many MREs are you taking?

500 Grains
None, the guide has the food.

I am bringing the Scotch.

Since your guide's recommendation on a rifle doesn't appeal to you may I suggest a compromise. Take TWO bottles of Scotch.
That way you will have a whole one to celebrate after you kill your bear with the 300. (Which, by the way, I would also recommend)