moving to alaska i the future,going to need a new rifle.

T. Ohair:

I never had occasion to try it. That was in the early 70s and no bear spray.

The idea was that you shredded his face causing extreme pain and distraction, if you had the chance that got you 4 rounds of that (one if lucky, maybe two and either it was distracted or you were in a world of trouble). Slug was for killing it after application of 00 buck to the face area.

the point was there was an intent, i.e. a plan and it was loaded into the brain to execute as intended. I did not come up with it, but I respected the party chief who had tramped the woods far more than I had (I was 17 at the time).

Putting a load of slugs in the gun meant you hoped to kill it before it got on top of you, highly unlikely at encounter ranges and the speed involved. Given one shot to get off I would rather go with 00 Buck to the facial area, but then that's my take of an approach someone else came up with and I thought was as workable an approach as any.

With pepper spray available that's by far and away the best option for a chance encounter that leads to an attack. Most do not, more often a bluff charge at worse and then if you just back away its over.

I spent a lot of time tramping through the woods fishing with only a pistol.

Frankly that was a noise making tool or an option if you got treed and it would not go away (which has happened a couple of times to others)

One guy with pepper spray never reached for it, he froze (he got beat up but not awfully)

You don't know what you are going to do until it happens. No one like to think that but its born out in fact. The people that are good at it usually worked their way into it (guides) for most it’s a one time event.

In all the time up here and plenty spent in the woods I never had an encounter, so its rare and often the ones who did were not paying attention (the last guys were dragging a whole dead deer leaving a blood trail on Kodiak Island which hunting regs tell you is really bad move and it was)
 
I have spent many years in alaska myself and my sister in law spent some time counting salmon on kodiak. She had trouble with the bears tearing up her fish traps so she rigged up some bear mace to keep them away. When they started ripping in to the fish traps the bear mace would go off and drive them off, in theory. When she went back to check her traps. she found parts of fish traps hanging in the trees so she gave up on that idea.

We had that problem surveying. We had to leave the gear out in the woods as we were miles from where we left the boat. Hiking in each day was long enough without trying to carry full survey gear in (i.e. not feasible and make any progress)

The transit was hoisted up in a tree but our saws, tripod, oil and chain saw were on the ground.

A black bear got into it after we left, fortunately no serious damage but knocked around.

Solution was a can of Raid with bacon grease on it.

When we got to the head of the line the next day there was large area of torn up turf, a can of raid with holes in it and never saw the bear again.

Black bear may have reacted differently than a grizzly.
 
"As far as hunting in alaska , i liked the .35 Wellon(bad spelling but what the heck). It would be a good idea to take some handloading equipment with you also, since when you get outside of Anchorage there might be long distances between places you could buy ammo. It not unheard of to find you have go 100 or 200 miles or more before you might find the ammo you are looking for. (especially with the 35 Wel. whatever)."

I'm a big fan of the .35 Whelen. My pet handload pushes a 225 gr. Barnes TSX to 2710 FPS and will shoot through an elk from appetite to exhaust pipe. One of my good pen pals up in Canada chooses that cartridge when he's lucky enough to draw a tag for Grizzly Bear and used it almost exclusively when hunting moose. His favorite bullet is the 250 gr. Speer Hot Core which he's used on a truck load of moose. I do think that if I was forced to only own one gun, my .35 Whelen would be the one.
Paul B.
 
The 35 Whalen brings back memory of Elmer Keith hunting Caribou out on the AK Peninsula, instead his party got stalked and then gone after by a bear (they back tracked the bear when it was over, it cut their back trail and stalked them for some miles so it was bent on mayhem).

More or less they had climbed a small mound, took a rest, looked around and one of them saw a Grizzly charging up the mound on their back trail..

Something like 5 in the party, they spread out and proceeded to shoot the bear. All very experienced world hunters in Keiths class.

Calibers ranged from 30-06 (from memory) up to 300s, 338 and one
35 Whalen.

They finally killed it about 8 feet from them. Something like 15 hits. Something to think about.

I believe I read it in an American rifleman magazine back in the 60s or 70s. I only know of one other even a bear actually stalked a party.

I don't remember how dated the actual event was.

On the other hand my step dads father who I never met as he died before my mom married my step dad, shot 6 or 7 grizzly bears with a 30-06 and no drama (homestead living and killing off a menace but not ever attacked). One we have pictures of the head was as big as the front of the jeep.
 
screaming4vengance,

You don't need a new rifle for Alaska.

The 308 and 300 Win Mag are more than adequate for hunting in Alaska, even the big bears and moose. The 710 may be a cheap rifle, but they generally work just fine and are priced so that it was cheaper to buy a new one than to rebarrel one that was shot out. The Tikka is a tad on the light side for the big bears, but depending on where you are, big bears might not be a concern.

If I had to justify your desire for a new rifle, I would vote for the 9.3x62 because I like mine. Tikka makes a 9.3x62 with a 20" barrel, and CZ makes a 9.3x62 on their 550 action.

But, since you like the Mauser pattern, I would recommend a Zastava M70 stainless with synthetic stock, in 9.3x62. Tikka also offers a stainless option if you prefer that action.

Now one thing that we haven't really touched on is ammo availability. It is hard to find 9.3x62 in stores. Very easy to find everything else you mentioned, and most of it cheaper than 9.3x62.

I would hold off on a new rifle purchase until you decide that your Tikka an 710 just aren't cutting it, but I expect you'll find they are completely adequate.

Jimro
 
You don't need a new rifle for Alaska.

Yes you do, if you move to New Jersey you need a new rifle.

You always need a new rifle. ITS THE LAW.

As said, bear attacks are rare. I think you'll find the most dangerous animal in Alaska in a cow moose with a calf. They are fast and quite.

I spent 20 years as a cop in Anchorage and have seem more people injured by moose then bear BY A LONG SHOT.

Plus you're going to encounter vehicle-moose encounters. Moose are lazy like the rest of us, if they have a plowed road they'll use it before they'll tromp through 3 foot of snow on the side of the road. Hitting a moose with a car wont necessary kill the moose but it does make them mad.

In my LE duties, over the years I've had to put down several after an accident. The one if the picture below is on that put a van in the ditch, attacked several cars and was going after my patrol car when I shot him.

All I ever used was my Model 28 service revolver using 357 LSWC bullets.

Another problem is moose getting into fenced back yards. When confronted they panic and are just as likely to run you over as not. Some of the scariest calls I got as a cop is digging moose out of peoples yards, especially if they have calves at their sides.

I couldn't begin to guess how many time we get a call to stand by school bus stops because of bear or moose in the are. Kids aren't very smart when the see a cute baby moose.

Back to bears, didn't have tasers when I was there, they do now. APD had to change their policies on tasers. Don't use a taser on a bear. I never go the whole story on that but it wasn't pretty.

Anyway yes you need a new rifle. You always need a new rifle. No true Alaskan is complete unless he has a Model 70 Winchester in 30-06, its the state gun.

Again you're more then likely to have a mad moose encounter then a bear encounter.

As seen in this picture, a 357 LSWC in the neck is quite effective on moose.

IMG_NEW.jpg
 
You always need a new rifle. ITS THE LAW.

Now, THAT'S some funny chit, there...:D

Publish that in an official looking fake BATF notice, and send it to my wife. After all, it's almost Xmas...
 
moving to Alaska i the future,going to need a new rifle.

screaming4vengence,

May I suggest...

A Remington 7400 pump rifle in .35 Whelen. Get it hard chromed for weather resistance, peep sight on back as well as a scope, and I think it will take anything Alaska has to offer.

Just use a graphite lube due to the very very cold winters.

Accurate enough, and fast firing for quick second shots.

200gr .358 slug at 2900 fps ought to take care of ANYTHING in Alaska (Hornady Super Performance ammo.)

And you can handload it down. Say a 200 gr. slug at 2400 for deer and not rattle your teeth out of your head.

Deaf
 
Anyway yes you need a new rifle. You always need a new rifle. No true Alaskan is complete unless he has a Model 70 Winchester in 30-06, its the state gun

Some legilative idiot thought so and put it in a bill. I don't know it actually passed. Nothing against a model 70, but that was for them thar effite outsiders.

the real state gun was a 1903 Springfield Sporter of one type or another!
 
Still taking in the info, should have something new to play around Thursday night if anyone's following this.the biggest thing I'm going to have to fight is the lust to get a walnut stock...oh so pretty...but wood and the cold ain't ganna gel i m sure.
 
If it was me, and I felt compelled to get a new rifle worthy of such a move, I would be most tempted by the Winchester model 70 Alaskan. It's available in three magnum calibers plus 30-'06. I believe I would take it in 30-'06 for more rounds in the magazine. It could be handloaded with 220 grain bullets using a slow burning powder and if loaded to the same pressure as a 270, it will not be far behind the 300 Winchester. Plus, the rifle comes with sights. Here's the link: http://www.winchesterguns.com/products/catalog/detail.asp?family=001C&mid=535205
 
.but wood and the cold ain't ganna gel i m sure.

Not a problem with pillars and an epoxy-bedded receiver, dimensional changes from hot/cold won't affect accuracy; and a quality waterproof finish on the wood will protect it from the elements. Not as easy-nor as durable- as synthetic stock for sure, but with correct preparation and care they'll serve well in the elements.
 
Wait til you get up here and visit some local shops. Find out what is in their used inventory. I'd suggest Gunrunners, Great Northern Guns, and Wild West Guns, all three are in Anchorage. Then go to the range and chat up the locals on what they prefer to use.

A lot of people talk about how much they plan to hunt, fish, explore the wilderness. I used to be one of those talkers until I realized I was never going to have the time or resources to actually go do those activities. So I sold off a lot of my gun collection (some of it was unfired, still in the box) and paid off some credit card debt. You will find a lot of guns just like that up here, sold back to gunshops in unfired condition. Might save yourself some money.
 
.02 cents

If your gonna get another Mauser, it has to be a 9.3x62 !!!:D
Rich history; invented in 1905 ! and has taken everything in Africa !:cool:
It's a medium bore (.366) without the magnum recoil but it has the magnum punch, and can be had in a standard length (30-06)action, but you already knew that !! :D
 
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