Picking the first rifle purchase

C

CobraEleven

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Here's the skinny; I'm US military moving to Alaska. My wife has resisted having guns in the house, but with my son starting Scouts and grizzlies killing moose down the street from where we want to live (happened last year in Anchorage), she's relented. My long gun experience is almost purely in the venerable M16 and it's family of 5.56mm (Expert M16 shooter on 300m pop-up range). Also have some 12-gauge shotgun experience (trap/skeet). Primary bear defense will be avoiding Smoky, but I'm looking for a weapon I can carry to the field to protect myself and my family, as well as getting into hunting in Alaska (not getting into the big-game stuff just yet). I like the action on the Marlin lever-actions compared to bolt-actions. Obviously, a 45-70 Marlin Guide Gun is an option, but I'm worried about the recoil on that compared to an M16 and being able to hit what I'm aiming at.
 
I know Marlin has been pushing the 30-30 for years and it has great reliability. How does the Marlin Express .308 compare to the 30-30? Anyone have any experience with both?
 
I would equip myself with a 12ga pump, that has an interchangeable rifled (slug) barrel w/sights & a bird barrel.

It'll take care of most anything, close up, & do you fine until you get around to actual big game hunting away from Anchorage.

.
 
Ya, my sig229 pretty much said it. Basically any high powered rifle will do the job. A 30.06 hunting rifle, 30-30 lever gun… they will do the job.
 
A few years ago my wife and I were in a group of folks escorted down a trail in Glacier National Park by a Park Ranger because a sow Grizzly with twin cubs was hanging out on the trail. The Ranger carried a Remington 870 with a short barrel and standard magazine. For self defense against large bears I would recommend an 870 loaded with slugs - and I would prefer an 870 with the extended magazine loaded with slugs. For a rifle, the Marlin 45-70 is an excellent choice.
 
All good suggestions, but a .357 revolver or 40 yp 45 call side arm to boot would be a smart move to complement the rifle....just in case.
 
go ahead and get both now while she is allowing it; alaska is good reason

rifle: 30-30 lever

revolver: 44 magnum or 357

on property, possible mailbox not directly at the house...you aren't gonna be carrying the rifle everywhere you go right? have the revolver for those occaisions that you decide you feel more comfortable having something in a jiffy
 
I have a 357 revolver and a 44 magnum lever rifle

shotgun is a good purchase too but she isn't going to let you get all three, so go with the revolver and rifle. if she is Totally against handguns, go with the shotgun and rifle(I have the mossberg 500). you'll save some money and you should be able to "sell" the reasoing behind having the rifle and the shotgun.(rifle longer range, shotgun close-up, killing 2 birds with one stone by having a home defense firearm as well in shotgun, etc):)

lastly, "You must do what you feel is right of course" OB1 Kinobi(1977-star wars)........the revolver allows your wife to use it in an emergency via instinct even if she hates firearms(not sure if this is even the case); she might run into more problems with a semi as one example
 
I hunted in the Eagle River/ Wasilla area not long ago and the vast consensus of the locals was a pump shotgun with slugs (** Brenneke, NOT Foster type). After seeing up close several moose larger than my shed I understood why. If it were me and my family at stake I'd go with the advice from the folks that actually live with those critters.
 
You want something BIG. You'll find that when confronted by something the size of a Grizzly, adrenalin will kick in and you will feel no recoil at all. This is not a rifle you'll be taking out to the range on weekends to plink with. It has a specific purpose. I'd get nothing smaller than the 45-70 Guide Gun for this. If you want something to plink with, get something more tame for that along with the 45-70.

Actually the best defense would be a Barrett M107 but you can't carry that thing around...LOL!

Seriously, Grizzlies are tough, big and mean. Shotguns are useless and will only **** a Grizzly off. Their fur and hide will stop a shotgun blast before it does any damage. Smaller calibers don't do enough immediate damage to slow down an angry Grizzly. Hell, even with a 45-70 you'll need to hit-and-run!

I know... I'm from Florida... How would I know this? Just because I'm from Florida doesn't mean I've never been anywhere else.
 
Shotguns are useless and will only **** a Grizzly off. Their fur and hide will stop a shotgun blast before it does any damage.
Click to expand...
So, are you claiming that a couple inches of hair and some leather will stop a 12ga slug? :confused:
 
Thanks for all the inputs! Doing some more research, I saw that Alaska Fish and Game folks apparently do carry 12ga with slugs for bear medicine. To me, that speaks volumes.

As far as the rifle goes, I'm still wondering between the Marlin 336 in 30-30, the Marlin express 308, and a bolt-action 30-06. I went to the gun store today and handled them all. I still like the lever-action, but the Savage 30-06 felt great. I've heard some knocks against the Savage vice Remington 700, but my cheek-stock meld on the Remington just didn't feel quite right.

Thoughts?
 
A bear set on kill mode will have adreneline and testosterone oozing through every pore of his skin.

12 gauge with 00 buckshot, and hope you hit him in the face.

Even a heart shot with a rifle... he'll probably kill you before his adrenaline wears off.

More than likely, you'll miss.

Sent from HenseMod6.
 
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