Good Alaska Black Bear caliber???

[atomicjoe23]

My GF and I have an opportunity to go hunt black bear in Alaska this summer, but the only rifle that I currently have is a .22-250 (plus a couple of 870 pump guns). . .having grown  up in the midwest I never had the opportunity to hunt anything this big (and growing up in Illinois deer hunting was slug-gun only) so I'm  not sure what an adequate black bear gun in Alaska would be. . .

. . .my GF can comfortably shoot a 30-06 so that's what I'm looking for now. . .

. . .anyone yea or nay on the .30-06. . .would something smaller still be adequate. . .I want to stay away from the the magnums. . .I'm not (nor do I plan to anytime in the near future) hunting anything bigger more dangerous than black bear. . .and I would like to be able to use the rifle for deer as well. . .

Thanks for helping out guys.

[Antlershed]

The .30-06 or a .270 would get the job done since you want to stay away from the magnums. 

[TeacherMan]

You should look into a 7mm08 or a 308 my wife is 120 pounds and shoots both of these calibers with ease, both large enough for bear, put a 180gr in the 308 or a 160gr in the 7mm08

[atomicjoe23]

So a .308 is good enough for bear. . .I wanted one of those anyway. . .she wants a .30-06 so she might win on that one since I just bought the .22-250 for myself about 2 months ago. . .

Thanks for the suggestions.

[TeacherMan]

Plenty large, you keep it under 300 yards and it will drop. You are looking at around 2600 fps with 2700 ft pounds of energy out of the barrel with a 180 grain boat tail. Plus from what I've experienced less recoil that a 30/06.

[cohoho]

30-06 is one of the best around, along with .270 and .308....  You'll be fine either route you go.......  All the bears we used to take were with smaller calibers for the most part or other type weapons i.e. bow and handgun, but almost all the kids used 06... My kid used a .243 for his bears, yea bit light but he was close and had extreme amount of time to make certain he had a perfect shot placement.

[klickman]

30 06 should be fine.  Also depending on where you are hunting you could run into brown bears.  You will want a larger caliber for insurance.  I have always hunte with my 30 06 for black bear.  But I will be using my 300 wsm this year.  180 grain bullet should be good also.  WHat part of the state are you gonna be hunting
Klickman

[atomicjoe23]

Will be hunting across the water from Anchorage as part of a population control effort. . .the black bear have (are) decimated (ing) the moose population. . ..last report said that black bears in that particular area kill ~87% of the moose calves within six weeks of calving. . .GEESH. . .that's a lot moose calves to kill. . .

Alaska Fish & Wildlife want to remove at least 1000 black bears from the area annually to give the moose a chance to re-populate. . .same situation in other areas with the wolves which are reaking havoc on the caribou population. . .caribou herd size is down 80% due to wolf predation. . .wolves in Alaska are now pretty much shoot on sight game. . .they have such a problem with them that shooting them from bush planes has once again become legalized. . .apparently some of the more northern 48 states are close to having the same problem but thanks to CA and some tree-huggers no one is willing to remove them from the protected species list in the areas where they are over-populated and the big-game herds are starting to suffer. . .this in spite of the fact that the population of wolves in the lower 48 is somewhere between 5-10x what was required to remove them from the list in the first place. . .you think coyotes are bad. . .wait until you have the same problem with a canine big enough to take you out by itself, but hunts in packs!!!

[cohoho]

Your talking area 16, right?  How are getting out via float plane or boat?  Alot of bears over there and alot of hunters too, still not making huge dents in the population....  Three per year there, have fun and tag several good ones....  If your going with a resident that can bait, take several 5 gallon buckets of slop, i.e molasses mixed with burnt honey and bacon grease, yea haw they'll find it in a day or so without any problems....  Unless this area has become a preadation hunt, then make some money off the hides, just get the form from F & G prior to the hunt...  Take plenty of pics which I wish I would have done more of....

[atomicjoe23]

Yeah. . .I think it's Area 16. . .that sounds about right. . .

. . .we just went to a predator hunting seminar put on by a guide living in Alaska. . .he and several other guides are providing FREE guide service (food, lodging, guiding). . .all you have to do is get to there camp and buy the bear tag. . .

. . .we're probably gonna take a bush plane across the water.

[TeacherMan]

That sounds like a great opportunity. I may be talking to you more about that if you dont mind. I spend a lot of time in Alaska.

[atomicjoe23]

Don't mind at all. . .the more that can go the better off the big game population in that area will be. . .with them wanting to take 1000 per year and they were only able to take 300 last year there are LOTS of bears left. . .

. . .one thing about this hunt though is that you can't be selective. . .you have to shoot EVERY black bear you see. . .but you can shoot 3 so WTH who's complaining!!!

[cohoho]

Another way is to run down the big sue from Deshka Landing to the yentna and travel as far as you got gas for the return and start glassing, you'll see plenty of bears without any troubles for sure.  Heck spend the night and cook some bacon with some really nasty grease, you'll have a friend before the sun goes down....  Alexander Creek is another hot spot but way up river toward Alexander Lake, as is the Deshka, but you better have an extremely shallow running light weight boat or an air boat for that trip....  The rock grave yard about 20 miles up will get you no matter how slow you try to navigate it....  Got dents to prove that fact in my old boat....  Can't wait to see your pics, have fun...  Your making this a hard second year to be here with posting adventures like this....

[klickman]

Whos the guide that you are going out with.  I Hunt and fish over there a ton.  I probably know them.  There were more people over around Beluga last year trying to shoot black bears it was rediculous.  We used to see 3-5 bears a night on our bait stands last year we didn't see a bear in three days.  The main reason they aren't getting their quota of bears is because of access.  I'll bet that the majority of the 300 bears killed were off the road system out of beluga and Tyonek.  Good luck on your hunt.
KLICKMAN

[atomicjoe23]

We heard about it when we went to a predator hunting seminar held at the Silverdale Sportsman's Warehouse by Rick Kinmon of Alaska Moose Adventures. . .I believe the hunt is sponsored by Sportsman for Alaksa. . .I could have the name not quite right, but it has to do with Alaska and Sportsmen. . .anyway I'm waiting to get an email with more info on it. . .