Big Game Hunting > Bear Hunting
Rifle Choice SE Alaska Brown Bear
RB:
Need thoughts on rifle choice for SE Alaska Brown Bear hunt. I am going to apply for the family tag in area 4 (all three islands between Sitka and Juneau) and am looking at getting a bigger rifle. All three of us (me, brother, nephew) all have .300 Win Mags, but thinking of stepping up to .375 H and H as a primary. I do not want to take any kind of long shot and want to be able to put one down with authority. I tried in 2014-2015 but did not draw and life got busy, so want to try again.
Other calibers I am looking at .45-70, .450 Alaskan, .338 Win Mag, .348 Win
Those that have done this please give me your thoughts.
Thanks
Bob
Bango skank:
Havent done it myself, but by "not taking long shots" what do you mean? Your mentioning .45-70 makes me think 100 or less. If thats the case i dont see a .300wm being underpowered :dunno: but once again, never hunted brownies. But id feel comfortable going on a close range brown bear hunt with my .444 and .460 :dunno:
Skillet:
I've thought a lot about this myself.
I'm not looking for an excess of recoil, so I've arrived on a 338WM, 35 whelen or 9.3x62 for 250-ish and under. I don't think you want to really limit yourself to 100 yards. The odds are you will be spot-and-stalking these guys from the boat, and when you get to shore and make your stalk there can be a lot of flat beach between the last bit of cover and your bear.
I get to shoot a grizz every four years up here in SE, and might do it next year. There's a LOT of them around here. If you decide to hunt Baranof/Chichigof, let me know. :tup:
RB:
Just throwing some calibers out to start a conversation, and would not want to take a shot any further than about 150 yards or so, 200 would be about max for me on a Brown Bear, want to make sure I am making a good ethical shot on an animal that can take a lot of lead and keep moving.
Skillet:
Roger that. I like the mid-weights for this work, but there are a lot of 375H&H up to .458WM rigs in this town.