Coastal Browns....Alaska

[Buckfever]

What do you need for a caliber and bullet for a hunt by boat.  This appears to be quite exciting.  Maybe I ought to go black Bear hunting first.  I know my 30-06 will do that.   Buckfever

[Lone Star]

Most Alaskan bear guides will want you to carry at least a .338 Magnum, and that can be a good idea.  A 9.5-foot brownie I shot on a beach at Admiralty Island fell at the shot, then got up and ran into the brush - after sunset - and it was pretty hairy following him into the dark woods.  I was glad I was carrying an M98 in .45-70 with heavy loads.  We found him dead 25 yards in, but I would never have followed a wounded bear with just a .30-06.  On the same hunt a fellow hunter hit his bear with five, 220-grain loads out of his '06 and the bear trotted off, only falling when hit again by several .340 Weatherby bullets.

Lots of "experts" who have never hunted anything bigger than a skinny whitetail will tell you that you can kill a brownie fine with a .30-06, and that is true.  What they fail to realize is that if you have to follow a wounded animal into thich brush, the .30-06 feels like a .22RF.  As a contingency cartridge for a wounded brownie, it stinks.

[Redhawk1]

Most Alaskan bear guides will want you to carry at least a .338 Magnum, and that can be a good idea.  A 9.5-foot brownie I shot on a beach at Admiralty Island fell at the shot, then got up and ran into the brush - after sunset - and it was pretty hairy following him into the dark woods.  I was glad I was carrying an M98 in .45-70 with heavy loads.  We found him dead 25 yards in, but I would never have followed a wounded bear with just a .30-06.  On the same hunt a fellow hunter hit his bear with five, 220-grain loads out of his '06 and the bear trotted off, only falling when hit again by several .340 Weatherby bullets.

Lots of "experts" who have never hunted anything bigger than a skinny whitetail will tell you that you can kill a brownie fine with a .30-06, and that is true.  What they fail to realize is that if you have to follow a wounded animal into thich brush, the .30-06 feels like a .22RF.  As a contingency cartridge for a wounded brownie, it stinks.

I agree 100%..

[Thebear_78]

A good minimum for a brown bear rifle would be a 300 Win with premium 200gr loads.  The 30/06 is a little light for a dedicated brown bear rifle but with the right bullet and good shot placement it is possible.  It is really up to the guide to have a proper backup rifle.  I'm sure that most guides would rather a person take a great double lung shot with thier favorite 06 with premium ammo than paunch shoot a big bear withi a 338 or larger.  If you are planning on a self guided hunt or living around the big bears then I would look to a minium 338 Win mag.  I'm pretty fond of my Winchester M70 classic stainless in 375 H&H for general hunting and my Marlin guide gun with hot loaded 405gr kodiaks for close in, tracking and packing.

[Lawdog]

Of the three Brown Bears that I have taken(2 with a .300 Weatherby & 1 with a .340 Weatherby) I know this.  If I ever go after another Brown Bear I am carrying something along the lines of a .375 H&H or bigger(most likely my .375 Weatherby).  Following a wounded Brown Bear into the Alders of Coastal Alaska will absolutely peg your excitement meter.  Lawdog
 

[Redhawk1]

Of the three Brown Bears that I have taken(2 with a .300 Weatherby & 1 with a .340 Weatherby) I know this.  If I ever go after another Brown Bear I am carrying something along the lines of a .375 H&H or bigger(most likely my .375 Weatherby).  Following a wounded Brown Bear into the Alders of Coastal Alaska will absolutely peg your excitement meter.  Lawdog
 

Yes a 375 H&H sounds like a good choice.  

[Sourdough]

There will be nothing smaller than a .338Win Mag in my camp.  I'm a great fan of the 30-06, carry one all winter.  Would not hesitate to shoot a Moose, Caribou, or Black Bear with one.  BUT not a Grizzly or Brownie.  Like I said nothing smaller than a .338.  That means no 300s too.  Have seen lots of Moose lost to the 300 Win Mag.  Just not enough knock down.  Would prefer a non-mag .35 Whelen or .45-70 over the 300.

[NONYA]

I know a few people who take moose every year with an -06 if you are loosing them with a 300 its shot placement not the cartridge that is at fault.My father used his 8mm rem mag on barren ground grizz but went to his rem 416 for brown bear,bolth worked very well. :roll:

[Redhawk1]

There will be nothing smaller than a .338Win Mag in my camp.  I'm a great fan of the 30-06, carry one all winter.  Would not hesitate to shoot a Moose, Caribou, or Black Bear with one.  BUT not a Grizzly or Brownie.  Like I said nothing smaller than a .338.  That means no 300s too.  Have seen lots of Moose lost to the 300 Win Mag.  Just not enough knock down.  Would prefer a non-mag .35 Whelen or .45-70 over the 300.

How would a 30-06 be better than a 300 Win Mag on Moose??? Shot placement sounds like the problem here.  :?

[Thebear_78]

Sometimes bullet selection can be a problem when people use 300 Win over the 30/06.  If people use a bullet mainly designed for deer it will not hold together at 300 win velosities and won't get the penetration needed for moose.  The same bullet several hundred fps slower would hold together much better.   Some people just get whats cheapest and 150gr corelok that is designed for shooting 130lb whitetails just won't do when put into the shoulder of a 800+ lb moose at close range.  It won't make it thru the shoulder.   I saw a small bull shot at 220 yards with a 7mm rem mag, hit squarely on the shoulder ball with a 150gr corelok,  the bullet never made it thru the shoulder but the moose still dropped dead as a rock.  It was really weird, there were no holes inside the body cavity he must have just died from shock.

With 180-200gr premium bullets, like the nosler partition and Trophy bonded bear claw, the 300 is perfect for moose and adequate for hunting brown bears.  Shot placement becomes even more important, but there isn't a bear walking the earth that can take a 180gr Nosler thru the lungs and live.  There is a huge difference between shooting an unsuspectiong griz/brown than there is shooting one thats wounded or aggressive.   Bigger is definately better when it comes to a backup or bear protection weapon.

[Redhawk1]

Thebear_78, My game bullet is always Barnes X or triple shock. No matter if it would be whitetail or Moose. It would be just a matter of bullet weight then.  I would never consider a cheap bullet for big game.  

[Thebear_78]

I was just commenting on the people who think the 06 better for moose.  Most of the people on these forums know enough about what they are doing to use proper bullets but there are a lot of "hunters" that just buy a box of shells from walmart every year adn call it good.  Just a lack of knowledge.