A Rifle For Large North American Animals

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

I was stationed in Kodiak , Alaska, twice, 1975 - 1978 and again from 1983 - 1986. The Alaska Fish and Game Department always recommended the Marlin 45-70, and a good 12 guage pump shotgun with slugs for both the bears, and a large
moose.
Not saying nothing else would work.
Was a couple cattle ranches on the Island, and in 1980 or 1981, one of the ranchers up there was tending cattle and came across a cow with a calf that was injured really bad by a bear, got off to shoot the cow and put her out of her misery.
All he had was a Ruger 10-22, was actually on a horse, the horse took off, the bear charged him, and he waited till the bear was almost on him and killed it with one shot, hit the bear in the eye, and killed it with a brain shot.
I actually read it in Outdoor Life Magazine in 1982 before I went back up there.
I had met him the first time I was up there, and asked him what he was thinking, all he said was scared him half to death, did what he had to do

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

In 1982, I also had a M-1 Garand in 30-06, and I figured 8 shots would do for a bear if I had nothing else

 

[IWAC]

Ain't much a man can't fix with $1000 and a 30-06!
Paraphrased from who knows where!
But, my two favorites are the 270 and 257 Roberts.
Like my son-in-law, Who has a beautiful 270 gathering dust in his closet, just had to have what was, "according to his study" the best caliber...the 300 Win Magnum. He was forever telling me; "Well, I missed a coyote at 465 (he uses a rangefinder) yards." Too right! he's afraid of his gun! We shoot best with what kicks us least. But, being an educator, thinks he knows it all. That is a real annoyance to those of us who do!

 

[Slamfire]

The old Gun Club President hunted most everything, except bear. I asked what he used, for Elk and Moose, it was 270 Win, 300 Win Mag, 300 H&H. I talked to hunters in New Mexico who once they found the right bullet, were having great success on Elk with a 308 Win in under 300 yards. The distance was based on their ability to keep all shots on a paper plate at that distance. In fact, one game guide tried to convince the hunters he was guiding to use his loaner 308 Win. He would get them close enough to the game, and once there, they would not be flinching with a 308 Win and mess up the shot. He had taken enough videos of clients shooting their personal cannons, and flinching, which afterwards made for a long day tracking a wounded animal.

One interesting problem was curiosity. Clients would line up on target, look over the scope just before pulling the trigger. The clients wanted to see the animal drop, which you are not going to see with the scope in recoil. And so just before firing, would move their head out of position, which messed up the shot. And they denied it, and sometimes got angry after seeing what they were doing on the video tape.

Follow through is critical to good shooting.

Gotta say, I think the 35 Whelen will do everything on the North American Continent, but it sure kicks like hell. Shooting the thing on a bench, I am kicking like a jackass due to the recoil. Pain is not conducive to precise bullet placement.

 

[dobedo]

I was stationed in Kodiak , Alaska, twice, 1975 - 1978 and again from 1983 - 1986. The Alaska Fish and Game Department always recommended the Marlin 45-70, and a good 12 guage pump shotgun with slugs for both the bears, and a large
moose.
Not saying nothing else would work.
Was a couple cattle ranches on the Island, and in 1980 or 1981, one of the ranchers up there was tending cattle and came across a cow with a calf that was injured really bad by a bear, got off to shoot the cow and put her out of her misery.
All he had was a Ruger 10-22, was actually on a horse, the horse took off, the bear charged him, and he waited till the bear was almost on him and killed it with one shot, hit the bear in the eye, and killed it with a brain shot.
I actually read it in Outdoor Life Magazine in 1982 before I went back up there.
I had met him the first time I was up there, and asked him what he was thinking, all he said was scared him half to death, did what he had to do

Yup, was there TAD in 1980 for several months during the fall bear season and the 45/70 was king.

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

which unit was you TAD at, the AIR STATION, RADIO STATION, SUPRTCEN, LORAN STATION, OR ONE OF THE SHIPS?

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

Both times I was there everyone had a Marlin 45-70. I guess now the Henry 45-70 is king, unless you are lucky enough to have one of the older Marlin's

 

[plainsdrifter]

'06

Got three of them just in case, Why do I need three '06s? I don't, I need four. I'm missing a M1 Garand

Winchester 1895
M1903A3


Husqvarna Vapenfabriks AB 30-06 Nitro 1

 

[jrmiddleton425]

If we throw polar bear in the mix, I might have to go with .450 Alaskan or .458 Winchester.

 

[Anchorite]

Given that the OP list has some critters that can stomp you to death or bite back, my vote goes to the 375H&H.

For everything else, the 270 will do the job when paired with suitable bullets and the Indian behind the arrow does his job.

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

Back in the 1970s and early 1980s both the 450 Alaskan and the 500 Alaskan were popular wildcats for use in Kodiak and other places in the state. Both were being built on the 1895 Marlins available back then.
The state fish and game recommended both the Marlin 45-70 and a good 12 guage with slugs. I guess now they would recommend the new Henry 45-70s, and the new Ruger built Marlins
Wild West Guns in Anchorage puts out a 457 mag they call it , on the Marlins, and can use 45-70 factory loads or the 457 and is almost a 45-70 magnum

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

But I think if I was going to go with the 450 or 500 Alaskan would use one of the new 1886s now being built instead of the Marlins or the Henrys

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

From what I understand those are the two most powerful lever gun cartridges ever made.

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

actually I think that was the 50 Alaskan not 500

 

[EIB0879]

I voted 30-06 but there are animals that I would feel more comfortable shooting with my 300 Wby.

 

[Risky buisness]

Im all in for the 06. I never wanted or felt the need for magnum anything, although I now have a single example a 300 wthb i load it like hot 3006 so, yea all the way 06

 

[Ifishsum]

.300 Weatherby Mag, because I have it and it has done some world traveling with its previous owner (my old boss who retired and later gifted it to me). If I ever got a chance to hunt for some of those larger species it would be cool to use in his honor. And I know it shoots because I built the custom loads he was using for the last few years he hunted with it.

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

first time I was in Alaska, my roomie had brought a 350 Reminton mag with him, had been his dad, they were from Montana, and I told him it would work for any bear he hunted, but he was bound and determined he needed a 300 Mag,
So he traded it off, and I had wanted to purchase it, but he traded it off, and every time he shot it, the scope would recoil back and catch him over his eye.
I also had a chief petty officer, took a 300 Winchester mag to Afognak Island and shot a bear 3 times before it went down for good, and they caught it on a super 8 mm camera, was way before cell phones, or video cameras, was 1976.
I thought he would have done just as well with a .30-06.

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

and the only bear I ever saw was shot with a 45-70 Marlin , with a stout load, with a 300 grain Barnes bullet went down for the count with one shot

 

[Anchorite]

first time I was in Alaska, my roomie had brought a 350 Reminton mag with him, had been his dad, they were from Montana, and I told him it would work for any bear he hunted, but he was bound and determined he needed a 300 Mag,
So he traded it off, and I had wanted to purchase it, but he traded it off, and every time he shot it, the scope would recoil back and catch him over his eye.
I also had a chief petty officer, took a 300 Winchester mag to Afognak Island and shot a bear 3 times before it went down for good, and they caught it on a super 8 mm camera, was way before cell phones, or video cameras, was 1976.
I thought he would have done just as well with a .30-06.

Nice to see a neighbor (I‘m on the Eastern Shore). Big difference in the weather from Alaska to Mobile!

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

sure is neighbor, I retired from the US COAST GUARD here in 1989, went to work for the post office and retired again

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

I would have stayed there if I could have been offered a job on retirement, but cost of living is so high, could not stay. cost of living was about double what it is here

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

but I sure enjoyed the hunting and fishing

 

[3Crows]

Both times I was there everyone had a Marlin 45-70. I guess now the Henry 45-70 is king, unless you are lucky enough to have one of the older Marlin's

I would rather Ruger-Marlin stainless steel SBL. I have older, I have newer, the Ruger is the best of them. Stronger, straighter and impervious to weather and the demands of the trail. I would not ____ on a Henry if I may. This is a new Henry, guess it is the death of the Henry lever gun, well, except they died a long time ago, about 1866 or so:



As to the 1886, that would be great! The fly in the ointment however is that they are all made as premium or classic collector's rifles and none are stainless steel and none seem to have a sub-20 inches barrel. A 26 inches long octagonal barrel would be a PITA to tote about for guiding or camping or hiking or anything other than specifically hunting and even then sort of on the ungainly side. My JM Cowboy 1895 is like carrying a barbell around.

Leaving the mighty .45-70 aside, as a more general purpose rifle, my .270 old Ruger red pad or a Ruger .338 Win Mag in plastic and stainless, the boat paddle one. I wish I had one but cannot afford it now.

 

[OLDE RETIRED COASTIE]

chiappa builds a 1886 with 18 inch barrel, take down, brushed chrome plated, 45-70, is one of their Kodiak models. I would love to have one.
My new Henry 45-70, all weather, brushed chrome plated, 18.5 inch barrel, with the side loading gate, also has the tube loading/unloading, and shoots like a dream.
Henry is coming out with new models all the time.
That brushed chrome is an industrial hard chrome, and is totally awesome in both the Henry and the Chiappa 1886.