For those in the know

sandy hicks

sandy hicks

New member
My son is finally going to Alaska next year for the Coast Guard. What guns does he need to take? He has a 22lr, 223, .308, and a 12ga. I can send him off with a .300weatherby or should I look for him a.338?
 
He should be just fine with the Weatherby, Sandy. From what I know it seems that most of the locals there use the 30-06 for all game up to and including grizzly so I think that he should be fine. As always use the right bullet and hit them where they need to be hit.

And tell your boy thanks for his service to our country.
 
Last edited:
My son-in-law is also in the Coast Gaurd and was stationed in Valdez (now in Florida). The guns he used was 12 gauge (Ducks), 270, 308 and 45-70.

He killed his black bear with the 270....one shot DRT. Mostly used the 308 for hunting. Carried the 45-70 in brown bear country when fishing for Salmon.

He said ammo for the 308, 30-06, 300 Win Mag and 45-70 are the easiest to find.
 
Originally Posted By: sandy hicksMy son is finally going to Alaska next year for the Coast Guard. What guns does he need to take? He has a 22lr, 223, .308, and a 12ga. I can send him off with a .300weatherby or should I look for him a.338?

Hey, Jerry, good to see you posting again! Sounds like he's pretty well covered, but the .338 is hard to beat.
grin.gif


Thank your son for his service.

Regards,
Clarence
 
Send him with what he shoots best. A flinch and a miss or a wounded animal isn't going to help him in Alaska. An accurate shot with a good bullet from a .308 beats a miss or scratch hit from a .300 magnum.
 
From an Alaskan's point of view I'd say he's well equipped as is except that the stainless 45-70 would be a good addition to his existing battery.

A 308 with a good bullet, 165-180 grain Partition or Barnes TSX of the same weights will do a lot of good work up here. As was mentioned I'd rather see him with a rifle he shoots well than one he is uncomfortable with due to recoil or unfamiliarity.

My wife has killed moose with a 308 loaded with 150 grain Barnes TSX bullets. They worked fine and are what my wife's 308 likes. A close friend and his wife keep the freezer well stocked with moose, black bear and caribou. He shoots a 7mm08 and she a 300 Savage. Neither seem concerned about being under gunned for any species of bear. An acquaintance's wife has killed several moose and brown bear with a 300 Savage.

Lots of lifetime Alaskan hunters go afield, taking moose and brown bear with their 270s and 30-06s and do fine. A good bullet, well delivered, from any of the above listed rounds will kill anything in Alaska.

If the move to Alaska is an excuse to buy a more powerful rifle, and it's something he can shoot well, then the 300 or 338 are good choices. They are not, however, necessary with the guns he already owns.

I would be very inclined to encourage him to have a handgun. It would be hard to beat a four inch S&W 629/Mountain Gun or a Ruger Redhawk four inch in 44 magnum loaded with a cast bullet 250-300 grains. There will be times, fishing, in the tent at night or dressing and packing meat when a revolver close at hand is a comfort. It's not always convenient to have a rifle or shotgun in hand all the time.

These are just the opinions of someone who has lived and hunted in Alaska for almost two decades.
 
He can shoot the magnums pretty good. The 300wea is my all time favorite so he has used it quite a bit. I can send him with a good ruger 44. The safe wont miss one. I know a 338 would be cheaper ammo wise than the weatherby though and the people who say 375 h&h have too much overkill to be truly versatile.

HM, I have not shot a rifle in 2 years and no longer have a lease. 2 years of 1k plus hours of OT and start a 20 day outage on Dec 2. Boiling oil is losing its appeal.
How is your wife doing?
 
If Agnes and Chip can survive Alaska with the rifles they haul around in boats and on sleds, your son should be fine with anything he shoots well. Thank him for his service and wish him well for me.
 
Know what you mean about the 1K+ hours OT. It's a killer, been there done that; shift work sucks but turnarounds are worse. Sorry to hear you don't have time to shoot/hunt. Ya need to take a few hours and bust some caps.....amazing what that'll do for what ails ya. Better yet, once your son gets settled in AK, a few days spent trompin' around w/him would be even better.
wink.gif


Wife's about the same,thanks for asking.

Regards,
Clarence
 
Large bore revolver. .44mag, 454 Casull, 460 Ruger, 500 S&W. Slug Gun be better, but for fishing and having hands free, I would think something on his hip is more practical.
 
Ammo is not appreciably higher than the lower 48. A little but not much. This isn't the old days of doubling or tripling lower 48 prices.

I don't know why one would travel to Alaska on a hunt without the ammunition they used to sight in and practice with in their rifle. It would be taking a big chance to think you'd find the same exact ammo anywhere you went, Alaska or the lower 48.

Of course I'm a poor one to ask. In 45 years of big game hunting I've never taken a head of big game with factory ammo.
 
My daughter has a Marlin 1895SBL in 45-70, and her husband has a Marlin 1895GBL in 45-70. They also carry a S&W 4” 500 for river fishing. Lots of ammo available for the 45-70.
 
Back
Top