Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Question for Alaskan`s on brand of rifle

i would like know what rifle brand you trust to carry in the ruff tuff cold weather in bear country if your life depended on that brand rifle . maybe the cartridge too ? i
have heard its mostly Winchesters and Rugers ? thank you ,Pete53

Bears have great difficulty reading headstamps, barrel stamps, logos, cartridge boxes, frankly, just about everything. I even shot a Kodial bear with an A-Bort.

I would suggest the Remington count exceeds the rest combined.

[quote=Sitka deer]Bears have great difficulty reading headstamps, barrel stamps, logos, cartridge boxes, frankly, just about everything. I even shot a Kodial bear with an A-Bort.

I would suggest the Remington count exceeds the rest combined.

what brand rifle in a dangerous situation in bad weather would you use when you are out in a camp for a week or two in bear country ? your skill level and knowledge of Alaska is much better than many . thank you,Pete53

Pete,
I have a mix of pre 64 Winchesters, CZ 550s and Kimber Montanas as well as a Husqvarna 4100. It's not brand loyalty so much but it is obvious that I prefer CRF and Mauser style actions. I do not like removeable magazines. My rifles must fit and function reliably. My scopes are simple and mostly fixed power.

If I were hanging out in brown bear country, I'd probably have my 9.3x62 in hand but I'm usually more concerned about bullet than cartridge.

Of the rifles listed, none can readily be bought new off the shelf except for the Kimber Montana [perhaps].

Ok Pete, this is what I'm packing, with regards to you question above..... [see attached]
Lj

nice rifle i am sure that would knock a big critter down ! thanks,Pete53

So, is your question more about "Reliability", and "Dependency" of firearm design in adverse field conditions or something else......???

YES , that`s a good way of putting it ? i have never yet hunted Alaska and if i did probably bring a Winchester model 70 with a claw ,no magazine/clip ,30-06 ? i have had Remington 700`s with cold , snow , wet problems it won`t be a 700 action anymore. maybe some of you Alaskan`s have had better luck with some actions that me ?

At some point one learns (generally the hard and sad way) the "Field Maintenace" becomes critical to safety and the continuance of the hunt. I have several times been compelled to repair client's firearms (if possible). There are generally two component systems that are a problem, from debris, especially airborne silt. The firearm you prefer is at the top of the field repairable list. Others can be modified to offer the same features.

My current carry is a Chiappa brand 1886 in 45-70. Before that I carried a Marlin 1895 in 45-70. I'm partial to lever-actions but if I was going to a bolt I would probably go with the Ruger m77 in either .375 or .338

i have a very nice safe queen 98 % Winchester 71 348 special but i still prefer a Model 70 Winchester with a claw / 30-06 .

M98, M70. M70 is likely the easiest to "fix" due to adverse weather conditions, like a frozen up bolt, if needed. 98's are danged near bombproof.

Never had a problem with my M77 tangers either, in wintery or "winter-mix"conditions.

In truth, the only field problem I've ever had was with my Rem725 SA - the "frozen" firing pin didn't drop the first time I triggered. Oil had frozen/thickened up - fired second try. I haven't used an oiled bolt since- only Eezox or Corrosion X, both of which are "dry to touch". Doesn't necessarily mean one can't get H20 in there to freeze tho.

If hunting in cold weather, do not bring the firearm into warm. Condensation can form internally and externally.

In Kotzebue, I would wrap the firearm in my parka before bringing it in to warm gradually, without condensation.

I would never take "ANY" lever action firearm into a deep hunting environment. There is basically no access to internal components. A day hunt maybe. No professionals in Africa or Alaska use a lever action firearm.

The most common problem is with-in the bolt housing. You can get into a Remington bolt with some basic tools including a penny and a way to overextend the firing pin mechanism, but it is risky in the wilderness. Especially if the penny gets knocked out. Most Mausers can be disassembled with a paper clip, sadly I rarely carry paper clips in the field.

The three-position safety is way out in front the best bolt/firing pin system. It allows for disassembly with zero tools. All of my a "Mauser" rifles and "Remington" rifles have been converted to three-position wing safety system.

Working the beach on the Alaska Peninsula, I have needed to dissemble the bolt/firing pin assembly more than once a day, on occasions. rinse in fresh water creek or puddle. A simple procedure takes two minutes with 3-position safety.

I beg to differ but Ed Stevenson(RIP) and Ben Stevenson would call BS on the lever action statement. Levers saved Ed in both times he was getting mauled by brown bears. He liked big caliber levers more than any other rifle type because you could get them into action quickly in the brush. There places up Sheep River and on the Gulf of Alaska are about as nasty for weather and general gun conditions as can be imagined. Residents don't put pressure up the Sheep River on the sheep up there because the alder jungle is so bad. There were many guides who used both Model 71s and Winchester 1886s through time. They knew what they were doing. A lot of those old birds were lefties that needed a gun that could work well for them. There are also guides that look at rifles as tools. Go to the store and buy a Ruger Guide Gun in 375 Ruger or find a JM Marlin 1895 in 45-70 with hot loads. There are other guides that will run whatever is accurate and light. A lot of the more savvy guides in the Brooks Range run Kimbers of one sort or another.

Some of very old timers run Pre64s but most of those guys are gone. Many of the newer minted guides in the Alaska Range run custom Rifles Inc. rifles. One of my friends who makes custom rifles is taking a PreWar Model 70 that was originally in 35 Rem but rebored to 35 Whelen as his guide/back up rifle on his bear hunts this Spring.

EXACTLY how many guides "TODAY" in Alaska or Africa carry leveraction rifles......??? HELL, if you desire to jabber about long-ago history, single shot rifles were the latest thing. SORRY, I thought this discussion was fully relevant to today and tomorrow.

And for your information I have built 16 rifles in .458 Win. Mag. for resale. They were originally built on the first production stainless steel actions, which were RUGER M-77. They were born as 7MM Rem. Mag. Once Winchester developed their tooling I shifted to M-70 Stainless actions. It was a long period between the first stainless rifles, till factory built the first stainless .458 Win. Mag. for retail market.

Horstman on Kodiak carries a Model 71 moded. Taj Shoemaker carries a Turnbull 1886 in 475 Turnbull. Earl Estailka carries a 1895 Marlin 45-70. Ben Stevenson still carries some of the old 1886s that his dad made up during the early days when he is out on the salt. Jeff Poore up in Henry Tiffany Country carries a 1895 in 30/06. Gilbert Huntington runs an old Winchester 1886 in 45-70 up the Koyukuk. That is just off the top of my head. There are a lot more assistant guides that run either the JM Marlins or the Ruger 77 guide rifles in 375 Ruger. Coke Wallace has been using a Savage 99 in 25-3000 as his backup sheep rifle for the last three seasons and uses during his wolf trapping trips as well. I know this because I hunt ammo for the critter.

The Fifthian boys all run 1895 Marlins from their horses in the Alaska Range. Most of the Perrins boys at the Rainey Pass Lodge run the 1895s as well.

The gunmaker guide I am talking about is Steve Hallenbeck who runs Double Broomed Rifles. He charges between 4 and 5 K per rifle. He makes a lot of Kimber Montanas with Lilja barrels. He has a deal with Gunwerks and can get them at cost but he is loving Pre-64s right now. He donates a rifle to the Alaska WSF and the national WSF every year.

This is very interesting to me since i have never hunted Alaska yet ? its good rifle and cartridge education for all of us hunters from the lower 48 who may some day hunt Alaska. looks like Mauser actions , Winchester pre-64 actions , Ruger actions , levers is what many guides use ? also if i did take a Remington action rifle to Alaska it would be best to have the bolt made to work like a Winchester bolt somehow ?

Not an Alaskan, but have lived in very wet environments before.

It is my understanding that the early Winchester Model 70 SS rifles were all stainless…..every metal component, pins, springs, ect. There may be other SS rifles that are made similarly!

This alone would put the Winchesters at the top of my list! memtb

and i wish i would have brought a couple more of these S.S. Winchester . Dang it !

I’ll respectfully disagree with this, at least the blanket statement of lever actions not being carried in the field. I understand what you’re saying however, and would say that bolt actions are for the most part going to offer the most versatility.
Of the two rifles I’ve used in the field personally the most one is a lever. I’ve trusted it and take care of it

But would you choose the leaver action, as the only firearm if you were going to be dropped off in wilderness and they would pick you up in three months......??? 90 days, if anything malfunctions, you can repair it. By the way I love lever actions, own several, often carry my M-92 "takedown". But it is a day hike rifle, around the cabin. Not a tool I want guiding on the AK Peninsula, with seven brown bears in camp.

And I'll 2nd this Comment as well, I've already Posted and Attached my Bolt-Action Choice,,,,,, BUT, if I were to be dropped-off in Bum-Puck Bush Alaska, and I could only take 1-Rifle,,, well, it would be [see attached] a Lever-Gun for sure.....as well as the "BOLD-Print" above.
Lj, Palmer, AK.

This is a sample of 1. Jake Jefferson my guide for a grizzly bear hunt has a Ruger SS 416. He trusts his life & mine to that Ruger.

Note that it has a three-position wing safety.

In my notion there are two different types of guide rifles: 1) Stopping rifles-those that you can count on when your client fuxes sh_t up and you have nearly a1 ton of the most dominant, strongest, toughest mean azz hellbringer on earth incoming. My big levers can fire very quickly and work handily in tight places. That is not to say that if you practice with a slicked up bolt action stopping rifle that stuff can go down quickly. 2) Guide rifles that are both incredibly dependable and yet idiot proof. These are an over sized deer rifle or maybe a 338 Win or 375 Win with a brake that my little niece who barely weighs a buck can shoot and hit a volleyball at 150 yards. You can set up a 45-70 with a red dot and it will do the same thing.

I have never been a certificated assistant guide or worked as a packer. My brother and I attempted to get three good ole boys from Oklahoma with white cowboy hats and camo on Moose helping out Ace Dube and it was sheer misery. My brother and I were probably 17 or 18 and we found two really nice upper 50 inch bulls that had everything in palms and browtines and were beautiful moose rutting and fighting with each other. The Ginnocks(our word for dumb idiotstick outsiders) thought that they were too small and complained about the brush, the trail, the snacks, the smoked fish we had with us for provisions. They decided that they wanted to float the Copper River for bigger moose down below Woods Canyon. They were unsuccessful. I have helped numerous out of state hunters who have luggage that is lost or give them insight I what I would do in their situation. I make more than 500 dollars per day as a teacher and most outfits pay their assistant guides less than this. I will retire soon but unless it was a guide who I really respected I probably would pass. I might enjoy packing more than guiding but that is because it is less babysitting and more tough labor in beautiful country.


Today, with many of the Bro Hunters who want a big bear but do not have the time to work their rifle to the level of skill necessary to get the job done. I would be more likely to bring a Marlin 45-70 with a 3 X leupold or Burris with a 3 moa target dot on a thin line crosshair. I would have them shoot the powder puff light 325 grain cowboy rounds until they were on paper then I would switch them over to buffalo bore 430 Grain LBT-LFN at 1925fps/3537 flbs of energy for shooting the bear. I loaned out and got ridiculed for it my Winchester Model 70 Classic SS/SYN in 375 H+H to a young guide friend who put a red dot sight on it for guiding. He didn't have to use it for Brown Bear but did have a client in the North Wrangells who brought a rifle that they couldn't shoot after 2 missed opportunities on the same bull he lent it to the client who downed the moose with the first shot. He was using factory Nosler Trophy Grade 300 grain Nosler Partitions. I also have an old homestead gun which would make everybody happy except for the packer. It is a 1950s Husky FN Mauser action 30/06 with 24 inch barrel with an old weaver K4. I think that it weighs about 10 lbs and it is stocked in heavy birchwood. The checkering is real but it would never win in a beauty contest. It shoots the Federal APHA recommended 200 grain Trophy bonded rounds very accurately and it handles well when you shoot it off hand. It kicks like most 243 winchesters. Like you mentioned, it is easy to maintain. There is a reason that the best camps might have an arsenal of different rifles for a client who brings in a 378 Weatherby Space blaster that weighs 7lbs with the second coming of the hubble space telescope on top.

You correctly guessed that I personally like CLR in old Winchesters or smoothed out mausers. I really like my Flaig's FN 458 Win Mag with dakota 3 way wing safety and laminated stock. It has an oval ferlach barrel with a peep sight. I also take my cut down Whitworth 458 Win mag that is magnaported with iron sights. But I would be equally happy with my OG 1950 348-450 Ackley Improved model 71. My handloads of 61 grains of 3031 yield 2025fps with .458 cal 500 grain Swift A-Frame bullet. It yields about 4300f/lbs of energy with five rounds in the magazine. It is a 24 inch barrel so it isn't as easy in the brush and I haven't shot anything with it yet but it does really kick hard even with a large pachmayr recoil pad. I would not worry about that rifle in the thickets. You can never tell though Joe Want used his 500 Nitro Dominion HH double for many years on Kodiak with it only needing 1 shot to close out the books on the bears in his area near Saltery Cove. He had one bear that was just under 9 ft that he had to shoot 13 times. That 71 is handy to go and runs ammo like poop through a goose.

I hope you are doing well Old Sourdough. CLR is where it is at even in the modern era but it is hard to find great guns. 458 Win is a super round for guiding and I hope you find success selling your rifles. I know that many of the young buck guides keep trying to buy my guns off of me so I think that you would sell them quickly if you took them to a gun show.

Yes I suppose I would (and have in the past) used it for full guiding seasons AK range and Kodiak. It’s extremely handy and serves great as a close range backup rifle. With skinner sights and the safety delete they’re pretty neat in my opinion.
I guess I’ve never viewed this particular lever (marlin) as any less trustworthy or inferior than the ruger Hawkeye or, my current favorite, large ring husky 9.3x62 in he field. They’re just different and have different qualities that make them more or less appealing for a given situation. That 9.3 is a hell of a rifle. So versatile, it’s awesome. This is more to do with the caliber but that’s not what we’re talking about. Anyways, the positive qualities of a Mauser action bolt gun aren’t lost on me, believe me. I hear what you’re saying, for sure, and am in no way trying to debate the intricacies of the “best”. I think that’s just too subjective and personal. Only reason I chimed in originally was to say I think there are plenty, myself included, who carry a lever gun in some sort of professional environment.

Back in 2006, could walk into a half dozen gunstores and not find 9.3x62 ammo for my cz 550 carbine. Nowadays, even with shortages, I'm seeing way more 9.3 ammo! Really nice to see the gaining popularity of the 9.3x62 here in Alaska.

I've hunted equally with lever guns and bolt guns along rivers and by dog team. Also 3 one-year deployments to Iraq and lots of winter/spring/summer/fall training here in Alaska from 2002-2010.

Probably the most reliable lever gun I've hunted with, was a browning 95.

The most reliable bolt gun Ive hunted with was a cz 550. But did have a bolt-knob unscrew from boat vibrations and bolt knob fell into a creek.

Most reliable military weapon I've seen was the 240b machine gun. Never jammed in Alaskan winter training, never jammed in the desert.

I've seen a surprising amount of various guns failing in one form or another.

Regarding AGL's assertions:
I once swamped a canoe trying to line up a swift chute of water. Front rope wasn't low enough on bow, an tipped canoe towards the swift water. That fkn canoe sank immediately.

The cz 550 was covered in dirty silty water. Pressed the bolt knob button, unscrewed bolt apart and cleaned all the silty water oughtta that thing and was back in action in less than 10 minutes. Purdy sweet!

Another instant, I had jammed that same cz into the gutted cavity of a caribou. Space is super limited in a dog sled. Blood oozed all through the thing. Same deal, unscrewed bolt, took gun in wash basin with me, then set near wood stove to dry. Was ready to go in 30 minutes.

Nowadays I gravitate towards the one-piece bolts on the ruger 77's, after having lost that cz 550 bolt knob. Trigger is easier to clean too, if/when I swamp another boat. Crude fkn things though, always need "tuning/polishing".

Sadly, we only have one….my wife’s little .338 WM. Even with the cheap “Mattel” stock…..it’s a darn nice rifle! memtb

So far this has been an enjoyable conversation. I appreciate everybody who has chimed in. My favorite recent story involves a super sheep guide named George Bock. George is about 5ft tall and wears a size 7 women's boot. He is tougher than boot leather. He has the look like he could go for a couple of years in the adlers before even slowing down. He is a Maine Dairy farmer most of the year but comes up to Alaska and guides in his area in the Central Alaska range. He sells two or three dall hunts per year and is generally pretty successful. He has a couple of very large PA Amish packers and guides.

Last year he told me about one of his unsuccessful hunts. He had a wealthy executive who did cross-fit training and arrived in relatively good shape. The exec had a Magnus Gunwerks rifle with a Nightforce NX8 4-30 Scope but didn't want to shoot it himself and paid Bock's son who is a packer 100$ to check the zero. Bock thought the guy was nice but he said that started an itch that he had about the guy. Legal fully mature rams are not to be found in great abundance after the current storms and the increased number of both guided and resident hunters that hit that area pretty hard. Bock personally guided the exec who was all Kuiu'd up in the latest and greatest and after three days of work they outmanuevered a decent ram who was a 9 yo with 36 inch horns. Bock got him in place at about 250 yards and made sure the gent had a great rest on his pack. He had the guy dry fire on the ram a couple of times and made sure that the scope was set perfectly at 10X. The hunter did not show any target anxiety during any of the lead up to the shot. When George told him to fire, the exec fumbled the shot, missed the ram by 5 ft. reloaded and proceeded to shoot at the ram three more times with him hitting above the ram and below the ram but no where near the ram. He took the hunter back down to his basecamp and range and had the guy who had 30 rnds of custom ammo to shoot the rifle and it needed to be re-sighted in. The exec could hit the center of the target but was mouthy about how great his rifle was and how he had gone to several levels of gunwerks academy. He could hit a ram at more than a 1000 yards.

The next day they got an alpine start and were up into the glaciers before noon. They found a small band of rams that had trickled over into the area from some hunters on the other side of the range. One ram was legal and had what looked to be 38 inch horns. George worked with the guy and got him into about 175 yards to the ram. He again set the guy up and had him dry fire on the sheep. The guy was impatient and started being a bit of an azzhat. He told George that it wouldn't be anything for him to just kill the ram and be done with the hunt. He wanted to go on safari at the Alaska Bush Company on the way home and thought that he could dunk this ram and get to some really beaver hunting action. George didn't say anything but noted that this was a strange thing to say in at this time and place. The guy then decided not to wait till the ram was broadside but just started to unload. This time our hero was dialed up to 30 X and hit above and to the right of the ram who took off towards Denali National Park. He shot 2 more times even when George told him to stop. George was pizzed. He told the hunter that he better get his chit together or he would cancel the hunt right there and send for Wrights for a pickup. He had all of his crew at camp work with the hunter and they got him back on target. He again talked smack on how great his rifle was and what a killer he was and how he wasn't having a good time. He told them that he wasn't going to tip them and complained about food and the lack of modern conviences.


Every guide and outfit gets one of these types of clients during its history. ALGlenfornow, I am sure that you have had some real winners, but this guy was a complete peach. They, the bad ones, always seem to have extraordinary luck and this guy was no exception. The third try took them to the very boundary of Bock's guide area but two days later they were on a group of 7 rams. The two biggests were both approaching forty inches with wide flaring horns. George got the exec set up again and again the guy got mouthy right at the end. He was only shooting about 150 yards but again the guy let lead fly and the rams scattered. The guy began muttering excuses. George said he looked at the guy, grabbed his rifle, and threw it forty five yards down the mountain. He told the guy, this trip is no charge, you can get the rifle if you dare. The guy gave a number of excuses but didn't go after that rifle and left camp for his three days cavorting at the Alaska Bush company and the nearby Crown Plaza hotel. George didn't charge the client for the hunt and had his son go down and retrieve the rifle. They mailed that rifle that really wasn't worse for wear and said that he sure was impressed with the durability of the Nightforce scope. George said the exec threatened them with a bad review before he got on his charter but George reminded the client of all of the different prostitutes and women that the guy had bragged about during the hunt. He told him that his wife could call the client's wife and give her an overview of the execs hunting trips.

Bock sees me and stops to talk every year on his way in and his way out of the mountains. I believe he is an exceptional guide who turns pearls out of a sow's ear. That story still cracks me up.

Great story K68. This type of behavior is more common than one would think.

Stainless M70 classics and Kimber Montanas.

Controlled feed is a must, M70 SS Classic in 338.

Have yet to see a Ruger in the woods...

kaboku68;
Good morning to you sir, I trust you're all well as can be up in your section of the north country.

Thanks so much for the sheep hunting tale, I appreciate you taking the time to post it and I enjoyed it very much.

When a good friend of ours who now lives in Whitehorse used to guide up in northern BC, he packed a Sako chambered for .375 H&H. Sorry I can't recall the model, it would have been from the late '80's.

His worst client was a lawyer from San Francisco who behaved so badly that 3 days into the hunt not only had his old Army buddy who was with him said "never again" but the outfitter also said, "never again".

They were chasing grizzly and buddy said he was doing his best to take this chap anywhere but where he thought bears should be - and of course they bumped into a huge boar where they'd never ever seen one. It went low into the B&C even.

Buddy said the guy gave him the sling from his rifle for a tip!!!

Thanks again for the story and thanks to all for the thread, it's been a grand read.

Best to you all.

Dwayne

Probably the most used rifle is a Ruger 77 MK 2 LH in 35 Whelen Improved, it came that way used would have preferred the 35 Whelen standard. Accurate, reliable, and familiar.

Lately have several Tikka LH rifles that are accurate and reliable while most hate removable magazines there is something to be said about having xtra mags in a coat pocket in below zero conditions.

Dropped a round in the snow in an ADL-style rifle last winter would not chamber or eject till I thawed it out, did not care for that.

A bolt action and a container of Heet pretty easy to drop the bolt in the heet and thaw it out. In winter conditions. Which I have heard we have here in winter!

My primary go-to is a Ruger 77 MK 2 in 338 WM. It really likes 225 gr A-Frames....very accurate with those. I have 3 77's, the 338, a 7x57, and a custom built 450 Marlin on a 77 action. All have been very reliable, no failures of any sort.

Carried a 77 300WM more than any other while guiding. Killed sheep with a 77V 243. Hunted Kodiak a lot with a 77L in 257bob... I have seen many Rugers in the field

It's not Alaska but still there's bears they deal with and some of these folks also hunt.

The Russians use that old Mosin in their taiga and arctic for hunting and wolf and bear management.

On Svalbard 98 Mausers rebarreled to 30-06 are employed for bear duty.

The Sirius patrol in Greenland uses an M1917 30-06 and glock 20 for bear protection, emergency hunting, and engagement of foreign powers and enforcement in prot3cted areas and national parks preserves.

And we have the Canadian home guard or rangers that used an old 303 SMLE and only recently switched to an Tikka in 308win.

I shoot a fieldcraft more than anything nowdays. My 375 is a Rem 700 though, and I have shot and carried several other 700s without problems. I also carried a couple different Montanas for quite a bit.

I have a couple pre-64 model 70's, but never hunt them. I keep threatening to drag one to moose camp and wear nothing but filson clothes and take black and white pictures. Maybe this is the year.

Don't want to hijack the thread... enjoy the comments.

But cwh2 brought up Filson. Company does not seem to be going in the right direction wrt product availability, etc. Maybe a discussion for another thread? Is it just a Seattle thing?

Back to rifles!

I met Coke back in '92 or so. I renamed one of his Chesapeake Bay Retrievers 'Fester' due to a skin condition on its side.

Yes, I have noticed that as well - ever since that Dallas company purchased Filson, their product line has been cheapened and production is no longer all USA-made. Their prices have gone through the roof as well - and they were expensive to begin with. Don't get me wrong, they still make many good items in the USA, but they've brought in a lot of imported items and many of the older designs are no longer available. Damn shame.

👍😂 memtb

Ruger 10/22’s, Mini 14’s and 357 & 44 Blackhawks are staples in most villages and the M77 in .338 was THE guide rifle until the 375 Ruger was introduced !

Phil,
Given your years of field experience, general gun knowledge, and seeing trends in popularity of various calibers over the years, you’d be a good one to ask…
Why in the heck haven’t relatively milder medium bores like the 9.3x62 or the 35 Whelen caught on more in the guiding community? I’ve only recently started using the 9.3 and I can’t say enough good about it.
Obviously availability is going to be a main reason, but you’d think if something worked well and caught on, demand could change all that.
Anyways I’d be curious what your thoughts are on that ?

Oops meant to quote you so you’d see it

So you are suggesting Seattle management beats Texans?

You see a pretty good cross section of rifles here in the guiding industry. Ruger definitely leads the pack. The takeover started with the cheap 338 Win Mags sold by Longs Drugs in Anchorage for years. A lot of older guides still use them. The State of Alaska also used a fleet of them for bear guns for a lot of years. They were rivaled or maybe overtaken by the SS Classic 375 H&H Winchesters. These were a great gun, no experience yet with the current production ones. But the old ones still command a premium here. Their downsides were: long and heavy, occasionally had feeding issues and rarely the bolt handles would slip, rendering them useless in the field. With light gunsmithing they were arguably as good as you could get. When Ruger introduced the 357 Ruger in a SS/synthetic, short, and reliable rifle, they basically made the perfect Alaska gun. There's not really far to go from there. A reliable and rugged, short and handy, powerful and accurate, and not least of all - affordable- rifle pretty much takes the prize. Now that Hornady is producing the very good Outfitter line of ammo with a bullet that doesn't disintegrate, there is not much to improve upon for working guides. If you like rifles or want to stand out from the crowd is about the only real reason for something different.

As a remote pilot I see a lot of rifles come though. It used to be primarily Rugers and Kimbers for resident hunters but now you see a lot of budget rifles (Ruger American, Savage Axis, etc...) and a surprising number of custom rifles. Generally geared toward the long-range movement. Mostly these are mountain style but quite often tactical.

Guides tend to be a bit more conservative (maybe cheaper, maybe just stick with what works) in choices. Many are not interested in guns and just want the best value tool. Today, Ruger provides this, and they lead the pack but not by a huge margin. The older Classic series SS Winchesters are probably second but hard to say. A few Remingtons, but very few. M700s rival Weatherbys for least liked action by guides. I even know those who will not let a client bring a Remington due to bad past experiences with accidental discharges. Browning A-bolts are surprisingly common, with X-bolts beginning to show up regularly. The X-bolt appears to be a pretty good improvement over the A-bolt and seems like a great gun to me. Quite a few Kimbers too, both in Montana and Talkeetna variety, with a few Mountain Accents with hardcore mountain guides. The Kimbers don't seem as prolific as they were 10 years ago, I think some folks got tired of not being able to get a second round in the chamber. Still quite a few Pre-64 M70s around. This was THE classis Alaskan guide rifle (actually voted as the official Alaska State Rifle) and those who appreciate the panache use them still. The Mauser variants, mostly Mk Xs, were once very prolific, but are still seen occasionally. Husqvarnas and BSAs were/are generally notable in that they are very uncommon but those that use them love them and are well versed in rifles. CZ's and BRNOs are slightly more common, but nothing like the proliferation in Africa. I assume this is due to a higher price, lack of SS, and being a bit heavy and long for dragging though the alders all day.

Surprisingly, you don't see a lot of the new plastic budget guns in guides' hands. With some being made in 375R and 338 now I would not be surprised to see that change. However, though most guides are on a limited budget, they realize that their rifle is an important tool, and that buying bottom shelf is perhaps not the best idea. Again, Ruger M77s represent that step up in durability with not a great price increase. It's really hard to wear a Ruger M77 out.

Marlin Guide guns are VERY common, though mostly as bear protection, i.e. fishing guides, those hunting heavy timber for bear, etc.... With the new Ruger ones coming out this is likely to only increase. If you only need a rifle for under 100yds they are tough to beat. Short, reliable, fast into action, lots of firepower, and powerful to boot. Still a few Winchester 71s and 86s, in 348, 45-70, and wildcats, and a very few M95s. Most of these are the excellent Browning models although there are still some original in use. Surprisingly I've only ever seen one BLR in the field and it was a resident hunter, not guide. A SS takedown 358win would be a great general-purpose guide rifle. You used to see some carrying M99s but that is pretty well a thing of the past. Great guns but long in the tooth and other than the rare

I'm sure I forgot a few but that is a basic summary of what I have seen in the past 25 years of guiding and flying hunters around the State.

My personal choice is just that. I did put my money where my mouth is and bought a 375 Ruger as soon as they came out. I'm on my second one due to theft, not wear. This rifle really can't be improved on much in my opinion and is the one I have used the most. However, it gets loaned out a lot to new guides and clients, so I don't carry it as much myself as I used to. The smart thing to do would be to buy another one and just have a pair. However, I do like rifles and trying other things so I carry a Browning 71 475 Turnbull and old tang safety m77 Ruger with a stainless 35 Whelen barrel more than my 375 Ruger lately. The 475 is a better tool for close and fast, the Whelen just happens to work great and I like it. My Whelen was built on an action that a friend found in a bag of wet and rusty parts at the dump. Did I mention its hard to wear (or over-abuse) a m77?

I can't imagine anything better than a 1990s vintage Winchester 70 action with quality synthetic stock (McMillan would be my choice) and a stainless barrel in 308 cal + at 22". The Win 70s are durable and their trigger are second to none when the work is wet and dirty.

Taken from above quote: barrel in 308 cal + at 22"


🤔 memtb

I have hunted bears on kodiak and the Alaska peninsula, The rifle I've used for that is a winchester stainless classic 375HH using hand loaded Nosler partition 260g bullets.

I don't do much cold, but usually plenty of rain.
I am a moose hunter, but usually there is a bear or two in the area.

I have confidence in the New Haven M70 stainless classics and the Ruger Mark II & Hawkeye stainless rifles. Favorite cartridges, 338 Winchester, 375 Ruger, 416 Ruger. You can add the 375 H&H & 416 Remington also. I prefer the shorter Ruger versions.

My most used rifles are the 20" Ruger rifles in 375 Ruger & 416 Ruger.

Ok, I agree with just about everything you've said above, but take issue with your Weatherby Comment above in Bold, I'd be interested in where you came by this info, so as to have this opinion.....? also FWIW, see attached.....
Lj

I was wondering who wrote this, until I got to the last paragraph 😁

Ok,,,,,,, so what does that last paragraph tell you..... ?
Lj

Very cool post! Seems right on.
The first rifle I carried guiding was the Hawkeye Alaskan, matte stainless that I switched out the hogue over molded it came with for a sleeker standard Ruger synthetic stock. I liked it pretty well and used it a few years but my goodness did I find that 375 ruger unpleasant to shoot and listen to! !
Like you said as well, I’m on the gun nut side of the spectrum so I’ve enjoyed carrying different rifles afield

Note I did not say that Weatherbys or Remington 700s are bad rifles or that I don't like them, only that they are generally despised by guides in Alaska and Africa too for that matter. Truth is, I do not have enough personal experience with them to know if I like them or not. And not every guide dislikes them, but quite a few do. Note that Reminton 700s are and have been for a long time popular with resident hunters. And well they should be, they are the most common sporting rifle in the world. Guides are a slightly different dynamic and I know very few that use them.

I think this is from accidental discharges on Remingtons (49 out of 50 might be fine but one AD is all it takes, and as a guide you see all 50 rifles in action....). I realize that this is an easy fix, but that doesn't mean that a lot of guides are going to change their mind. There is also some question on reliability of extractors and bolt handles. This may or may not have merit - doesn't matter, perception is 9/10ths of the law. Once you get a bad rap in a community it's hard to fix.

As for Weatherby - from talking to others AND my personal experience, Weatherbys are most commonly seen in the hands of less experienced hunters to make up for lack of practice. This is not always the case - but it is often enough. Weatherby has always been good at marketing, and seeing the likes of John Wayne, Roy Rogers, Elgin Gates, and Herb Klein use them left a lasting impression on a generation - 'buy a Weatherby - be a better hunter!'. Doesn't work like that. I have had a few clients bring Weatherbys that were excellent shots, but more often than not that was not the case. Traditionally, whenever someone shows up with a Weatherby, you brace yourself for lots of barely informed ballistic bragging, painfully loud muzzle brakes, piss poor shooting, and lots of excuses after. But I think that is changing. There seems to be a shift from that thinking, and maybe in the future guides will love Weatherbys, we will see. It seems Weatherby is making some really great products and I would love to try their 6 lug action in 338RPM. I will say that traditionally they have been more expensive and flashier than other rifles of similar capability. Same reason you don't see a lot of Hummers in African Safari camps.

There was definitely an axe to grind with weatherbys in the past. They were great as polar bear guns and were once the most popular gun up in Kotz. The sheep guides in the Chugach and South Wrangells in the 60s and 70s hated them because you could gum them up with silt and they were done. Whether it was Knutson, Wilson, Harrower or Want, they felt that the MarK V action would get gummed up in glacial country. On the north side of the Wrangells they were well liked.

Yea, the ol' 375 Ruger does boot. Seems a little worse than the H&H but probably from light rifles and short barrels. As long as you carry more than you shoot it... goes the thinking.

I tried both molded and wood factory stocks, and a McMillian, before going back to the 'Gummy Bear' Houge. The Houge was my least favorite part of the rifle to begin with, but I learned to like it as it definitely reduces the felt recoil for me. And it is tough. I slimed mine down a bit. https://www.americanhunter.org/content/how-to-build-the-ultimate-brown-bear-rifle/

Mine also has a 23" stainless bbl which I find helps with muzzle blast. But most guides I know don't really care - the short barrel is handy, the thing is tough and reliable, and kills stuff dead!

I was wondering who wrote this, until I got to the last paragraph 😁[/quote]

Phil if you look at his sentence structure it is very similar to yours. Taj. You write very well. You know that there is an opening at Rifle and Handloader with Muledeer retiring. You have to deal with Hoots but you would be very well received by the rest of us.

Thank you, that is quite the compliment.

Unfortunately, the only time I do much writing is when I am sitting at the computer procrastinating from filling out permits or whatever other dreadful part of the job requires being inside....

Ok then,,,,, I know now, to whom I'm speaking too,,,,, so, I guess I'd be splitting hair's here, but your 1st ref. was to Action's Not Rifles, but you can't have one, without the other.....
So lets talk Rem. MD700's .30-06 Mtn. Rifle, as I've got one of those as well, after Hunting with it a few yrs, I had my Gunsmith Modify the Bolt with the Win. 3-Position Safety, I've never had any issues with this Rifle what so ever, in the 38yrs I've had it..... it's still with me here in Alaska.
Now for the Weatherby, I purchased that Rifle in 1995, and it's been modified accordingly,,,,, but that MK-V Action with the 54deg Bolt-Lift, is so Slick-Smooth, like Butter, and Quick on the Draw,,,,, you really should check one out sometime,,,,, and I get it, the Name association game,,,,, Roy Rodgers, John Wayne and the like,,,, but there are guy's like me that have a Weatherby Rifle, but are not part of that Crowd, that's for sure......
And then there's the whole CRF vs. Push-Feed, One of the reason's I went with the Weatherby.....
You take Care.....
Lj

Phil if you look at his sentence structure it is very similar to yours. Taj. You write very well. You know that there is an opening at Rifle and Handloader with Muledeer retiring. You have to deal with Hoots but you would be very well received by the rest of us.[/quote]

As I understand it, Lee no longer is employed by Wolfe

Phil I just don't want you to get any retirement ideas from your buddy Master Guide Jerry Jacques who is fighting with the Ukrainians as a sniper right now. I would just rather have you work on your book.

“So magnificently ugly that it was beautiful”… LOL! That’s great. Yea that’s a neat write up. I believe you’re probably correct on the barrel length, the 23” would be nice for blast and noise, but the 20 “ is handy. Always pros and cons I suppose. I do like all those modifications you made that’s pretty cool.
The original butt pad on mine finally started to disintegrate from being used as a trekking pole, ha!
They are pretty bomb proof units

I would like to hear more of your opinion of the .358 Winchester in regards to your personal application. Thanks.

ETA. Also interested in your opinion on Tikka as well.

i am very glad to read about what rifles are really the better choice to use for Alaska hunting and /or maybe buy for hunting in the tougher weather conditions . i thank you guys for posting what has been posted and what or could yet be posted ! this is very interesting and you guides know what should be used in Alaska . thank you much , Pete53

Ruff tuff bear country and my life depends upon it? Wellll, I'll answer you not just with what I've done in the past but what I am taking for Coastal Brown bears this spring.

In the past?
Everything that you can imagine, quite likely. A lot of the old and many of the newer actions, in everything from hunting Kodiak deer with a .22 Hornet single shot to a .470 NE double, most every bolt action and many leverguns/slide actions. I was fortunate to hunt a lot of calibers that likely would have ended up poorly if I ran into a bear. I would, however, marvel on the crushing success of dropping bears with good bullets, well-placed, in calibers that one might not expect.

This spring?
My hunting pard is taking his 325 WSM in a Kimber action. My little brother his Marlin Model 1895 in .45-70. I am taking my .378 Weatherby in a MK V action.

Years to come?
Remington Model 8/81 in .35 Remington...and why not?

Correction: .378 "Space Blaster"

I don't have any personal experience with the 358, but everyone I know that does seems to like it. Famous guide Hal Waugh spoke highly of his - even though he liked the improved version of the 375. The 358 seems about 100-200fps slower than the Whelen with the same bullets (except for Hornady data where it has the smaller case exceeding the larger one...🤔). So unless you are looking for the last little bit of performance should be a good killer. If you are looking for range, get a 338 or 300 anyways...
I prefer a standard length m77 action so the Whelen is the easiest way to get max thump out of a standard action with 5 down, but if I was using an action that dictated shorter COAL the 358 would be worth a try.

I also have no experience with Tikkas but see a lot of resident hunter and a couple of guides using them, especially those who are a little more interested in rifle performance, but not so much as to go custom. I have never heard a bad word about them. One very experienced guide I know uses a pre-64 m70 and an older custom Brno as his backup rifles, but has a couple of Tikkas for assistants or client use.

Riflecrank gave me a "talkin to" for considering an HS ruger stock to replace a cracked piece of balsa wood on the 416 ruger.

He claims the latest B&C stocks are a better, lighter more affordable choice.

I think I'm gonna listen to him, as he's bat-sht crazy over building big-bore rifles:

https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbt...pseys-ruger-hawkeye-african#Post17918900

I've shifted to B&C stocks, got a good deal on their "Black Friday" sale. Currently restocking a new .243 Win. Classic from Newhaven, CT.

I’m not the bone you were talking to so my apologies if I’m out of line. I’ve noticed a lot more tikkas up here over the past few years. I have a few and most guys I know or hunt with also have a few. I used one in 30-06 last year for a mountain goat hunt and one in 6.5 creedmoor for my last three sheep hunts. At times it feels like there isn’t really any current production rifles that are as nice as the tikkas for the money.

Great thread and it’s refreshing to see some new folks as well as those that are busy with real life stopping by and sharing their experienced opinions. 👍🏼👍🏼

Thank you for the insight *ths* and Poodle_Dad. Greatly appriciated.

hillbillyjake;
Top of the morning to you sir, I trust wherever this finds you that it finds you well.

With the understanding that I live and hunt the vast majority of the time in the south Okanagan area of BC which emphatically is not in any way Alaska, I do have friends who live in the Yukon which is a wee bit closer and know folks who hunt northern BC too.

When a friend who is a miner/geologist was looking to get a stainless .350 Rem Mag put together for a rifle to carry when hunting season is open - he carries a stainless .454 Casull revolver at times with a "hen's teeth" tough to get permit up here or a stainless .454 lever carbine otherwise - I found a shop up in north eastern BC, Corlane's in Dawson Creek, BC.

The fellow I chatted with was part owner of the store and did some guiding as well up in the Muskwa-Kechika area which includes up into the Prophet. Anyways he mentioned that they were building more and more rifles for guides on the Tikka stainless actions and had good luck with them so far.

Again I'd guess from being up on Haida Gwaii once and Vancouver Island many, many times, it'd be much wetter on the coastal sections of Alaska than it would be up in northern BC past the coast mountains inland but that's just a semi-educated guess.

The Canadian Rangers have been issued Colt Canada made Tikka rifles now too and while some don't like them as much as the old No. 4 LE, I don't believe it's because the Tikkas are failing in any way or at least haven't heard that.

Hope that was useful to you or someone out there.

It's been a wonderful thread and thanks to all who've added to it.

Best to you all.

Dwayne

You need to get out more rost495!

I see Rugers M77's a lot out in the bush. The 375 Ruger Alaskan has only increased these sightings.

My main gun is a Stainless Classic 375 H&H. Had he barrels lathed down, cut to 22" and dropped in a Winlite take off. Love that gun.

But like a lot of Alaskans I have used and owned a lot of different brands like Remington, Ruger, Kimber etc. Only one that has let me down was my Stainless Rem 338 Win. Went to clear the action before getting in the cub and it "fired" on closing the bolt on an empty chamber. Was a bunch of gunk and a spruce needle or two in the box trigger. So really I have to blame that on me for not taking care of my equipment. I do like the old style Winchester triggers for this reason though.

Ok, FWIW you can add this to your Rem 700.....
Lj

BC30cal. I look forward to your post and thank you for the information. It is appreciated.

Many a young guide starting out goes with Tikka. Right now I can think of four young assistant guides with their Tikka SLs. The SW exclusive TX SL is favored over the others. Most put a Leupold vx3i 4-14 on them and just go. I have noticed that the young guides move up to Christiansen and then they go straight custom after a couple of seasons. It is also noticeable that some outfits do not have their guides carry a rifle of all relying on the client rifle which the young guide carries during most of the trip to insure it doesn't get knocked out of alignment.Too me, this is a little risky as in Alaska two is one and one is often none.

I know that the chassis rifles are making inroads. I am seeing more of the Sig Cross rifles that fold up and the MDT and KLG chassis are being mentioned more because a foldable rifle that doesn't get caught up in the alders on the way up to above treeline is a wonder.

There are a lot of Christiansen mesas and ridgelines being sold. They took a lot of thunder out of Remington sales. I still see Brownings sell but have not noticed as much movement with the savages that were a hot item not very long ago.

One must not forget that "guides" are not the supermen most make them out to be...

Aside from a few gun savvy notable guys, most of the others are just reg gundummy dudes who are followers & have no clue... in regard to ballistics.. internal nor external

Opinions from them are simply regurgitated bs from others

What a fuqking blaviating lard ass... Swamplard

if i was on Alaska brown bear hunt i would trust my guide and hope he has a good 3 position safety on his rifle or a good Ruger rifle period . i also never realized how popular the 375 Ruger cartridge is . there are some great posts from some great people too . thanks again,Pete53

The Rugers will work well. Just never seen one in our guides or clients hands.

Mauser action 458 win mag has never let me down and has stopped enough brown bears to know it works.

And now I have lied. All this and I forgot a buddy had a client with a Ruger 416 ruger leave it as a tip and he now uses it. no flies on it.

Another has a blaser straight pull rechambered to 416 ruger. Thats a sweet rifle for sure.

So yup, I forgot, one ruger.

As to 3 position safety why? myself and other guides, never use safety. if there is a round in the chamber IE the need for it, the last thing I want is a safety failing. Hunt safety off, and may well remove it eventually, cold chamber as a guide until....and I maintain control of my rifle at all times so I know if the bolt might open... YMMV

I"m sure they are out there and if I hunted for myself I might see them. But even then I hunt away from people and don't really see much other than clients stuff generally speaking. The folks I hunt with locally when I have time don't run rugers. Though Iv'e run a #1 some. 338/.378 and 416 Rigby. I just see a lot of other rifles out there.

I suspect years ago the ruger may have been the bigger norm. I"d have assumed I'd see a lot of boat paddle rugers and again they may be out there.

What a great thread and interesting read this morning!

I absolutely concur with with this statement. Go to any LGS or a hunting club and listen to the absolute ignorance……many guides making near nothing in wages are no different. memtb

I've noticed that a bit. But I'm fortunate to work with most that are a bit above average. Although I've yet to run into a true loony like me.

Kind of like cops I suspect. They aren't cops because they are gun loony for the most part. Military too. Most barely get by.

Which kind of amazes me that you don't see more savage axis type rifles out and about so to speak. Though Ruger 77s where kind of that in the day. Back in the days when I wanted one of every 77 they made. Until Bill became dumb... digressing again.

Correct! I left out the police, and while it’s been years since I worked in law enforcement…..the firearm aptitude was beyond a low score. The same for the majority of ex military……except those in specialized units, which is a small minority of the total numbers listed as veterans! memtb

It is true in my experience that guides in general are not gun enthusiast. In some ways, that makes them more perceptive, as they simply care about what works, not what they want to work, or what they dreamed up in their head. Most guides I know do not do a lot of personal hunting, and may not own very many firearms, especially expensive, fancy ones. But they do get much experience seeing what works by sheer volume. Each client is a new rifle and a new lesson. When you do something for a living you note what tools work and what don't. There will still be differences of experience and opinion but you do notice trends. One of the most notable and universal is that those who brag a lot about their skill or equipment are rarely much good with it.

I see this as mostly accurate. However, many are only in the field a short period of time before finding other forms of employment (low wages). Couple this with it takes a bit of time to determine (in one’s mind) what works best and what doesn’t, with the aforementioned limited income. This severely limits the numbers of quality firearms in the field carried by the typical guide.

Another possible problem ….. many of the hunters that the guides contact are wealthy, less than firearm knowledgeable hunters. So the guide sees firearms he/she can’t afford, and often see failures in the field by hunters that themselves are less than proficient with therir firearm!

In the guide’s defense…..often they don’t have a great hunter/client base with which to learn from! JMO. memtb

Fair enough and appreciate you sharing your experiences rost495.

Never really saw many clients with M77's. Then they started showing up in the camps I worked in on the Peninsula when the 375 ruger came on the scene. A lot of non rifle looney guides (and looney guides!) stared carrying them as well it seemed. Solid rifle in 375 at a decent price point got the attention of working guides and the more blue collar client on a once in a lifetime hunt. I had my H&H so I never did get one.

Traveling in and out of rural villages I've always noticed MKII's and now Hawkeyes too.

Like yourself I gravitate away from the crowds when hunting so outside of guiding and passing through places where guns are hanging on wheelers and boats I'm out of the loop on what the average AK hunter is packing. I haven't seen another person when out sheep or moose hunting for myself other than my lady in years actually. Not seeing people while out and about is a bigger draw than shooting something anymore!

I totally agree with you on the 3 position trigger. I carry with safety on fire on an empty chamber too.

The only brand rifle I would not hunt with again on the Alaskan coast would be a Remington 700. Took me about 5 trips to Kodiak and experiencing the trigger freezing up before I ditched them and went with Rugers, Savages, or Winchester (my favorite).

My boss guided the Aleutians for years with a 700 and never an issue. 30 days appx in the field a season. YMMV.

I'm no fan of Remington stuff. Buts it's hard to deny that scores of seasoned and novice Alaskans have had great success in very harsh conditions, using Remington 700's.

It's simply the case, regardless of narrow points of view and opinion.

Many Remington 700 variants are still very popular and the push feed vs crf nonsense is overated.

THE most reliable gun I've ever hunted with, was a push feed.

A browning 95 scout in my 41-9.3x62 wildcat. It easily out-did my oberndorf sporter and two ruger Hawkeyes.

From 30-50 below zero winter hunts, to being full of river grit along the upper Yukon tributaries, I NEVER cleaned it.

We had and I still have a number of Remington 700 Rifles that were used for everything. Oftentimes my father would buy them from busted down folks needing a planeticket/ or gas money to the L48. We saw them as accurate rifles that were easy to get on target. We were packing out moose meat from an area that was infested with high numbers of grizzlies as it was along a king salmon spawning stream. We put the gun, a Remington 700 ADL in 270 winchester in the center area of gutless our 2wd wonder 1978 Pickup and my brother moved the safety from safe to fire. We had an accidental discharge. The bullet went through the baseboard but luckily missed anything vital but my father chewed him up one side and down the other. We were rocking Winchesters soon after that. I still have all of those old Remingtons. It is kind of interesting. I never had bad luck with them.