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?
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.
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.
l told my pap and mam I was going to be a mountain man; acted like they was gut-shot. Make your life go here. Here's where the peoples is. Mother Gue, I says, the Rocky Mountains is the marrow of the world, and by God, I was right. - Del Gue
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!
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.
l told my pap and mam I was going to be a mountain man; acted like they was gut-shot. Make your life go here. Here's where the peoples is. Mother Gue, I says, the Rocky Mountains is the marrow of the world, and by God, I was right. - Del Gue
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.
šš memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
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
Have yet to see a Ruger in the woods...
Ruger 10/22ās, Mini 14ās 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 Shoemaker Alaska Master Guide, Alaska Hunter Ed Instructor FAA Master pilot & CFII www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com
Anyone who claims the 30-06 is not effective has either not used one, or else is unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship.
Phil, Given your years of field experience, general gun knowledge, and seeing trends in popularity of various calibers over the years, youād be a good one to askā¦ Why in the heck havenāt relatively milder medium bores like the 9.3x62 or the 35 Whelen caught on more in the guiding community? Iāve only recently started using the 9.3 and I canāt say enough good about it. Obviously availability is going to be a main reason, but youād think if something worked well and caught on, demand could change all that. Anyways Iād be curious what your thoughts are on that ?
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
Have yet to see a Ruger in the woods...
Ruger 10/22ās, Mini 14ās and 357 & 44 Blackhawks are staples in most villages and the M77 in .338 was THE guide rifle until the 375 Ruger was introduced !
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!
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.
So you are suggesting Seattle management beats Texans?
Mark Begich, Joaquin Jackson, and Heller resistance... Three huge reasons to worry about the NRA.
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.
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"
š¤ memtb
You should not use a rifle that will kill an animal when everything goes right; you should use one that will do the job when everything goes wrong." -Bob Hagel
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 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
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.
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?
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
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 was wondering who wrote this, until I got to the last paragraph š
Phil Shoemaker Alaska Master Guide, Alaska Hunter Ed Instructor FAA Master pilot & CFII www.grizzlyskinsofalaska.com
Anyone who claims the 30-06 is not effective has either not used one, or else is unwittingly commenting on their marksmanship.
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 was wondering who wrote this, until I got to the last paragraph š
Ok,,,,,,, so what does that last paragraph tell you..... ? Lj
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?
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, Iām on the gun nut side of the spectrum so Iāve enjoyed carrying different rifles afield
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
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.
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, Iām on the gun nut side of the spectrum so Iāve enjoyed carrying different rifles afield
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!
