Thanks again! I currently have a 308, I have just read some hunting forums, and the postings here, that made me think I would need something that was a higher power just in case of polar bears. Seems to be a lot of hunting forums saying a 308 may not drop a polar bear. Basically in a worse case scenario situation, going for a little larger round would be a safer bet to drop a bear. Any thoughts on that?
Gun Models and Calibres for Artic Conditions
- Thread starter waxied
- Start date
I read a lot about this (as most guys on this site have I think) Personally I dont think enough people have shot enough polar bears in enough situations to know the real answer to that question. Which is a good thing or we likely wouldnt have many bears at all. Spent a lot of time as a kid and some time as an adult in areas that had a few to a lot of polar bears ( a lot is "relative" of course) and the folks that went around armed (invariable the few folks specifically designated to keep a look out for problem bears) were happy with a 308 or .303... course most folks never had to use it either and neither will you. Good dogs will usually let you know when they are around and often are enough of a deterrent to lower the bears curiosity. You are certainly more likely to have a problem encounter with a black imo
tylerjwitty
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Northern Ontario
When does ur boat load of money arrive ?
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I don't feel unarmed when I'm packing a .30/06, and while a .30/06 has a distinct edge over the .308, (and yes I have both) the difference in performance doesn't justify swapping out the .308, provided its suitable for use as a hunting rifle in the first place. A rifle you are thoroughly familiar with trumps a more powerful one you have to learn. Getting ammo and handloading supplies into remote communities can be a frustrating, time consuming, and expensive proposition. so take in as much as you can when you go. Barnes TSXs in 165 or a 180 gr are excellent deep penetrating bullets, that will stand up to high velocity, close range impacts on heavy game when fired from a .308, .30/06 or a .300 magnum. If you handload you should have at least a few for special occasions. Most of the time 165 gr Interlocks work fine, caribou aren't difficult to kill, Interlocks provide sufficient accuracy to enable you to make 200 yard head shots on seals, and they'll reach way out there if you have the opportunity on a wolf.
If a new rifle is on the agenda, stay clear of actions that use plunger ejectors, these are particularly prone to failure if exposed to the elements for an extended period of time without constant vigilance, particularly around salt water. A good quality fiberglass stock, a CRF action, a stainless barrel, iron sights, quality QD rings and a pair of scopes is where I'd start. If you want more power than you can manage with your .308, don't stray too far above your known recoil tolerance. A 9.3X62 or a .35 Whelen represent a significant step up from your .308, without being terribly intimidating, but don't expect to find ammo at the local Co-op or Northern Store; a 12 ga and a .22 rimfire that you can get ammo for, trumps the big centerfire rifle that can't be replenished. Having said that, I don't share the northern native's enthusiasm for .22 centerfires, and I wouldn't choose a .223 or a .22-250 as my primary hunting rifle simply because that's what everyone else uses.
For use in the cold, no lube is better than lube that will gum at low temperatures. Recently I discovered that Fluid Film seems to work pretty well in the cold. After being left outdoors for an hour at -35, with the bolt soaked down in this stuff, my AR-15 never missed a beat. On a previous outing with mil-spec "Arctic Oil for Weapons" it was a clumsy single shot. During the summer, beware of rust. As I stated earlier, the plunger ejector in a push feed rifle will seize, if your shotgun has a steel magazine follower, it will rust to the magazine tube, and without regular attention, your expensive QD rings will become permanent. The barrel might no longer remove easily from your pump shotgun, and the magazine cap might require vice grips to loosen. A little grease is beneficial where there is steel to steel contact on parts that don't normally move. Another problem encountered with some firearms is that the finish will not stand up to bug dope. If you can afford it, an application of CeraKote or KG GunKote would be a benefit.
If a new rifle is on the agenda, stay clear of actions that use plunger ejectors, these are particularly prone to failure if exposed to the elements for an extended period of time without constant vigilance, particularly around salt water. A good quality fiberglass stock, a CRF action, a stainless barrel, iron sights, quality QD rings and a pair of scopes is where I'd start. If you want more power than you can manage with your .308, don't stray too far above your known recoil tolerance. A 9.3X62 or a .35 Whelen represent a significant step up from your .308, without being terribly intimidating, but don't expect to find ammo at the local Co-op or Northern Store; a 12 ga and a .22 rimfire that you can get ammo for, trumps the big centerfire rifle that can't be replenished. Having said that, I don't share the northern native's enthusiasm for .22 centerfires, and I wouldn't choose a .223 or a .22-250 as my primary hunting rifle simply because that's what everyone else uses.
For use in the cold, no lube is better than lube that will gum at low temperatures. Recently I discovered that Fluid Film seems to work pretty well in the cold. After being left outdoors for an hour at -35, with the bolt soaked down in this stuff, my AR-15 never missed a beat. On a previous outing with mil-spec "Arctic Oil for Weapons" it was a clumsy single shot. During the summer, beware of rust. As I stated earlier, the plunger ejector in a push feed rifle will seize, if your shotgun has a steel magazine follower, it will rust to the magazine tube, and without regular attention, your expensive QD rings will become permanent. The barrel might no longer remove easily from your pump shotgun, and the magazine cap might require vice grips to loosen. A little grease is beneficial where there is steel to steel contact on parts that don't normally move. Another problem encountered with some firearms is that the finish will not stand up to bug dope. If you can afford it, an application of CeraKote or KG GunKote would be a benefit.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
No, it's two years until you can hunt without a local "guide". You can get a hunting license in 3 months and, in theory and according to the law, you can hunt by yourself if you had your hunting license 2 years prior (or somethign like that, I don't have the regs in front of me and the wording is a bit convoluted).
In the NWT it was 2 years before big game however I believe in the rewrite of the Wildlife Act it was changed to 1 year (not sure if that Act has been proclaimed yet)
When I went back up I bought a Stevens 200 because I didn't want to beat on one of my nice rifles in boats, quads and in boggans/komatiks. That said it did freeze up a couple of times, once pulling a bullet from a misfire and filling the action with powder with the bullet lodged in the throat, and the other time during a muskox hunt where the action froze right shut and required persuasion.
If I were kitting up again I would definitely go with a rifle where I could disassemble the bolt without tools to ensure that it is clean and degreased...this is absolutely critical. Either a Model 70 or a Mauser 98. 2.8-8x Leupold scope in Talley Lightweight rings (if they fit). I like the 270 for open country or the 30-06 (I tend to be a bigger is better kind of guy). I worked with a guy that uses a 25-06 which is great for caribour and muskox but too light for moose. I handload and use magnum primers in standard cases to obviate the hard starts you could get with standard primers. Probably just makes me feel better more than anything else.
A guy I hunted with had a really cool little cover that covered the crown and first 6" of barrel and went back and covered his scope and the entire action, closing with velcro underneath. Think of the fancy tacticool muzzle and scope covers from Blackhawk except home made and encapsulating the action. Kept snow off his scope and out of the action and muzzle yet he could, in an emergency, fire a shot (you always have to think bear defense). If I was still in the North I would have whipped up a copy for my own rifle.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I should have asked...what community are you heading to? And are you one of us? PM me if you want.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
That's typical spew coming from hunting forums. The 30-30 has worked just fine on every critter found in North America & there have been plenty of polar bears dispatched with .243's and .22 magnums as well. The magnum craze brought on by the gun writers over the years has brainwashed a lot of folks into feeling that the earlier cartridges are somehow inferior.
It's total BS. If the shooter is skilled in stalking up game, knows the chosen weapon well & is proficient with it within the performance parameters of the load, then that's half the battle. The rest depends on many factors such as stamina & calm under stress, not being half gooned or hungover while hunting etc...etc. I've known many "hunters" that I would not go into the bush with because of their attitudes and lack of skill.
Again we're back to "will it work" as opposed to "what would you recommend"................Will a 308 work, sure it will if that's what you got, but the OP specifically asked what would you recommend, to which I replied 300 WM to 338 of some kind. It's not magnum crazed or anything else, it's a valid recommendation for both the ranges which may be encountered in the arctic and the possible size of the game encountered including polar bear, musk ox and bison depending on where he's going. A 300-338 is very prudent on these animals not just "magnum crazed spew".........Having lived in the sub arctic for 35 years and hunted too many times in -40 and below and having hunted the high arctic several times for all the animals I have mentioned, including Atlantic walrus, which go something over 4000 lbs and require more than a 308 if you ever wish to recover it, I have given a very informed recommendation to the question posed by the OP.
I agree a 308 is better than 30-30, which is better than a 22 but I wouldn't recommend any of these, given the question posed by the OP.
Speaking of walrus - one very experienced hunter from the high arctic preferred the .22-.250 with fmj bullets.
I asked thy. His answer made a lot of sense. Kill a walrus stone dead and it will sink. Shoot him in the lungs with the .22-.250, he does not die immediately, but with damaged lungs he cannot dive. Allows a harpoon to be used to get a line and float attached.
I asked thy. His answer made a lot of sense. Kill a walrus stone dead and it will sink. Shoot him in the lungs with the .22-.250, he does not die immediately, but with damaged lungs he cannot dive. Allows a harpoon to be used to get a line and float attached.
Yep tiriaq, that does work however, harvesting for a living and sport hunting have very little in common........just like the old first nations gentleman here who used to gut shoot moose with a 22 and come back 2 days later when the moose could no longer get up and finish him off and then butcher him. This is not my idea of sport hunting.
pisces-guy
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- West Kelowna, B.C.
Having lived and hunted up north for years, when I was younger, here's my suggestions:
When you jump in and out of your warm truck into sub zero temps, condensation will form on your gun and quickly freeze, impairing the function of the action. You want the simplest and easiest repeating action to clean and potentially trouble shoot, which is the BOLT ACTION RIFLE. Lubricate lightly with G96 in temps above -30C and powdered graphite at temps below -30C. That covers the action and lubrication.
As far as caliber goes, the very minimum you should consider is the 30.06 with Barnes TTSX 180 grain bullets or Federal Trophy Copper's equivalent, whatever shoots best in your rifle. In areas with plenty of grizzlies, Kodiak, or polar bears, I'd consider the .338 Win Mag to be the minimum, also loaded with mono metal bullets that penetrate reliably even after hitting bone. If the recoil bothers you, put a muzzle brake on it and wear ear plugs. Of course, you can kill a moose with a .243 if you shoot it at close range, but if you've got a big bear coming at you, you'll wish you had a cannon. I'd prefer a muzzle braked .375.
One final suggestion, with the condensation moving from warm cabins or truck and out into sub zero temps, a stainless synthetic is the best option as far as materials go. Hope this helps...I lived in Kitimat, B.C., and hunted the Babine Lake country and northern B.C., and this is based on what we did up there.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
Good choice, the Russians I worked with carry carbines in the arctic.
Here's one of my guys in the field.
- Location
- Southern Vancouver Island
That would have been one guy out of hundreds that pulled that one. Most folks that lived and survived there did not waste ammo, and definitely did not gut shoot critters to get sustenance. I've seen a sh*tload of wasted meat by "whitey" compared to aboriginal folk.
