the ultimate Yukon rifle ... your thoughts

I have a 12 gauge mariner for "stopping bears"/ making my cruiser vest heavier. This is pretty de rigeur for field workers in my experience.

Just curious about big caliber flat shooting rifles/ammo availability for fall, probably end up getting a 30-06. I do like the 45/70's though, but who doesn't.

I have handled "the alaskan brush hunter" but not shot it, I like how the iron sights but it is out of my price range.
 
medvedqc said:
i know the 9.3x62 is the first one i suggested but as most of the hunters and shooters he never heard of it ... otherwise it will be my choice.
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He doesn't need to "hear" about it: tell him it is like a non magnum .375: that uses 30-06 brass. That should sell him on it, apart from online accolades. Mention that it is a cartridge built around spotting distance: if you can see 'it' with your eyes, it better had run.

The added caveat of the round being the bare minimum for elephant in some countries in Africa, might make for a lovely tidbit too....
 
7offsuit2 said:
He doesn't need to "hear" about it: tell him it is like a non magnum .375: that uses 30-06 brass. That should sell him on it, apart from online accolades. Mention that it is a cartridge built around spotting distance: if you can see 'it' with your eyes, it better had run.

The added caveat of the round being the bare minimum for elephant in some countries in Africa, might make for a lovely tidbit too....
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9.3×62 M - 3500 - 3800 ft-lbs ME.
A kinda watered down 375 Ruger(4700 - 5000 ft-lbs ME) for those who are recoil sensitive.
 
Unless I misunderstood the concept, ( ultimate Yukon rifle ) the OP isn't just looking for a bear defence gun, but an all-round workhorse rifle that's better suited for bear defence than a .30-06. To me that suggest some form of .300 magnum (Norma, H&H, Win.) a .388 (or .340) or a 9.3x62. Mauser action for preference.
 
9.3mauser said:
Unless I misunderstood the concept, ( ultimate Yukon rifle ) the OP isn't just looking for a bear defence gun, but an all-round workhorse rifle that's better suited for bear defence than a .30-06. To me that suggest some form of .300 magnum (Norma, H&H, Win.) a .388 (or .340) or a 9.3x62. Mauser action for preference.
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Another factor way back in the sticks especially for those who don't reload is availability of ammo in local crappy tires, walmarts, etc. hardware stores.
30-06 sprng, 308 Win, 7mm Rem Mag, 300 Win Mag, 300 WSM, 45-70 are pretty well represented in most far northern Canada chain stores.
I'm sure Whitehorse with approx 25K people has a decent gun store or maybe a well stocked crappy tire.
 
conor_90 said:
I might be going to work in the Yukon next spring, not really sure of the area. Is 375 ruger available in Whitehorse? Most places I've been in the north have a pretty limited selection. I don't even live that far north/remote and here it's all 270, 30-30, 30-06. 300 wsm I see sometimes, but I am not a huge fan of the caliber don't know if this means I would dislike the 375 as I have never shot it.
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Whitehorse is blessed to have an exceptionally good little LGS that seems to cater to some of the quirky Yukon 'nutz. I was only there once but I couldn't help but leave with a couple thousand primers and some 22LR.
 
Great thread if I ever want to shoot heavy calibers.. general availability of ammo now sways a lot of decisions.. so 30-06 sounds good to me.
 
Gentlemen we have lost sight of the original question here...........an all around Yukon caliber........NOT a bear defense thread, besides as Bruce mentioned, our bears just aren't all that big, I killed my first 2 with a 7mmRM. I'm sitting here laughing at the 45-70, shotgun and the like suggestions, remembering that 450 mtr shot on my last goat (just happened to be with my 340, now that I think of it) ) and several 400+ mtr shots on some big caribou. The 366 Wagner (9.3X62) certainly has the horsepower for the job, but lacks the legs to be considered a true "all around" cartridge. Even the revered Mr. Wagner takes a 270 when sheep hunting and leaves his 366 at home. Our laws for Bison rule out any calibers below 30, and all case size below '06.........so 30-06 is bare minimum for a Yukon all around rifle. My preferences run from a 300 magnum to the 340 Wby as a true all around rifle and cartridge for all Yukon species at the ranges they may be encountered..........Nothing wrong with the 358 Norma suggestion or the 375s, just not required for our critters, really.

RJ, just to clarify, the 416, was not a joint Taylor/Chatfield venture...........it was exclusively Mr. Taylors baby and hence is named .416 Taylor. The .375 on the same case was a joint venture and hence is called the 375 CT..........

Oh and just as an aside, the Sports Lodge under it's current management is absolutely empty.........no powders for more than 2 years now, no bullets, no brass, unless you shoot a swift, no primers for years, very spotty stock of factory ammo.......Yukon is in the worst shape for a gunshop that it has been in for more than 35 years that I know of. At one point we had 4 well stocked gunshops..........now we have none.
 
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c-fbmi said:
Gentlemen we have lost sight of the original question here...........an all around Yukon caliber........NOT a bear defense thread, besides as Bruce mentioned, our bears just aren't all that big, I killed my first 2 with a 7mmRM. I'm sitting here laughing at the 45-70, shotgun and the like suggestions, remembering that 450 mtr shot on my last goat (just happened to be with my 340, now that I think of it) ) and several 400+ mtr shots on some big caribou. The 366 Wagner (9.3X62) certainly has the horsepower for the job, but lacks the legs to be considered a true "all around" cartridge. Even the revered Mr. Wagner takes a 270 when sheep hunting and leaves his 366 at home. Our laws for Bison rule out any calibers below 30, and all case size below '06.........so 30-06 is bare minimum for a Yukon all around rifle. My preferences run from a 300 magnum to the 340 Wby as a true all around rifle and cartridge for all Yukon species at the ranges they may be encountered..........Nothing wrong with the 358 Norma suggestion or the 375s, just not required for our critters, really.

RJ, just to clarify, the 416, was not a joint Taylor/Chatfield venture...........it was exclusively Mr. Taylors baby and hence is named .416 Taylor. The .375 on the same case was a joint venture and hence is called the 375 CT..........

Oh and just as an aside, the Sports Lodge under it's current management is absolutely empty.........no powders for more than 2 years now, no bullets, no brass, unless you shoot a swift, no primers for years, very spotty stock of factory ammo.......Yukon is in the worst shape for a gunshop that it has been in for more than 35 years that I know of. At one point we had 4 well stocked gunshops..........now we have none.
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Huh, I can't decided if you're dissing the 9.3X62 or, heaven forbid, praising the the .270!:p

I'll challenge your assertion that the .366 Wagner lacks the legs to be an all around contender. A 250 gr .366 bullet can emerge from a 25" barrel at better than 2700 fps ( my rifle, my load, my chronograph) and if a reasonably pointy example can be found, a shot out to a quarter mile or so might be attempted, within the the limitations of mechanical accuracy and marksmanship. It won't be the flattest shooting cartridge around, but it shoots flat enough. The .270 as you point out, shoots flat, but legally doesn't make it as a slayer of buffalo, which the all around Yukon rifle must be. The .366 Wagner is within a small group of cartridges that might be termed mild mediums, while having sufficient terminal performance for the largest game, and with the external ballistics necessary for the occasional long shot, provided a suitable bullet is chosen; but so it goes with any cartridge.
 
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It's his (c-fbmi) area and he sounds like a guy who knows his shyt.
After reading his post I'd probably take my stainless Ruger bolt action model 77 (with CRF by the way) in 300 Winchester.
The ammo is available in most stores.
 
conor_90 said:
I might be going to work in the Yukon next spring, not really sure of the area. Is 375 ruger available in Whitehorse? Most places I've been in the north have a pretty limited selection. I don't even live that far north/remote and here it's all 270, 30-30, 30-06. 300 wsm I see sometimes, but I am not a huge fan of the caliber don't know if this means I would dislike the 375 as I have never shot it.
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dont expect anything from the local store as Doug said ...
 
9.3mauser said:
Unless I misunderstood the concept, ( ultimate Yukon rifle ) the OP isn't just looking for a bear defence gun, but an all-round workhorse rifle that's better suited for bear defence than a .30-06. To me that suggest some form of .300 magnum (Norma, H&H, Win.) a .388 (or .340) or a 9.3x62. Mauser action for preference.
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you read it correctly.
 
Boomer said:
Huh, I can't decided if you're dissing the 9.3X62 or, heaven forbid, praising the the .270!:p

I'll challenge your assertion that the .366 Wagner lacks the legs to be an all around contender. A 250 gr .366 bullet can emerge from a 25" barrel at better than 2700 fps ( my rifle, my load, my chronograph) and if a reasonably pointy example can be found, a shot out to a quarter mile or so might be attempted, within the the limitations of mechanical accuracy and marksmanship. It won't be the flattest shooting cartridge around, but it shoots flat enough. The .270 as you point out, shoots flat, but legally doesn't make it as a slayer of buffalo, which the all around Yukon rifle must be. The .366 Wagner is within a small group of cartridges that might be termed mild mediums, while having sufficient terminal performance for the largest game, and with the external ballistics necessary for the occasional long shot, provided a suitable bullet is chosen; but so it goes with any cartridge.
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Boomer; I'm neither ditching the 366 Wagner nor am I praising the 270 (God forbid), and while many cartridges could fall into the "all around" Yukon gun/cartridge combo I feel there are better ones than the 9.3X62, having said that a very good friend and hunting partner used a 35 Whelen for everything in the Yukon for several years and did not find it lacking much at all. He did finally go to a 7mm Mag for sheep and goats though, as he did find the Whelen came up a tad short in this instance, where shots can stretch out there.
Let's face it though, the 300 mags up to the 340 have few peers as all around rifles anywhere any time. They just do everything very well, close up and way out, hard to beat the energy and trajectory and relatively mild recoil for the external and terminal ballistics given from a 300 mag. The 340 is just more of a good thing, however not every one has the recoil insensitivity to handle a 340 and for those the 300s are the answer, for those who CAN handle a 340, it is without peers in the "one cartridge does everything" category. It is the killingest long and short range cartridge I have ever cut loose on game, it makes long range hits exceptionally easy, and with over 2 1/2 tons of energy close up it absolutely smashes big animals that may be too close. It also has the bullet selection to rival even the 30 cals with bullets from 180 gns to 300 grns. I would use the 340 with confidence on any game in the world including elephant with a 300 gn solid............but I digress.......as a Yukon "all around rifle/cartridge" it is certainly one of the very best.
PS......my current one is a rechambered Mod 70 Super Grade..........absolutely gorgeous rifle and it loves 225 ABs.

It's the one in the back with the 3-9 Zeiss Diavari on it.

 
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dont expect anything from the local store as Doug said ...
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Sucks to hear that, thanks for the replies guys.

c-fbmi just to clarify this shotgun was bought for and carried in northern vancouver island and the broughton archipelago, it has nothing to do with "the perfect yukon rifle" which I am starting to think may be a 30-06 for me at least. I only mentioned it to counter the notion that I should buy a guide gun for the scary bears before I go to the Yukon.
 
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