Going Hunting in the Yukon...

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Rosie6781

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In September, I leave for a moose hunting trip in the Yukon; North of Whitehorse.

Although I have a .300 win mag with AICS, I purchased a .338 Lapua with FTE muzzle break (shoots like a .308 now) for long range shooting. Out of these two rifles, what would you recommend to bring? .300 or .338 lapua?

If any of you have been hunting in the Yukon, do you have any other tips? How cold does it get at night, etc????
 
I reccommend you take the one that is easier to carry. If that's the new one, good thing you have all summer to get familiar with it.

As to how cold it gets at night, that depends on the weather. You can look up statistics on-line which will be much more useful than a few anecdotes from a few Gunnutz, and check the long range forecast just before you go. Prepare for the worst.
 
The 300 mag will be great for that hunt,it would be a very rare situation where you would need to shoot over 300yds up here for a moose. The 300 with a good 180gr-200gr will be perfect.What area are you hunting? horse back or River trip? During the rut at the end of sept you can expect -10 at night in the hills and river vallies, every once in a while it can get very very cold.
 
It will be a river trip, then quite a bit of hiking after that as I am told. Both rifles are over 10 lbs; but the .338 lapua is 1 lb less and less recoil...do you think it's over kill?
 
Rosie6781 said:
It will be a river trip, then quite a bit of hiking after that as I am told. Both rifles are over 10 lbs; but the .338 lapua is 1 lb less and less recoil...do you think it's over kill?
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Big, BIG joke!
Worrying about a pound or two on rifle weights, then heading back for, "quite a bit of hiking," to get 600 to 700 pounds of moose meat to be carried out!!!!!!
 
StevieK said:
A 300 WM that weighs 11 lbs???? What setup do you have?
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He said it has an AICS, which are heavy heavy stocks! Plus it probably has a heavy contour barrel.

Neither one is ideal for a hunt where you plan on doing any sort of walking. The muzzle break on the .338 will not be popular with the guide or other hunters in your group.

I'd buy the right tool for the job and pick yourself a sporter weight rifle. If you like your 300 WM why not pick up another one, just in a lighter rifle!
 
H4831 said:
Big, BIG joke!
Worrying about a pound or two on rifle weights, then heading back for, "quite a bit of hiking," to get 600 to 700 pounds of moose meat to be carried out!!!!!!
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But meat you carry on your back, and it's after the hunt. A rifle you carry on your shoulder and you need your energy to hunt! A heavy rifle sucks to carry all day. I wouldn't take either.
 
It didn't seem like he was worried about the extra weight,I think he was just stating it was heavier and had a tad more recoil.
 
If it's a guided hunt in the rut, there may be some hiking but I would think they will try and call a bull in as close to the river as possible
 
grit said:
If it's a guided hunt in the rut, there may be some hiking but I would think they will try and call a bull in as close to the river as possible
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I've never been on one so I don't know. I would assume so, because hauling a moose any distance would not be fun. My opinion is that even if that is the case a big old 300 WM in a ACIS chassis just seems unweildy for hunting. To each their own however, I know what gun I would take.
 
Rosie6781 said:
You've got it GRIT!

I proposed the new rifle deal to my wife, apparently she doesn't like that idea....
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Congrats on the trip, sure to be a great time! Ask your wife if she will go to help carry equipment. Maybe then the new rifle will be a good idea...:p

If you plan on doing more hunting in the future, its probably a good idea to get a hunting rifle.
 
I hunt rivers north of Whitehorse on most of my moose hunts.

I'm always ready to do lots of hiking etc, and shoot something way out to 500 yards...and most of the time end up shooting my moose from the boat at ranges of around 100 yards. I like it better this way actually - my last four moose all fell within 30 yards of where I could get the boat (two of them literally with feet in the water); can't get a better packing situation than that. Packing sucks, period. Avoid it.

Either of your rifles will do the job with power to spare. I've shot more Yukon moose with a rem 600 in .308 win than with all my other rifles combined.

Take whichever one you are the most confident and competent with and have a good time.

The cold? Personally I find that if there's not half an inch of ice in the coffee pot in the morning, you're out too soon in the season, although a lucky early season moose means a nice large liver. And it is cold on the water. Lots of us experienced river hunters literally wear our -40 sorels in the boat and have two piece winter snowsuits available at all times. Some light summer wear is okay to bring, but if you're wearing it you're most likely not seeing moose, as they don't move into the river valleys until its rutting season, at least not in any numbers.
 
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