Gun Models and Calibres for Artic Conditions

SHELL SHUCKER said:
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.
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I wasn't aware anyone was talking about wasting meat, I certainly wasn't.......I was speaking of the different techniques used for sustenance hunting as opposed to sport hunting in arctic and sub arctic environments..........I'm not sure what you are talking about, this thread is about appropriate firearms and calibers for hunting in arctic conditions..........no one was talking about wasting ammunition or meat..................except you, of course............
 
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Well C-fbmi, those of us that have actually been there and had a big bear nearby seem to agree on a .338 WM or something similar. Lol, nothing like a grizzly or Kodiak bear eyeing you up to make your 30-30 or .303 feel small! :) I'm also a big fan now of the Barnes TSX/TTSX bullets, they plow right through bone and keep going, retaining their mass inside the animal. They make any rifle caliber more effective with their greater penetration, but I'd rather have a .338WM that shoots like a .340 Weatherby than a .308 that shoots like a .300wsm, when there's big bears around.
 
medvedqc said:
Pisces-guy,

while i may be wrong i dont think Doug recommended a 308 for that task .... lol

what is your definition of a big bear?
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Medvedqc, if Doug is c-fmbi, I was agreeing with his post on the last page about a .300WM or .338WM being a better option for up north than the 30-30 or .308 that some people were suggesting. I posted that I like a .338 as well, and prefer it loaded with Barnes bullets as well... Lol, I don't know about you, but a full grown Kodiak/grizzly/polar bear qualifies as a "big bear" in my book. The little blackies we have down here in southern BC are just a nuisance that can mess up your campsite... :)
 
pisces-guy said:
Medvedqc, if Doug is c-fmbi, I was agreeing with his post on the last page about a .300WM or .338WM being a better option for up north than the 30-30 or .308 that some people were suggesting. I posted that I like a .338 as well, and prefer it loaded with Barnes bullets as well... Lol, I don't know about you, but a full grown Kodiak/grizzly/polar bear qualifies as a "big bear" in my book. The little blackies we have down here in southern BC are just a nuisance that can mess up your campsite... :)
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i was lost with your smilies and lol ... lol

i had a clue about nice grizzly sized one but as wondering about a big bear lol ....

seems we all agree at the end ...
 
It may only be MY opinion, but there is no such thing as overgunned or "too dead"..........unless the term "too dead" is being applied to me.............I have shot 12 lb duiker with a 300 Wby, and it worked excellent, they went dead, instantly. I have shot 30 lb duiker with 375 H&H worked equally as well...........what can I say. When hunting an area known to be inhabited by large bears I will always tend to err on the large size for my rifle, regardless of the game intended. I like my 300 Wby when sheep hunting, or my new super lite 300 WSM using 150 gn TTSX. Our mountain bears aren't huge but I might feel a little undergunned with my 257 Wby.
Were I sheep or goat hunting near the Alaskan or extreme northern B.C. coast, I think I may chose my 340 Wby over a 300 mag, those bears are absolutely terrifyingly big, I've seen a couple you could saddle up and ride with no chance of your stirrups dragging..........a full 15 hands at the hump for sure.
We had a 338 along Polar bear hunting for back up to my bow. The old boy I hunted with, when I asked him what he had for a back up rifle, said he used a 270. I informed him I would be going no where with him until he found a better caliber for back up, so he borrowed a friends 338 Sako fullstock, beautiful little gun.
I would much rather be accused of having too much gun, than to be caught using too little a gun..........the consequences of the first are much less dire than the potential consequences of the second. When specifically hunting bears I like to use a 35 cal and bigger, but have shot black bears with everything from a 243 and up.
 
Completely agree with you...I'll bet some of the southerners that have never seen anything but a blackie at a distance would change their tune if they ran into an adult grizzly or kodiak at close range! They'd be putting their 30-30s in their safes and shopping for .338s or .375s for their next hunting trip way up north!
 
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