Looking for options on mushroom picking and trapping /trail cutting Yukon gun.

383SB said:
A lot better than what 95% of the other people carry.
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Ageed. Pretty hard to argue the performance of the .44 mag for example using 300+ gr hardcast bombs pushed at 1500 fps. Inside 80 yds, ye'll not have to worry
about penetrating power on hefty critters when using boolits of proper design.

This JD Jones designed boolit has proven its' worth on cape buff & such, let alone the biggest bears.
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hunter89 said:
Have seen it in action but i have little personal experience with the 44 . My brother shot a big 60 inch moose with his marlin 1894 .44 a few years ago with a handload i had made up using 265 gr interlocks.At 100 yards the bullet went thought the shoulder on the close side and was stuck in the hide on the far side.I think if he had not hit the shoulder it would have easily passed right though the moose.I was happy we recovered bullet and the moose died with the 1 shot.When i listed i was thinking maybe .44 mag mostly because it will be carried lots and must be light and handy.I have a ruger alaskan as Gatehouse suggested but it's heavy and kinda bulky.love it for hunting but not bush work.I know all to well if it's not handy and becomes a pain i will just leave it in camp.
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It’s light, it’s handy (37”), it’s stainless, it’s reliable (crf, 3 pos safety) and a 308 will make a 44 look pretty silly. A chopped kimber Montana or an Adirondack is a smart pick. All mine have been very accurate and point like a magic wand. Put a 1.5-5 on it if you want more versatility for hunting.
 

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I’ve got a Rossi stainless 44 in a 16” package that i use as a workhorse/truck/quad gun. It’s perfect for that. It goes bang and makes holes but when it comes to preparing for a legitimate “situation” with a bear, I’d want a rifle with a stouter bullet with some speed. Standard stuff like 270, 3006, 7RM, 338 would all work. And I’d chop that thing into the lightest package I could make since this isn’t my sporting rifle but going to be my work/backup gun. I like slimbo’s thought there
 
I think your thought on the lever 44. Is the right path, good for everything you will run into, plus a better capacity than a bolt action. It is also great to feel really confident with a rifle and plinking practice will be much more doable with the 44, 45-70 is getting ugly expensive these days. Could even get one of those small (lee??) Hand loading kits for the cabin. You may consider topping it with a Aimpoint T1 type optic, friend put one on his 1895 45-70 and it works great!
2 points to back the 44 lever up.
#1 most folks I know that live/work way out in the bush in your country are using a lever gun or a scattergun for insurance if they don't have a carry permit (I only know 2 people who have got one. 1 geologist, 1 guide).
#2 the 44mag is probably the most common bear medicine in Alaska. Honestly never met anyone carrying a 454, 500 etc. Saw them in the stores but not on belts.

Happy shopping!
 
I have a Maverick 88, 20" security version. 5 lbs 14 oz on my scale. Seven 2 3/4" in the tube or six 3" and one 2 3/4" (you can almost get seven 3" in the tube, but not quite, a 2 3/4" will fit with six 3" though).

With how cheap they are you don't have to worry about beating it up. I would shoot a coat of krylon on the barrel for some extra rust protection.
 
SuperCub said:
What would that 95% be?
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Maybe a fishing rod, some might have a knife, maybe bear spray. Walking sticks. Most Everywhere in BC is home to grizzly, they are common here and firearms definitely aren’t the norm. Lots of folk out doing the regular stuff you’d do in New Brunswick too. Foresters, people Fishing, canoeing, berry picking, taking pictures, hiking all that type of stuff. I carry I firearm sometimes but lots don’t. If I’m carrying a rifle it might as well have some jam in my opinion. Not a fan of the pisto, caliber either.
 
Like you, I have many rifles to choose from, and some are definitely better bear stoppers than the .44 magnum. But what I actually chose to carry is a Rossi M92 Stainless 16" barrel .44 mag. I replaced the rear sight with a blank and replaced the bolt safety with a Steve's Guns peep sight. The peep is quicker to use and more rugged than the original open sights. It has a quick detachable sling. I carry it chamber empty. The magazine is loaded with 8 cartridges, handloads with the Hornady 265gr. bullet and maximum charge of W296. I know that if i was facing a grizzly I would prefer one of my .375H&h rifles, or my 9.3x62, my .45-70 Marlin Guide gun, or my .450-400 3" Nitro express double for that matter. But none of them are as handy, as light, as easy to slip into a pack or on my back. The Rossi goes with me almost always, all around our northern BC bush camp. I have used it to give me the courage to face down or scare away a few bears, but never had to kill one with it yet. I know it will be up to the task, and more to the point, it will be with me, because it is short, 5-1/2 lb. light, reliable, almost maintenance free, quick to use, and holds many cartridges. Compared to my Sako Kodiak .375 H&H it's not much of a bear rifle. But it will be with me, and in my hands in a flash if needed. Life's full of compromises. I recommend the Rossi .44.
Just for comparison, I also tried a Marlin 1894 stainless .44 mag, 20" barrel and still have a Marlin 1895 Guide gun 18.5" .45-70. The Guide gun is the only other gun I'd consider for this work, but for me the trimmer, lighter Rossi beat it for the final cut.
 
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I have a Rossi 92 in 45 Colt. It is a slick and reliable gun and with warm hand loads at short range it would be a fine choice. That said, I recently purchased a Marlin 1895 Black in 45-70 and love it to. With its 16 inch barrel, peep sites, and rail, your options are wide open for peeps, scout scope, regular scope or red dot. Around 7 lbs naked, it would be no problem to carry.
 
Sks. When a bears coming towards you. You’ll have 5 rounds of x39 on target before you’ve recovered from the recoil of a medium bore. It’s what I’ve been carrying in a similar situation as the op.
 
a 30-06 can be good and had worked but i do like my 375 ruger alaskan stainless very good open sights and any scope add on it. like a 9.3x62 too that i have but not as handy as the 375 ruger model i have.

for ATC try the CFO office when they will be open again some had ATC in the past but the qualification can be tricky and you need to practise a lot.
 
some trappers i know are using sks and type 81 (with 5 rounds mag) because they work in the cold. i know some guys working for the mining industry who are dropped off are using rem 870 and mossberg maverick 88.
 
Longwalker said:
Like you, I have many rifles to choose from, and some are definitely better bear stoppers than the .44 magnum. But what I actually chose to carry is a Rossi M92 Stainless 16" barrel .44 mag. I replaced the rear sight with a blank and replaced the bolt safety with a Steve's Guns peep sight. The peep is quicker to use and more rugged than the original open sights. It has a quick detachable sling. I carry it chamber empty. The magazine is loaded with 8 cartridges, handloads with the Hornady 265gr. bullet and maximum charge of W296. I know that if i was facing a grizzly I would prefer one of my .375H&h rifles, or my 9.3x62, my .45-70 Marlin Guide gun, or my .450-400 3" Nitro express double for that matter. But none of them are as handy, as light, as easy to slip into a pack or on my back. The Rossi goes with me almost always, all around our northern BC bush camp. I have used it to give me the courage to face down or scare away a few bears, but never had to kill one with it yet. I know it will be up to the task, and more to the point, it will be with me, because it is short, 5-1/2 lb. light, reliable, almost maintenance free, quick to use, and holds many cartridges. Compared to my Sako Kodiak .375 H&H it's not much of a bear rifle. But it will be with me, and in my hands in a flash if needed. Life's full of compromises. I recommend the Rossi .44.
Just for comparison, I also tried a Marlin 1894 stainless .44 mag, 20" barrel and still have a Marlin 1895 Guide gun 18.5" .45-70. The Guide gun is the only other gun I'd consider for this work, but for me the trimmer, lighter Rossi beat it for the final cut.
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I know what you are saying i have lots of great hunting rifles that can kill anything i run into but a working gun has to be just that.There is no perfect gun for every encounter but lugging heavier guns when your there to work is a pain or more work if the gun's of value to you. I have a 375,45-75, not stainless 350 rem mag ,30-06 rem ti,and on and on but i don't really want to use them for work guns .I don't really want to use my best hunting rifles to bang against pack frames for weeks on end and get left in the boat over night.Not that i don't want to use my gun's but i spent up to 150-200 days a year out there and never had to shoot a bear.Yes i have shot bears and had close calls but not really that often do you have no other choice,and if you don't i would bet you could not get that gun up and make the great shot to kill the beast before it bites your feet.The closest calls i have had i don't think any gun could have saved me in killing the bear before it at least knocked me down.I just wonder if i got a gun that was just a working gun could i accept beating it up and not being upset.I would like to try. I think handy and light,over best bear killing power is more real world for me.There is a big difference in packing a gun for a walk or packing it everyday for a month.I don't mine packing any of my hunting rifles for their intended use's but with extra stuff and hunting not the over all goal most seem sorta out of place.Love all the option's and opinion's keep them coming.
 
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If you are going to be on a trapline for weeks or months in the middle of nowhere get a wilderness ATC and a Glock 40 in 10mm. or a wheelgun in .44mag. Wear it in a chest harness so it's accessible at all times.

With a handgun there are no worries about getting if off your pack and against shoulder or having it propped up against a tree while you work and then having to try and reach for it.

While it's true it very difficult to get an ATC it's not impossible and there are several people on this site who prospect, log or guide in remote places who really do have an ATC. You won't get one if you say it's for day trips to go mushroom picking but you likely can for working a trap line.
 
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