What cartridge for Alaska and western big game?

[AkMtnRunner]

Your Tikka will work for 95% of hunting scenarios.

And for the other 5% get closer or wait for a better shot.

 

[AcesHigh]

Also, call a few alaskan shops and ask what ammo is on the shelf. That’ll help ya figure it out. I found a caliber that did all. I then shot the rifle until I was confident. Not the otherway around. Served me well. To each there own. If you end up living in alaska, montana, northern Id. Thats how it is. Its how you adapt. You’re not a once or twice a year traveler with tags. You are living here. It’s a

And for the other 5% get closer or wait for

Nope.

Choose the correct bullet ie 147 ELDM.

Invest in your delivery system (scope, rings, stock, suppressor) and in becoming a field expedient rifleman.

By the way. There are NO, PNW gators.

 

[z987k]

You are focused on where you are now. focus on where you will be. Best of luck. I live in bear country. Bring the biggest rifle you can hit with. Bears on the charge don’t die by lil bore sec density science. I’m not being a smart a*s. Its truth without marketing involved.

Bears don't drop instantly from anything unless it's a CNS shot. Bore size is irrelevant to that. Even SD doesn't matter much if you just want penetration. Bullet construction matters more. Get a non-expanding copper or hard cast.

There's nothing in Alaska that he can't kill and has been killed with his 6.5.
There's no difference to a bear with a 6.5 to the CNS or a 375. Outcome is identical.

Also, call a few alaskan shops and ask what ammo is on the shelf. That’ll help ya figure it out. I found a caliber that did all. I then shot the rifle until I was confident. Not the otherway around. Served me well. To each there own. If you end up living in alaska, montana, northern Id. Thats how it is. Its how you adapt. You’re not a once or twice a year traveler with tags. You are living here. It’s a different mindset.

30-06, 308 and 6.5cm are by far the most common and it's not even close to anything else. 6.5CM probably has the most loadings of anything.

 

[AcesHigh]

This moose was harvested with a 6.5cm at 250ish yds. You will be

Bears don't drop instantly from anything unless it's a CNS shot. Bore size is irrelevant to that. Even SD doesn't matter much if you just want penetration. Bullet construction matters more. Get a non-expanding copper or hard cast.

There's nothing in Alaska that he can't kill and has been killed with his 6.5.
There's no difference to a bear with a 6.5 to the CNS or a 375. Outcome is identical.


30-06, 308 and 6.5cm are by far the most common and it's not even close to anything else. 6.5CM probably has the most loadings of anything.

Son, drugs are bad.

 

[Thegman]

So a CNS shot?

Nope...

 

[AcesHigh]

 

[AcesHigh]

Son, drugs are bad.

Heavy bullets break heavy skulls. Charging bears moron. Tell me youKnow nothing.

 

[Thegman]

Your telling me, you had a bang flop on a moose with a .223. It wasn’t a cns shot? So please tell me the magic spirit bullet. Because its filled with more blood than a truck. so how did it bleed out instantly?

I'm really not in the market of convincing you of anything...but here you go.

Post in thread '.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.' https://rokslide.com/forums/threads...n-goat-deer-elk-and-moose.130488/post-3792948

 

[Castle Rock]

Heavy bullets break heavy skulls. Charging bears moron. Tell me youKnow nothing.

We have got a live one here

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Heavy bullets break heavy skulls. Charging bears moron. Tell me youKnow nothing.

You have a lot of reading and learning to do. Enjoy it.

 

[Thegman]

Heavy bullets break heavy skulls. Charging bears moron. Tell me youKnow nothing.

Well, he wasn't "charging" so maybe I just got lucky, like the moose, and the other bears, and.... I should probably change my screen name to "Lucky"....

Post in thread '.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.' https://rokslide.com/forums/threads...n-goat-deer-elk-and-moose.130488/post-3656117

 

[AcesHigh]

I'm really not in the market of convincing you of anything...but here you go.

Post in thread '.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.' https://rokslide.com/forums/threads...n-goat-deer-elk-and-moose.130488/post-3792948

I dont see a bang flop. There isn't

 

[AcesHigh]

Well, he wasn't "charging" so maybe I just got lucky, like the moose, and the other bears, and.... I should probably change my screen name to "Lucky"....

Post in thread '.223 for bear, mountain goat, deer, elk, and moose.' https://rokslide.com/forums/threads...n-goat-deer-elk-and-moose.130488/post-3656117

Do you live here?

 

[Thegman]

Do you live here?

Do I live where? On Rokslide? No, but I do visit.

 

[Castle Rock]

Heavy bullets break heavy skulls. Charging bears moron. Tell me youKnow nothing.

How many charging bears have you shot, and what did you use?

 

[TreeDog]

You know how to become less recoil sensitive? Lift weights, and shoot a lot. I did.

 

[TreeDog]

I am looking for a cartridge to hunt big game out west and in Alaska. The largest game I hunt now are whitetail deer. I use a suppressed Tikka T3x in 6.5CM at ranges of 70-300 yards.

I am moving out west and want to go after elk, black bear, pronghorn, mountain goat, and other things. Later I plan to go to Alaska to hunt caribou and moose. I still don't expect to take shots at more than 500 yards. The 6.5CM should be enough for pronghorn but I think I need a more powerful cartridge for the rest.

I don't hand load. I don't put together custom rifles. And I am very adverse to recoil. So I am not even considering the 7PRC, or 300 Win Mag, or anything that kicks similarly hard. I cannot shoot those effectively. I am currently looking at the 6.8 Western, 7mm-08, or the 308. Which of those would be best for an off the shelf mountain rifle and ammunition? Whatever I go with will have my 8" suppressor on it. Are there other cartridges I should consider?

Your 6.5 is perfectly fine. I use the same rifle here in MT and would take it to AK without a second thought. Pick a good bullet and go hunt.

 

[BigNate]

Heavy bullets break heavy skulls. Charging bears moron. Tell me youKnow nothing.

So please tell us about your bear charges.
When, where, firearm and ammo used. Please also include the incident report number. You did report your incidents right?
I'm sure everyone will gain something from your experience.

 

[KHntr]

I dont see a bang flop. There isn't

Too funny.

I’ve bang flopped two bull moose with a 223.

Not to mention a bunch of other stuff.

AND, I live in grizzly country.

Pretty decent oat fed November blackie, that I bang flopped.

I could easily hunt NA with a 6.5 Creedmoor and 140/147 ELD m’s. Bullets matter more than head stamps.

 

[AntelopeEater]

I've found that there are truly a LOT of factors that affect felt recoil besides the cartridge used.

I have a .375 Ruger Hawkeye Guide Gun that is actually pleasant to shoot with the way the stock fits me, and the thick rubber recoil pad and muzzle brake the gun came with.

I've got a .243 Winchester Tikka T3x Superlite with lightweight rings and a lightweight scope, and it actually jerks pretty sharply with recoil, and makes it impossible to spot my own shots, and gets fatiguing to try to target shoot much with.

I know a lot of posters here on Rockslide love the idea of using .223 for almost anything, and otherwise favoring small calibers with low recoil.

But while its certainly possible to make those work, I bet you could find a big bore rifle that fits you well, has a good recoil pad and a good muzzle device, that you could enjoy shooting.

I personally prefer erring on the side of being "over-gunned" rather than risk being "under-gunned".