Need advice on caliber for Moose and bear in Alaska.

[joshua99ta]

I'm looking to pick up a new rifle for a hunt scheduled at the end of august.

Im considering 338 RUM, 375RUM, 375 H&H, and 416 Rigby....

I want a larger bore rifle as long as it'll shoot pretty good to 300 yards I'm fine with it.

[sp6x6]

I would favor a large 338 type for the 300 yard you mention or much further after that hunt. The RUM, edge , lapua etc.They will Knock down what you are looking for, can run 300 gr. for ko or long range,many bullets avaliable and a future long range rig

[J E Custom]

Originally Posted by joshua99ta

I'm looking to pick up a new rifle for a hunt scheduled at the end of august.

Im considering 338 RUM, 375RUM, 375 H&H, and 416 Rigby....

I want a larger bore rifle as long as it'll shoot pretty good to 300 yards I'm fine with it.

All of the above.

I like the bigger bores just in case you run into a nasty tempered bear and for the knockdown But
any of those will do on moose.

Recovery is sometimes easier with the big bores because you can pick the place you would like
to process a large animal. Most animals will run into the water after being hit and retrieving
them can be a chore and processing can be worse. (Hard to drag a moose out of the water).

J E CUSTOM

[ken snyder]

Can you ask your guide what they would prefer you to show up with. If its not a guided hunt and you are not sure as to what to take you need to find out. unless a person has big bore experience the .416 is definately harder to shoot consistantly. .338 and .375 both top out at about 300gr. bullets. The Super .338 magnums produce more recoil than the standard .375 magnums. I don't personally see the .338 as being a dangerous game cartrigdge, While the .375 is reguarded as adequate in most circumstances. It would be highly beneficial to get information directly from those that hunt that exact area, not regional favorties.

[Outlaw6.0]

Ken, I like your answer & would like to add to it...

To the OP, what are YOUR capabilites? Can YOU handle a big bore? A solid hit with a 338 win is WAY more effective than a close miss with a 378 WBY. I would personally Max out with my .375 Ruger, I still like my .458 Lott but am willing to admit it beats the snot outta me & i'm not used to it.

Granted, your shots will have a limited range, (extremely limited if mama griz takes an interest in your quickly departing backside).

If you can handle a big bore, by all means roll with it, but if you can't (reliably) don't be afraid to step down a few notches.

[300grains]

I use 375 H&H and am very satisfied. Used for hunting many different bullets. The ones in use now are Accubond 260 grains and Norma Oryx 300 grains.
I have used non bonded for many years from Sierra, Hornady and Speer. Can´t tell much if any difference between them, but somehow feels more secure when using bonded. Maybe just brain trolls. All bullets give clean kills.

[phorwath]

Any of those four should be good out to 300 yards. The .338s will kill bears and moose cleanly with a decent bullet and good hits. I've only shot a couple moose and bear with a .375 Weatherby (like a 375 H&H Improved). Not sure I could tell any difference between it and the 338 Win Mag or 338 Imperial or 338 Edge.

If you're sensitive to recoil or you might use the rifle at longer distances in the future, the 338 might be the better choice. The heavier the bullet, the greater the recoil. The 338 bullets will have a little better Ballistic Coefficient for equal weight bullets. I've lived and hunted Alaska for the past 33 years, and I've ended up using 338 caliber cartridges for many moose and several brown bear. So I guess I favor the 338 caliber cartridges. But I've been known to take some pretty long shots over the years.

Again, if your range is limited to 300 yards or less, the 375 and the 416 should work every bit as well as the 338s - provided you can shoot them equally well.