I will most likely be moving to AK this December if we get orders as we anticipate so I find myself asking a lot of questions these days.
The bulk of my past experience is hunting in Maine (I'm hooked on moose hunting), and I understand that the Maine woods is tame in comparision to Alaska and the moose are bigger too.
It is evident to me that I need to get a more powerful rifle than my 444 Marlin or 308, so I am looking into a 338 Win Mag or a 338 Rem Ultra Mag. It seems that those are the most versatile cartridges for AK if you are going to use just one rifle. The 338 Win Mag is the MINIMUM that has been recommended to me for big Browns. The problem I am having is the 338 Win Mag ( in a Savage 116 FSAK) has a magazine capacity of 3, and the Ultra Mag has a capacity of 2 but a lot more power and range. So I would like to get some expert Alaskan opinions on that one. I plan on ALWAYS having my 500 S&W on me in the woods, but if a brownie can run upwards of 30mph (and get there quick), I don't know if there is much time to draw, aim, and shoot inside of 150 yards (after firing a rifle) if the bear decides to launch. I have been told to always prepare for an immediate follow-up shot, but I wonder if the added bullet weights, increased load choices ( I handload),and velocity of the Ultra Mag would make up for the extra round in the magazine in the Win Mag?
Could someone give me a hand deciding? If anyone has any other info feel free to tell me.
The bulk of my past experience is hunting in Maine (I'm hooked on moose hunting), and I understand that the Maine woods is tame in comparision to Alaska and the moose are bigger too.
It is evident to me that I need to get a more powerful rifle than my 444 Marlin or 308, so I am looking into a 338 Win Mag or a 338 Rem Ultra Mag. It seems that those are the most versatile cartridges for AK if you are going to use just one rifle. The 338 Win Mag is the MINIMUM that has been recommended to me for big Browns. The problem I am having is the 338 Win Mag ( in a Savage 116 FSAK) has a magazine capacity of 3, and the Ultra Mag has a capacity of 2 but a lot more power and range. So I would like to get some expert Alaskan opinions on that one. I plan on ALWAYS having my 500 S&W on me in the woods, but if a brownie can run upwards of 30mph (and get there quick), I don't know if there is much time to draw, aim, and shoot inside of 150 yards (after firing a rifle) if the bear decides to launch. I have been told to always prepare for an immediate follow-up shot, but I wonder if the added bullet weights, increased load choices ( I handload),and velocity of the Ultra Mag would make up for the extra round in the magazine in the Win Mag?
Could someone give me a hand deciding? If anyone has any other info feel free to tell me.