Build a rifle for sheep or bears?

[Oi.223]

First, all 3 calibers you listed are very good. The 300WSM is overkill on sheep and deer. The same is true for 30-06. For a one gun battery the 300WSM is the ticket as it can be bought in a lighter rifle than the 30-06 depending on the manufacturer. That all being said, the 7-08 is your clear choice here. A true short action design which can be purchased in a wide variety of makes and models. Clearly it should be something to handle the Alaskan weather - synthetic and stainless. A wide variety of ammo, from premium to standard cup and core can be purchased. If you are a hand loader you can tailor make your ammo easily.
Personally I like Kimber Montanas and they appear to have tuned up their quality control. The Kimber comes out of the box at 5# 2 oz. and has many custom features for the near $1100 price tag. For a lower cost alternative don't overlook the Tikka T3 Lite ($625) and the upgrade model - the Sako A7 ($700-800). These last two weigh in at 6# 3 oz..

A 7-08 with the correct bullet and proper placement will handle everything in North America exclusive of Brown Bear. Think of it as a .280 on a diet. Keep us posted as to your decision.

 

[Phadeout]

Personally I like Kimber Montanas and they appear to have tuned up their quality control. The Kimber comes out of the box at 5# 2 oz. and has many custom features for the near $1100 price tag. For a lower cost alternative don't overlook the Tikka T3 Lite ($625) and the upgrade model - the Sako A7 ($700-800). These last two weigh in at 6# 3 oz..

If you like modding your rifles in anyway, go with the Tikka action. Love it. The A7 out of box might be better, depends on what you plan to do post purchase.

 

[Antonio m]

I , like you deal with Grizzlies all the time.
I get them around the farm frequently over the spring- fall. I carry a Browning BLR .270 win for my hunting, for recovery or strictly Grizzly patrols I have the identical in a .450 Marlin and for practice a .243.

 

[PNWGator]

Any update on this project?

 

[codyadams]

Sorry, I don't feel like reading 20 pages ha ha what did you end up doing?

A titanium action, carbon sporter stock around 20 oz, and the lightest contour 20 or 22" carbon barrel in .338 Norma (with a good brake) would be my ultra light bear country rifle choice. Won't be a 5 lb rifle, likely could be built around 7.5 or so, but a 250 or 300 grain bullet would be well worth the couple pounds in my opinion.

If that is still too much, then a .338 SS would be my only other choice.

Interested in the direction you took though, I'm at the tail end of 8.5-9 lb .338 Norma build, for the exact same reason (except high country mulies), and if they ever open the grizz season in Wyoming, I want to be ready if I draw the coveted tag ha ha

 

[skipglo]

So I go back and forth, I'm looking at hunting sheep in an area that is crawling with Grizzly, it's also an area that had a reputation as challenging to access, I have my gear list and I'm working in it and it's naturally ultra lite but then I come to the rifle!
I had a rifle planned out on paper that would be on the light side of stupid and probably chambered in a 6.5 SS, awesome on paper till I started thinking about the inevitable run in with bears, I don't like the idea of standing there with a 5 lb 6.5 with a bear deciding how badly my being there is offending him.
I have zero intention of putting my life on a can of bear spray, ya, we'll be packing it but really I'm putting a big hole in something if it comes to it, the last guy locally that got killed blew a whole can into the bear and he died and the bear had spray all over it when they killed it!!
Another guy I know of ran out of spray by the time he made it to the truck, he sprayed the bear, got thrashed, made it a ways and the bear kept coming back for more as he hiked out, he lived but was messed up!
So to the question, do I build an ultra lite sheep rifle and then carry a Ruger Alaskan in 454 OR build an 8-9 lb 300 of some kind and pack just that?

You can buy a Christensen carbon fiber 300 wm with muzzle brake weighing in at under 7 lbs ! I got mine on sale for 2 gs. Great shooting sub moa guarantee low recoil with factory brake. Dream to shoot....why build...

 

[jrdp74]

I ended up with the same build with the 338SS and with a Hawkins 3 port titanium break and recoil was surprisingly not bad. Still working on the load but very excited to see how it performs on game. Ti lone peak, 23in proof, manners t stock with scope 8lb even.

 

[gator378]

Sorry, I don't feel like reading 20 pages ha ha what did you end up doing?

A titanium action, carbon sporter stock around 20 oz, and the lightest contour 20 or 22" carbon barrel in .338 Norma (with a good brake) would be my ultra light bear country rifle choice. Won't be a 5 lb rifle, likely could be built around 7.5 or so, but a 250 or 300 grain bullet would be well worth the couple pounds in my opinion.

If that is still too much, then a .338 SS would be my only other choice.

Interested in the direction you took though, I'm at the tail end of 8.5-9 lb .338 Norma build, for the exact same reason (except high country mulies), and if they ever open the grizz season in Wyoming, I want to be ready if I draw the coveted tag ha ha

Big bears = big gun

 

[Marc Gauthier]

In the north people chased the polar bear to the British 303. These people said that precision was paramount and then caliber and power of the shot. The bear feels several miles away, they let him come and shoot while the bear moved forward. The weapons change, but the animal is the same.

 

[Don A Parsons]

Yuppers, lots of Polar Bears have fallen in front of the Brit 303,,, very popular rifle up here in the North as the ammo is frugal priced and easy to get...

 

[jackiedogg]

So I go back and forth, I'm looking at hunting sheep in an area that is crawling with Grizzly, it's also an area that had a reputation as challenging to access, I have my gear list and I'm working in it and it's naturally ultra lite but then I come to the rifle!
I had a rifle planned out on paper that would be on the light side of stupid and probably chambered in a 6.5 SS, awesome on paper till I started thinking about the inevitable run in with bears, I don't like the idea of standing there with a 5 lb 6.5 with a bear deciding how badly my being there is offending him.
I have zero intention of putting my life on a can of bear spray, ya, we'll be packing it but really I'm putting a big hole in something if it comes to it, the last guy locally that got killed blew a whole can into the bear and he died and the bear had spray all over it when they killed it!!
Another guy I know of ran out of spray by the time he made it to the truck, he sprayed the bear, got thrashed, made it a ways and the bear kept coming back for more as he hiked out, he lived but was messed up!
So to the question, do I build an ultra lite sheep rifle and then carry a Ruger Alaskan in 454 OR build an 8-9 lb 300 of some kind and pack just that?

I have some exposure to sheep hunting in Grizzly country. Without going into all my experiences and encounter with bears.Sheep hunting is difficult enough carrying a mountain rifle. I use a 300wsm custom rifle for sheep. But in bear country, 300 rum with two different bullets 180 for the long range shot on sheep. 250 partition or higher for the grizzly. The pepper spray is nice, however when a charging bear is coming after me. I shoot to protect me and my guide. Shoot to kill. I do not want to second guess my safety. That has happened only once with grizzly. Twice with wolves. One other thing stainless synthetic the only way to go. Good luck on your hunt.

 

[RH300UM]

I have some exposure to sheep hunting in Grizzly country. Without going into all my experiences and encounter with bears.Sheep hunting is difficult enough carrying a mountain rifle. I use a 300wsm custom rifle for sheep. But in bear country, 300 rum with two different bullets 180 for the long range shot on sheep. 250 partition or higher for the grizzly. The pepper spray is nice, however when a charging bear is coming after me. I shoot to protect me and my guide. Shoot to kill. I do not want to second guess my safety. That has happened only once with grizzly. Twice with wolves. One other thing stainless synthetic the only way to go. Good luck on your hunt.

Nosler makes a 250 grain .30 cal bullet?

 

[bigngreen]

This is a long term build for me, I'm slow to gather parts because I buy exactly what I want or not at all, got several builds on my burner so, don't need this rifle till next year, this year we have no tags so just scouting and backcountry deer which I'll just slog my bigger gun in.

 

[floyd kittrell]

Nosler makes a 250 grain .30 cal bullet?

probably a typo 220 gr is largest I am aware of