Brooks Range Dall Sheep/ Grizzly Combo Rifle Selection

[BS Shooter]

I have a hunt coming up in the Brooks for Dall sheep and Grizzly. The question is rifle choice.... I want to be able to reach out and touch a sheep if need be but still want to have the horse power to put a grizzly down quickly. I would like to hear cartridge/ bullet combo recommendations along with a not to exceed weight. I know which rifle I want to carry and also which one I want to shoot, problem is they aren't the same rifle!
Thanks guys

 

[alexanderg23]

If I wanted to go far and fast a 28 nos would fit the bill. It’s my next next gun... I’d load or get someone to load me LRX or something like that.

 

[DoubleBroomedMountainRifles]

I have a hunt coming up in the Brooks for Dall sheep and Grizzly. The question is rifle choice.... I want to be able to reach out and touch a sheep if need be but still want to have the horse power to put a grizzly down quickly. I would like to hear cartridge/ bullet combo recommendations along with a not to exceed weight. I know which rifle I want to carry and also which one I want to shoot, problem is they aren't the same rifle!
Thanks guys

I personally Guide for Dalls, grizzly and caribou in the North Eastern Brooks Range. I also hunt personally every year as well. 40 days a year I avg in the Mtns during the 43 day sheep season.

I would 100 percent default to a lighter overall weight rifle than a heavy weight rifle shooting a hard kicking “flat shooting” rifle.

If I was on a grizzly hunt ONLY that changes my parameters. But a Dall/grizzlies combo.....6.5 Ceeedmore or better shooting Barnes/Parttions/Accubonds type bullets would be my minimum and would not feel ungergunned what so ever.

I’ve guided 44 successful Dall sheep hunts with 14 those of my own. 18 of those of those 44 successful have had grizzlies tags filled as well. A 300wm was the largest ever used! A 30/06/270/280 was the avg and the smallest was a 243. ALL were 1-3 shots with very little tracking involved.

The Brooks is a wide open country hunt. Your “field of fire” is large allowing follow up shots easily. Brush for these bears to get to is not like southern portions of AK. Not saying it’s not there but it is not the norm.

My personal favorite is a 270 shooting 129gr Barnes 129gr LRX and a close second a 7-08 ai shooting 145 gr Barnes LRX. ALL out of lightweight mid 6 pound rifles scope included.

The “far” shooting is out of the norm. Avg of the last 10 rams taken is under 250 yds. Bears 190 yards average.

 

[22lr]

I can't add much more than the above... For what it's worth I plan to carry my 30-06 for both this fall. My buddy is humping in his 300WM, but I already have my pre-64 M70 in 30-06 so I'm going to use that. I do plan to take a pair or three heavier bullets for use if I see a bear to go chase but I don't think you need anything fancy to go after both.

That said, I'm the first to admit I use hunting trips as a means to justify nicer gear... so if you want that nice new rifle in the latest and greatest flat shooting wonder round, do it. I stick to 30-06 for everything deer size and larger, but that's just me. I've always been an old guy at heart, and sometimes I just love the classics.

 

[wind gypsy]

Seems a lot of folks have a misconception that you need a boomer for griz. My outfitter didn’t have any reservations about me using a 6.5 SAUM.

 

[Jbehredt]

Montana in 308 for me. Had to ask the the outfitter if I needed more gun as I’d have to buy one, he said no.

 

[6mm Remington]

I shot my grizzly bear on the North side of the Brooks Range last fall using my 280AI and 140 gr. Nosler Accubonds. I waited until the bear was perfectly broadside at 158 yards and hit him in the lungs tight behind the shoulder. He spun 180 degrees into the shot and did two somersaults and was dead. He never moved again. I had asked my outfitter if I could use my 280AI before the adventure and he felt that it was fine.

Out of 4 successful hunters I was using the "smallest" cartridge for lack of a better term and I happened to have the quickest kill out of all of us. The 280AI would certainly reach out there for sheep too. It's just a great cartridge. If you have a 280 Remington, 280AI, or a 30-06 I think you would be in good hands.

Best of luck and I hope you enjoy your adventure. I hunted with Ovis Outfitters and they did an incredible job.

Alaska Grizzly Bear Hunt 2019

Story to follow.

www.rokslide.com

 

[AZ_Hunter_2000]

Last year on my Dall sheep/grizzly hunt I took a Tikka T3X in 300 Win Mag topped with a Leopold VX6HD (3-18x5). It shoots 190 Berger VLDs. Worked like a champ.

I do recommend carrying a relatively light rifle that you can shoot well. I cannot stress "shoot well" enough. Some of the other hunters in camp brought heavy rifles chambered in 338 Win Mag for "just in case" situations. They had issues with shooting both on paper @ 100 yards as well as at their target animal(s). Thankfully they never had to shoot under "just in case" situations.

Some great recommendations on calibers have been offered. I do like the 28s (ex: 280 AI or 28 Nosler) as well as some of the 6.5s (ex: SAUM, PRC, 6.5-300, 26 Nosler).

 

[NYRifleman]

Tagging in gents.

Sounds like a 160 Accubond from either a .280 Ackley (7lb Kimber Montana) or an 8lb 7mm Rem Mag (M-70) will fit the bill then?

I shoot the Rem Mag better (slightly) at distances of 200+ yds.

 

[Indyal]

I have a sheep hunt planned for this August. I had planned to take my 300wm which I have always shot well but it goes right at 10 lbs with scope. I opted to get a Kimber Mountain Ascent in 6.5 CM with Leupold scope. It is 6.75 lbs total and easily a sub MOA rifle from the bench. My 300wm ammo is twice as heavy as the 6.5 CM so that is another weight savings.

 

[BS Shooter]

Thanks for all the opinions and experiences! Keep them coming.

I had fully intended to take my 28 nosler shooting 195 EOL's. I have killed two black bears so far with it one at 80 yards and one at 512 yds. Both went less than 10 feet. My guide stressed that these aren't costal browns and that interior grizzly are built and die about the same as a black bear. He said there isn't much brush in the area we are hunting either. He always carries a 375 H&H in case things get western. With all that being said I messed up and put my 28 on the scale.... 10.5 lbs with the nightforce on it. That gave me a complex so I went out and picked up a custom 300 win mag that was supposed to be 7lbs without scope and rings. It arrived and i put it on the scale : 7.75 lbs. All dressed up with the VX5HD 3-15 that I put on it it is 9.25lbs. I have a 280AI forbes rifle that weighs 6.75 pounds scoped and I have killed several deer and one mountain goat with 150 Etips out of it. Two hang ups with the 280AI were 150 is too light for a grizz (sounds like that isn't the case) and it is harder to shoot at distance. It shoots great off the bench but in field positions I just have a harder time getting settled with the light rifles for long shots. Maybe I need to just get more comfortable with it but it gives me a complex at this point. Leaning hard on the 300 win mag right now. Its a little lighter than my 28 and I shoot it just as good. Also I spent a lot of $$ on it for the hunt so feel obligated to use it. My 280AI is a dream to carry but I would hate to pass on a 500 yd shot because I was worried about carrying 2.5 lbs more rifle. I'm going to have the 300 and the 280AI both ready to go and see what my confidence level is when it gets closer. The last dall sheep hunt I went on I carried a 8.5 lb rifle and it didn't seem bad at all but we only hunted two days.

 

[Kotaman]

On my sheep/bear combos, I've toted my Boswell .300 WSM weighing in at 6 lbs 10 oz. ready to hunt. Killed just about everything in NA with that rifle with the exception of Polar Bear.

 

[back country]

On my sheep/bear combos, I've toted my Boswell .300 WSM weighing in at 6 lbs 10 oz. ready to hunt. Killed just about everything in NA with that rifle with the exception of Polar Bear.

Just curious, what make/model of rifle is that, and what model/size scope?

Edit > sorry just re-read your post and noticed Boswell

 

[Kotaman]

Just curious, what make/model of rifle is that, and what model/size scope?

Edit > sorry just re-read your post and noticed Boswell

Yep...Boswell SLR Ti with a Swarovski Z6 2.5x15x44. Just ordered the matching rifle in 6.5 PRC last week!

 

[back country]

Yep...Boswell SLR Ti with a Swarovski Z6 2.5x15x44. Just ordered the matching rifle in 6.5 PRC last week!

Awesome thanks for the info! Much appreciated.

 

[ericF]

This last year my in-laws and I had 4 moose tags and 2 sheep tags. We all had fierce ct 300 win mags which came in at 8.8lbs with Swaro X5s shooting 180 gr Ttsx. I wouldn't want to go any heavier, but you need to take something that you are comfortable shooting with in uncomfortable positions. If you are shooting a bonded or monometal bullet, you should be fine with the 280.

 

[slvrslngr]

Take whatever gun you have the most confidence in. Btw, 30-06 with a 165 partition or accubond the right answer. Keep it under 8 lbs.

 

[idahohikker]

Take whatever you shoot best. And don’t forget a sunk cost is a sunk cost.

 

[Steve O]

On my sheep/bear combos, I've toted my Boswell .300 WSM weighing in at 6 lbs 10 oz. ready to hunt. Killed just about everything in NA with that rifle with the exception of Polar Bear.

So, my first sheep hunt was a combo affair in the Yukon. This was 2002. My rifle was a 10-11# .270. I had a chance at a big grizzly in less than ideal conditions and I ended up not being comfortable with the situation and passed what may be my only chance at a once in a lifetime animal.

When I got home I immediately built the lightest .270 Remington 700 Ti that I could, which ended up being 5lb 12 or 14 oz with a 3.5-10 Leupold as well as a 7lb 4oz Winchester M70 in .300WSM with the same scope.

Many mountain hunt since have told me anything up to 8# is good for my rifle and I lean towards the 8# more than the 6# now.

 

[C Bow]

I am going to the Brooks in August I am taking a Kimber Adirondack 308. Guide said it was plenty 5.9 lbs