Rifle Comparison Sources

[Trent's Daddy]

Ok, I know this has been a contentious topic in this forum and with alaskan hunters in general. Not that I don't think the members' opinions aren't valid and credible on the topic of the best big game rifle for alaska but they are just opinions and the rifle that is best for you isn't necessarily best for the other guy. I am preparing to buy a new rifle soon for next years' hunt and am curious about where to find the best information about rifles. Not just information you find on a manufacturers website (their firearms are the best according to them) but pertinent info like accuracy out of the box, durability, warranty, size match with weight of shooter ect.. all within a certain price range. I listen to gun talk on sundays and read guns and ammo but it seems like the advice given isn't objective, just promotion of products that advertise with them and it is hard to find info about alaska . I have found a good way to get a first hand feel for a gun is to go to the range and maybe shoot someoene elses but even then you are limited to a small range of brands and calibers. So if anyone knows of any online resources where one could find such info it would be greatly appreciated.

 

[AlaskaCub]

What you are asking for does not exist. The shear question "what is the best rifle for Alaska?" will receive opinions no matter who is answering it. There is no technical data that will answer that question. The best rifle for Alaska is probably the same rifle that is the best rifle for wherever else you hunt. Just because I am curious I am not sure I understand what you are asking, and what rifles do you own now? Are you asking about actual manufacturers, designs (synth/stain, wood/blue), calibers, types of actions, guaranteed accuracy? Your statement that the best rifle for one person may not be the best for another is accurate but you usually know what you are looking for in design and caliber the rest is putting your paws on it and seing how it feels. Everything else is speculative or "opinion".

 

[svehunter]

I didnt really understand what you are looking for but,go for what you like the best!Go for a good caliber(30-06,300Wm,338Wm or 375H&H) and good premium bullets.As Allen said is all about your own opinion when it comes to gun shopping.As for Alaska i think a stainless rifle is better because of the weather...

Good hunting

 

[Longhunter7]

Good advice has been posted already. But you should ask yourself what type of hunting you do, ex. backpack, float, guided,atv,you get the picture? Is a light rifle what you want?As you will probly travel select a cal. for which ammo can easly be found.I hunt the salt marshes for ducks and geese and used to use a browning walnut bps 10 ga., until I fell in to one of the ditches there, now it's a plastic benelli for that place. Ive had my share of guns, auto;s,pumps bolts,single shots, and if i'm honest with myself there is not much I would miss if I settled on a plain Jane scoped bolt 30 06, and a 12 ga.pump! Everyone has an opnion as to stainless vs.wood, magnun vs. standard cal., light vs. heavy rifles, but one thing is common, (we keep dragin em out!! ) As i'm sure you have already herd a well placed,well construted bullet in the right place works wonders!! There is no such thing as killing an animal more than 1x's dead!! Make your choice, and enjoy God bless. Bill.

 

[GreginAlaska]

Oh without a doubt the best gun for you would be a Winchester Stainless Classic with BOSS in 338 WM.

Oh and i just happen to have one for sale. HA!

 

[svehunter]

Thats sounds like a good deal!Go for it!

 

[TomM]

Resources

Resources

There was a book out called "Bolt Action Rifles", by some gunsmith and Wayne Van Zwoll, sp??? It gave a pretty good descriptions of rifles, their actions, safety, options, etc
Some older books by O'Connor and Whelen are dated, but still apply and are very good source.

As far as accuracy goes, it is really hit or miss in my opinion. Some rifles are accurate out of the box, and some need a little work. If you want guaranteed accuracy, Sako rifles guarantee it and also certain Weatherby's.

My advice is to try, and then buy. Everyone is trying to sell you something you "need". Truth is though you wont know if you really like a rifle until you have owned it for several seasons, at least in my opinion.

 

[cold zero]

best gun/s

best gun/s

Oh without a doubt the best gun for you would be a Winchester Stainless Classic with BOSS in 338 WM.

Oh and i just happen to have one for sale. HA!

t.d.;

i would have to agree with greg on this one. you should buy his gun.

i have the same gun in .30-06 and it is great. greg's gun depending on who you talk to, either is now, or soon will be a collectors item. the same gun in .375 h.h. is also highly sought after for ak. use. there are guys right now who look all over the country for that gun in .375. i did find the cheap factory injection molded stock to be heavy at around 2.5 lbs. no factory gun is perfect. that gun with a replacement kevlar stock around 1 lb., that set up rocks.

the b.o.s.s. as an option was about $120. it was discontinued as too many guys did not want to go for the extra money for the combination muzzle brake and accuracy device. i can tell you that it is well worth the money, any decent muzzle brake by it self costs more than that. with the b.o.s.s. dialed in, good factory ammo that the gun likes and some bedding and trigger job, this should be a 1/2 m.o.a. gun.


they are not going to make anymore....

 

[Daveinthebush]

Chuck Hawks

Chuck Hawks

Chuck Hawks has a site that he writes a lot on all aspects of firearms. You might just want to read his opinions. But, to the best of my knowledge, he has never lived in Alaska or has the years of experience that the people on this web site do.

 

[Snyd]

If you are looking towards a light weight rifle I narrowed it down to the Kimber Montana and the Rem. Titanium. Unless you want to jump up to over 2 grand. I liked the feel of the rem but it only holds two in the mag. The Kimbers hold three and have a better action. Win. style, controlled round feed, 3 position safety, match grade action and barrel, kevlar composite stock, etc. They weigh about 6lbs for the wsm's. An 06 comes in at a lille over 5 I think. Have fun shopping!

 

[cold zero]

factory light weight guns

factory light weight guns

many of the light weight guns only hold 2 rounds in a blind magazine. this is one way that they lighten the gun up. many times the barrel is so thin that after the second or third shot the barrel is so hot, the next shot would be a flyer anyway. afte the first shot the barrel is already war, the second shot the barrle is hot, the third shot you can fry an egg on it...

i beleive the remington titanium in only available in .30-06 as the heaviest caliber? maybe somebody can chime in on that. another way that factories lighten up their light weight guns is by giving a 22" barrel . like in the case of the titanium 06. i have a friend that bought the titanium 06 when it first came out on my recomendation. it badly needed a trigger job and he needed to have a pad and a brake installed. after that work was done, the gun shot quite well and is a good calue for the money. hard to beat that for a factory gun price. another to look at would be the remington mountain rifle, but that is more money. if the titanium was available in magnum calibers, that would be great.

i beleive that weatherby also has a factory light weight gun for a reasonable price.

bottom line, i bought my custom light weight mtn. rifle before all these mass produced guns were available. now that they are , with a little gunsmith work a factory gun would be good to go for a lot less money. a much better value for your money than going full house custom. m.h.o.

 

[svehunter]

t.d.;

i would have to agree with greg on this one. you should buy his gun.

i have the same gun in .30-06 and it is great. greg's gun depending on who you talk to, either is now, or soon will be a collectors item. the same gun in .375 h.h. is also highly sought after for ak. use. there are guys right now who look all over the country for that gun in .375. i did find the cheap factory injection molded stock to be heavy at around 2.5 lbs. no factory gun is perfect. that gun with a replacement kevlar stock around 1 lb., that set up rocks.

the b.o.s.s. as an option was about $120. it was discontinued as too many guys did not want to go for the extra money for the combination muzzle brake and accuracy device. i can tell you that it is well worth the money, any decent muzzle brake by it self costs more than that. with the b.o.s.s. dialed in, good factory ammo that the gun likes and some bedding and trigger job, this should be a 1/2 m.o.a. gun.


they are not going to make anymore....

I have a winchester classic stainless in 375 H&H! Excellent firearm

 

[Snowwolfe]

There are many good rifles out there but after hunting here for 30 years I can tell you what I would not buy.
I would not purchase any Remington or similar rifle with an enclosed style of trigger which is subjected to freezing and problems caused by dirt and debris. After suffering trigger freeze up numerous times with my Rem 700's while on Kodiak I have gone to rifles with more open trigger designs such as the Win 70, Ruger 77 and Savage 110.
I love my Remingtons but not for use in Alaska. The trigger design does not allow water or dirt to fall away easy. Look how simple the design of the Win 70 trigger is compared to the Rem 700 when both are out of the stock.
This is not a post to bash Remingtons or like rifles. Just passing along my experiences.

 

[AlaskaCub]

If you want lightweight and a well built gun the Kimber Montana can be had in 300WSM and 325WSM. A little over 7 lbs scoped is pretty lightweight and yet a well built gun. I bought one recently after a lot of research on lightweight mountain guns. I have yet to shoot it , but its a rock solid little rifle. I am also a Tikka fan for lightweight rifles and the T3 Lites can be had in most magnum calibers (7mm, 30-06, 300WM,and 338WM.). I am not easy on rifles and the Tikkas do have some vulnerabilities in rough terrain(I am referring to some of the polymer components), but I wont get into that because I love them and think they are great guns.

 

[Trent's Daddy]

I own a ruger m77 in a 7mm rem mag. It is really the only rifle I have shot alot of and is also my first rifle. I bought it used for $375.00 2 years ago. Because of my inexperience dealing with rifles it is hard for me to copmare to other rifles. As far as I know it is a fairly good firearm for the money. I can shoot 1.5" groups at 100 yards ( If that is good or bad for this rifle I don't know). I would prefer something with a synthetic stock in a 300wm or possibly 338wm. I haven't had a chance to shoot the newer model markII but it seems like a viable option for me given the small pricetag. What other rifles are comparable to the ruger preferably under $900? Also, a lighter trigger would be nice.
Thanks

 

[GreginAlaska]

t.d.;

i would have to agree with greg on this one. you should buy his gun.

...

OK CZ is my new best freind!

Seriously it is a nice gun, I find it helpful that you can tune the barrel to the load instead of the other way around. I also like the fact you can remove the muzzle brake part and put on a blank so you don't muzzle blast your hunting buddies. Of course you can still get the BOSS on Browning rifles and they ain't bad.

It's a right hand rifle, I'm left handed so I want to go with a left hand rifle now...been contemplating one of the WSM calibers but haven't made up my mind for sure.

 

[AlaskaCub]

You have so many options available to you that it wuld be hard to point you towards one. For not a lot of mone the Ruger M77 Mark II in stainless/synthetic is very viable option. They can shoot great when you find the ammo it likes, is made of a quality stainless steel that doesn't rust easily , has a controlled round feed action which is a plus, and dont break the bank. I am not fond of their new synthetic stocks but you could easily replace it. The triggers can be worked for about $45 it can be set at 3lb and crisp( I have had mine done). Then theres the left over Winchester Model 70's out there floating around which many like for many of the same reasons I desribed on th e Ruger. Your selection of possible calibers will also cover you for any critter in this state. I would go to a large gun shop or a Sportsmans Warehouse and handle all the S/S guns in the calibers you are interested in, cycle the bolts , shoulder them and one of them will decide for you. You can make just about any of the new rifles today shoot well, by experimenting with ammo at a range until you find the one the gun likes and it maybe the first one you try. Another good choice for not alot of money is the Weatherby Vanguards they guarantee 1.5" groups at a 100 yards and arent bad guns run about $550. If you have questions about a particular rifle ask here, theres lots of guys that probably already owned one and can give you the good and bad on it. Good luck in your quest, to me theres nothing more exciting than buying a new gun!

 

[GabeAK]

How much are you selling your 338 for and does it have the walnut stock?