Guns for the Alaskan Bush Dwellers

Am Shooting Journal ^ | 7/17/2019 | J Dickson

[w1n1]

From Plinking for the Pot to tending the Trapline to Protecting against Cabin Raiders – Four & Two Footed Alike – Here’s the Arsenal One Man Recommends
This article is for those who live in the bush. Those who go on a guided hunt may find other guns satisfactory for their purposes, but a bush dweller's life may depend on his guns being called on to meet every contingency, not just those of a guided hunt. Most bush dwellers have only a few guns and since these must both provide food and protection, this is no place to scrimp on quality. Having lived there, here are my observations on the subject.

The people living deep in the back country face threats the same as those in the city, only a bit different. Wolf and bear attacks have been increasing in recent years and wolves come in packs, dictating a semiauto for defense. No matter how deep into the wilderness you go, you still may run into people. Some of them are nice and some are not. Some treat any cabin and its contents as abandoned, even if there is a fire still going in the barrel stove. Be forewarned and be prepared.

A GOOD .22 RIFLE is a basic necessity for small game and practice. No practice, no hit anything. The old Browning semiauto .22 has the longest trouble-free life by far. That made it the mainstay of shooting galleries in years gone by. A somewhat cheaper alternative is the Ruger 10/22 semiauto, which has earned a wide following.

Rifles need to be able to handle moose and bear. The best one currently available is the semiauto version of the German G3 rifle. This was also Norway’s standard 7.62 NATO rifle, so you know that it will work in any part of Alaska at any time of the year.
The G3 has proven more reliable than any other gun in widespread use. Even Russia’s vaunted AK-47 pales in reliability comparison to the G3. New guns built on the machinery Portugal used to build the gun under license from H&K in Germany are available from PTR-91. Guns built on military surplus parts kits are available from Century Arms at about half the price. The ones made in Spain are called CETME and they were the first ones. Designed by German engineers after World War II, the CETME was adopted by Germany as the G3. These guns work perfectly with all 7.62 NATO and .308 loads, including the heavy bullet ones.

People often want to know what is the best survival rifle to carry in their bush plane. The answer may surprise you. It is the M1 carbine. Its cartridge is basically a high-velocity .32-20 load and it kills small game cleanly without ruining the meat. It has also killed very many deer and bear, even though it is universally considered not to be the best caliber for that. Some people say they would not want to face a charging grizzly with one. Well, the grizzly’s brain is located on the centerline of the skull about halfway between the eyes and the ears when his head is down, and you have plenty of shots at it, for the carbine is almost as fast-firing as a .22. Read the rest of guns for Alaskan bush.

[wastoute]

Ever hear the joke about the “bear bells” they recommended hikers wear?

[mylife]

Oh yeah.

[Charles Martel]

I will never understand why the 25 rd mags are so huge and long, the 10 rd box is small compact and dependable.

Well, because the original magazine is a rotary design so it fits flush, while any larger capacity versions have to be a curved inline style. Yes, that spring-loaded rotary feed magazine was one of Bill Ruger's better ideas. Like a small version of the one that was used in the Savage 99.

[mylife]

The good news is bears generally give you a wide berth.

The bad news is dumb people often encroach on bears.

[gundog]

We just have black bear around here, for now. You can stumble right into them, but they usually light out for distance from people. Unless they expect to be fed.

[SJSAMPLE]

It’s downright CHEAP compared to some bolt-actions like the CZs.

[SJSAMPLE]

I like this. It’s a solid combination and useful for both game and dangerous game.

[Charles Martel]

Rifles need to be able to handle moose and bear. The best one currently available is the semiauto version of the German G3 rifle.

Uhh, what?

Nothing against the CETME/HK pattern rifles, but that wouldn't be my first choice for moose or bear. .308 is a bit on the light side for dangerous game. I'd prefer something like a Browning BLR in .300 Win Mag at minimum. I think they even make a take-down model.

[gundog]

Any time you pull the trigger in grizzly country, you invite unwanted attention. I’d hate to have to carrry three guns, but a .22 revolver loaded with CBs might be the ticket for small game like ptarmigan, without the big noise.

[Rappini]

Those folks are amazing to watch.

[jimtorr]

While not a first choice, 45 ACP is just fine at 100 yards when fired from a rifle. It’s never going to drive nails, but I can shoot accurate enough to do the job at that range.

[Professional]

Folks, if I wanted to buy the most reliable, easy to use, powerful enough pistol ever made, what would I buy? And about how much would I be spending?

[allwrong57]

100 yd 45 ACP ain’t happening? You need some education!

[CommerceComet]

100 yd 45 ACP ain’t happening? You need some education!

If he can actually pull that off, then we need to learn from him.

[nvcdl]

Dubious gun recomendations - a 1911 and .30 carbine might work but are hardly the best firearms against brown bears.

[mylife]

perhaps in a carbine.

[elteemike]

I have several 10/22s and they’re great, but I agree about pricey...Lots and lots of after market accessories for the 10/22 though...Volquartsen, etc...

Watched a review by “Sootch” on YouTube of Rossi’s latest SR22 .22LR offering...Not a recommendation, but it looks to have a number of nice features at a budget price...Poly stock, matte black finish, and very light at around 4#, etc...May be a decent lower priced alternative for the budget minded in need of a small game harvester...

Will be looking at it for the grandson’s birthday...

[Clutch Martin]

I like tube fed .22 semiautomatic Marlin rifles. Growing up I had a tube fed Western Auto Revelation bolt. But have found the semi is reliable and 2nd shots are quick. The only advantage that the bolt offered was it could shoot Shorts, Longs and LR ammo. I haven’t seen shorts or Long’s, in quite a while but I can’t imagine why it’s still not manufactured unless it’s demand for LR only.

I’ve had .22 pistols but nowadays I pretty much consider them next to useless. But a .22 rifle does come in handy occasionally.

[Moltke]

This article is for those who live in the bush.

...and don't have internet access. Duh!

[Paal Gulli]

"Dubious gun recomendations - a 1911 and .30 carbine might work but are hardly the best firearms against brown bears."

It's pretty clear from the text that he's recommending the .30 as a game rifle.

Jim Cirillo said that a .30 M1 carbine shooting hollowpoints was the closest thing he had ever seen to a perfect 1-shot stopper for the 2-legged varmints.