So I've got a few rifles that basically do the same thing to one degree or another; .25-06, .270 Win and 7mm Rem Mag. Then I jump to the .340 Weatherby Mag and .375 H&H Mag with nothing in-between. Admittedly most of my hunting days are probably behind me, but living in Alaska I feel I really need to take advantage of it.

Hunting would be moose and caribou. Really thinking I need something in the in-between range shooting a heavier bullet of .30-06 or .35 Whelen. Then there's also the .300 Win Mag. The problem I have justifying the .300 is my 7mm does almost as much and the .340 does everything the .300 does only better.

So yes, another intellectual exercise trying to justify a new rifle...

I'm a big fan of the 300 Winchester Magnum, but if you feel it's too close to your 7mm, why not the 338 Winchester Mangum? It should be great for moose and bear.

338 Lapua? Seems like the next logical step, unless you want to go 408 CHEYTAC, or Barrett 416.

Tony.

Browning BAR in 30.06 is worth a look.

If you want another, in that range, I like the 300 WSM.

Your 7mm RM is more than adequate for moose and caribou. I like .30 cal. If you are jonesing for a new rifle I too would look at the .300wsm.

You could get an MDRx in 308 or 6.5 Creedmore with a 20" barrel and then also have access to the 5.56 conversion kit if you were so inclined in your lineup.

Model 1886 in 45/70. Great gun and great caliber

9.3x62 or 35 whelen are great calibers for any N American game. One limitation is range due to them not exactly being flat shooting.

Recoil wise they are quite ok....at least compared to their larger brethren.

Ammo selection is slighty problematic but it is available.

Great mid range thumpers

Also 338 win mag, depending on bullet selection it can reach out farther than the above calibers.....but brings the "magnum" unpleasantness.

quote:

Originally posted by dewhorse:
9.3x62 or 35 whelen are great calibers for any N American game. One limitation is range due to them not exactly being flat shooting.

Recoil wise they are quite ok....at least compared to their larger brethren...

This. Plenty of power, not the nasty recoil, and mad campfire props.

300WSM or 338 would be top contenders for me. In my case, I sold my 338Wm, bought a 375HH and added a 300WSM.

My primary battery is 204/243/300wsm/375HH.....if im feeling cute,I'll mix in a 7-08 or 6.5x55

.300wsm especially if you walk alot, those ounces make a difference at the end of the day...Have had a Sako Finnlight SS that was a joy to shoot, Browning ABOLT SS Stalker was another very accurate rifle..

I had a hunting acquaintance that took a grizzly with his 300 WSM. He called it an ‘interior’ grizzly, Brooks Range, Northish of Fairbanks. He said they average a fair bit smaller than coastal grizzlies.

He used a good bullet, it was one & done.

Much of the time one ‘can’ get by with less chamberings, especially as a Handloader. Over the years I’ve come to appreciate a lighter, shorter gun, when carried a lot for that rare shot.

How about a lever 45-70

To me it looks like you have everything covered.
I would go a different direction.
I agree with the 45/70 lever action choice.

quote:

Originally posted by Hamden106:
How about a lever 45-70

everyone should have one

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I genuinely don't think there's much of a gap to fill between 7mm Mag and .340 Weatherby or .375 H&H.

I like my .338 Win Mags. Kills everything soundly. I mostly shoot 250 Nosler's. In handloads. YMMV.

I also tried to send ya a pm after my trip to Anchorage, I received some automated thingy as if I had applied for a job.....

quote:

He called it an ‘interior’ grizzly, Brooks Range, Northish of Fairbanks. He said they average a fair bit smaller than coastal grizzlies.

Yes, there is a big difference in size. Interior grizzlies are mainly eating off berries and run around 500lbs. Coastal brown bears, especially the ones on Kodiak Island feed off salmon and can get over 1,000lbs.

quote:

How about a lever 45-70

Got that one covered with a Marlin Guide Gun already. It's role is more of an, "Oh Shit!" rifle rather than a hunting rifle.

quote:

I also tried to send ya a pm after my trip to Anchorage, I received some automated thingy as if I had applied for a job.....

That's strange, I just checked my profile and it's correct and I just received an e-mail from another forum member this week. I just sent an e-mail to the address listed in your profile. Hopefully you receive it and can reply.

quote:

Originally posted by maladat:
I genuinely don't think there's much of a gap to fill between 7mm Mag and .340 Weatherby or .375 H&H.

+1

If you're looking at justifying a new rifle, I think your 25-06 and 270 are too redundant. You could replace your 25-06 with a 6.5 Creedmoor and have a softer shooting gun less affected by wind and more fun at the range. You could even replace it with a 6mm Creedmoor.

One reason why I mention this is my buddy in Alaska. He is an avid hunter (Alaska, CONUS, and Africa), he is an excellent shot, in his younger days was a guide in AK, and had an enormous gun safe full of SD rifles and large caliber hunting rifles. He was the winning bidder on a Montana combo antelope and mule deer hunting trip at the Ducks Unlimited Spring BBQ. However, he had nothing in his safe for antelope and bought a .243 off a friend heading out on an expat assignment. It sprayed bullets everywhere at the range (throat erosion) so he ended up going on the trip with the intent of using his mule deer rifle for antelope too. He missed on his only shot at an antelope of the entire trip, and it was a longer shot where flat shooting could have helped. He rebooked with the guide for next year, bought a flat shooting rifle, got comfortable with it at the range, and he filled his tag with picture perfect shot placement.