Equipment tips for Alaska hunters

A few weeks back, I wrote an article about what types of sportfishing gear were available and made some suggestions about how they could be used when fishing here in Southcentral Alaska. That article was aimed primarily at new anglers, but even the experienced veterans might have picked up a point or two.

Now I’m going to venture off into an even more “dangerous” topic and give you some suggestions for a big game hunting rifle. Again, I’m aiming for the newer hunters and “old timers” might agree or disagree with my thoughts.

If you are planning to hunt locally in units 13, 14, 16, and maybe into unit 20, most likely your quarry will be moose, caribou, bears (black or grizzly), Dall sheep, or mountain goats, the most common big game animals you will find in these game management units. One rifle/caliber combination can work for all these species or you can have several different rifle/calibers, depending on the animal you seek.

The rifle will most probably be a bolt-action model. The manufacturer of the gun and whether you choose a traditional blued/wooden stock firearm or a stainless/synthetic stock gun is your choice. Personally, I have models from several different producers and use both types, but when the weather is bad, the blued steel/wooden stocked rifles are usually left at home. The stainless/synthetic or laminated stock rifles stand up to the abuse of a hard hunt and our normal inclement fall weather better, but they’ll still need some TLC after the season is over.

After you have the rifle, the next thing is to purchase the best quality scope you can afford, along with a quality set of bases and rings. You can easily spend as much for the scope as the rifle. Just remember, you get what you pay for when purchasing optics for a firearm.

A fixed power scope, like 3- or 4-power, will be adequate for almost all your Alaskan hunting. However, most folks prefer a variable power scope – the most popular being a 3 x 9 with around a 40 to 44mm objective lens. I personally prefer either a 1 ½ x 5 or a 2 x 7 variable power scope. The longest shot I’ve even taken was at about 300 yards on a caribou out on the open tundra. I don’t remember if I even adjusted the power ring beyond 5- or 6-power for the shot and I might have even left the setting at 4-power.

The thing to remember is that your scope is not to be used for glassing an area. That is what binoculars or a spotting scope is designed to do. You don’t want someone centering you in the crosshairs of their loaded rifle while they scan the countryside. Don’t do the same to someone else!

After you have the scope properly mounted and bore-sighted, the next thing you’ll need is a good sling to make carrying the rifle during your hunt easier. The attachment points, or sling swivel studs, come on virtually all factory rifles today, so swivels and the sling itself should be all that is required. You can buy a simple carry sling or an elaborate shooting sling in either leather, nylon, or neoprene – again, the choice is yours.

A quality carrying case for the scoped rifle is also a good investment since you will be travelling to your hunting destination and the case will protect your firearm from the bumps and jostling encountered during the trip. A soft case is preferred for small aircraft travel because it doesn’t take up as much space as a hard case. However, a hard case will give the gun maximum protection.

One last accessory some hunters use is a bipod to help steady their aim. The bipod can be mounted on the forearm sling swivel stud of the rifle and the sling then attaches to the bipod. These accessories come in differing adjustable heights and can be used for prone or either sitting or kneeling shots, depending on the overall height of the bipod.

To reiterate, the most common type of big game hunting rifle is the bolt-action. I have also used single-shots (both falling blocks and break-opens), lever-actions, and semi-automatics while hunting Alaska’s big game species and they all work well as long as you’re using a caliber appropriate for the species you are hunting.

Next week, we’ll offer some suggestions on good big game hunting calibers and maybe suggest one gun for all your Alaskan hunting needs.