i have a .270 rifle and one day i am going to alaska and i want to hunt bear, caribou, wolf, mountain lion and i was wondering if that would be strong enough to knock them down?

i am also was thinking about importing a weatherby .270 magnum i have hunted deer with it before and the person who owned it had gone to alaska before and had shot bear with it.

so can anyone give me some advice if the .270 will be good enough or go the weatherby .270 magnum

Even though the rare mountain lion sighting does happen from time to time in the most southern parts of Alaska, there are no huntable populations in the state.

A 270 Win or Weatherby would work fine for the animals you listed unless you are planning to use it for the coastal brown bears or even many of the interior grizzlies. It's been done before and I'm sure it will be done again, but just isn't the right cartridge for the job. For black bear, it should be fine.

thanks alot
if you dont mind me asking what kind of gun do you shoot and what animals do you hunt

Each year I try to get in a 2 week hunt for Dall Sheep. Depending on where I hunt sheep, the opportunity for also getting a nice black bear or grizzly, or wolf may be possible. Every other year or so, I try to do at least a week long moose/caribou combination hunt where both types of bears roam. There is also a deer hunt that a few friends and I try to make into the Prince William Sound, of course there are bears there also, black or brown depending which islands are hunted.

Because I tend to do a lot of hunting where grizzlies or brown bears exist, I usually take a 338 Win Mag for hunts that require long range shooting (dall sheep, caribou, etc...). I'm currently working up loads for a 300 H&H in anticipation for next year's hunts. For deer or moose along the coast where the big brownies are, I have a 1895 Winchester chambered in 411 Hawk, which is similar to the 405 Win. Shots are usually pretty close and the Winchester is a very handy rifle with adequate stopping power. I've also used a 7x57 Ruger No.1 where I don't expect to encounter bears.

The state varies quite a bit in game types, vegetation types, and terrain. What is an ideal rifle along the coast, isn't really applicable to the mountain hunter or hunting in the tundra. The brown bears along the coast grow to huge sizes and can be fairly aggressive. It's better to be prepared for them than not. A 300 or 338 Win Mag may be overkill for goats or sheep, but are comforting when you bump into a big bear.

Either 270 that you mentioned would be an excellent choice for caribou, black bear, wolf, and many moose have been felled by .277" bullets. I personally do not believe it is wise choice for the bigger bears, though.

As a non-resident "alien" the state would require you to hire a guide for any type of big game hunting here in Alaska. Your guide will know the area you are going better than I, and would know what animals you are likely to encounter, how long your shots would be, etc... and could make a better recommendation of which rifle chambering is adequate. It will be an expensive hunt, especially if you go after one or more of the "Glory" animals like Dall Sheep, Mountain Goat, Grizzly Bear, Brown Bear, or Glacier Bear.

cool, thanks alot

cool, thanks alot

Aussiehunter, I'll give you my 2 cents worth on your wanting to hunt in Alaska in the future. I would pay close attention to what has already been said about those bears for starters.

I would also bring with me a larger caliber rifle as was mentioned. I know the 30-06 using 200 grain bullets would suffice (bottom of the ladder choice) on the bears, the 300 Win mag even better but as "Alyeska .338" stated, you would be far better off with the .338 Winchester magnum and 225 or 250 grain premium bullets like such as the Nosler partitions or Speer TBBC's. If the recoil is more than you like, purchase a PAST RECOIL PAD for $38 dollars US money. It will make it feel like a 30-06 being fired with 180 grn bullets.

I once upon a time as a young man, got a sample of those Alaska bears hospitality and will never forget the experience as long as I live. So a word of advice, get the biggest caliber you can handle and shoot well. Bears can be a runnaway freightrain and hurricane all wrapped into one furry experience.

I've always treated the coastal browns as a fuzzy cape buffalo and used an "African" caliber(.458 Lott) round.
For everything else alyeska338's advice is right on.