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I appreciate the responses and for the couple questions asked, what is a big caliber? To me anything bigger than a 338 is too big for me, why? because I dont like heavy rifles or muzzlebrakes and there is no way I am going to shoot anything bigger than a 338 in 8 1/2lbs(scoped) or less that I am going to enjoy shooting or shoot accurately for that matter.I know that its common to think bigger is better and to each his own what you might like shooting I may hate shooting, it just seems like Alaska and large heavy magnum calibers go hand in hand simply because of that one furry critter that has big claws and teeth and everybody plans and prepares for that one bad day they encounter him in the wrong circumstance. I have bowhunted that toothy critter and been well inside what many would consider a safe distance without a monster gun backing me up and accept certain risks that come with the challenge.If you hunt him with a rifle then yes you better select your caliber appropriately but all the other ungulates and the occasional black bear do not require any caliber larger than the one that will kill an elk or a mule deer or a whitetail in the lower 48. Accuracy and relatively flat long range trajectory seems far more important. Good topic and food for thought, I am glad to hear that somebody agrees on my choice of caliber for my sons first rifle, not that I needed reassurrance I just wanted to put it into perspective. Its actually kind of funny when you visit some of the lower 48 based forums and you hear guys give other people advise on things like what caliber is best for moose and these heavy magnum calibers come up everytime and they follow it up with just in case you run into a grizzly. I just think the that the myths of crazed grizzly bears running wild all over the state trips me out. Spend a couple seasons trying to kill one thats not parked on a salmon river and you'll see just how many you see and how aggressive they are.Thanks for the responses.

Message Thread:

• Big Caliber Obsession! AlaskaCub Mar 04 2006
  • 270 AkHunter45 Mar 06 2006
  • Big & little cal. Brian Richardson Mar 06 2006
  • Calibers, short and sweet Michael Strahan Mar 05 2006
    • Character Issue Jake_65_65 Mar 05 2006
      • No problem Michael Strahan Mar 05 2006
  • Advice on the internet Jake_65_65 Mar 04 2006
    • response to Jake AlaskaCub Mar 05 2006
  • We are missing Alaska Cubs point Tony Perkins Mar 04 2006
    • Psychoanalyze Ed M Mar 04 2006
      • 270 is a great gun 375ultramag Mar 04 2006
  • big caliber question Grayhair Mar 04 2006
  • Nothin wrong with the .270 Ray Mar 04 2006
  • 270 for younguns chignik Mar 04 2006
  • horses BrownBear Mar 04 2006
    • Responses AlaskaCub Mar 04 2006
    • horses (reply) gphill Mar 04 2006
  • Big game obsession gphill Mar 04 2006
  • paper BRWNBR Mar 04 2006