.280AI or 7-08 for Alaska?
Hey all,
I'm in a heck of a mental pickle... I got an invite from a friend to go hunting for Sitka Blacktail deer and Dall Sheep on Kodiak Island this fall... Right now I have two workable rifles for this... a Savage 11 Lightweight Hunter in 7-08, and a Remington 700 in .280AI. The Savage has a 2.5-8x36 Leupold VX3 on it, and the Remington has a 4.5-14x40 Leupold VX3 on it. Both are sub MOA rifles with Barnes bullets (140gr tsx in the 7-08, 150ttsx in the .280ai). There are two deciding factors:
-Weight: the .280 is coming in at 8.5lb... the 7-08 at 6lb.
-Terrain: possible short shots in the dense woods, but above the treeline, alpine shooting... 300 yards easy.
-Scopes: I have the 7-08 setup for Oregon hunting (short range, walking/shooting) and I don't want to play musical scopes and rings...
What are your thoughts/advice/experiences on this setup or this hunting? Thanks!
--SRS
.280AI or 7-08 for Alaska?
7-08 is plenty for either specie. Wouldn't get too wrapped up in bear defense scenarios and the best caliber for such or 600 yard shots. Studies say pepper spray is the best bear deterrent and from personal experience I believe it. If it were me, I'd opt for the lighter rig.
Have fun! Visiting Kodiak is a great experience.