Traveling to Alaska

[moss180]

after thinking more about this today, i think i may prefer to bring my .357 or XD45 for ease of carry. what is the protocol of shipping a gun to yourself in another state?

[pat038536]

http://www.panda.com/canadaguns/

According to the Canada National Firearms Association: "Pepper spray is legal if it is intended for use on vicious animals, and is a prohibited weapon if intended for use on vicious humans. On the other hand, if you carry it to protect yourself from vicious animals, and are attacked by a vicious human, it is legal to use it on that vicious human. It doesn't have to make sense, it is government policy."

That is the almost one of the dumbest things I've ever read.

[Lone_Gunman]

+1 for the Alaska Marine Highway. I lived in SE Alaska when I was a kid and we went all over on those boats. Rode it from Washington when we moved up there.

[Josh3239]

Alaska is getting popular for Calgunners, huh? I am going up there in a couple weeks as well. Gonna do some fishing with my Glock 23 CCW'd

[shootin]

I have made that drive before twice and I shipped my guns to alaska before i drove through canada. I figured why bother with their stupid gun laws and risk getting arrested.
guns in alaska are awsome though. i really think once you get out of the cities they have no gun laws whatsoever.
i went to small villages and little kids walk around with guns or ride with them on atv's.
there is a fishing town of about 3,000 people that i go to sometimes and you can literally walk anywhere at anytime with your gun, ANY GUN, and no one blinks and eye.
actually the people who look at you funny are the CA and NY tourists. i usually give them a dirty harry look to scare them , haha

oh yeah, i dont condone marijuan in anyway but in alaska i think you can smoke pot and carry a gun at the same time in front of small town cops and they wont even give you a second look.

[tankerman]

And the prefered bear round of the Native Americans up in Alaska is the .223.

Major BS.

[liberty08]

Sounds like we need to push for an easement to get from to Alaska through Canada to avoid their laws. OK, that isn't going to happen without a war but would be nice!

[Kerplow]

Pack heavy.
My buddy went hunting in Alaska went a Black bear came at him from behind he emptied his 44 Mag in him and he just kept coming. He said he climbed a tree to the tip top and he cryed like a little girl while it clawed at his feet. He said " This is how I'm gonna die eaten by a bear" Finally after 1/2 the bear lost interest and went back into the woods. He said he stayed up for another hour just to be sure.

i would imagine that bear walked off and bled to death.

[k1dude]

Major BS.

Not BS, do some reading. It's common knowledge. In fact, many law enforcement agencies up there prefer the .223 to dispatch bad guys as well as bears.

The latest story from a marauding polar bear this winter is it was tracked down by a 65 year old grandfather and dispatched with 5 rapid fire .223 rounds when the bear charged him.

What would you rather have, 1 shot from a lever action 45-70 or 5 shots rapid-fire from a semi-auto .223 when a bear is charging you?

[Josh3239]

I am visiting a very good friend of mine in Alaska who is big into hunting and fishing. He has always wanted to go bear hunting but hasn't yet gone. I wouldn't even embarass myself asking him about a .223 for bear hunting. He has told me that the hunting guides and tourist guides in Alaska typically carry 12 gauge shotguns. IIRC, he said that a .30-06 would be the smallest he'd take. And that is just for hunting, a bear that you pissed off by getting close to it's cubs for instance, is going to be a lot more aggressive, isn't going to give up, and will not be as skittish as they usually are.

I seriously doubt LE has decided that .223 is prefered for bears and bad guys, moreso that is a great round for law enforement and it is capable of putting down bears. There are very few bear attacks and most are simply from accidentally coming face to face with the cubs and mama bear attacks. Bears have very little interest in humans and are actually quite skittish. Sure 30 rounds of .223 has the ability to stop a bear, but preferred? Dont think so.

Then again he has only lived in Alaska for his entire life, minus a couple of years in Southern California.

[k1dude]

I am visiting a very good friend of mine in Alaska who is big into hunting and fishing. He has always wanted to go bear hunting but hasn't yet gone. I wouldn't even embarass myself asking him about a .223 for bear hunting. He has told me that the hunting guides and tourist guides in Alaska typically carry 12 gauge shotguns. IIRC, he said that a .30-06 would be the smallest he'd take. And that is just for hunting, a bear that you pissed off by getting close to it's cubs for instance, is going to be a lot more aggressive, isn't going to give up, and will not be as skittish as they usually are.

I seriously doubt LE has decided that .223 is prefered for bears and bad guys, moreso that is a great round for law enforement and it is capable of putting down bears. There are very few bear attacks and most are simply from accidentally coming face to face with the cubs and mama bear attacks. Bears have very little interest in humans and are actually quite skittish. Sure 30 rounds of .223 has the ability to stop a bear, but preferred? Dont think so.

Then again he has only lived in Alaska for his entire life, minus a couple of years in Southern California.

Please follow the thread.

This thread has nothing to do with hunting much less bear hunting.

The OP said he wanted to take a rifle on a motorcycle to shoot in Alaska. He didn't say he wanted to go bear hunting in Alaska. There's a difference between shooting and hunting.

I recommended an AR or SU-16 due to the ability to take apart or fold the weapon for easy and concealable transport.

If you're going brown bear hunting you want a serious big game cartridge. That's a given. But natives and law enforcement have found the .223 to be capable enough. The natives prefer the .223 for bear due to it's lack of damage to the pelt as well as the high cap semi-auto firepower. The .223 AR is also light, compact, and durable. If you don't think multiple hits of 75gr. or .77gr. .223 will hurt a charging bear you're wrong.

What if you miss with that one round or 45-70 or 30-06? You probably won't have a chance to chamber another round if you miss. The recoil and time spent working the action will be to your detriment. I can fire off 5 to 7 rounds of .223 on target before you get your sights lined up and that second shot off.

For the OP's purpose of taking a rifle on a motorcycle to Alaska to shoot, the AR is king. And it will protect him from bear in a pinch.

But for bear hunting, go big.

[Doheny]

http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/cfp-pcaf/information/visit/index-eng.htm

[tankerman]

Dude, I've spent more than my fair share of time in Alaska, very remote parts not big towns of 2,000 people like you're talking about.

Matter of fact I'll be going back again this next week.

Not BS, do some reading. It's common knowledge. In fact, many law enforcement agencies up there prefer the .223 to dispatch bad guys as well as bears.

The latest story from a marauding polar bear this winter is it was tracked down by a 65 year old grandfather and dispatched with 5 rapid fire .223 rounds when the bear charged him.

What would you rather have, 1 shot from a lever action 45-70 or 5 shots rapid-fire from a semi-auto .223 when a bear is charging you?

[k1dude]

Josh3239, I owe you a partial apology. The OP DID state he wanted to hunt. But he didn't say for what. In that case I still recommend the AR because of the motorcycle. But if he wants to hunt in Alaska, I'd say .308 or .50 Beowolf.

[k1dude]

Dude, I've spent more than my fair share of time in Alaska, very remote parts not big towns of 2,000 people like you're talking about.

Matter of fact I'll be going back again this next week.

And I've spent my share of time in Alaska too. I was just there this May. I have plenty of friends up there that I go hunting and fishing with. So we're even. Not only have I spoken with LE and native tribes about what they use, but I've read that AK LE buys and uses and for what purpose. I'm also letting you know what has been published in newspapers and magazines. The evidence is there. You just need to look it up.