I was asked to go down to Southeastern Alaska and preach in November. Never been in that neck of the woods, hear tell the blacktail rut is on then. The only rifles I have are a 45/70 Marlin, a 9.3x62 Mauser, and a .223 AR 15. Thinking my other 2 are a little overkill, was going to bring my .223. Any experience in shooting a blacktail with a .223?

For an expert, .223 will handle them. Avoiding bears can be an issue. Depending on where you are preaching, some areas will likely still have hungry bears about.

Anytime I hunt deer where there are brown bears (which is pretty much everywhere deer are...) I want a rifle capable of dissuading a brown bear. It's my personal policy and it has served me well over the years.

I don't shoot deer through the shoulders anyway. So using a .338 or a .375 is not really a big deal. Fighting bears with a .223 has the potential to become a big deal!

Pete

Anytime I hunt deer where there are brown bears (which is pretty much everywhere deer are...) I want a rifle capable of dissuading a brown bear. It's my personal policy and it has served me well over the years.

I don't shoot deer through the shoulders anyway. So using a .338 or a .375 is not really a big deal. Fighting bears with a .223 has the potential to become a big deal!

Pete

223 was my snow go caribou gun. Nosler Partitions and Barnes bullets will kill them just fine. When bears were still out, the 223 stayed at home.

Even if you are going to POW or other places where there are black bear only 223 wouldn’t be my choice, given the other two you have on hand. I wouldn’t use the caliber for deer even if there were no bear. My 2c.

Core lokt 223 are good. Will you be hunting with someone else that might be carrying a bigger gun?

I'll have my friend down there who has a 12 gauge riot gun that will be coming along.I never hunt anywhere without my .44 pistol as well... I've rolled around with alligators and wild hogs a few times, only pistols will do when you are entagled with them on the ground, never had to roll around with a bear yet, hope I never do. Be preaching at Ketchikan and Craig. My friend lives in Craig. Planning on hunting Prince of Wales Island. What are the typical ranges you guys shoot?

.223 is just fine for those Pow deer, 60-150yards calling in the muskegs. By mid November any black bear that are awake are going to be living on a salmon stream with plenty of protein. My first rifle was a 223 and I shot a dozen deer before I was old enough to handle a 243. Just don’t use FMJs and only shoot a distance you’re comfortable with.

Most of my shots on Sitka Blacktail are inside of 100 yards with a high percentage at less than 50.

Thanks for the advice. Going to hunt on Prince William Island, take the .223, .44 mag, and have the 12 gauge riot gun for back up if we bump into an ornery black bear or have to track a deer in the brush.

Why not just pack the 45-70 and skip all the extra weight?

I will add that, while .223 will kill blacktails with good placement, a bullet in the boiler room will almost certainly result in a tracking job. You may or may not have snow and without snow, tracking in the brush is a time consuming process.
.223 would not be what I would be carrying. Why not hunt deer with a deer rifle, rather than a varmint rifle that can be made to be a bare minimum, with the right premium load?

I always carry my .44 pistol, no matter what I'm hunting, my rifle of whatever caliber is not in hand at all times, such as when butchering the animal or chainsawing wood, my pistol is always on me. Personal preference from my personal experience having rolled around with hogs and gators on the ground. I'd much rather shoot animals at a distance with a rifle, but circumstances sometimes don't allow that, and the animal has one or both of your hands busy keeping it from chomping on you, a rifle you dropped is of little use. I've never rolled around with a bear, thank God, but having talked to 3 bear attack survivors, all three shot it with a pistol in one hand as they kept it off their face by shoving the other arm in it's mouth. The best they could've done with a rifle with the bear on top of them is get one shot off one handed into it's guts or rear legs. Every bear I've encountered that charged me has never gotten to me, so I've not used the pistol ever on a bear, and hope I never do... but it's there always, I'm used to the extra weight.
As to taking another caliber, I don't have the money to buy another caliber, such as .243 or .270. Hunting is a side show on this trip, not the primary focus. Out of the three calibers of rifle I have, .223 seems the most appropriate. Since there are no brown bears on the island and since my friend and others have used the .223, I've concluded I'll give it a whirl. I appreciate all the advice, will let you know how it turns out, good or bad. My rifle is a super accurate ar15 I built for snowmachining with it hanging from my neck, I like it instantly available when trapping or when tracking wolves and wolverine. I grew up shooting small whitetail in Florida, so neck and head shots are my preference, saves meat and tracking. If there were brown bears, I'd definitely bring one of my other calibers.

Every deer I have shot up here has been with a Mini Ruger 14, 223, between 50 and 150 yds. Speaking from experience it is a little un nerving to have a brownie bum rush you for the deer with you holdin that little 223 Even with back up





If you were headed to Kodiak I would be tellin you to take a big gun Those bears down there know they are top of the food chain.

Sounds like you have a plan and I hope you connect with a couple!

77 TMK out of a 223 will kill everything short of the big bears, with proper shot placement. Proven fact that everyone shoots a light recoiling rifle better than one with a stout recoil. Bullet design has come a long way over the years. 77 TMK through the lungs is going to be a bang flop on those deer.

I shoot a a 9.3x62 Mauser necked up to .375 at everything. 235 grain at 2800 fps.

I would take the Mauser.

I have used a .222 Rem. extensively on Kodiak and in Southeast on Baranof and Chichagof Islands. I prefer it for taking deer. On the other hand, I switched to my .25-06, upped the bullet weight and decreased the powder so I got much less hydrostatic shock. Shot in head, didn't lose meat. Had a run-in with BIG bear on Baranof; .25-06 slowed it down, my partner finished it off at 1.5 yards with .338. Not a pleasant experience. My advice is to take a big gun.

Jack

Shot it with my AR 15 that I built to be lightweight, tough, and reliable in cold weather. Used Hornaday Black 75 gr. 5.56 soft point, one shot in the neck.

I had my .44 mag strapped on in case of black bear, but never saw any.