Originally Posted by
AKDoug
Hunt_AK and I are friends, but I am going to disagree with him. The .223 is most likely the most prevalent round in rural Alaska. Yes, larger rounds are used by most of us highway system hunters, but once you travel to the far outlying areas the .223 becomes more and more common.
The reason is simple. It's cheap. Rural Alaska is one of the poorest regions in the U.S. and ammo cost is a real deal to them. The other issue is that many Native Alaskans do not share a common cultural/ethical ideal about killing animals quickly and humanely like many western culture hunters do. They have a great respect for the game they kill, but don't get overly emotionally about the process. If it takes a few holes to kill something, they really don't care. Many non-Natives that live in those areas soon adopt a similar mindset.
I personally have watched moose, caribou, and even a polar bear killed with one or two shots from a .223
These are just my observations after living 8 summers in various remote Alaskan Native villages.