Alaska

Minimum .243 caliber required for deer; .270 Win or .30-06 Springfield recommended for caribou and moose; .300 Win Mag or .375 H&H Magnum strongly recommended for coastal brown bear, grizzly, and wood bison. Fully automatic firearms and full-metal-jacket (FMJ) ammunition are strictly prohibited for big game hunting across all Game Management Units (GMUs). Expanding soft-point or partitioned controlled-expansion bullets are legally required.

12 or 20 gauge shotguns firing rifled slugs or sabot slugs are legal for deer, moose, and black bear in designated weapons-restricted management zones (such as Anchorage Management Area, GMU 14C, and selected highway corridor buffers). 10, 12, 16, 20, 28 gauge and .410 bore shotguns are legal for small game and upland birds. Non-toxic steel or tungsten shot is mandatory for all waterfowl hunting throughout Alaska under federal and state law.

Single-barrel muzzleloaders firing a single projectile per barrel. Minimum .45 caliber or larger for Sitka blacktail deer; minimum .50 caliber or larger for caribou, moose, sheep, mountain goat, bear, and bison. Modern in-line muzzleloaders with closed ignitions and optical scopes are legal during general firearms hunts, while restricted traditional muzzleloader-only draw hunts require open sights, exposed percussion caps or flintlocks, and loose black powder or Pyrodex.

Recurve bows, longbows, and compound bows. Minimum 40 lb peak draw weight for Sitka blacktail deer, Dall sheep, and caribou; minimum 50 lb draw weight for moose, elk, brown/grizzly bear, mountain goat, and bison. Broadheads must be fixed or mechanical with a minimum 7/8-inch cutting diameter. Arrows must weigh at least 300 grains for deer/caribou and 400 grains for heavier big game. Completion of an IBEP (International Bowhunter Education Program) certification course is legally mandatory for all archery-only drawing and registration hunts.

Permitted during general firearms seasons for all legal big game and small game. Crossbows must have a minimum draw weight of 100 lbs and fire bolts at least 16 inches in length with broadheads meeting state big game cutting diameter minimums. In archery-only seasons and weapon-restricted areas, crossbow use is prohibited unless the hunter possesses a certified State Methods and Means Exemption or a permanent Mobility-Impaired Disability Permit issued by ADF&G.

Heavy magnum centerfire handguns (.41 Magnum, .44 Magnum, .454 Casull, .460 S&W, .500 S&W, and 10mm Auto firing heavy hard-cast flat-nose or bonded expanding bullets) are legal for big game harvest and recommended as primary defense sidearms in brown bear country. Handguns used for big game must have a minimum barrel length of 4 inches for revolvers and 5 inches for semi-automatics, generating sufficient terminal ballistics for deep bone penetration.