John,

I'll take a shot at answering that question. Not all, but the majority of our seasons occur when freezing is not too much of an issue. A few notable exceptions would be musk ox hunts, late season caribou and some of the late moose hunts.

Of course there are the fur callers and wolf hunters that hunt during the coldest part of the year. Interestingly, the AR platforms are surprisingly popular with the guys, and gals, that fur hunt through the winter. Many good dry lubes exist that work well on an auto loader during the worst of conditions. And honestly, the AR platform is really a pretty dependable system, no matter what weather they find themselves in. They do need to be kept clean but then the same applies to any rifle or shotgun.

Are they as reliable as a bolt or a double? I cannot answer that. I have not had the level of experience that Phil has with the AR but I've always had good luck with them. I can say they are very dependable in my limited experience and I would not hesitate to hunt with one in the most extreme conditions Alaska has to offer.

Mart