.243 Win. and big game
- Thread starter Rob
- Start date
Yes, that has pretty much been my observations over the years, a well placed lung shot will kill a moose every time. Whether its a 100 gr partition or a 180 partition, If either one is broadside within reasonable distant and placed correctly the moose won't be able to tell the difference. The 180 gr will not kill it any faster.
The biggest problem is you do not always get a clear broadside lung shot on a moose. There is often a narrow corrider through a bunch of trees and the only option is to put it through the shoulder or part of the paunch into the lungs. The 243 does not cut it in these conditions. I agree that a moose is usually easy to kill but there are exceptions. If he does not fall in his tracks he often waits for a second shot and or takes a few seconds to die. He it hangs around for a few seconds you'r OK but if it starts making tracks you"r in for a awful lot of tracking and or work. You owe it to the animal use to use an appropriate caliber. I have probably taken 3 dozen+/_ moose and the majority have fallen in their tracks and I wish the rest had. If your willing to wait for the perfect broadside shot the 243 might suffice but that perfect broadside does not often present itself.
^^^^ you have nailed the part of these discussions that always gets left out.
I myself hunt with sub (smaller) calibers.
When I hunted moose with my 30.06 I was more apt/willing/felt ethical taking a quartering shoot or a shoulder shot. Yes, I still wanted/preferred a full on broadside, unobstructed shot, but the .06 gave me "options".
I now hunt with a 7.08 and "I FEEL" that gives me "less options" than the .06 did. I will still take a quartering "away" shot if I can visualize the far shoulder. At any distance I might think twice about a quartering towards. I still will "try" and get that unobstructed broadside shot.
If for some reason I only had my 243 available to hunt moose that absolutely would not keep me from going.
BUT that would absolutely mean that I wouldn't shoot further than 150 yards - the moose could move, the bullet could be blown off course, there could be a small branch or something that goes unseen. Also, Bullwinkle better be showing me a full, unobstructed broadside shot or "ethically" I CAN'T SHOOT.
So if you are disciplined, are willing to get close, willing to pass up all but a near perfect shot and don't "have to shoot something" to have a successful hunt then you CAN hunt with a 243.
If you can't do/follow all of the above you have no business hunting moose with a 243. If you are a "Hail Mary" hunter who will mope for weeks because you didn't get the one moose that you saw that was quartering towards in a thicket of alders then you better start thinking about a 300 WM as your "minimum" caliber with perhaps a 340 Weatherby more in line with your style of hunting.
I myself hunt with sub (smaller) calibers.
When I hunted moose with my 30.06 I was more apt/willing/felt ethical taking a quartering shoot or a shoulder shot. Yes, I still wanted/preferred a full on broadside, unobstructed shot, but the .06 gave me "options".
I now hunt with a 7.08 and "I FEEL" that gives me "less options" than the .06 did. I will still take a quartering "away" shot if I can visualize the far shoulder. At any distance I might think twice about a quartering towards. I still will "try" and get that unobstructed broadside shot.
If for some reason I only had my 243 available to hunt moose that absolutely would not keep me from going.
BUT that would absolutely mean that I wouldn't shoot further than 150 yards - the moose could move, the bullet could be blown off course, there could be a small branch or something that goes unseen. Also, Bullwinkle better be showing me a full, unobstructed broadside shot or "ethically" I CAN'T SHOOT.
So if you are disciplined, are willing to get close, willing to pass up all but a near perfect shot and don't "have to shoot something" to have a successful hunt then you CAN hunt with a 243.
If you can't do/follow all of the above you have no business hunting moose with a 243. If you are a "Hail Mary" hunter who will mope for weeks because you didn't get the one moose that you saw that was quartering towards in a thicket of alders then you better start thinking about a 300 WM as your "minimum" caliber with perhaps a 340 Weatherby more in line with your style of hunting.
The biggest problem is you do not always get a clear broadside lung shot on a moose. There is often a narrow corrider through a bunch of trees and the only option is to put it through the shoulder or part of the paunch into the lungs. The 243 does not cut it in these conditions. I agree that a moose is usually easy to kill but there are exceptions. If he does not fall in his tracks he often waits for a second shot and or takes a few seconds to die. He it hangs around for a few seconds you'r OK but if it starts making tracks you"r in for a awful lot of tracking and or work. You owe it to the animal use to use an appropriate caliber. I have probably taken 3 dozen+/_ moose and the majority have fallen in their tracks and I wish the rest had. If your willing to wait for the perfect broadside shot the 243 might suffice but that perfect broadside does not often present itself.[/QUOTE
If you read back you will see that my personal favourite for moose is bigger than a 243.
Your biggest problem you describe hasn't been much of a problem to me, I have lots of patience when it comes to hunting and I don't remember having a moose go more than 50 yards after being shot, other than one time.
I do remember moose standing still after being hit and firing 6 or 7 more magnum rounds into them in my early years of hunting though
I've taken moose with a lot of different rifles chambered from 243 through to a 8 mm RM and a few archery kills too. The majority of the moose I've shot where shot with a 30-06 or 300 WM.....the ones I shot with the smaller 308's, 7-08's, 270's and 243 went down no differently than the ones shot with the larger more powerful rounds.
Just stating that for me with my experiences over many years of hunting moose I have come to the realization that the smaller less powerful chambered rounds have worked just as good as the larger more powerful rounds.
As I said before, I too use to have Magnumitis but over the years have come to the conclusion it was unwarranted.
Deer and black bear out to 250-300. For moose or elk I would not hesitate to take appropriate shots out to 100 yrds.
I load 100g partitions. They go clean threw a deer at 225 yrds ( heart lung ) and smash threw a black bear both shoulders at 50yrds.
As everyone knows it's all shot placement.
My longest tracking job was a deer I shot with my 375ruger. Hit a little far back. Deer went about 150 ft.
I load 100g partitions. They go clean threw a deer at 225 yrds ( heart lung ) and smash threw a black bear both shoulders at 50yrds.
As everyone knows it's all shot placement.
My longest tracking job was a deer I shot with my 375ruger. Hit a little far back. Deer went about 150 ft.
- Location
- West Central Alberta
- Location
- West Central Alberta
Why? Don't you like shooting guns or something?
If a moose goes 50 yards after you shoot him it is usually in alders with water up to your knees and it is a big job getting him out. I don't want them going more than 2' so that I know I can get a quad to him to get him out. I'm over 70 and have artificial knees and don't like going into swamps after them. I carry a larger rifle and pick my spot so that most fall where they are standing. To each his own but to my mind using a 243 on a moose is like a 223 on deer. It will work sometimes. NO i have not used the 243 on moose but have used a 6mm Rem and it works but only under ideal situations.
Unlawful to hunt big game with any .22 calibre rifle or any rifle using ammunition with a bullet weight of less than 100 grains or a muzzle energy less than 1,500 foot pounds.
It suggests/ some tips on page 54 of the 2014-2015 guide
Choose rifle ammunition capable of doing the job. Common
rifles used for big game hunting include .308 Winchester,
.30-06 Springfield, .303 British, .270 Winchester, 7mm Remington
Magnum, and many others. No matter what the calibre
is, for large game like moose, choose a heavier bullet weight
(i.e. 150 to 180 grains) and one that produces at least 1800 foot
pounds of energy (impact) at 100 yards. Minimum bullet
weights for caribou or black bears should be 130 grains. Ammunition
specifications and ballistic information can be obtained
from a local gun shop or check out ammunition manufacturers
on the internet. What is most important is that you use the same
ammunition on the hunt that you have practiced/sighted in with.
Changing to a different ammunition manufacturer, bullet type
or weight can cause your shot placement to be off considerably
and potentially cripple a big game animal. It is important to
note that although a particular cartridge may meet the legal
weight and energy requirements, it may not be adequate
for the species being hunted depending on a number of
factors. These may include, but not be limited to, bullet
composition, jacket type, expansion and penetration.
Hunters must be aware if the cartridge they are using will
effectively harvest the species they are pursuing.
It suggests/ some tips on page 54 of the 2014-2015 guide
Choose rifle ammunition capable of doing the job. Common
rifles used for big game hunting include .308 Winchester,
.30-06 Springfield, .303 British, .270 Winchester, 7mm Remington
Magnum, and many others. No matter what the calibre
is, for large game like moose, choose a heavier bullet weight
(i.e. 150 to 180 grains) and one that produces at least 1800 foot
pounds of energy (impact) at 100 yards. Minimum bullet
weights for caribou or black bears should be 130 grains. Ammunition
specifications and ballistic information can be obtained
from a local gun shop or check out ammunition manufacturers
on the internet. What is most important is that you use the same
ammunition on the hunt that you have practiced/sighted in with.
Changing to a different ammunition manufacturer, bullet type
or weight can cause your shot placement to be off considerably
and potentially cripple a big game animal. It is important to
note that although a particular cartridge may meet the legal
weight and energy requirements, it may not be adequate
for the species being hunted depending on a number of
factors. These may include, but not be limited to, bullet
composition, jacket type, expansion and penetration.
Hunters must be aware if the cartridge they are using will
effectively harvest the species they are pursuing.
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Dept of wildlife.
If you shot them in NL, with anything less than 180 grain, it is still illegal. I never said that it couldn't be done with a smaller bullet, just that that is the requirement. You can also kill a deer with number 7 1/2 12 gauge shot, but you are not allowed.
If you shot them in NL, with anything less than 180 grain, it is still illegal. I never said that it couldn't be done with a smaller bullet, just that that is the requirement. You can also kill a deer with number 7 1/2 12 gauge shot, but you are not allowed.
22 LR is the only way to go for big game. Haven't you seen the youtube vids? 22 LR can blast through flesh and bone no problem.
Sorry I couldn't resist. I'm actually not much of a hunter and probably can't add anything useful that hasn't already been said. If I were to hunt a moose, I'd use my 308.
Sorry I couldn't resist. I'm actually not much of a hunter and probably can't add anything useful that hasn't already been said. If I were to hunt a moose, I'd use my 308.
freddyfour
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Brant County, Ontario
Biggest I've shot with a 243..... Blacktail muley's. And it's perfect for them.
The wife uses it now,
Lucky bastard,
Well maybe the regs have changed, but a 150 grain bullet as RECCOMMENDED minimum still leaves out the 243. Also, the moose hunt draw there you would be very lucky to get a tag every 2 to 3 years, and if you shoot 20 moose, that would take apx 50 to 60 years, that's doing things legal. Being you need to be old enough to apply plus the 50 to 60 years to get tags enough to harvest 20 moose, that would be quite a feat all things considered
