What moose cartridge?
- Thread starter DES0LAT0R
- Start date
Its funny how some guys will spend their lives searching for the 'ultimate' big game cartridge - and don't kid yourself, once you think you've found it, someone else will pipe in what they think is better - and during the whole time they are searching for it they will in all likelihood be continuing to collect moose with perfectly adequate cartridges. 
And don't get me wrong ... its perfectly legitimate to collect cartridges and firearms, its a good part of the fun ... but its a little self-serving and silly, really, to think you're doing it in order to kill moose 'deader', lol.
And don't get me wrong ... its perfectly legitimate to collect cartridges and firearms, its a good part of the fun ... but its a little self-serving and silly, really, to think you're doing it in order to kill moose 'deader', lol.
Yup. Lower third/front third of lung is where I aim. Depending also if the animal is not completely broadside, I will adjust accordingly.
I have taken a moose through the shoulder, once...
You say that like its a bad thing.
Yes, and to paraphrase Douglas a bit; there is also a "not dead enough".
Most of us are gunnutz ... So there is no perfect cartridge ... That's why we need many ��.
When the animals get bigger so do my cartridges .. Not really out f need but I have them so might as well use them ... And to see a moose or bison hit well with a 416 or 458 is simply an amazing sight to see.anything from 6.5 up will do fine though with a well placed bullet .
When the animals get bigger so do my cartridges .. Not really out f need but I have them so might as well use them ... And to see a moose or bison hit well with a 416 or 458 is simply an amazing sight to see.anything from 6.5 up will do fine though with a well placed bullet .
Having shot 50+ moose in my life so far, I am here to tell you that "DRT" is dreaming when shooting moose.
Sure, it happens, but I do not expect it. By the same token, a properly hit Moose will not travel far.
As one commenter stated, moose do not seem to require a lot of "killing" Most often after a solid heart/lung hit,
they will just stand for a few seconds, and then tip over. They may take a few steps, but I have only had one
that went more than about 75 yards, and that was MY fault, since the first shot was a bit far back. Fully 80%
of the moose I have shot have been on the ground within 40 yards.
My 7x57 has accounted for 8 moose, with 8 shots fired, mostly 150 or 160 grain Partitions. [one was a Hornady 154 RN]
The 30-06 has been in my hands on many moose hunts, with great success, but I have shot moose with everything
from the 6mm Remington up to the 338 Win Mag. I like the 308 Norma Mag...it kills with authority on a longer shot, but
is hardly necessary on 90% of moose hunts.
The 308 kills moose just fine with properly placed shots. In factory ammo, there is not enough difference between it and
the 30-06 to make any real difference, but if one reloads, the 30-06 does have a bit more ooomph. Whether that interprets
to better killing ability is a moot point, IMHO.
I have become more and more opinionated when it comes to bullet selection, though. I have almost entirely sworn off C&C
bullets for any magnum, and even many standard chamberings get a premium, simply because it is insurance should I need
penetration through some heavier bone on a shot taken at an angle.
The bottom line is: Moose are great table fare. Shoot carefully, and you get to enjoy many fine meals of prime steaks, roasts,
ribs, stews, etc. D.
Sure, it happens, but I do not expect it. By the same token, a properly hit Moose will not travel far.
As one commenter stated, moose do not seem to require a lot of "killing" Most often after a solid heart/lung hit,
they will just stand for a few seconds, and then tip over. They may take a few steps, but I have only had one
that went more than about 75 yards, and that was MY fault, since the first shot was a bit far back. Fully 80%
of the moose I have shot have been on the ground within 40 yards.
My 7x57 has accounted for 8 moose, with 8 shots fired, mostly 150 or 160 grain Partitions. [one was a Hornady 154 RN]
The 30-06 has been in my hands on many moose hunts, with great success, but I have shot moose with everything
from the 6mm Remington up to the 338 Win Mag. I like the 308 Norma Mag...it kills with authority on a longer shot, but
is hardly necessary on 90% of moose hunts.
The 308 kills moose just fine with properly placed shots. In factory ammo, there is not enough difference between it and
the 30-06 to make any real difference, but if one reloads, the 30-06 does have a bit more ooomph. Whether that interprets
to better killing ability is a moot point, IMHO.
I have become more and more opinionated when it comes to bullet selection, though. I have almost entirely sworn off C&C
bullets for any magnum, and even many standard chamberings get a premium, simply because it is insurance should I need
penetration through some heavier bone on a shot taken at an angle.
The bottom line is: Moose are great table fare. Shoot carefully, and you get to enjoy many fine meals of prime steaks, roasts,
ribs, stews, etc. D.
The 308 Winchester is a great cartridge for most North American big game, including moose. Shot placement is key, therefore, a well placed shot in the middle of the lungs will kill a big moose. My son killed this bull moose two autumn's ago using a 150 grain Nosler ballistic tip out of his 7mm STW. The bull dropped dead after travelling only 75 yards with a lung shot.
If the heart is no longer pumping, any collateral damage is of no significance.
If the 308 stops the heart, the 300 will not kill quicker.
My favorite shot if you have it... through the heart/lungs...
+1 to this. Heart / Lung is what I always go for if I have it
You are incorrect... there is not just the immediate danage to the heart to consider, although there also, the .300 will mash up the heart to a greater degree, but also consider the pathway of the projectile before and after the heart. I remember a nice WT buck my father shot 30 years ago with his BLR .308 and 180 grain Win SP's... shot through the center of the heart, it still ran 150 feet. Perhaps the greater residual damage of a .30/06 may have been 125 feet and a .300 WM 100 feet.... this of course is speculation, but the general principle will most certainly apply... greater velocity and energy will equate to more shock and damage, when all else is equal.
I am not saying any of this to invalidate the .308 Win cartridge... it is my second favourite, right after the 7X57... and I would not hesitate to hunt moose with a .308 or 7X57 or 6.5X55 for that matter. I am addressing your assertion that the .300 WM is not "better" than the .308 Win... in every way that counts, except meat damage and recoil, it most definitely IS better... and with recoil, you won't notice it when shooting at a moose and with meat damage, better to lose 20 pounds of meat rather than a 700 pounds of meat.
The mistake you're making here is the assertion that the difference between 308Win and 300WM is equivalent to the difference between losing 700 lbs of meat and 20 lbs of meat, when clearly that isn't true. The cartridge alone will never close that gap.
Shock and damage is not death. Lack of oxygen to the brain is. No blood moving, no oxygen to the brain. There is no doubt the 300 has more power. That doesn't necessarily equate to better. I've seen moose go 2-300 yards with no lungs. I've also seen a moose lay down after 10' with a hole in its liver.
