What moose cartridge?

[hillbros_96]

I am totally impressed with my daughters 7mm-08 shotting 110 gr Barnes and would be confident using it on the vast majority of moose in with proper shot placement. Unfortunately were I hunt moose, I prefer something bigger simply due to the size of the animals. My big moose I shot absorbed 3 180 bullets at 80 yards out of my 300 and he stood for each round. They staggered him but he never left his feet. All three never exited his body nor hit a major bone so he absorbed all that energy. So between the size of them and the location (lots of muskeg) and mostly hunting alone I prefer something a little bigger. But the 7mm-08 would definitly do the job. I was able to recover shot 2 and 3 under the hide on the opposite side.

 

[cheapsk8]

I am totally impressed with my daughters 7mm-08 shotting 110 gr Barnes and would be confident using it on the vast majority of moose in with proper shot placement. Unfortunately were I hunt moose, I prefer something bigger simply due to the size of the animals. My big moose I shot absorbed 3 180 bullets at 80 yards out of my 300 and he stood for each round. They staggered him but he never left his feet. All three never exited his body nor hit a major bone so he absorbed all that energy. So between the size of them and the location (lots of muskeg) and mostly hunting alone I prefer something a little bigger. But the 7mm-08 would definitly do the job. I was able to recover shot 2 and 3 under the hide on the opposite side.

May I inquire as to what bullet you used?

 

[hillbros_96]

May I inquire as to what bullet you used?

Barnes the two I found were mushroomed nicely but he was pushing 1500 hundred pounds if not more since I dropped 500 pounds of mostly deboned meat at the butchers

 

[burnt_servo]

9.3X62. The answer to everything.

this

 

[Demonical]

I've shot 21 bull moose, and been in on another 20 or so.

I've killed bulls with the .30-06, .338WM, .416RM.

There is no 'Ultimate Moose Cartridge'. Anything from .277cal up, with decent bullets, and proper shot placement is all you need.

The most dramatic moose kill I've witnessed, was a bull that I shot, with the .30-06, and a plain Jane 180 gr... likely a Remington CoreLokt or Winchester 'Silver Tip'... it was back in the day. That bull literally jumped at the impact, body went 90 degrees to the ground and it landed on the ground on it's side, with all 4 legs stuck out quivering.

And I've seen bulls soak up 250gr bullets, from the .338WM and 400gr bullets from the .416RM, and give little indication they were hit.

My favorite is the .338WM, which only matters to me and the .338WM fans.

 

[guido]

My favorite is the .338WM, which only matters to me and the .338WM fans.

Ultimately, this is the correct answer. Whatever works for the shooter.

 

[Ranger Dave]

300 Win Mag and don't look back. Moose poison.

 

[cheapsk8]

Barnes the two I found were mushroomed nicely but he was pushing 1500 hundred pounds if not more since I dropped 500 pounds of mostly deboned meat at the butchers

That is what I suspected. Right from the Barnes, win failsafe, hornady gmx, all of these mono front bullets don't seem to have the same effect on game as a faster opening cup and core bullets when shooting same calibre, same weight same velocity. These bullets are an amazing innovation. they allow you to use smaller cartridges and take game well over the limit for that cartridge if you were using lead cored bullets. They get penetration when you need it, and they handle bone well with no blow ups. They allow you to shoot a light for cartridge bullet gaining muzzle velocity. But what they do not do, in my experiences,is anchor game as fast as when a traditional lung/heart shot is made.

Not trying to start fights with people that have opposite experiences, but rather share my data for information purposes.

 

[prairie lover]

That is what I suspected. Right from the Barnes, win failsafe, hornady gmx, all of these mono front bullets don't seem to have the same effect on game as a faster opening cup and core bullets when shooting same calibre, same weight same velocity. These bullets are an amazing innovation. they allow you to use smaller cartridges and take game well over the limit for that cartridge if you were using lead cored bullets. They get penetration when you need it, and they handle bone well with no blow ups. They allow you to shoot a light for cartridge bullet gaining muzzle velocity. But what they do not do, in my experiences,is anchor game as fast as when a traditional lung/heart shot is made.

Not trying to start fights with people that have opposite experiences, but rather share my data for information purposes.

I agree 100%

 

[cam1936]

I'm going to use my .300 H&H this fall. 200 grain AB.

 

[Gibbs505]

Go big or go home.

That's a 458 Win Mag on the right!

 

[kolik1]

.308 will definitely work for moose. I prefer my .300WM, but I've taken moose with a .270 and seen many moose harvested with a .308.

There is a substantial difference between how far they go after they're hit, in my opinion. I've seen more bang>flops with my .300WM in 2 moose seasons (1, the other one took 5 steps then fell over) than I'd seen in all the years hunting with my dad and our .270's.

I still have my .270, it's my deer gun, only took 1 season with the .300 to learn that. But my .300 is my goto for Elk and Moose.

 

[Demonical]

I'm going to use my .300 H&H this fall. 200 grain AB.

I'm a BIG fan of that exact cartridge and bullet. That's my 'pet' deer whomper, right there (loading recipe I kinda forget, but I load it to a pedestrian 2700fps MV).
Just pancakes the bucks, and would be death on anything else that got in the way of it.

 

[j_m_ru]

300 win mag is the best. Many guys are using 375H&H. You do not loose you moose

 

[guido]

"The best"
hmmmmmm

 

[Phospek]

If you want a quick summary of the thread so far....

Anything from 308 to 338, with "Make a good hit" the main take-away.

Just in case people didn't want to get through the whole thread.

 

[hillbros_96]

That is what I suspected. Right from the Barnes, win failsafe, hornady gmx, all of these mono front bullets don't seem to have the same effect on game as a faster opening cup and core bullets when shooting same calibre, same weight same velocity. These bullets are an amazing innovation. they allow you to use smaller cartridges and take game well over the limit for that cartridge if you were using lead cored bullets. They get penetration when you need it, and they handle bone well with no blow ups. They allow you to shoot a light for cartridge bullet gaining muzzle velocity. But what they do not do, in my experiences,is anchor game as fast as when a traditional lung/heart shot is made.

Not trying to start fights with people that have opposite experiences, but rather share my data for information purposes.

No fight started here. I have had the same experience in quick kills in traditional cup and core and monolithic bullets I just think every animals reaction to having a high speed projectile inserted into their body is different. Knock on wood, I can count on one hand easily where I have had an animal go more than 50 yards from where it was hit and those ones were all less then 100 yards. But I attribute a lot of that to leaving the area for at least an hour before I go trying to recover the animal if I haven't seen them drop.

 

[Slamfire]

.308 will definitely work for moose. I prefer my .300WM, but I've taken moose with a .270 and seen many moose harvested with a .308.

There is a substantial difference between how far they go after they're hit, in my opinion. I've seen more bang>flops with my .300WM in 2 moose seasons (1, the other one took 5 steps then fell over) than I'd seen...

Higher bullet impact speed, more debilitating shock as Weatherby proclaimed.

 

[Slamfire]

Go big or go home.

That's a 458 Win Mag on the right!

Wouldn't have to expand very much if at all. I like your way of thinking.

 

[mike Crawford]

.308, 30-06 and 300 WM will shoot the same 30 cal bullet, to certain degrees.

the kinetic energy that creates knockdown power is based on velocity and weight of the bullet,

given that all 3 cartridges shoot the same bullet to different velocities, they should perform the same way at different ranges, more or less.

The 30-06 is about 200 fps faster than .308, and 300 WM is about 200 fps faster than 30-06.
They all loose about 200 fps velocity every 100 yards.

So what the 308 does at 100 yrds, the 30-06 does at 200 yrds, and the 300 wm does at 300 yrds.

Basically each step up in cartridge gives you another 100 yards of effective range.

If your moose hunt takes place in dense woods at close range,you probably won't need the longer range capability,
so it all depends on the situation.

For me though, I'd prefer not to limit myself.
Where I hunt, I'm more comfortable taking my '06 or my 300 WM, loaded up with a premium 180 - 200 grain bullet.
I don't want an animal running away after it's been hit.

For moose, I use a "heavy for caliber" bullet, preferably a bonded core or copper bullet.

If you're comfortable hunting moose with your .308, and you can put the bullet where it counts, good luck.

I know of an "old timer" who has shot dozens of moose with a 300 Savage, and who knows how many have been killed with 30-30's.

Then again, some guys swear by the 7 MM or even the 338......

I would agree with this !00% .. it all depends on where you hunt and how far your shot can be .. if you hunt the cut offs of Northern Ontario I would vote 300 mag ..If you hunt wooded areas then a 308 will do the job for sure ,, the first year I wanted too moose hunt the group would not even take me because all I had was a 30-30 .. once I bought a 300 win mag and a 338 win mag I was allowed to go ,, But they did hunt those big cuts