Newb Hunting Question re: Calibre
- Thread starter Smitticus
- Start date
Yes it will work fine.
The issue is not so much the caliber as it is shot placement. If you just spray and pray then you may want to get something heavier in the hopes that you will hit some part of the animal. If however you place your shot well (the head or the boiler maker) then it is all you will need.
The issue is not so much the caliber as it is shot placement. If you just spray and pray then you may want to get something heavier in the hopes that you will hit some part of the animal. If however you place your shot well (the head or the boiler maker) then it is all you will need.
This has to be the worst dumbest advice on line.
I will add that a 308 is more than adequate for any game animal we have , but a shot in the guts, legs etc is not going to work with any gun. Pick hunting bullets , and for moose 165 gr or more will do just fine. I use Nosler partitions for all my hunting loads in every caliber.
Head shots are also low percentage shots. The head is huge and the brain is the size of an apple.
Last edited:
I have a friend who had a brand new 338 Winchester magnum. He came back to moose camp one day reporting that he'd taken a shot at a moose but it got away.
We asked if he'd looked for it and he said no. He had dozed off at a blind and woke up with a bull moose right in front of him, flinched, and the animal bounded off.
As it was disappearing into the bush he shot at it.
"I thought with the 338 all I had to do was touch him," he said.
We insisted on going back and looking for it. Found the blood trail but it petered out and we never found the moose.
So yes, a 308 is fine; hit him in the boiler room. They often don't run like other animals, they might just stand there, so shoot him again just to make sure.
Inlaw's cousin once shot a bison. Walked up to it and it was still alive so he put crosshairs of his 338 on its head and squeezed the trigger (likely with both eyes closed) - bullet never touched it. He yells "holy #### these things are tough!" 
when I was younger , my family was not well off and my dad and I shot piles of moose over the years with a parker hale 308 win and 303 British( close to the same). Most times one shot did it. compared to elk , moose drop pretty easy if you place your shot well. Back in those days we just used the regular Winchester PP 180 grain ammo , as my dad was cheap lol.
They are both great calibers, they just aren't as long winded as some other calibers. But when you use them at a reasonable distance, they work well.
They are both great calibers, they just aren't as long winded as some other calibers. But when you use them at a reasonable distance, they work well.
My grandfather shot 2 moose a year for many years. (52 moose) He used a 30-30 rifle, which is much less powerful than a 308. Only 1 moose required a second shot. Gramps was a good shot.
A 308 with 180 gr bullets is just fine for moose. Practice enough form standing and sitting to be able to hit a paper plate at 100 yards. Shot placement is about 98% of the kill, assuming a decent caliber and bullet.
A 308 with 180 gr bullets is just fine for moose. Practice enough form standing and sitting to be able to hit a paper plate at 100 yards. Shot placement is about 98% of the kill, assuming a decent caliber and bullet.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I'd use a good 165gr bullet and hunt moose with a 308 if it was all I had. I prefer bigger, but I've been at this longer and have varied tastes!
It is more about bullet selection than cartridge. There have been a lot of moose dumped with a.243 winchester shooting 100 grain nosher partitions. Shoot what you are comfortable with, practice and don't take the shot unless you are able to make an ethical shot.It's no fun following blood drops with the coleman lantern well after dark because you screwed up (not with caliber but with shot placement).
blasted_saber
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- A blue part of Ontario
I'd have zero problems shooting a moose with a 308 to 300m
My wife dropped this bull in its tracks with a 180gr partition .308 Win, see dead moose bellow. Last year, I took a buddy out who drew a tag and he ended up taking a bull moose with his .308 Win and same cartridge combo. The moose went about 50 yds.
