About to buy a BG Gun - Which Caliber?

Throttle

Throttle

Member
Rating - 100%
19   0   0
Location
Ontario-Simcoe County
Hi,

I'm in the market for a Big Game (Moose)Gun. Have been looking a the Rem Seven and 700's. I already have .308 semi and was thinking of something in line of 7mm or .300 -.338. I'll be hunting moose in NL this fall (with 30-06) and in Ontario if i ever get a tag.

Anyone with any suggestions and rationales would be welcomed!:popCorn:
 
Since you have a 308 and a 30-06, what I would suggest is the 338 WM, if you want a larger bore?It will still offer you a good shooting range at distance.
There are many choices there are many opinions, there are many cartridges that will do it all! But for a variety i would pick the 338 WM. The ability to launch a 250 grain bullet at 2750 fps makes for a great moose gun. And in the future if you decide to hunt brown or black things with big teeth its a good choice.
 
A 338 would be a good choice, that's for sure. A 7mm mag doesn't really offer anything much different than your 30-06 in practicality in my opinion.
 
Last edited:
The 7mm and 30-06 are already big enough, but if you want a really capable & dedicated large caliber, the 338 is a good option. So is the 375H&H. What about a 45/70? Where do you do your moose hunting and how much range do you need?
 
Too funny throttle, you and I are looking for the same purpose rifle. I posted in the precision rifle forum since I am set on a rem 700. I have chosen the .300 wm due to its versatility and awesome performance. Also availablity of ammo (fairly common) and re-loading influenced my decision. For myself I would go .338 only for reaching past 1000m more consistently than the .300. The more I read about the .300 the more I am impressed, I guess I have been converted :)
 
I have taken quite a few moose with the 7mm rem mag. Love the cartridge. A 165 gr federal vital shock nosler partition will do the job out to 400+ yards as long as you do yours.
there is something else many guys don't mention. I'm 5'10, 170lbs, my body does NOT like shooting a .338.... it's just no fun to shoot for me... and i've tried. The 7mm rm and the 30 06 are very comfortable for me to shoot and BOTH do an excellent job on moose, they ARE the right tools for the job. You really can't go wrong with either choice. If you have a larger body frame than i do, you may very well have no issues with handling a .338, but it's something to think about.
I've bought so many rifles that i ended up not enjoying shooting.... I've trimmed it down to this....
.303 for brush hunting deer at close ranges
.308 or 7mm rm for deer, black bear, mountain sheep
and nothing but my 7mm rm for moose, cariboo

the only time i would feel the itch to pack a .338 is when i'm deep in grizz country when the salmon are running up the rivers hehehe
 
.35 Whelen is the moose gun of choice for many. Moderate recoil, excellent performance on game with standard bullets, and contrary to popular myth not just a short range brush round.

FWIW, 44Bore
 
45ACPKING said:
there is something else many guys don't mention. I'm 5'10, 170lbs, my body does NOT like shooting a .338.... it's just no fun to shoot for me... and i've tried.
Click to expand...

I'm 6' and 195lbs. I have shot a Winchester .338 a long time ago and don't recall it being that bad. However, took a moose with a friends .378 Weatherby with Muxxle Break and it dang near killed me as well. My 30-06 is old and while it hasn't let me down, I've got an anchoring for something new.
 
jjackman said:
The 7mm and 30-06 are already big enough, but if you want a really capable & dedicated large caliber, the 338 is a good option. So is the 375H&H. What about a 45/70? Where do you do your moose hunting and how much range do you need?
Click to expand...

I have always huntin moose on the East coast. I can only remember one time having a desireable bull spotted and ranged at 615 yrds and couldn't get to him(big river in between) Of course at that distance I don't think any caliber is gonna help my shot.

Don't know much about the 45/70!
 
newfie moose

shot placement is certainly most important. most locals on the rock are using 30-06/ 303 brit.easy to find ammo.i have used a 300. win mag for the last 10 years there with all but one, one shot kills.(see shot placement above).with more moose than men you can always choose a good shot. i would like to try a 325.wsm.what about 338/08 federal? p.s. a friend has a 416.rem mag for sale reasonably priced if you want a really big gun. good luck
 
If you've got an 06 then the 338 makes perfect sence. For a dedicated Moose gun the 375 is good and the .416 Rem is better. Yes most standard calibers will just bounce off Moose and the 280 is for crows. Obviously kidding on that last statement, but I have to laugh when I hear little guns kill as good as big ones. Shoot something with a .40+ and tel me it doesn't work better. Not looking to start a pissing match but I've shot game with big and small, not just blowing hot air.
 
ron hilchey said:
shot placement is certainly most important. most locals on the rock are using 30-06/ 303 brit.easy to find ammo.i have used a 300. win mag for the last 10 years there with all but one, one shot kills.(see shot placement above).with more moose than men you can always choose a good shot. i would like to try a 325.wsm.what about 338/08 federal? p.s. a friend has a 416.rem mag for sale reasonably priced if you want a really big gun. good luck
Click to expand...
Grew up in NL hunting with , both 303 and 30-06. Father even hunted moose with a 30-30 . He tells a story of shooting a big bull just before snow. Hit moose in the fore shoulder and second thru and thru behind both eyes. Moose charged him and gun jammed. He got it unjammed just in time to pop the moose between the eyes at less then 30 yrds away. Sounds hard to believe, but father wasn't one to embelish a story.

I figure that was a cartridge/caliber selection issue and while the story is heart stopping, i figure it is best experienced by someone else.
 
Good hunt camp argument! :p

I am not personally a fan of the .300 Win Mag cartridge, solely because of recoil. I find that chambering punches above its weight class in the six or seven rifles I have had in .300 Win Mag. On the positive side, it has good ballistics and ammo is readily available.

But I strongly agree with the lads who are pointing you towards the .338 Win Mag. It is a goodly step up from your .30-06, ammo is widely available, trajectory is quite flat, and the energy on target is quite impressive. For my body, the best rifle configuration is the Ruger 77 Mark I, and the Remington 700 BDL would be about the worst for me - it beats me up. I suggest you try out a few guns for fit and "firing comfort" and buy what works best for you.

FWIW I wanted a new moose rifle for a Yukon hunt and bought a Ruger 77 Mark II stainless/synthetic in .350 Rem Mag and am very pleased with it. But I am a handloader and ammo availability is not a real issue for me........ (Yeah, I know, what if I go someplace and forget to bring my ammo, I will never find .350 Rem Mag in the local hardware store etc etc etc....:p)

Doug
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom