What Bullet is best for Moose?

[Potshot21]

I'm a fan of Accubonds mainly. I do also like Barnes TTSX, but have yet to have an opportunity to pull the trigger and see ther performance myself.

Have seen Sierra GameKings work pretty well, didn't recover the bullet but it did its job and tipped over a nice bull.

Partitions are widely accepted as one of, if not thee best cup and core bullets available.

No experience with Swift A-Frames or Woodleighs but wouldn't mind trying them out sometime if the opportunity arose.

Strangely, nothing made by Hornady made my short list. I've never used them on big game, but have never heard anything about their terminal performance that made me shift to them over Nosler. I've heard the Interbond is nearly the same as an Accubond, but I've always kept a good supply of Noslers around that never felt the urge to try some.

 

[hawk-i]

Full disclosure, I’ve never shot any game with a Berger bullet and I didn’t see the deleted Barnes video. I’ve only shot wet newspapers with the Berger and got the posted results. I have a hard time imagining that a Berger bullet would have done better on a moose shoulder joint (and that was a small bull) that prevented a 250gr TTSX from a .375 magnum from fully penetrating and get mangled.

I killed a moose pretty much every year since the early 80's...and used a lot of different bullets types.

As an example in the last 3 years I used.... 3 years ago 140 TTSX from a 7 mag distance about 80 yards,.... 2 years ago 180 E-tip out of a 30 Nosler @ 200 yards,... this year a 245 Berger EOL out of a 300PRC @ 415 yards.

I'm just saying over the years of using many different bullet types, my experience is the Bergers mostly VLDs dump game on the spot in their tracks quicker than any other bullet, YMMV but thats been my experience!

 

[SHELL SHUCKER]

I am wondering how many moose were taken in the past with a simple lead round ball and a smoothbore musket .... ??

Anybody wants to take a guess?

Plenty of of 'em were taken back in the days when the pioneer folks were exploring & expanding the country. A shyte-load more were taken before then by
by bow and spear.

Me own preference fer moose though is 405gr .45-70 hardcast boolits at modest velocity (1300-1400 fps) inside of 75 yds. Nice fer shoulder shots.

 

[bearkilr]

I want a bullet that will reach the vitals from any angle that I am presented, even if substantial
bone is encountered by said bullet. This is where the Berger fails to qualify. Dave.

Exactly, and Berger's aren't known to be a "meat friendly" bullet, which on high quality table fare like moose is another reason to not use them.

For those not hung up on BC and all the other nonsense, the Partition is hard to beat.

 

[Win120]

Seeing as we have a what caliber is best for moose, I thought we could discuss what bullet is best for moose as well.

Premium or cup and core...lots of bullets out there..long range, short range, etc?

Here is an article from outdoorlife Sept /19 that lists the top 10 moose cartridges and bullets. Gives another perspective on both topics.

http:/www.outdoorlife.com/top-moose-cartridges-and-bullets/

 

[SuperCub]

Here is an article from outdoorlife Sept /19 that lists the top 10 moose cartridges and bullets. Gives another perspective on both topics.

http:/www.outdoorlife.com/top-moose-cartridges-and-bullets/

There's some goofy stuff in that article. It's like they put a little of everything in there to keep everyone happy.

I'd hardly say that a 243 or 6.5CM are top moose cartridges, and who actually owns a 6.5x300 Weatherby.

 

[cody c]

I had these on the shelf and thought id take a pic for the thread.

9.3x62 with 286 grain PPU ammo is what I'm shooting at the moment, in the pick below these were taken out of moose and an elk (middle).

None of them went far, except the elk who was at a run when I got him and maybe made 20 yards before piling up. The 300 WM accubond dropped the moose at around 250-300 yards (my brothers rig) and he has had alot of success with the NAB's at up to 600 yards or so. His A-bolt seems to favor hot loads and he's a really good shot. Id tell you but it would sound like some of the other tales on here that even I don't believe.

a 286 grain round opposite a 303 for reference
IMG_1908 by cody c, on Flickr

 

[SuperCub]

Top Ten Moose Cartridges .........

1. 30-06 with 180gr NP
2. 7mm Mag with 160gr NP
3. 308 with 165gr NP
4. 7x57 (7-08) with 140gr NP
5. 280 with 150gr NP
6. 300WM with 180gr NP
7. 35Whelen with 250gr NP
8. 375 Magnum (H&H or Ruger) with 260gr NP
9. 9.3x62 with 286gr NP
10. 338WM with 250gr NP

 

[bcsteve]

Top Ten Moose Cartridges .........

1. 30-06 with 180gr NP
2. 7mm Mag with 160gr NP
3. 308 with 165gr NP
4. 7x57 (7-08) with 140gr NP
5. 280 with 150gr NP
6. 300WM with 180gr NP
7. 35Whelen with 250gr NP
8. 375 Magnum (H&H or Ruger) with 260gr NP
9. 9.3x62 with 286gr NP
10. 338WM with 250gr NP

I shot moose with 4 out of those 10, (7mm Rem Mag, .300 WSM, .35Whelen and .375 Ruger) but with the TSX, TTSX and LRX equivalent of the NP. None of them took more than 2-3 steps. I’m sure it would have been the same results with NP’s but not sure about Bergers.

 

[huntingfish]

Accubond

I'm taking accubonds in the woods this year.

David

 

[BlackRam]

As stated previously, pretty much any bullet placed accurately in the vitals with enough velocity to ensure proper expansion and enough penetration to cause sufficient tissue damage will reliably harvest a moose.
This means a regular cup and core bullet or a premium bullet with approx 1800 fps velocity at the animal, retaining over 1000 ft-lbs of energy (preferrably 1500 ft-lbs) in calibers ranging from .264 to .458 is going to work.
Moose are big, but not overly tenacious of life and succumb to well placed bullets easier than other large game animals. That said, a rut crazed, mud-caked bull in Alaska or the Yukon is quite a bit different than a Shiras or Canadian spike horned bull found grazing peacefully in southern or eastern Canada.
I prefer larger calibers with a bit more bullet weight, and the Nosler AccuBond is my favourite hunting bullet today. I have successfully harvested moose with the 6.5x55 and 140 gr Partitions and X Bullets to 375 Win with 200 gr Power Point bullets over the years, with many other cartridges and bullet types and weights in between, including magnums and premium bullets.
In the end, shoot a rifle chambered in a cartridge that you shoot well, with a bullet/load combination that is accurate in your rifle. And leave the target/match type bullets at home and use proper bullets designed for hunting and harvesting game.

 

[todigy]

I have seen 2 people have catastrophic failures with federal blur box,one being a short range hit on a white tail shoulder with a .30 cal (i recall it being a 300wm) making a 90 degree turn and tearing down the ribs. I seem to recall having poor performance with I believe a Hornady SST. Thats about it. Everything else has worked, granted some causing horrid meat loss but they didn't fail.
Some of my favourites are TSX, Accubond, and.... cast .490 lead round ball!

I had a an experience this fall on a bear with a 300 wm federal blue box as well. I was sitting 110 yards from the bait, my wife with her 308 in hand and me backing up with the 300 wm. Bear comes in slight quarter too, I am watching in my scope, my wife lined the cross hairs up and shoots. The shot through my scope looked good as it looked like she drilled the shoulder. For some reason I squeezed one off. Turns out my shot was the kill shot, as she hit the arm of the bear grazing its brisket. When I shot its head was down facing us, my bullet entered the bears muzzle, hitting its lower jaw bone and the bullet basically disintegrated into 25 pieces of shrapnel. The the bear ran 30 yards and piled up. Autopsy report showed that the many pieces of bulled entered through the neck and got wind pipe and lungs. It was real mess inside, but I really would have expected the bullet to stay together a little better.

 

[Eagleye]

Top Ten Moose Cartridges .........

1. 30-06 with 180gr NP
2. 7mm Mag with 160gr NP
3. 308 with 165gr NP
4. 7x57 (7-08) with 140gr NP
5. 280 with 150gr NP
6. 300WM with 180gr NP
7. 35Whelen with 250gr NP
8. 375 Magnum (H&H or Ruger) with 260gr NP
9. 9.3x62 with 286gr NP
10. 338WM with 250gr NP

 

[SuperCub]

I'm glad someone got it.

 

[threecentsolution]

Best for Moose is the one that misses.

 

[hoytcanon]

I had a an experience this fall on a bear with a 300 wm federal blue box as well. I was sitting 110 yards from the bait, my wife with her 308 in hand and me backing up with the 300 wm. Bear comes in slight quarter too, I am watching in my scope, my wife lined the cross hairs up and shoots. The shot through my scope looked good as it looked like she drilled the shoulder. For some reason I squeezed one off. Turns out my shot was the kill shot, as she hit the arm of the bear grazing its brisket. When I shot its head was down facing us, my bullet entered the bears muzzle, hitting its lower jaw bone and the bullet basically disintegrated into 25 pieces of shrapnel. The the bear ran 30 yards and piled up. Autopsy report showed that the many pieces of bulled entered through the neck and got wind pipe and lungs. It was real mess inside, but I really would have expected the bullet to stay together a little better.

You know on baited bears there is plenty of time to wait for a good shot angle...

 

[Suther]

I had a an experience this fall on a bear with a 300 wm federal blue box as well. I was sitting 110 yards from the bait, my wife with her 308 in hand and me backing up with the 300 wm. Bear comes in slight quarter too, I am watching in my scope, my wife lined the cross hairs up and shoots. The shot through my scope looked good as it looked like she drilled the shoulder. For some reason I squeezed one off. Turns out my shot was the kill shot, as she hit the arm of the bear grazing its brisket. When I shot its head was down facing us, my bullet entered the bears muzzle, hitting its lower jaw bone and the bullet basically disintegrated into 25 pieces of shrapnel. The the bear ran 30 yards and piled up. Autopsy report showed that the many pieces of bulled entered through the neck and got wind pipe and lungs. It was real mess inside, but I really would have expected the bullet to stay together a little better.

So you're shooting a magnum with cheap cup and core bullets and the bullet didn't hold up on a bad angle shot? I can't be the only one reading this thread that is not surprised in the slightest...

 

[Sqr]

Where the hunter aims and Any one that hits a vital spot.

 

[mrgoat]

I have shot a boxcar load of moose in the past 55 years, and the vast majority have succumbed to 165 or 180 Partitions.
That being said, I have killed moose with the old Winchester Silvertip, The Hornady interlock, the Accubond, The Norma Dual-Core,
The Remington Cor-Lokt, the old CIL KKSP, and the Long Range Accubond.

These days, I mostly pack Partitions up the spout. They have proven to be very, very dependable for me. The Accubond is also
decent, but wrecks more meat than the Partition should your shot be off slightly. For really high velocity chamberings, the TTSX
/GMX/E-TIP will work well. Dave.

Well I am shy a couple years of Eagleye's experience at only 49 yrs. I can substantiate that Nosler partitions have served me well, 165 gr. in a 30-06. I have also seen Winchester Silvertips and Remington Cor-Lokt work well as I have recovered many from moose that I have cleaned. Moose are not a hard kill, any decent bullet placed well will get the job done. Many a moose here in Ont have been taken with 30-30, 303, 308, and 30-06 in Winchester, Remington, and Dominion/CIL brand ammunition, as those were the only brands available.