25-06 or 30-30 for moose

Why not? said:
I have shot and seen shot more big bull moose than I can remember over the past 50 years. No small number have been with the 358 Winchester and the 358 Norma Mag using 250 gr bullets. That is definitely not typical reaction for a moose after receiving a double lung hit with any caliber using any expanding bullet, let alone a Partition.

I wonder if perhaps the bullet hit enough brush that it had already expanded before hitting the moose? That would explain the large entry wound and poor penetration.

Moose are generally not at all hard to kill.

Ted
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You know, the bullet may have clipped a small tree on the way in. That moose was hit a bit too far back then I would have liked but did hit the rear lungs. And ya of all the moose I have shot, this one went the furthest for whatever reason. I would say though that the 250 grain .35 cal bullet would be a lot more effective than the 120 grain .25 cal in that situation. Also, I hunt for meat and want the hunting odds stacked as much as possible in my favour. We don’t always get time for a nice well aimed shot. Sometimes, you have to shoot fast in less than ideal circumstances. Now that I have a choice in rifles, I tend to grab my .375 H&H. The moose I have gotten so far with that caliber have tended not to go far which makes for easier packing.
 
NormSC said:
You know, the bullet may have clipped a small tree on the way in. That moose was hit a bit too far back then I would have liked but did hit the rear lungs. And ya of all the moose I have shot, this one went the furthest for whatever reason. I would say though that the 250 grain .35 cal bullet would be a lot more effective than the 120 grain .25 cal in that situation. Also, I hunt for meat and want the hunting odds stacked as much as possible in my favour. We don’t always get time for a nice well aimed shot. Sometimes, you have to shoot fast in less than ideal ocircumstances. that I have a choice in rifles, I tend to grab my .375 H&H. The moose I have gotten so far with that caliber have tended not to go far which makes for easier packing.
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Pure BS, if your taking shots under situations you know could easily wound the animal (as you stated) your a shooter not a hunter. Hunters wait for the best possible shot and if that shot doesn’t present itself a true hunter passes and hunts another day.

SCG
 
Southcountryguy said:
If your a hunter that respects the range and limitations of each caliber either will work well.
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A story that answers to this very well...Not a moose but a large animal non the less, I used a 25-06 on a mature full grown bull elk at a counted 440 paces one time. That bull came out on a cutline and stood broad side and I drilled him dead center through both lungs. He went down but got back up in an instant and disappeared into the timber , I started walking but only walked about 6 or 8 paces and he came back out into the cutline again and I dumped him again, this time he stayed down....until I got up to 40 yrds or so from him, he jumped up and layed his horns on his back and headed into the bush again. i wish i could say it was good management but it wasn't, I just picked an opening between 2 trees and when I seen hair I dumped him again... "$hit house luck but this time he was down for the count.

So I hit that bull 3 times with the 25-06 loaded with 120 gr Nosler part. and all 3 shots were double lung shots that you could cover with a playing card. The thing is , I recovered 2 slugs from the animal , both stopped at the hide on the off side. The third shot and I am assuming the last "short range" shot was a through & through and this one was leaking blood where the animal was down. My point being is that only the short range shot would have given me a tracking blood trail if I'd of needed one.

It was just plain circumstantial good luck that i ever recovered that elk shooting it at that distance with that 25-06. I have killed smaller deer sized game with that 25-06 at considerably longer ranges (out to 700 or so) with utmost confidence and would do it again without hesitation....but I wouldn't use it again on elk or moose sized game at more than 100 yrds....so my experience tells me your good to go out to 100 yrds with either of your choices.
 
I believe that a 25-06 Remington, with a 120 grain Nosler Partition, while in the hands of an experienced hunter, is more than adequate. However, there are many better cartridges for hunting moose............I personal preference is a magnum cartridge.
 
track said:
I believe that a 25-06 Remington, with a 120 grain Nosler Partition, while in the hands of an experienced hunter, is more than adequate. However, there are many better cartridges for hunting moose............I personal preference is a magnum cartridge.
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A. 240 Weatherby Magnum with a 100 gr Nosler Partition. :) RJ
 
obsessed1b said:
Its believable...might have some competition from the good old 303 brit..but lots of old timers only used one or the other and moose was a staple for farmers back in the day up here
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I think the 6.5x55 has probably taken more moose. Unless we’re just talking about Canada. Then the 30-30 or 303 would be my guess
 
barry1974w said:
I think the 6.5x55 has probably taken more moose. Unless we’re just talking about Canada. Then the 30-30 or 303 would be my guess
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I had not considered Sweden...considering the moose harvest/ year is almost 2x all of NA every year I would agree, however as I understand it a Swede moose is much smaller than most of our moose population in NA.
 
Either rifle will work fine for your situation. Use the one that you feel more comfortable with.
And if you cannot decide; take both!
Use the one that fits the circumstances that may present itself, such as the 30-30 if in the close timber, or the scoped 25-06 if out in the more open.
(You did not specify whether you are sitting in a stand over a trail or lick, or still hunting through the forest.)

Personally, I would use the 30-30 with the 170 gr bullet just because I like hunting with lever actions. But that's just me!
 
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