Hunting Bullets for moose?

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triplepete

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What brand, caliber, and grain do you use for moose and like size game? I hear Nosler Partitions are one of the best for taking down game. How do Hornady Super Shoks compare. Are Partitions really that good?

If I sight my rifle 180 gr Sierra Matchking can I expect same accuracy with 180 gr Partition?
 
I have had good success using nosler partition 220gr (blr 30-06 iron sights) on moose(shots 60-100yds). I have used different parritions/calibres on different game and have always found them to be a very accurate bullet that performs very consistantly.

I use 400g hawks in my 450 marlin blr for moose now. If nosler or hornady made an equivalent bullet I likely would not have found the hawks.
 
Nosler partition, accubond
Hornady gmx, interbond
Speer grand slam, deep curl
Barnes tsx
All good bullets just stick to the heavier weights in your gun. I personally like Partitions :)
We can shoot big game in BC with any centerfire but the reasonable lower limit is a 243 Win. with one of the 85gr tsx or partitions 85-100gr.
I would start at the 25-06 with 120gr partitions and go anywhere from there up to the monster magnums. Whatever you can shoot accurately and is comfortable.
You can never go wrong with a 30-06 and 180 partitions!
 
"If I sight my rifle 180 gr Sierra Matchking can I expect same accuracy with 180 gr Partition?"

Every gun will like something different. Based on my experience, you should not expect the same level of accuracy for Sierra Matchking compared to a Partition in the same weight- Sierra bullets are more accurate.

It's not inconceivable that PTs and MKs will shoot as accurately as the other in your gun, but you should probably expect a change in point of impact. Especially at longer distances, as the Matchking is a much more aerodynamically efficient bullet.

I've loaded 180gr Sierra Gamekings for 30-06 and 300 WSM. I'd be comfortable with both for a Moose. For moose hunting the smallest gun I'd take with be a 30-06 with a 165 gr bullet. It's more about energy delivered on target than a specific caliber or bullet weight. Shot placement also plays a huge roll.

If you have not already checked out the Hornday HITs calculator, it's a pretty good starting point to figure out if your ammunition choice is up to task at hand. You input your calibre, bullet weight, impact velocity and the calculator will give you a recommendation on size of game which can be taken, with good shot placement. Impact velocity tables can be found in most loading manuals. Here is the link to the HITs Calculator,

http://www.hornady.com/hits/calculator

Hope that's useful.
 
At 30-06 velocities you do not need a premium, $1.50 a piece bullet to successfully harvest a moose. The much less expensive quality made cup and core bullets work just fine. Like say the Rem core lokt as already suggested or the speer hot core flat base in 180 or 200 gn, both are outstanding bullets at 06 velocities and 1/3 the price of Parts or TSX or Swifts.
 
triplepete said:
Are Partitions really that good?
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Yes.


triplepete said:
If I sight my rifle 180 gr Sierra Matchking can I expect same accuracy with 180 gr Partition?
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Different bullets often deliver different accuracy. You'll have to answer this question yourself with your own rifle and loads.

Matchkings are not specified as game bullets and thus not in the same league as Partitions/TSX/TTSX/etc for this use.


.
 
c-fbmi said:
At 30-06 velocities you do not need a premium, $1.50 a piece bullet to successfully harvest a moose. The much less expensive quality made cup and core bullets work just fine. Like say the Rem core lokt as already suggested or the speer hot core flat base in 180 or 200 gn, both are outstanding bullets at 06 velocities and 1/3 the price of Parts or TSX or Swifts.
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True words! ...... It's amazing how bullet makers have brainwashed us into believing otherwise.

I've more than more than once heard how well those 200gr Speers work in a 30/06 on bigger game and from folks who actually know from actual experience.

.
 
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Agreed - in my 30-06 carbine (20 ich bbl), my 180 gr Hornady round nose 180 gr, hit a big cow elk at the base of the neck at about 140 yds and did such damage that she didnt make the deep bush 10 yds away.

Reloading gives you the chance to pick the bullet or load that you require.
Partitions are great, but dont underestimate the old guard of bullets. High velocity is not required for many, many normal hunts and we tend to get ourselves into trouble with high velocity, that leads us to bullet failure, then we try to find a cure....
 
farshot said:
High velocity is not required for many, many normal hunts and we tend to get ourselves into trouble with high velocity, that leads us to bullet failure, then we try to find a cure....
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I agree. Since I am just learning to hunt I don't think I would chance any shot over 200 yds. Heavy and slow will still be flat as light and fast under 200 yds.


Charlie38 said:
The last time I looked there is no moose hunting in Burnaby lol. A couple of extra dollars for piece of mind is worth a Partition or two for a hunt far away from home with a short window to hunt. Just my 2 bucks :)
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Too bad I have to drive so far to hunt, but the wife like organic meat!!! I should move out of the city:p
 
In the 30-06 i've had good bullet performance from ordinary old Winchester Super-X 180 gr Power Point. This is a really decent bullet at 30-06 velocities. Very acceptable hunting accuracy, good penetration and tough enough to buck some bone without blowing into teeny little pieces. Good moose bullet IMO.

You really don't need a premium bullet at 30-06 velocities. That said, i do handload the 180 gr partition in 30-06 and 300 winmag and use it a lot, too.
 
i use federal fusion lite. under 150 yards them 170 gr bullets are amazing! i also have barnes 168 gr tsx bullets i use. but that being said i have use 150 grain cheap sp ammo on big moose and it has work fine.
 
When I went moose hunting, my local gunsmith sold me regular old blue blox federal shells, saying they worked just fine, even when I was quite willing to pay more.

Thats all the other guys in camp used as well.

My friend who's shot quite a few recommended Core Lokt remington shells.
 
I have been using 165 gr. Nosler partions in the 30-06 for many years. Yep they is expensive little buggers. But I like them, no moose I ever shot has ever won the arguement with one. My Dad was a very sucessfull hunter over the years and he always swore by Winchester silver tips

For years I was the game cleaner in the camp. I have recovered alot of bullets of many different makes. The Remington 180gr. core lokts always impressed me in the way they held together and mushroomed nicely. Never enough to get me to switch from the Noslers though.

There are lot of very good bullets out there, what you have success with I find you tend to favour after a while.
 
triplepete said:
What brand, caliber, and grain do you use for moose and like size game? I hear Nosler Partitions are one of the best for taking down game. How do Hornady Super Shoks compare. Are Partitions really that good?

If I sight my rifle 180 gr Sierra Matchking can I expect same accuracy with 180 gr Partition?
Click to expand...

I think that as long as you use a hunting bullet from a reputable manufacturer (Nosler, Sierra, Hornady, etc.), you will be OK.
 
triplepete said:
What brand, caliber, and grain do you use for moose and like size game? I hear Nosler Partitions are one of the best for taking down game. How do Hornady Super Shoks compare. Are Partitions really that good?

If I sight my rifle 180 gr Sierra Matchking can I expect same accuracy with 180 gr Partition?
Click to expand...

I used to use Federal blue box, then Federal Fusions, then I started relaoding and bought Partitions, now I like to use Swift AFrames. I killed crtters with all of them.

Bottom line is they will all work.

FWIW I'd step up from the partitions and go AFrames. Near the same cost and I have found the Swifts to be a very good bullet. Yes they are about $1.50 a pop and well worth it.

From testing I have found the AFrame point of impact (POI) to be identical to a Hornady Interlock of similar weight that are about half the cost. So I target shoot with the interlocks and hunt with the AFrames.

Last years Grizzly, moose, elk, coyotes, and deer all were taken with AFrames. I recovered the 275 grain AFrame from the grizzly. The bullet mushroomed perfectly on a diaganol course through the thoracic cavity of the griz, bust through the opposite shoulder and came to rest just under the outside shoulder. Total weight of the recovered bullet - 269 grains.

If you think in total cost terms of a hunt $1.50 to $3.00 spent on premium bullets for a hunt is probably the cheapest item on your hunt. For me it's worth it.
 
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