Moose question

captonion said:
25-06 will do anything a 308 Win will do, and some even better...
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This statement needed qualification... .308 does indeed have a performance edge, except in the trajectory argument out to 600 yards (excluding wind drift where the higher BC .30 caliber bullets excel as compared to the 1/4 bore bullets).

captonion said:
I have taken moose with both, and have had moose expire quicker with the 25-06...It's like the hand of god taking the life from them...The argument is hard to make if you have not used both on moose..
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I have used neither on moose... I have taken more than a dozen bulls... every one with archery equipment... but math is math... as I said in the above post, when all is equal the .308 has an edge.

captonion said:
How so? The shots taken with both were much the same...Shots I would take, or pass up would be identical for both...Just stating what I have actually seen/done...No more, no less......
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"Much the same"... but not "identical..." no two shots on game are identical and it is very hard to quantify the results... I agree that you would in all likelyhood pass up the same shots with either caliber... because the criteria for "shoot/no shoot" will be determined by factors other than caliber or even energy/momentum.

captonion said:
Sounds like witchcraft hoytcanon......

I've taken 8 moose with my 25-06, and a few more than that with other cartriges in the 7mm-30 cal non-magnum categories, and a few with belted magnums 7mm-30cal...They all were lethal..None more than the other from my experience...Never had to track a moose any further than 100yds with any of these choices...Not hard fact mathematics, but real world experiences that tell me a 25-06 is very capable of doing the job every bit as good as a 308Win...Shot moose with both, and prefer the .25...
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My archery bulls don't make it 100 yards either and yet my arrows only net 80 ft/lbs (compare that to your .25/06's 2400 ft/lb)... and yet every arrow has been a complete "pass through." Why? Because of "momentum" and arrows are designed to slice on a long wound channel, thereby resisting shedding their momentum/energy... where bullets are designed to pulverize (expand rapidly), thus they are designed to shed (dump) their momentum/energy on a short wound channel... the heavier the bullet and the faster the speed, the more the bullet resists stopping or changing its path.

As I said... I am not arguing with your experience, only your conclusion... I agree that .25/06, .260, .270, 7mm-08, .308, .30/06 etc... etc... are all "sufficient" calibers to harvest moose cleanly... the key is #1 - SHOT PLACEMET and #2 - BULLET CONSTRUCTION... make your weapon choice, practice, practice, practice and then make a good ethical shot... and all will go well.

It can sound like withcraft... just don't call me Samantha! ;)
 
Still trying to find that "math whiz" bull moose that knows he was only hit with a .25 bullet...

Moose in my admittedly limited experience are not very hard to kill and where I hunt shots over 100 yards are very uncommon.

Put a bullet in the right spot and it will die. A .25 running through the lungs and that moose won't be standing very long.
 
Wow, lots of great advice! Thanks everybody! I guess the only reason that I ever questioned the 308, is I have ever only used it for deer. A few years back, during a elk hunt a friend of mine shot a 5x5 bull with his 308, the thing would not die! I know it probably had more to do with bullet placement than caliber, but, tracking a animal for miles is hard to forget...
Earlier in the week of that same hunt I shot a 7x6 (my avatar picture)at 450 yards with my 300RUM and he didn't go 50 yards. Needless to say if I still had that land cannon I would be using it, but after shooting that bull I switched to strictly archery hunting for elk so had no need for such a punishing cartridge. Now I really only rifle hunt for deer hence why I shoot 25-06 and 308. The 308 BLR is my "bush" gun and I love it! Then I have the 25-06 when hunting the open land where longer shots are required, this cartridge has impressed me from day one! I have shot deer and a few caribou with it, if you tally up all the animals I have shot with it all together they have maybe gone 100 yards, there is just something about it with my handloaod 110 accubonds that knocks them flat!!
So with all that being said, I don't shoot one gun better than the other at 100 yards, beyond that the 25-06 has better glass, and shoot flatter so at 200 and beyond there is no comparison IMO. But, with moose in the area we are hunting 250 will be the longest poke that would ever happen. So we will see at the time of the hunt which gun gets the nodd. lol... I will never hear the end of it if i shoot a moose with my 25-06 and my buddy needs to put another one in it with his 270 Weatherby.... lol....
I WILL MAKE THE FIRST SHOT COUNT!!!
Thanks for all the help and suggestions!!
 
The bigger the animal, the more advantages you gain from heavier bullets. That makes the .308 with a Nosler Partition, or one of the other premium bullets, the best choice of those two rounds for moose. The fact that lots of moose have been killed with the .25-06 (and other cartridges) is irrelevant to which of the two in question on this thread is the better cartridge specifically for moose.
 
Yup, what ever rifle you choose to use, a partition or accubond in the lung will kill it. Don't shoulder shoot a moose. I've shot about 30 moose and I've never seen one take more than 6 or 7 steps when hit in the lung and most I've taken were with a 270 with plain old cup and core bullets. I've just recently switched over to Nosler and the performance is awesome.

Moose often cough then drop when hit in the lung.
 
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I feel what it boils down to is what type of shot you are willing to take.
I dislike shooting an animal in the shoulder, since more meat is invariably lost.

That being said, if a moose is facing towards me at a quartering angle, which will require a
shot to the onside shoulder, I will not pass on the shot.
This is where the 25-06 could create unnecessary problems.

Today's premium bullets have levelled the field somewhat,
but I know which chambering I would be trusting more to do the job... The 308.

I have shot a couple of moose with the 6mm Remington, and at least one with the 257Bob.
However, I was not "moose hunting" on any of these occasions. I was hunting deer, and the
moose happened to show up and present perfect broadside shots. All were taken with Partitions.

The vast majority of moose I have shot [many, over a 49 year period] have been taken with rifles from 7mm up.
a few with the 6.5x55, a couple with the 264 Win Mag, but the 7x57 has accounted for 8 at least, the 7mm Mag a couple.
2 with the 8x57 Mauser and the 200 Accubond. [Great performer, BTW]
30 cal rifles have accounted for the most, and a 308 or 30-06 with a 180 Partition or AB, or 168 TTSX, or
[Insert your favorite "premium bullet here]
are great moose medicine, and these will allow you to break bone to get into the heart lung area, if needed.

In all the time I have hunted moose, I have only had to track one over 75 yards or so, and that was definitely driver error!
My first shot was too far back, and he managed to get a head of steam up. 3 more shots and 280 yards, and he was down.

In my personal experience, Elk are considerably tougher than are moose to kill, and I prefer a bit more gun when hunting them
particularly if the shot may be at a longer distance.

Regards, Eagleye.
 
Moose may be large and impressive, but Elk are the ones that will run for 12 friggin time zones when hit marginally. I would use the rifle that you are most proficient with and wait for the shot. I don't think I have shot a moose with a centerfire rifle since 1988
 
mackillan said:
A 25-06 with a 110 grain bullet is light. A moose is a big animal.
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Big, they sure are..Hard to anchor, not so much...
I was mostly using 120gr partitions, but have since switched to the 115gr, because my rifle likes em better..Of the 8 moose I have taken with the 25-06, I recovered one bullet..Atleast a couple of them were taken with plain old Rem Core-locts, and none of them required a second shot...

Next stop Africa (if all works out) for Eland, Oryx, Bush Pig, Sable Antelope and Blue Wildebeest...
 
Which is the better rig?
Are both rifles forgiving with bullet sellection?
I haven't played with a 25-06 but I love the 6.5 so I'd offer the same suggestion; use a premium bullet thats heavy for caliber.
The 308, i'd be partial to a 165/168 weight range. I always kind of like premium bullets and the 308 is no different.
Really doesn't matter the bullet or the caliber if you don't know your limitations- you are still the most important part.
Enjoy the practice and good luck:)
 
Tikkam65 said:
I would say 308 with 180 s
Remember break the front shoulder
The shoulder will shrapnel into the heart and it will stop
I tracked my far share of animals
Breaking the shoulder stops them dead
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The .308 advice is good, the shooting the shoulder not so good!

When you turn the shoulder to schrapnel a lot of good meat is wasted, plus the intentional hitting of a big heavy bone will result in less penetration and will make bullet failure more likely!

Take the .308 and shoot about 3-4" behind the front shoulder, the moose will die very quick and no wasted meat.
 
I have used a 25/06 for years. I have never taken a moose with one, but have taken deer, and bears. With a 115 gr. partition out to 250 yards, I wouldn't bat an eye. Just my 2 cents.

Dave.
 
9.3mauser said:
Having to choose between those two options, .308 with a 180 gr. Nosler partition.

I know I'm going to get an argument from umpteen million people who have shot mice, elephants, and everything in between with a .25/06, but in my opinion it's strictly a proportional proposition... the bigger the animal, the bigger the gun. It's a matter of having respect for the animal you're hunting and having some margin for error when things go wrong.
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+1 I guess I am lazy but when I shoot a moose the first thing I want is a quick, clean kill, the second is I don't want to walk a mile to go get it.
 
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