Big Game - Caribou/Moose - What Rifle Would You Use?
- Thread starter x_timewarfare_x
- Start date
...and how do I go through this forum for the 'For Sale' ads? Sorry for my newbie question, as I am sure many of you are tired of answering this question. I am aware of this same type of site-unknowingness, because I am apart of the DooTalk Forum site and I see that all the time. Anyway, hope to get a welcoming response, cheers!
07blackwater
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Port Coquitlam, BC
I only used a 270 for moose for years and it worked great with 150 grain core lokt.
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
Caribou give up easily and many here are taken with .22 centerfires. A moose might not be difficult to kill, but a strong bullet is recommended. The best answer for the one rifle hunter is the .30/06, or conversely a .308 in a compact rifle; but not everyone shares that point of view, and high velocity small bores are gaining ground. I would suggest a .260 Remington or a .270 if you want a cartridge smaller than .30 caliber. Either one loaded with mid-weight TTSX will put both types of venison in the freezer. You could do much worse than a Ruger Hawkeye.
You have to browse to the Equipment Exchange forum and apply for permission. It may take a day or so, but then you will be able to view and post ads.
The .270 WIN and WSM are very capable for this job. I have killed moose and caribou w/ a 270 WIN and it does a nice job on both. Ask this old girl;
That was a 150gr. Winchester Soft Point, (Super X)
All that said, any of the perennial favorites are great- .270, .308, or .30-06. Magnums not necessary. Pick one, be safe and have fun!
Sask_Hunter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Saskatchewan
Short answer, 300wsm/win
The long answer, any thing on up from 270 will work. The mid magnums are pretty good for killing big critters (7 rem, 300s, 338). They offer flat trajectorys, have the energy and bullets to penetrate heavy muscle and bone.
Pick a rifle that you like stainless is my preference in a caliber you can shoot well, nothing is worse than showing up with a cannon and not shooting it well. Good luck on your hunt!
The long answer, any thing on up from 270 will work. The mid magnums are pretty good for killing big critters (7 rem, 300s, 338). They offer flat trajectorys, have the energy and bullets to penetrate heavy muscle and bone.
Pick a rifle that you like stainless is my preference in a caliber you can shoot well, nothing is worse than showing up with a cannon and not shooting it well. Good luck on your hunt!
Holy smokes there are so many cartridges. $100 sporterized lee enfield will be the cheapest. If the bore is good all is well. Why waste money if you don't have it to waste? 303 has killed a lot of two-legged and four-legged animals for centuries. 200 yard shot with irons is easy once you sight in using the Canadian Tyre cartridges.
little bear
Regular
What Teapot said; I have been using a .303 for over 20 years on both moose and caribou. It has a 10 round mag, reliable, good stopping power, and if you drop it in a bog or lake, just dry it off and it will be ready to go.
- Location
- Saskatchewan
I have recommended to almost all the beginners that I have mentored that they buy a bolt action .308. Very nice balance between power and recoil, and you can enjoy cheap and abundant ammunition compared to most other cartridges. I will always have a .308 in my lineup of primary hunting rifles. A 30-06 is just as good.
If you are fairly new to centerfire rifle shooting, please stay away from anything marketed as "magnum" - you won't be able to take advantage of any extra range offered by such a round compared to the standard cartridges already mentioned, and within normal hunting ranges of 250 yds or less ( not internet shooting distances, I mean the real world! ) the standard .308 ( or 7mm08 or .270 or 6.5x55 or .280 or 30-06 ) will be fully adequate for any moose and certainly for caribou. With a magnum you will have a more expensive cartridge with more muzzle blast and recoil, both hinder good shooting. Magnum rifles are, or should be heavier and longer, neither attribute is an advantage in the bush.
With a cheap, common caliber choice you can practise more, and use inexpensive surplus ammo for practise and switch to high quality premium hunting bullets for final sight in and hunting.
Tradeex ( a sponsor of this site) has a lot of very good used Husqvarna bolt action (mauser) rifles for about half what you would pay for a new, similar quality arm. They would be a good place to start looking. If you want to buy new, the Ruger already mentioned by a couple posters is a good choice, also consider Howa, Tikka, and the higher grade Savage rifles. New rifles with scopes offered as a "package" often have poor quality scopes, a mid-priced scope of around $300 ( or more) is more reliable and will last much longer than a cheap package scope. High power variable scopes are very fashionable at present, but you don't need more power than 6x for any moose or caribou hunting. Low power and the corresponding wide field of view in the bush is often a bigger advantage to a moose hunter than more magnification at long range. Standard 3-9x scopes are popular because they work well for most things.
If you are fairly new to centerfire rifle shooting, please stay away from anything marketed as "magnum" - you won't be able to take advantage of any extra range offered by such a round compared to the standard cartridges already mentioned, and within normal hunting ranges of 250 yds or less ( not internet shooting distances, I mean the real world! ) the standard .308 ( or 7mm08 or .270 or 6.5x55 or .280 or 30-06 ) will be fully adequate for any moose and certainly for caribou. With a magnum you will have a more expensive cartridge with more muzzle blast and recoil, both hinder good shooting. Magnum rifles are, or should be heavier and longer, neither attribute is an advantage in the bush.
With a cheap, common caliber choice you can practise more, and use inexpensive surplus ammo for practise and switch to high quality premium hunting bullets for final sight in and hunting.
Tradeex ( a sponsor of this site) has a lot of very good used Husqvarna bolt action (mauser) rifles for about half what you would pay for a new, similar quality arm. They would be a good place to start looking. If you want to buy new, the Ruger already mentioned by a couple posters is a good choice, also consider Howa, Tikka, and the higher grade Savage rifles. New rifles with scopes offered as a "package" often have poor quality scopes, a mid-priced scope of around $300 ( or more) is more reliable and will last much longer than a cheap package scope. High power variable scopes are very fashionable at present, but you don't need more power than 6x for any moose or caribou hunting. Low power and the corresponding wide field of view in the bush is often a bigger advantage to a moose hunter than more magnification at long range. Standard 3-9x scopes are popular because they work well for most things.
