.257 Roberts for Moose.
- Thread starter RT
- Start date
You can use any calibre as you choose as long as it is legal. In Ontario, only center-fire rifles are legal for moose hunt.
My moose rifles include .308, 300WM and 45/70.
Four seasons ago, a hunter from our camp fired three round (25-06) at an adult bull. He stood 20 yards away and waited three minutes for it to bleed out. The bull jumped up and took off. Five hours tracking until dark six of us we couldn’t locate the bull. We looked for it the next day and couldn’t find the trail. With the amount of blood lost, it was going to die sooner or later.
We now have rule at our camp for moose, the minimum calibre is .270. It is very simple. If you don’t have the right equipment then go and buy one. If you have the equipment, use it.
My moose rifles include .308, 300WM and 45/70.
Four seasons ago, a hunter from our camp fired three round (25-06) at an adult bull. He stood 20 yards away and waited three minutes for it to bleed out. The bull jumped up and took off. Five hours tracking until dark six of us we couldn’t locate the bull. We looked for it the next day and couldn’t find the trail. With the amount of blood lost, it was going to die sooner or later.
We now have rule at our camp for moose, the minimum calibre is .270. It is very simple. If you don’t have the right equipment then go and buy one. If you have the equipment, use it.
- Location
- Lloydminster
I was watching a show on wild TV (I think it was Peterson's Hunting) and two gun writers were up in Alaska shooting moose. One guy had a .270 Win or WSM in an M77 he was 'field testing'. He got a nearly perfect shot at less than 100 yds at a big bull. Took about 4 shots at close range before it finally fell. Turned to the camera and said something like' some guys think you need a big gun for these animals...'
I was thinking 'What?'. You had a perfect shot at a wide open standing bull and it took you nearly a minute and at least four shots?! You call that effective? What if it had been a less than perfect or longer range shot?
The smaller the caliber the more you rely on bullet performance & shot placement to some extent. If you are a good shot & have time to pick your shot fine, if on the other hand you need to anchor a larger moose Right here..Right now as in.... If it runs into that swamp right there 
then there deff are better choices!
then there deff are better choices!
I have commented on this topic previously, so will not go off with a long-winded statement. Moose can be killed with practically any chambering out there, IFthe shot is placed perfectly, and the bullet does it's job. I really feel that Elk & Moose chamberings start at 6.5mm and go up from there. A well constructed bullet of decent sectional density is vital in the smaller diameters. As diameter increases, the need for perfect presentation to assure a kill diminishes somewhat. Obviously, sloppy shooting can get one in trouble regardless of bullet diameter/weight/sectional density. If you only feel comfortable with bullets from 8mm or 338 up, then go for it! It's hard to argue with the guy who has successfully shot 20+ moose with his 257 Bob though. Regards, Eagleye.
Just don't use deer bullets that are designed for rapid expansion[ballistic tips etc].After the hammer falls gravity takes over...............................I like a 156-160gr 6.5x55 myself but have shot lots with a 130 Hornady Inter lock handload in a .270 Win............to each their own I guess...........Harold
a big cal still does not make up for a bad shot i love the 264 win mag for moose it hits were you point it and sure does a lot of damage when it gets there .i have een guys shooting 300 wetherbys and thy could not hit a moose at 100 yards thy were flinching so bad you are far better of with a smaller cal that yoy can shot then a big one that gets the best of you it is hard to hit a big animal like a moose with your eyes closed well flinching my 2 cents DUTCH
- Location
- WMU248 near Edmonton
If it was a perfect broadside under 200yds I would take the shot (25-06 Accubonds)
but really hunting moose I take my 300WM with 200grn Accubonds, the 25-06 is my deer gun
but really hunting moose I take my 300WM with 200grn Accubonds, the 25-06 is my deer gun
the last moose I shot personally was with a .270 and a very very slow 160gr RN. one shot drop.
I've seen 30+ (40+?) moose fall down now through guiding and hunting with friends. I've seen them fall down to one well placed 6.5x55 and soak up 5 rounds of .338mag and run off into the trees.
personally I think the animals metal state (scared, aware, undisturbed & feeding) at the time of the shot has more to do with it then caliber or power.
I've seen 30+ (40+?) moose fall down now through guiding and hunting with friends. I've seen them fall down to one well placed 6.5x55 and soak up 5 rounds of .338mag and run off into the trees.
personally I think the animals metal state (scared, aware, undisturbed & feeding) at the time of the shot has more to do with it then caliber or power.
Why do we keep falling for this......every now and again someone comes along and posts something about using small guns/calibers on large and/or dangerous game, and as usual, we fall for it and get a long thread going about using expensive bullets, and oh yea, "doesn't matter what you use, just hit em in the right place" blah blah. I'm here to tell you that most of the time people, myself included, don't always hit them in the right spot, and even bullets costing $5 each aren't going to change anything.
You owe it to the game you hunt, to use enough gun to effect a clean kill, that means a bullet long enough, and heavy enough, with enough frontal area to penetrate an animal completely while doing as much damage to internals as possible. It also means not taking low average long shots at game, leave that for the target range. Know your gun, know your game, err on the side of using the heaviest, widest, bullet you can, and stop these threads about using the smallest gun you can find!!
You owe it to the game you hunt, to use enough gun to effect a clean kill, that means a bullet long enough, and heavy enough, with enough frontal area to penetrate an animal completely while doing as much damage to internals as possible. It also means not taking low average long shots at game, leave that for the target range. Know your gun, know your game, err on the side of using the heaviest, widest, bullet you can, and stop these threads about using the smallest gun you can find!!
- Location
- In lalaland, that is Ottawa.
Moose etc,
Amen!
Sure lots of deer/moose shot with a .22 LR. but. we only hear of the success stories. certainly, bullet placement is paramount.
IMHO, using a questionable calibre against any animal is not sporting. If we are in a survial situation, it changes. But recreational hunters have a responibility to the quarry and to the rest of us to make a clean surgical kill and to treat the downed animal with respect.
OK?
SOF
Amen!
Sure lots of deer/moose shot with a .22 LR. but. we only hear of the success stories. certainly, bullet placement is paramount.
IMHO, using a questionable calibre against any animal is not sporting. If we are in a survial situation, it changes. But recreational hunters have a responibility to the quarry and to the rest of us to make a clean surgical kill and to treat the downed animal with respect.
OK?
SOF
There is some truth to what you say, but generally guys that flinch don't shoot much & it makes no diff what caliber gun their shooting!
Just last week I saw a guy flinch when the safety was left on his crossbow
There is some truth to what you say, but generally guys that flinch don't shoot much & it makes no diff what caliber gun their shooting!
Just last week I saw a guy flinch when the safety was left on his crossbow
You are so right. Where this really shows up is in one handed, bullseye type shooting with a pistol. It is just as hard to keep from flinching with a 22 pistol as it is with the 38 special, or even a heavier calibre.
The "flinch," is from anticipation of getting a good shot off. I started this type shooting with a .22 S&W revolver at the standard 20 yard targets. It was quite some time before I got all ten shots in the black aiming mark in the slow fire mode. If the bullets went in the white of the target I could see them. Therefore, if I couldn't see the hole, it went in the black. I have shot nine times and couldn't see a hole, meaning nine hits in the black. Shoot the tenth one, and there would be a hole in the white!
I later read a book by world class pistol shooters and they all suffered from the same thing.
- Location
- Yellowknife, NWT
I have actually heard about one person who had a dedicated .257 Roberts moose rifle. Some fella on HuntOntario talked about his father or grandfather going to buy a new bolt rifle at the local shop. Wanted a .270 or '06 or something for a general-use deer/black bear/moose rifle, and all they had left in the rack was a Roberts. He bought it and used it for quite a few years but was never satisfied with it as a moose killer.
As to the points some poster bring up, the same type of questions keep bringing out the samer type of answers. As to using a "questionable calibre" on game, how is it that we continue to allow bowhunting and traditional blackpowder hunting? Neither of those pursuits is effective on mosse at 300 yards quartering-to either. Guess we should get rid of those.
As to the points some poster bring up, the same type of questions keep bringing out the samer type of answers. As to using a "questionable calibre" on game, how is it that we continue to allow bowhunting and traditional blackpowder hunting? Neither of those pursuits is effective on mosse at 300 yards quartering-to either. Guess we should get rid of those.
Take two identical moose. Shoot them identically with a 257 Roberts / 100 grain TSX and a 7 mag / 160 NP (or your favourite 30-06 load). If you had to determine which was which, judging strictly from the terminal performance on the animals, you would be hard pressed to do so. Use a good bullet, don't shoot it in the azz, and the moose will fall over just like if it was shot with a 300mag.
I rebarreled my 300Wby to 358 Norma because on moose and such the 300Wby didn't do anything my 284 Win with 140 NP's couldn't do. The animals didn't die any faster with the 300Wby, and the terminal wounds were similar.
Sometimes we overthink this stuff.
I rebarreled my 300Wby to 358 Norma because on moose and such the 300Wby didn't do anything my 284 Win with 140 NP's couldn't do. The animals didn't die any faster with the 300Wby, and the terminal wounds were similar.
Sometimes we overthink this stuff.
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Will a smaller caliber kill a moose, ofcourse and if you only have a 257 then use a good bullet and place with precicion and you should be eating moose.If you have a bigger rifle then use that.It certainly wouldn't be my choice as a moose rifle.I wouldn't own another hunting rifle under 7mm as I just see the point unless I'm looking for coyotes or wolves but to each their own.
