.270 vs Moose?

The 270 is a fine chambering, which will be effective on Deer, Moose, Elk and Black Bear with good bullets and good shot placement.
I would opt for any premium bullet from 130-150 grains that shot well. My personal choice is the 140 Accubond, which I can drive
to 3000+ in my 24" barrelled Vanguard, and which shoots sub-moa out to 500 Meters.
With the 270, I have had almost exclusively 1-shot kills on a variety of NA big game. It's a winner! Dave.
 
Shot placement " to me means - hit it in the hump (down on the spot ) . To me where it falls is a big deal as well as how fast it dies ( I shoot for meat )
I've shot and been in with others shooting moose in the boiler ( they do die -sometimes fast but not always )and have had to do more work than it's worth along with making a mess of the meat (sometimes a few steps , or quite a few steps - can lead into a swamp or over a ridge ) Having to butcher a moose in a bad location is a nightmare - takes the fun right out of it and can mean wasted meat . I also wait for a standing shot at preferably 2-250 yards or under .
Sometimes the best choice is to wait for a better shot or younger moose for me

Any good bullet that penitrates to the spine works in any reasonable caliber .
 
2dan112 said:
I recall reading somewhere years ago 1600ft/lbs of energy at impact with the shot in the proper place is required to drop a average moose. I have always considerd this to be a generalization and not a absolute as I hear accounts of a 300WM going through both shoulders and out the other side without a dropping a moose .
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1,500 ft/lbs is a legislated requirement for hunting big game in this province, although I agree with you it is a fairly crude generalization that assumes the viability of a number of other variables that are also in play.
 
When I was a kid the 270 was considered a "big gun". This was when both Moose and Grizzly tags were over the counter.
 
I carried my .338 for a month looking for my moose last time I was drawn. One day it fell out of my truck when I opened the door and the scope banged on the step bar. I didn't want to risk it so I took my .270 WSM out. Next quarter over there was a bull bedded in a fencerow in the field. I walked at the bull until he stood up, then I sat down and shot it. It didnt take a step, just laid back down and died. 140 gr Barnes TSX. I've also taken an elk with this one as well as many deer. I use that same round for everything in this rifle.
 
rickymo said:
How do you think it will be for moose? (they are pretty tough animals)
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Not sure if I agree with this ...

Both .308 and .270 are fine for moose. Always used Rem CL 180, no issues dropping 12 moose with .308.

.270 is also a popular round in this province, go with the heavier bullets.

They will sometimes trot a few yards, but they are definitely not hard to kill.
 
Every deer I have shot with 270 and 308 have been clean pass threw a right threw the ribs and out the other side.turns heart and lungs to mush ...
 
Shot placement, why is this talked about as its such a revelation? If you shoot a bear, Moose, deer or any animal in the ass even with a 300 or 338 it will not die. Hit him in the lungs and heart regardless if it a 270, 308 or a 300 it will die so it's a hunter needs to be a good shot, that's a given. Damn a 243 or 30-30 will bring a moose down.
 
Sqr said:
Shot placement, why is this talked about as its such a revelation? If you shoot a bear, Moose, deer or any animal in the ass even with a 300 or 338 it will not die. Hit him in the lungs and heart regardless if it a 270, 308 or a 300 it will die so it's a hunter needs to be a good shot, that's a given. Damn a 243 or 30-30 will bring a moose down.
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Not true lol.

My very first deer as a kid was a fair sized running doe. Yanked it in my excitement and hit it right in the rump roast. Never took another step. Just flopped mid-stride and skidded through the leaves. My grand dad said it "had a timely heart attack" lol.
 
kodiakjack said:
Not true lol.

My very first deer as a kid was a fair sized running doe. Yanked it in my excitement and hit it right in the rump roast. Never took another step. Just flopped mid-stride and skidded through the leaves. My grand dad said it "had a timely heart attack" lol.
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Oh it may bleed out, but my point was it's not the preferred method......you got lucky. No?
 
Sqr said:
Oh it may bleed out, but my point was it's not the preferred method......you got lucky. No?
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Quite.

We wondered if a fragment made it up to the spine, but it didn't look like it. Wondered if it was the magical "hydrostatic shock"... Definitely wasn't blood letting. Who knows? It was a good confidence booster for a kid though. I know another guy who's first deer as a kid was guy shot and ran for miles (hyperbole). Turned him off hunting until his 30's.
 
I have used .308, .270 and 30-06, all with good results and recovered animals. I have an uncle who has been using the .270 for over 50 years and
doesn't bother with any other calibers, prior to that he used a .303, also with good success. Pick your round, proper shot placement and shoot
within your comfort zone and there should be no problems.
 
Never found moose as tough as whitetails or elk. Put a bullet into the boiler room and moose kind of walk off and lay down. 270 or 308 Win will get the job done. Shooting moose at greater distances requires a bit more gun though.
 
rral22 said:
A move to a .270 from the .308 for moose hunting is, at best, a sidways move, and maybe even slightly backwards. If I had both available, I would pick the .308 with 180 grain bullets for moose hunting. The differences are almost all just "on paper", but I would feel better with the heavier bullet for the heavier game. If I had only a .270, I would go moose hunting with it without a second thought. Your plan of getting a .270 because the .308 is somehow producing "mixed results", and expecting something more decisive doesn't make ballistic sense.
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x2^
 
Seems like your have a real good excuse to buy a .270, which I agree with, but not because the .270 is a better moose cartridge than the .308. My hunting buddy has been a faithful .270 shooter for many years, and has more moose to his credit than I do. I have shot moose with various cartridges, but most of the moose I have taken have been with the .308, which has always worked as expected when I did my part and put decent quality bullets where they do the most good. I actually think the .308 with 165-180 grain controlled expansion bullets is a superior choice for moose hunting vs the .270, especially the .270 with 130 grain standard cup and core bullets. The .308 is marginally better at breaking large humerus bones and still penetrating thru lungs and heart. But with good quality 150 grain bullets there is no practical or measurable difference in moose killing ability.
If our imaginations were not responsible for new rifles to try I wouldn't have 30 or so in my gun cabinet. Have fun with your .270 and enjoy your moose steaks!
 
kodiakjack said:
Interesting.

Also, you seem to be pretty keen on those magnums... So why the 270 if I may ask?
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Ive always been interested in 270, because of its good ballistic coefficient and higher velocity at range compared to other similar calibers.
Also have been having my eye out for a certain Swedish rifle (￣ω￣) and i managed to find one for a decent price, and it just so happened to be in 270.
Magnums are cool, but i target shoot more then i hunt really. they are not something i can sit down and pick off water bottles with all day.
 
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