best round for moose with the lowest recoil
- Thread starter dpo2o
- Start date
rommelrommel
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
This thread is funny.
Everything from 22LR headshots to "low recoil" 338WM to it being dangerous to go in the bush with anything short of a reinforced platoon.
I'm gonna pick something not mentioned yet that at one time was considered quite the moose stopper: 32 Winchester Special.
Everything from 22LR headshots to "low recoil" 338WM to it being dangerous to go in the bush with anything short of a reinforced platoon.
I'm gonna pick something not mentioned yet that at one time was considered quite the moose stopper: 32 Winchester Special.
good choice, and new for 2009 you can get a Sako 85 chambered in 32 Special!
Suka
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I'd suggest min. 30 cal, so if you figure you're shot will be inside 120 yds, a 30-30 loaded with either a 170gr Nosler partition, or Hawk flatnose would be my choice. My wife's Marlin with an aftermarket recoil pad kicks pretty much like a .22.
If you figure more like 1-200yds, I'd suggest a 30-06 with either 180gr, or 200. I've used 30-06 loaded with 220gr with good success at 60-100yds.
Moose are big, with ribs about the size of a womans forearm. I'm sure lot's have been bang/flop with a 243. I'm also sure if everyone hunted moose with a 243 there'd be a lot of wounded moose walking around. There's got to be sizeable "shock" energy at contact to be certain of meaningfull
penetration.
Good luck on your hunt.
If you figure more like 1-200yds, I'd suggest a 30-06 with either 180gr, or 200. I've used 30-06 loaded with 220gr with good success at 60-100yds.
Moose are big, with ribs about the size of a womans forearm. I'm sure lot's have been bang/flop with a 243. I'm also sure if everyone hunted moose with a 243 there'd be a lot of wounded moose walking around. There's got to be sizeable "shock" energy at contact to be certain of meaningfull
penetration.
Good luck on your hunt.
You can kill anything with a .22lr...yup, it doesn't have enough joules of energy to be legal. however, the recoil would in fact be the lowest. I used to dispatch farm animals with a .22 up close and personal. The bullet going through the skull of pigs, goats, ..etc Hmmmmmm. I would say a .44 mag(rifle) would be the pick with the lowest recoil in the legal range. I've never shot anything big around here outside of 50 metres. I use a .54 cal hawkin rifle (black powder) for all my big game.
I wondered when somebody might comment on that...
In a hunting situation, I do not notice recoil at all. I have shot moose with a .30-06, .338WM, compound bow and with a .416RM. All of the moose died.
With the 3 different cartridges, that I have killed moose with, which mathematically, have approx 25ft/lbs, 38ft/lbs and 60ft/lbs or recoil, there was no difference. I didn't notice the recoil at all.
I have a McMillan stock that I am going to get put on my .416RM, plus a bit of other work and that thing will be one bad ass bear and moose rifle!
The type of cartridges I like for moose: .35Whelen, 8x57, .338WM, 8RM.
My Dad had a .32WinSpcl and my brother shot a bullwinkle with it a few years ago. He killed the moose, but it took 3 hours of tracking and adding followup shots. The bullets barely penetrated into the vitals!
To say it is marginal is an understatement...
Will have to say this again, which makes at least three times I have published it here.
A 32 Special and a 30-30 are so close that little, if any, difference could be noted between them. For moose, any slight advantage would go the the 32.
A good friend of mine had supplied his family and probably some other people in BC, with moose meat during the great depression of the 1930s. His rifle was a Winchester carbine in 30-30 caliber.
He told me he had shot 30 moose with it. I asked him how many he had wounded that had gotten away. He gave it careful thought, then told me he didn't remember any that he had wounmded.
A 32 Special and a 30-30 are so close that little, if any, difference could be noted between them. For moose, any slight advantage would go the the 32.
A good friend of mine had supplied his family and probably some other people in BC, with moose meat during the great depression of the 1930s. His rifle was a Winchester carbine in 30-30 caliber.
He told me he had shot 30 moose with it. I asked him how many he had wounded that had gotten away. He gave it careful thought, then told me he didn't remember any that he had wounmded.
rommelrommel
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
I do not notice recoil in a hunting situation either. However, a 338wm is not low recoil by any stretch of the imagination. It is also more gun that you really need for moose, but yes, if you're comfortable with it, it is a great caliber. Many shooters will never shoot a 338wm well however because practice with it is punishing.
The way people talk I'm amazed that any game died before magums were invented. I think the most gun that goes to the moose camp that my family has in Ontario is a 30-06, amazing that they ever even kill a moose I guess?
canadaman30
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Far from the City
308 win is my pic for a low recoil all around moose gun. You can get carbine rifles that are easy handling and anyone can shoot one all day long. If recoil is a big issue consider a semi-auto with a good recoil pad and you'll be laughing.
One could discuss calibres vs rifles vs game on & on, there are virtually hundreds of combos. It boils own to preference vs available $ for a particular perceived situation for example moose hunting. I prefer to ere on the plus side, in other words have plenty of gun or should I say cartridge for the game being hunted. I personally take my #1 Ruger in .300 weatherby for my moose jaunts. Have plenty of other guns / calibres that would in my opinion do just as well - I just prefer to take this particular "combo". --- John 303.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
7mm-08, 7x57 or 308.
Next question.
Next question.
I'd like to know how many moose were taken with either .30-30 or .303 brit here in Newfoundland in comparison to the rest of the country's other calibers. I'm all for fancy little calibers, but in all honesty a fudd here with his sportered LE that he has owned since the the 50's has probably taken more moose than any of the more modern cartridges. You've gotta see it to believe it!
quackquackbang
CGN Regular
- Location
- Newfoundland
wow
This topic is always a favorite of mine, your gonna get the hole gammit of favorite calibers and here is my advice, whatever its worth. Use a gun that you shoot well, that's it simple there's no doubt if you can't shoot it you won't like it and you won't be competent with it this advice was given to me by a smart man and its worked for me . slipp
This topic is always a favorite of mine, your gonna get the hole gammit of favorite calibers and here is my advice, whatever its worth. Use a gun that you shoot well, that's it simple there's no doubt if you can't shoot it you won't like it and you won't be competent with it this advice was given to me by a smart man and its worked for me . slipp
