Looking for a rifle for moose hunting

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Thrillan

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Hello all,

As the title suggests, I am looking for suggestions for a new rifle for moose hunting. I was looking for a bolt action .308.

I'm open to suggestions. I was considering the savage 110 tactical, but am open to researching other options.

Thank you
 
I'm not sure that I would choose one of the tactical models as a general purpose hunting rifle. Not sure how you hunt, but as a general rifle you would be hard pressed to go wrong with a Tikka T3x Lite. The 308 isn't a particularly abusive cartridge even in a light rifle so there isn't much need of packing the extra weight around. Frankly I prefer the 30-06 over the 308 just for the way it handles heavier bullets (I like 180gr in the 30 calibers) but the 308 has accounted for plenty of moose over the years and loaded with a 165gr Partition I wouldn't hesitate to use it on moose or elk, just prefer that little bit extra.
 
Ok, thank you. I'll look into that gun you mentioned. I think I was considering that model due to the ease of carrying it, and accessories etc.
 
The choice of cartridge/rifle/bullet will depend on where you hunt and at what distance. Mu guess is that you will get many different answers to this question.
Generally speaking a 308 is not optimal if you consider shots above 300 hundred yards. Within 300 yards, no problem.
A 30-06 will give you a longer range. A 30-06 loaded with Nosler Partition 180 grains is a great all around cartridge/bullet combination from white tail to moose and grizzly.
A 300 Win Mag loaded with 180-200 grains will even give you a longer range, but the recoil with be higher.
7 mm cartridges loaded with 160 and 175 grains in 280 and 7 mm Rem Mag are very optimal also.
The T3x lite is very light. Even in a 30-06 it will kick a bit. A good option would be to to use the ones already equipped with muzzle brake.
Medium bore cartridges like 338, 35 Whelen and 9.3.62 are exceptional for moose. Here the recoil is also significant. On moose your range will be 300-350 yards depending on bullet and velocity.
Briefly, before deciding on a particular brand, I would first decide what caliber I want to use and with what bullet and go for a rifle brand. And as one author said once: it is never wrong to choose a 30-06.
 
Thrillan said:
Hello all,

As the title suggests, I am looking for suggestions for a new rifle for moose hunting. I was looking for a bolt action .308.

I'm open to suggestions. I was considering the savage 110 tactical, but am open to researching other options.

Thank you
Click to expand...

Perfect BUT better get it the 300 WinMag- as a 308 might just bounce off a BIG Moose ! :p RJ
 
I would stay away from anything "tactical" as it will most likely be heavier than you need for a hunting rifle.
Most of your normal calibers will be fine for moose, just ensure you are not using inappropriate bullets. 6.5x55, 7x57, 280, 308, 30-06, 7mm RM, 8x57, 300 WM, etc. etc. are all sufficient at ethical distances. Keep in mind a muzzle break is not a great idea when out hunting, so pick your cartridge accordingly. For my do-everything hunting rifle, which I wanted to cover all bases, I went 30-06 and don't regret it. Extremely versatile under all circumstances.
 
All good so far!! I would add keep it simple, buy a reputable rifle, but also buy something that feel good in hand, something that shoulder easily, don’t get stuck on a certain model or even caliber for that matter, 308, 30-06, 270, 7x57( for moose I prefer caliber with heavier bullets my self 180gn 30-06 for exemple)! So try as many rifle as you can in store! If you are hunting mainly in forested area, you might want something on the shorter side like 22” barrel short action etc etc! I hunt mainly river and lakes by canoe and I like a short rifle for that.

I like my rifle to be more “traditional” so blue and wood with open sights! Buy good optics, but again don’t get caught in the bigger is better, 1” tube, 2-7x33 or similar is plenty and keep the rig light and the price down! Again stay away from fancy reticles with busy field of view… keep it simple! My main hunting rifles are Ruger no1 one in 30-06 and one in 9.3x62 both worh 1.5-5x20 Leupold VX III on them! Simple and they work!
 
Judging by your locale, gonna bet your hunting Ont. so that should be normally a 300yrd average distance. A .308 will get it and does get it done every season here across the province. Find something with a 1-10 twist so you can cover 150-180gr Partition, ABs, Interlocks or TTSXs.

If you don't mind lugging a 9-12lb rig, then by all means go with a tac style setup.
 
Thrillan said:
Hello all,

As the title suggests, I am looking for suggestions for a new rifle for moose hunting. I was looking for a bolt action .308.

I'm open to suggestions. I was considering the savage 110 tactical, but am open to researching other options.

Thank you
Click to expand...

Do you already have a big game rifle? If so what caliber? Imo forget caliber and make for now and look at platform/ features. Ie...carbine length? Or full rifle? Open sights? Blind mag? Pretty much every big game caliber out there is capable on moose at normal distances. But buying a 26" barrel on a 9lb target rifle wont be ideal hunting swamps and thick brush. Neither will a 45-70 be ideal for farmland hunting..put together a list of must haves as well as a list of what you will be doing with said gun and make a model decision based on who offeres those needed features. For instance where I hunt for moose I'm best served with 16-22" barrel, flush mount mag or blind mag ( hate having a mag sticking out the bottom of a carry gun) iron sights are a must. Stock needs to be ideal for fast off hand snap shooting. I like a gentle pistol grip.. able to mount a low powered fixed/variable scope low on the receiver. Caliber for me would be 7mm to 375 and anything in between..
Don't overlook older Huskies, PH, bsa ect.
 
Whatever you use keep in mind you want to drop that moose where it stands especially if you're hunting lakes and rivers. Unlike a 150 pound wounded deer that one tracks for a few hundred yards and then drag it out, a moose is a whole different kind of animal. Depending on bush and terrain finding your downed moose a few hundred yards from shore where it initially stood can cause you a world of pain. It's often said that the fun is all over once the moose is dead. Field dressing, quartering and carrying out a thousand pounds of moose over unforgiving terrain and fallen trees and brush will make you wish your firepower and aim had been better.

I no longer moose hunt but I did for many years and when I did my choice was a Model 70 300WSM w/ Swarovski 2.5-10x42 and with well placed shots - that is follow up the inside of the front leg half-way up the body right into the breadbasket and it will drop were it stands. And BTW the only time a 300 mag kicks is when shooting at a target. They not only don't kick it's also silent when the shot is at a moose (or so it seems).

The 300 win mag is my recommendation with a good recoil pad and when sighting a shoulder pad could also help to reduce felt recoil and avoid flinching.
 
300 win mag would be my choice. Plenty of reach and power! There are so many others that are great as well, but my 300 just plain out works.... For everything!!!
 
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I have killed moose with several different calibers the 1st of which was 308 at 100 yards....it was a small moose and it did ok...I also lost a large moose with a 308...when I could afford it I moved up to A 300 MAG and never lost another...one shot was 600 yards and a single shot worked...180 grain partition handloads...I hunt the larger alaska/yukon moose and while not hard to kill they take a while to realize they are hit...10 seconds or so and then they fall...
 
308 is fine for any thing in North America with a proper bullet
I can recommend a tikka, the are reliable, accurate, light and easy to carry
I would stay away from savage, spend the extra couple of bucks and
Get a quality rifle that will last you a lifetime with out having to upgrade it

Good luck on your search
My 2 cents
 
7mag said:
300 win mag would be my choice. Plenty of reach and power! There are so many others that are great as well, but my 300 just plain out works.... For everything!!!
Click to expand...

Quote Originally Posted by remington jim View Post
Perfect BUT better get it the 300 WinMag- as a 308 might just bounce off a BIG Moose ! RJ

BUT KT says:

With how overgunned westerners like to be, I would suggest that a .577 T-Rex is much more suitable.

Would hate to be undergunned, especially with how large our animals are in North America.

LOL RJ
 
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A Ruger Scout Rifle makes a more practical, and still "kinda tactical" option. Take a look. I enjoy stainless guns more and more these days. And threaded guns, you can protect the crown more easily. The Rugers make for a fun project, lots of customization you can do.

Failing that, any gun that's more lightweight than the Savage would be my choice. If you want a fun gun, don't get the .300 WM. There's no point in Ontario, other than if the you want the extra KE.
 
.308Win / .30-06Sprg would be adequate in most circumstances. Buy a quality rifle and just as importantly quality optics.
If at all possible get something with a detachable magazine ( not necessarily a deal breaker) but the convenience and quick loading of a magazine are worth it.

After that get lots of trigger time with the ammo you plan on hunting with and learn how it shoots at various distances.

Enjoy the hunt!
 
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