Moose Gun, Give me your thoughts

DarkStalker said:
Depends how far you would shoot... 30-06 and 308 are plenty for 95% of hunts.. 300 WIn mag is good for the longgggg shot.
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^This.

I think .30-06 is as large as you’ll want to go without too much recoil.... important but often overlooked aspect for new shooters. If this is your first big game rifle stay away from the magnums or else you may develop a flinch and anticipate the recoil, resulting in poorly placed shots.

I’ve personally hunted with a 308 and it’s done fine for moose. I’m now into a 6.5x55 Swedish Mauser which also does the trick. The key is a good quality bullet. I like my hand loads with 140gr Nosler Partitions in my 6.5x55 loaded to about the brink of capacity for the carriage which is around 2700 FPS. It’s a load that works well for the geography I hunt where I’m just about never going to take a shot past 300-350 yards. My 308 Sako A7 I have for sale on EE (cough cough) always shot well with Hornady ELDX “precision hunter” too.
 
308 with a good 165gr bullet, is very effective for Moose, Bear, Deer, as would be the .30-06. The .30-06 is a L/A Rifle, will be slightly larger & possibly heavier. Boring Works..
 
IIRC Newfie moose are not generally huge beasties, but ranges down there could be on the long side.
You don't need a magnum to kill a moose.
Since you said you don't have a big hunting background, I'll suggest a few that don't pulverize you, but give the range you want.
Cartridges like the 270 Win, or the magnum in name only 7mm Rem Mag. Won't kill your shoulder but will give you some range.
Nothing wrong with the 308 either.
Lots of folks believe you need heavy bullets for moose, but I've never used anything above 165 grains myself, when using these cartridges and lots of people use the 130 or 150 grain in the 270 for everything they hunt.
Even when I hunt with my 338WM I tend to stick to the middle of the weight scale. Bullet placement is far more important.
 
My favourite cartridges for Moose are 300 WSM or 7mm Rem Mag.

But I recently picked up a Model 7 in 7 mm SAUM than might be the one.

Shot placement and bullet choice are the key to bringing down Elk or Moose.

The best combination I have used with quickest 1 shot kills has been 300 WSM with 180 gr Fusion factory ammo.
 
I bought a 9.3 x 62 mauser and it is the Thor Hammer on moose. I reload 286 gr Nosler Partition with 62 gr Ramshot Big Game powder and i get 2500 fps!
This caliber is accepted for elephants in many african coutries! (6, i think) or at least grandfather!
But i admit that 308, 30-06 and 270 win are enough for moose!
 
Cartridge selection has pretty well been covered. At the end of the day bullet construction and placement are what matters.
Rifle choice is really about your personal tastes as well. The Tikka T3 series of rifles is a good value in my opinion, providing excellent factory accuracy, the Weatherby Vanguard/ Howa 1500 is arguably one of the best deals going right now, Browning, Ruger, Winchester, Remington, Bergara, Savage, and the list goes on. These days finding an accurate bolt action isn't hard. If a pump, lever, single shot or (gasp oh no the evil)semi makes you happier it can be found in a suitable cartridge for moose. Not knowing your budget or anything else about its hard to get more detailed in a recommendation.
You didn't ask but optics should be talked about, again your budget comes into play. Myself I don't completely buy the spend as much as your rifle old song and dance, it certainly is not a bad guideline but there are good $200 to $500 scopes and not many new centerfire rifles are in that price range. As a general rule scopes on package rifles will eventually fail particularly if you shoot any amount. Vortex optics have lots of fans and they rave about how great customer support and warranty is for them, myself I have seen the warranty used too much to be really confident in them. A great warranty and customer service doesn't do much good if your scope pukes mid hunt.
 
Tikka T3x in 30.06.

Not a fancy cartridge but will ethically kill anything you need. If you are new to this and you get a bead on a moose it will be less than 100m.

The Tikka is by far the best bolt action rifle out there. Smooth as butter. My personal moose gun is a custom 300WSM built on a T3x.
 
I've seen moose taken with 270wsms 308, 3006, 300wsm, 7mm and 338wm. I've seen them all knocked down humanely so caliber choice IMHO comes down to you

In no particular order
Recoil sensitivity - more punishing magnums are not for everybody, don't be a tough guy its not fair to the animal

Hunting style - long distance vs up close and personal this is also important for optics

Availability of ammo - my buddy's ultra mag is hard to buy ammo for. He has little option but to reload. Not good if you forget/lose your ammo in the back woods don't laugh it can happen.

Bullet construction - I like solid copper but partitions are proven on big game

Budget - if ammo is too expensive you won't practice as much as you should

Most of my moose interactions have been in the morning and evening so a good scope that gathers lots of light is important. Just about any scope is great in the middle of the day when the sun starts going down there's where scopes really differ. Can't hit what you can't see

Confidence is key when you pick up your rifle it has to fit you like a glove. When you bring the gun up and the buck fever has your heart pounding out of your chest you need the rifle to be just right. If you need 2 minutes just to get 100% placed just right to be able to shoot because the rifle doesn't fit you all you'll have is poor shots and injured moose. Go to a store and shoulder every rifle you can afford and go with what feels best. You'll know, it'll just feel right.
 
.308 - 180 grain is all I use and I have a lot of various calibers to choose from. As some have mentioned on here you may want to go with a 300 Win Mag -180 grain if longer shots are expected
 
Only one brief mention of 45-70. I'm curious to know if anyone has actually hunted moose with a lever action chambered in 45-70?

I suppose the range would be limited, but it sounds like the moose wouldn't go far with a good shot. Am I wrong?
 
Neurotoxic said:
Only one brief mention of 45-70. I'm curious to know if anyone has actually hunted moose with a lever action chambered in 45-70?

I suppose the range would be limited, but it sounds like the moose wouldn't go far with a good shot. Am I wrong?
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Moose won't go far with a good shot from a 243....:)
 
Moose are not bulletproof, however I do advise 30 cal 150 gr plus bullet weight or larger, the less powerful the 30+, the more you have to watch your range and shot placement!
 
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