Moose/target gun, .308, 30-06, or .300 wsm?

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rotncore

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Hi all,

I'm new to hunting but am likely joining a co-worker on a moose hunt this fall. I love target shooting, so ideally I'd like a dual purpose gun, both for range and field. That said, which should I go with? I'm partial to the .308 for target use...is the power of the wsm a real advantage?
 
If you enjoy target shooting with th .308, then that is all you need.

plenty of gun for a moose, depending on your range, but typically,I have never heard of too many people complaining about a .308 for moose.

I have however seen the difference in a 300 wsm and a 30 06 perform on a moose.

30 30's and 303's have done it for years. pick the gun you like and shoot best.
 
if you're well practiced with a 308, the 300WSM will give you zero advantage on moose inside 300 yards

buy the 308, shoot it lots, go hunting wiht a good bullet, and have a sharp knife
 
Hunting is different from target shooting, but don't let that stop you!

If you are familiar with the round and it's capablities, that will give you a leg up on most!!:D
 
Well you might consider distance that you will be shooting and bullet type.

The 308 will be milder to shoot and multi-purpose. Fortunately there are many bullets to select from. This is important as the 3006 and 300 wsm have more fuel and will generally out perform the old 308 Win.

If your recoil sensitive..the 308 win might be a better choice of the ones mentioned.
 
sealhunter said:
If you enjoy target shooting with th .308, then that is all you need.

plenty of gun for a moose, depending on your range, but typically,I have never heard of too many people complaining about a .308 for moose.

I have however seen the difference in a 300 wsm and a 30 06 perform on a moose.

30 30's and 303's have done it for years. pick the gun you like and shoot best.
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I'm curious, because I may be hunting moose with a 30-06 this year and I'm a newbie too....is 30-06 good enough for moose?
 
Is the 30.06 good enough for moose?, you ask. You bet! The bulls I shot in 2004 and 2005 dropped with one shot from my plain-jane Rem 700 BDL using handloads developed with 180 grain Rem Cor-Lok't bullets.

It is such a versatile cartridge/caliber.....I haven't developed the ultra-short hyper-magnum itch yet..........

Gunsmoke
 
boresnake said:
I'm curious, because I may be hunting moose with a 30-06 this year and I'm a newbie too....is 30-06 good enough for moose?
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The 30'06 for years was ( and is IMHO) the standard hunting round against which all others are measured.

"The 300magnum is more powerful than the 30'06"
" The 308 is not as powerful as the 30'06"
" The 270...") Well, you get the picture!:D
The round will gitrdun, that's for sure, no sweat.
Cat
 
Well, IMHO, my 30-30 just wasn't good enough to take that moose down way out in the swamp, and my hunting friend has a 30-06 that he swears by that just wont' do it either so last year I grabbed a Model 70 in 300 WSM. Haven't taken a moose with it yet, but it sure has the kick to knock down something that big, and make sure it stays down.

It's all personal preference. Try all the above if you have the chance, and go with what you like, what likes you, and what you can afford. In the end, it's your wallet and shoulder out there for a week in the bush, they may as well be the ones making the decision! :)
 
308+moose=steaks. The 308 will flatten a moose real quick, if you do your job. Make sure that you have a good knife, saw and axe. Don't forget a honing stone too. You might need it.
 
If you hit a moose with .30 cal. bullet in the vital area at <300M, It won't know the difference. Ammended to add, if you try to do it with a 30-30 @ 300M. you might have a problem hitting the vital area, if you try to do it with a 7.62 X 39 @ 300M. you might have a problem. If you try to do it with a Supercalifragalisticextraalegocious MAXIMAGNUM that kicks you so hard you close your eyes and jerk the trigger, you WILL have a problem.
 
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bushwhacker said:
If you hit a moose with .30 cal. bullet in the vital area at <300M, It won't know the difference. Ammended to add, if you try to do it with a 30-30 @ 300M. you might have a problem hitting the vital area, if you try to do it with a 7.63 X 39 @ 300M. you might have a problem. If you try to do it with a Supercalifragalisticextraalegocious MAXIMAGUNM that kicks you so hard you close your eyes and jerk the trigger, you WILL have a problem.
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Thats like sig material, very nice. :wave:
 
it's like my dad said to me about 40 years ago when I asked if a certain rifle was capable of killing a deer ''sure-if you hold it straight!''
 
ratherbefishin said:
it's like my dad said to me about 40 years ago when I asked if a certain rifle was capable of killing a deer ''sure-if you hold it straight!''
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:D People are just full of funnies today aren't they? Must be a good day across Canada.
 
bushwhacker said:
If you hit a moose with .30 cal. bullet in the vital area at <300M, It won't know the difference. Ammended to add, if you try to do it with a 30-30 @ 300M. you might have a problem hitting the vital area, if you try to do it with a 7.63 X 39 @ 300M. you might have a problem. If you try to do it with a Supercalifragalisticextraalegocious MAXIMAGUNM that kicks you so hard you close your eyes and jerk the trigger, you WILL have a problem.
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LOL!
 
I have seen a moose shot at 300 yrds with a 300 wsm and go plop.
On the same day I saw a similar shot with a 30 06 not do the job and a follow up with 300 wsm did.

This is not disqualifying a 30 06 by any means. As I said, this is what I saw, and I have not heard people complain about .308.

I did hear the 30 06 guy complain and he got a 300 wsm.
Very well may have been a bad catridge, I don't know.
Just a personal experience.
 
todbartell said:
if you're well practiced with a 308, the 300WSM will give you zero advantage on moose inside 300 yards

buy the 308, shoot it lots, go hunting wiht a good bullet, and have a sharp knife
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+1 .308 will serve your needs well
 
sealhunter said:
I have seen a moose shot at 300 yrds with a 300 wsm and go plop. On the same day I saw a similar shot with a 30 06 not do the job and a follow up with 300 wsm did. This is not disqualifying a 30 06 by any means. As I said, this is what I saw, and I have not heard people complain about .308. I did hear the 30 06 guy complain and he got a 300 wsm. Very well may have been a bad catridge, I don't know. Just a personal experience.
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Sounds like it was likely a classic case of bad shot placement. Moose aren't that hard to kill given a shot in the boiler room. The difference between two decent bullets from two powerful cartridges like the .30-06 and .300WSM would be indiscernible.
 
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