New moose rifle?

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Shep546

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Hey guys,

I only get a moose tag every couple years (NFLD raffle) and I will be getting one for sure next year and want to make it a good hunt.

Normally when I go I just borrow my old mans savage 30-06 but it has seen better days.

I want to buy a decent moose rifle.

What is the best bang for your buck out there these days? I'm looking at a budget of around $1000 without optic and rings.

I've seen good things about the browning x-bolt and the tika t3's... what do you guys think about .338 federal for moose?

Thanks
 
I think the .338 Federal would be a great moose round. I have one in a Kimber Montana and used it to take a 5x5 bull elk last year. One round at 65yds dropped him on the spot.

Can't comment on either rifle.
 
I have been using a remington 700 .338 win mag for moose here in BC for about 6 years. Federal ammo, 250 grain nosler partition. I am not a ballistics type scientist, but my moose fall over immediatly. I love this gun.:)
 
The exact model for each rifle would depend entirely on your design/style preferences, how well you take care of your guns, and on the way you hunt... so without narrowing it down to the specifics I'd be looking at the Remington 700 (the list is long), Ruger M77 Hawkeye (Standard, All-weather, Sporter), the Thompson Center Icon, and Tikka T3. They're all great guns and no matter which one you'd settle on odds are you would not be disapointed. They all have a good selection of models to choose from but the list for the Remi 700 is particulary long. I used to be a huge fan of the Browning bolts but I'm not anymore. The bolts just feel cheap and clunky. If it's a gun that interests you I'd be looking for an older A-bolt in good condition.

As far as caliber goes I guess it all depends on what you are packing in your pants and whether you need to compensate for that or not. :nest:

Between my dad and I we've killed all our moose with .308 and 30-06 shooting anything between 150 and 180 grain bullets and neither of us has ever lost a moose. Having said that I don't hunt grizzly country where bear defence is a real (or overblown) issue (and neither do you if you are in Newfoundland).

Some considerations:
Any calibre between 270 and 338 will do the job very well.
Personally I like the short and medium actions. Oftentimes they shave a lot of weight off a rifle. If walking rather than road hunting is your style, you should give this some serious weight in your choice of caliber. Within the same make and model, there can be 3/4 pound difference between a 308/338Fed (short action) and a 7mm/300-338 Wing Mag (long action).
You might want to pick a calibre that won't cost you an arm and a leg for a box of ammo and one for which you can find ammo most anywhere.

Good luck with your decision.
 
Id stick with a 30 06 if I were you. Its worked fine for you in the past hey? Its also a great all round gun to have if you do move elsewhere someday.

Id buy an 06 and someday down the line when you want/need a new gun get your 338 or 243 or whatever.

I have a ruger MII 30 06 that is also my moose gun and I love it!

Happy shopping!

Yak
 
I shot my moose with my grandfathers 30-30 with ammo that he bought when he got the gun new. It dropped in spot. 338 federal will do the job just the same.
 
My old man has been hunting moose for the past 30 odd years with a tikka 30-06. He also owns a or rather did own a 375 H&H but gave it to me because he never found a use for it. 30-06 will knock just about anything down with the right shot placement

Oh definitely take the cost of ammo into consideration. I will be looking for a new Gun in the next couple years just because the ammo for the H&H is sooo damn expensive.
 
If you want a 338 Federal it would be great, otherwise go one up on your old mans 30-06 an get a Hawkeye in 35Whelen or 358win... my 35 is awesome i would love to use it on moose one time
 
Well Shep546 you have a lot of choices. Personally i`d get an 30-06, makes a good deer round as well. Ammo is available in just about every small town that sellls ammo. It all depends on other uses, as for make of rifle there are a lot of great choices. Have fun and get what fits you and your style of hunting.
 
I have seen several moose killed with the 30-06 Junior (.308) and it will do the job but I sure like the 358 Norma wound channels a lot better; especially at past 200 yards. Lately I have been using the 325WSM and it is also a dandy round. The 338 Win Mag would be a great choice also.

The 338 Federal? I had it's big brother the 358 Win for a while but always thought it was short on powder capacity to get the speed for bullet expansion at long range. Occasionally you get the chance for a long range shot. Why not carry the horsepower to take it?
 
This isn't so much a question of cartridge but more so of the rifle.

There seems to be a lot of nice rifles in the $1000 range these days and I find its hard to choose :(
 
I'd have no problems hunting moose with a nice Ruger chambered for the 338 Federal (aka 338-08). With today's premium bullets such as the Barnes TSX and TTSX I wouldn't have a problem shooting moose with anything from a 257 Roberts on up. Put the right bullet in the right spot. It's all about shot placement.

Bullet are technological leaps and bounds over the old cup and core bullets that our grandfathers used with great success on dear to moose.
 
I really recommend a tradex rifle in 30-06, moose havent evolved thicker skin or any resistance to this round, its been going strong for over a century, bullets are available at canadian tire if you need it in a pinch.

if your up north and need to buy ammo, is anyone other than a gunstore going to stock .338?

Hell, buy the 30-06, and if you want later on you can redo it to .338-06
 
If you are quite comfortable shooting the 30-06 adn know the rifle/round well, why not keep shooting it? .338 Fed shoudl be just fine for moose too but if you know how to shoot a 30-06, it's a good one for moose too. TIkka and x-bolt are both good guns. Tikka is a bit lighter if you're concerned about an all-day carry. Good dilemma to have!
 
Moose can be shot with any caliber you like to shoot. From 243 to 50. 30-30 to 45-70. They have, in my experience, a glass jaw. They will fall over relativly easily and quickly with a decent shot.

Pick your favorite and go hunting.
 
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