The moose rifle selection: 35 Whelen vs. 9.3x62 vs. 375 H&H vs 375 Ruger

Hard to beat the 375 h&h. Ton of knock down power and in a well fitted rifle the recoil isnt to bad. But if you want extreme knock down power go up to the 375RUM recoil can be a bit harsh though.
 
Great thread and very enjoyable to read. Have never owned anything in 9.3 but thought the 9.3x64 would be interesting. WRT to .35 cal both the Whelan and .350RM are pretty good. BUT for some consideration on a moose hunt when you have trouble keeping a rifle dry ... an excellent option is a .35 Whelan in a Remington 7600 pump. Very easy to maintain in the field ... heavy rain is irrelevant and the 7600's seem to hold their zero very well ... mine does ... and also holds the same acceptable grouping year after year. The only problem I had was the butt stock bolt that stripped the action threads ... one trip back to Remington and an apology for an overzealous worker who torqued the action too tight ... and no problems since!!! HIGHLY Recommended (and I prefer bolt actions FWIW)
 
mudpro said:
Hard to beat the 375 h&h. Ton of knock down power and in a well fitted rifle the recoil isnt to bad. But if you want extreme knock down power go up to the 375RUM recoil can be a bit harsh though.
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Yes but the trend is the 338 lapua now the 338-378 does more just ? well for hunting close enough
 
I don't own one of your choices however, been using a .300 Win Mag on moose for years....never a problem. Shoots flat and hits hard. In my opinion, it is the ultimate all around big game rifle for North American game. Remember, proper bullet selection in any given caliber is just as important as the choice of caliber itself. At some point, unless your hunting large dangerous African game, felt recoil outweighs the usefulnesss of the caliber.
 
Some folks have identified situations where moose, that were apparently well hit by good cartridges, didn't go down right away. This seems to be a pretty common story and I think it says as much about the moose as it does about the cartridge or shooter. Moose are very special animals that have adapted to the toughest living conditions with the greatest extremes on our planet. From 45 deg below to 100 deg F and above. Blackflies, forest fires, muskeg, snow drifts, bears and wolves - they deal with it all. They can trot through a heavy bush and make it seem like a walk in the park .. when the same terrain would tire a man in minutes! When they need to move fast .. sharp branches that would make effective lances and impale a man.... don't even faze them! In New England biologists have discovered that moose can, and will, dive many meters in ponds to harvest attractive aquatic plants. They are very tough and amazing creatures and sometimes, when shot, they don't even know they are dead .. till they slow down and then lie down - for good.

The ancient Irish/Celts apparently thought that their Elk (actually moose **** ACTUALLY NOT MOOSE per C-FBMI's clarification that follows**** and now extinct there) were magical creatures! They couldn't understand how an animal could grow such a large rack in such a short period....it is pretty amazing and I think we are lucky to have these extraordinary animals still kicking around Canada. BTW .. I am certainly not against hunting them ... but we hunters sure need to appreciate (and CAREFULLY PRESERVE) this remarkable and gregarious animal.
 
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We've watched moose dive 15' down to get to aquatic vegetation... that's to the tops of the plants, the bottom was deeper yet...
 
Great thread
I've hunted with all the mentioned calibers and also the 9.3x64 and 375 rum, obviously all will dump a big bull moose. My favorite all around caliber for the Yukon is the whelen, inside 300 yards it will do everything needed. With the choices mentioned, it just comes down to what you want to hunt with... all are great. For me this moose hunting season i'll have a 6lb forbes rifle in my hands in 35 whelen
 
I think I'll be moose hunting with my 9.3X300 WM this year, 270 gn Matrix RBT bonded bullets at about 3000 + fps should do the trick, I would think.............trajectory of a 7 Mag and energy of the 375 RUM, what's not to love about that......well maybe the recoil of a 416 Rigby is a tad stout but certainly not overcome-able.

AP........The Irish stag, although of the deer/moose family was not a moose as such, any more than the fallow deer is a moose. It's closest relative is the modern day red stag, but it was of the old world palmated antler family as is the fallow deer. The skulls would indicate a more elk/red stag facial appearance and skeletons indicate an animal of red stag body proportions.........thing big stocky elk, very similar to the Roosevelt elk actually. The Irish Stag sported the largest antlers to body size of any animal to ever have lived and far over shadow even the largest of moose in proportion.
 
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AP........The Irish stag, although of the deer/moose family was not a moose as such, any more than the fallow deer is a moose. It's closest relative is the modern day red stag, but it was of the old world palmated antler family as is the fallow deer. The skulls would indicate a more elk/red stag facial appearance and skeletons indicate an animal of red stag body proportions.........thing big stocky elk, very similar to the Roosevelt elk actually. The Irish Stag sported the largest antlers to body size of any animal to ever have lived and far over shadow even the largest of moose in proportion.
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Thanks for that -- very good to know! We had the pleasure of an Irish Wolfhound and I guess large genes run in the Irish pool!! Puzzled about the Leprechauns though!!!

(PS - I made quite an error in my assertion earlier about the Irish "Elk" being a moose ... but now I am even more impressed with the spread of their antlers...."spanning as much as 168 inches from tip to tip. That's a spread of 14 feet." .. can this be true?!? AMAZING!!)
 
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Based on the responses here I think it will come down to the rifle more than the caliber. My current FN Winchester 70 in 30-06 or Cooper 52 Jackson Game in 280AI both will do it with Barnes 168 or 150 TTSX bullets that I load for them. So I don't NEED another rifle any more than I need a hole in the head.

It is possible that a Leica 1600 range finder, or an ATV, or putting a down payment down on an African hunt for 2015 will all win out in priority over a new rifle.

That said, the CZ 550 FS is nothing like anything I have. It looks cool and the small size seems like it would make it comfortable for a walk about rifle. If a appropriate 35 Whelen in a Cooper or a Remington comes by that tickles my fancy that might be it or a 375 H&H in some rifle I haven't thought about but I think I'd prefer not to carry a larger rifle around when a smaller one will do and keep the 375 H&H fantasy for some future African dangerous hunt that is bound to happen in some distant future.

I'd say the top contender for a new rifle is the CZ 550 FS 9.3x64. You never know though a used Cooper in 35 Whelen at a good price might show up just when I have the dough saved up. Remingtons have not excited me as it seems people want too much for the old 35 Whelens but I might have to get one just to try it out.
 
RSA 1;

With due respect, the 9.3 X 62 with HANDLOADS will exceed 4000 ft-lbs by quite a bit!!!

I've owned a couple of .375 H&Hs, two .338 Win Mags, a .340 WBY, 2 .350 Rem Mags and a couple of .35 Whelens. The only one of bunch that will beat my handloads in 9.3 X 62 using Nosler Partitions at 500 yards is the .340 WBY, but only by a nose! That's bullet momentum using a 286 in the 9.3, a 250 in the 340 and a 300 NP in the .375 H&H. Plus, the 9.3 (.366") has a bullet cross-section area 17% greater than anything in .338". (I wish people would do their research before being pontifical!)

Bob

www.bigbores.ca
 
bigborefan said:
RSA 1;

With due respect, the 9.3 X 62 with HANDLOADS will exceed 4000 ft-lbs by quite a bit!!!

I've owned a couple of .375 H&Hs, two .338 Win Mags, a .340 WBY, 2 .350 Rem Mags and a couple of .35 Whelens. The only one of bunch that will beat my handloads in 9.3 X 62 using Nosler Partitions at 500 yards is the .340 WBY, but only by a nose! That's bullet momentum using a 286 in the 9.3, a 250 in the 340 and a 300 NP in the .375 H&H. Plus, the 9.3 (.366") has a bullet cross-section area 17% greater than anything in .338". (I wish people would do their research before being pontifical!)

Bob

www.bigbores.ca
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What parameter did you use to come up with that conclusion?
 
c-fbmi said:
I think I'll be moose hunting with my 9.3X300 WM this year, 270 gn Matrix RBT bonded bullets at about 3000 + fps should do the trick, I would think.............trajectory of a 7 Mag and energy of the 375 RUM, what'sthere is to love about that......well maybe the recoil of a 416 Rigby is a tad stout but certainly not overcome-able.

AP........The Irish stag, although of the deer/moose family was not a moose as such, any more than the fallow deer is a moose. It's closest relative is the modern day red stag, but it was of the old world palmated antler family as is the fallow deer. The skulls would indicate a more elk/red stag facial appearance and skeletons indicate an animal of red stag body proportions.........thing big stocky elk, very similar to the Roosevelt elk actually. The Irish Stag sported the largest antlers to body size of any animal to ever have lived and far over shadow even the largest of moose in proportion.
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Well I dont know much about the 9.3x300wm cartridge. But if its off a 300 Winchester mag parent case it's not likely you will reach 3000fps+ with 270gr bullet with the powder capacity that case offers and stay at a safe pressure. Unless there is something I'm missing?
 
mudpro said:
Well I dont know much about the 9.3x300wm cartridge. But if its off a 300 Winchester mag parent case it's not likely you will reach 3000fps+ with 270gr bullet with the powder capacity that case offers and stay at a safe pressure. Unless there is something I'm missing?
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You must be new here. There has been much controversy over Doug's reported velocities. The group consensus is that he is honest and his velocities are indeed accurate, the velocities are achived with lots of pressure. He's been doing it a long time and is comfortable with the pressures it must take to get reported velocities so no use telling him not to do it.
 
mrak said:
Yes but the trend is the 338 lapua now the 338-378 does more just ? well for hunting close enough
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As much as I like the 338 lapua the only problem I find with it is finding a light enough weight rifle. Since most of then at long range purpose usually 9-12 pounds and with a muzzle break they aren't much fun for your hunting partners. Never got the accuracy I wanted out of a Weatherby for the price of them.
 
cam1936 said:
You must be new here. There has been much controversy over Doug's reported velocities. The group consensus is that he is honest and his velocities are indeed accurate, the velocities are achived with lots of pressure. He's been doing it a long time and is comfortable with the pressures it must take to get reported velocities so no use telling him not to do it.
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Haha ya that makes sense to each his own. I wouldnt be quoting a velocity that no one else could hope to obtain under normal reloading. But hey thats just me.
 
cam1936 said:
You must be new here. There has been much controversy over Doug's reported velocities. The group consensus is that he is honest and his velocities are indeed accurate, the velocities are achived with lots of pressure. He's been doing it a long time and is comfortable with the pressures it must take to get reported velocities so no use telling him not to do it.
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Lol! You beat me to it but it about sums it up right. Doug's posts should come with a disclaimer in his signature!;)
 
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