- Location
- houston bc
Wow,lots of different opinions here!Making it hard for a newbie to decide.
The Optimal Moose/Elk Round
- Thread starter Danny Boy
- Start date
Question: And whose fault is that?
Answer: Ours
The poll title was:
"The Optimal Moose/Elk Round"
Didn't say the poll was restricted to Canada.
I don't think I'm the only Cannuck that hunts stateside.
My next moose is going down with a 300 grain .454 Casull slug in it from a handgun.
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I have hunted with nothing else but a 270 and 243.
Every large game animal with 270 is sufficient.....my elk was easy.....at about 100 yards..... deer out to 300 yards nearly......
I shot one deer with 243 at 80 yards as well.
I say nothing wrong with a 270 at all....I do not understand the large calibres...
My rational is not an informed position, so i say it while requesting feedback at same time......
If I shoot an animal with 270 right in the heart and lung I destroys an area of meat on both sides with "shot meat"
If I switch to a larger calibre would it not destroy more meat since there is A) higher volocity or B) more grains of lead.......
is this a fair rationale?
Every large game animal with 270 is sufficient.....my elk was easy.....at about 100 yards..... deer out to 300 yards nearly......
I shot one deer with 243 at 80 yards as well.
I say nothing wrong with a 270 at all....I do not understand the large calibres...
My rational is not an informed position, so i say it while requesting feedback at same time......
If I shoot an animal with 270 right in the heart and lung I destroys an area of meat on both sides with "shot meat"
If I switch to a larger calibre would it not destroy more meat since there is A) higher volocity or B) more grains of lead.......
is this a fair rationale?
Actually the 243 I used on a deer and killed it fine...however my brother did a shot...hit a rib the bullet actually stopped upon impast but the shards of bone puntured both lung and heart...the projectile was sitting under the hide....so that does concern me....and it hit at such a high velocity, I think is why, it left huge and mass amounts of "shot meat".....so I do not think I would use it on anything and from hat i see it mangles coyotes way to much to hunt them for skins....
so it looks like 270 is the winner between those for me....
One down fall to the 270 is that I know from experience blades of grass will throw it off course.....not sure if this is true of larger calibres....i heard its not
Why do you ask that? I am curious and I am absolutely willing to hear all input even if it does not correlate with mine....I am no expert..I am learning.....and always open to informed opinions and experiences...
so it looks like 270 is the winner between those for me....
One down fall to the 270 is that I know from experience blades of grass will throw it off course.....not sure if this is true of larger calibres....i heard its not
Why do you ask that? I am curious and I am absolutely willing to hear all input even if it does not correlate with mine....I am no expert..I am learning.....and always open to informed opinions and experiences...
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All mags arent created equal. My 7mm rem mags have a kick not much different than a 30-06 that I had and much less than a 300 win mag.
now as good a scenario as this sounds you don't always get a heart lung shot at a moose many times he can and most often will be looking you down or quartering
I'm not saying the 270 won't kill the moose just as dead as a magnum in an ideal situation BUT i would much rather have the knock down power of the magnum when bone comes into play
Anyone who hunts moose can tell you when your in the heavy brush or waist deep swamp you don't really want to track a wounded moose deeper into the mess
I'd rather have 4 hours of packing out than 24, believe me it hurts!!
Why do you ask that? I am curious and I am absolutely willing to hear all input even if it does not correlate with mine....I am no expert..I am learning.....and always open to informed opinions and experiences...[/QUOTE]
I asked that to point out that there's a difference in rounds. Bigger kills better no matter what others say. You don't need huge guns to kill game but there can be no arguement that a bigger gun will work better. I know we'll hear the premium bullet bb gun bull. Put a premium bullet in a big gun and see what happens. Again not saying you need big ones, use whatever you're comfortable with but bigger is better.
I asked that to point out that there's a difference in rounds. Bigger kills better no matter what others say. You don't need huge guns to kill game but there can be no arguement that a bigger gun will work better. I know we'll hear the premium bullet bb gun bull. Put a premium bullet in a big gun and see what happens. Again not saying you need big ones, use whatever you're comfortable with but bigger is better.
2007
Me-Blacktail buck, frontal shot. 300WSM, 180gr TSX- Result, buck dropped on the spot
2008
My buddy- Blacktail buck, frontal shot. .243, 85gr TSX- Result- buck dropped on the spot.
2008
Tod bartell- Mule deer doe, lung shot. .221 Fireball, 40gr TSX- Result- doe took a couple of steps and fell over dead.
Bigger is better sometimes, but sometimes dead is dead, and you don't need any more.
Me-Blacktail buck, frontal shot. 300WSM, 180gr TSX- Result, buck dropped on the spot
2008
My buddy- Blacktail buck, frontal shot. .243, 85gr TSX- Result- buck dropped on the spot.
2008
Tod bartell- Mule deer doe, lung shot. .221 Fireball, 40gr TSX- Result- doe took a couple of steps and fell over dead.
Bigger is better sometimes, but sometimes dead is dead, and you don't need any more.
[/QUOTE=mike shickele;2896029]Message posted twice for some reason[/QUOTE]
1. Sorry, Winters already gave this facetious answer.
2. I voted .303British because that's what I already use for big game, and nothing will be so much better that I think the cost of changing my guns will be worth it. It has enough killing power, if I hunt properly with it. And for me, it's about the hunting. The cartridge's killing power doesn't diminish with age or as others increase. But my ability to stalk will diminish with age, so I may have to change to a more potent calibre to hunt at longer ranges. If I had to start over with a new rifle at this point in my life, I'd get a 30-06.
1. Sorry, Winters already gave this facetious answer.
2. I voted .303British because that's what I already use for big game, and nothing will be so much better that I think the cost of changing my guns will be worth it. It has enough killing power, if I hunt properly with it. And for me, it's about the hunting. The cartridge's killing power doesn't diminish with age or as others increase. But my ability to stalk will diminish with age, so I may have to change to a more potent calibre to hunt at longer ranges. If I had to start over with a new rifle at this point in my life, I'd get a 30-06.
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- Location
- Dah Soo,ON
2007
Me-Blacktail buck, frontal shot. The King, 300 grn. RN- Result, buck fawking imploded
2008
My buddy- Blacktail buck, frontal shot. .243, 85gr TSX- Result- buck dropped on the spot.
2008
Tod bartell- Mule deer doe, lung shot. .221 Fireball, 40gr TSX- Result- doe felt bad for Todly and died
Bigger is better sometimes, but sometimes dead is dead, and you don't need any more.
Zee Truth!!!
2007
Me-Blacktail buck, frontal shot. 300WSM, 180gr TSX- Result, buck dropped on the spot
2008
My buddy- Blacktail buck, frontal shot. .243, 85gr TSX- Result- buck dropped on the spot.
2008
Tod bartell- Mule deer doe, lung shot. .221 Fireball, 40gr TSX- Result- doe took a couple of steps and fell over dead.
Bigger is better sometimes, but sometimes dead is dead, and you don't need any more.
As I said, use what you feel comfortable with.
450yukon I need to know more about that round...
Does the rebated rim extract reliably from a Marlin 1895 it looks to me that in the pic ture the rimm size is almost exactly the same as the 450 Marlin?
What velocities and pressures does it produce you can't just post that pic and walk away you have to share...
I already shoot a 300 RUM & 375 RUM so cases are not an issue for me.
Is it better than a 450 Alaskan?
Does the rebated rim extract reliably from a Marlin 1895 it looks to me that in the pic ture the rimm size is almost exactly the same as the 450 Marlin?
What velocities and pressures does it produce you can't just post that pic and walk away you have to share...
I already shoot a 300 RUM & 375 RUM so cases are not an issue for me.
Is it better than a 450 Alaskan?
Have had no problems with headspace at all. Pics don't show it well but there is quite a shoulder on it. This is the slickest cartridge I have ever used in a lever, no large rim or belt to bump, bang or hang.
Due to my work and other things have not developed as many loads as I would like(and too many guns) but got lucky with first few loads and have stayed with them till time permits.
Seems to do well with VVN 130/133 powders. 250gr Barnes XFN/67gr/130=2650fps and is surprisingly mild to shoot. Darn close to 338wm.
300gr XFN is one I load most,with 60gr/V130 velocity runs 2300+fps and makes one hole @ 100yds and drops less than 5" @ 200yds. This is with a 22" barrel. My brother will be doing one shortly on a XLR with 24" tube so will see what that does.
I used 300RUM brass and have loaded the same 25 cases repeatedly 15-18 times and have not tossed 1 out. I do select trimmed cases by weight as a varience will cause a spike in velocity. 2.1" cases weigh 242gr,and hold 88grs of H2O in a fired case.
Went into this as I wanted to build 450 Alaskan performance (but not on my 86's!!!) as cheaply as I could. Manson reamer,Hornady custom dies and a bit of grinding and fileing and I'm pleased with it all.
Rim is the same as 450Marlin so no problems with extractor hooking. No changes to the RUM case other than shoulder position. Didn't blow shoulder dia out as a lever needs case taper for extraction.
Don't have any way of checking pressure other than normal visual ways but have not even come close to flat primers. This brass is thick. By trying to neck the WSM up to 458, brass thins like a 44-40. RUM's @ 2.1" when fire-formed shorten and with 15+ firings cases are now 2.095-2.1. Have had zero signs of head seperation
I believe Alaskan potential is there,or more. One guy going to Colorado School of Trades wants to build 1 for his project gun and asked if 2100fps could be obtained with 500gr bullets. Maybe for him,but this is a 7.5lb gun!! Not for me!
Don't have any way of checking pressure other than normal visual ways but have not even come close to flat primers. This brass is thick. By trying to neck the WSM up to 458, brass thins like a 44-40. RUM's @ 2.1" when fire-formed shorten and with 15+ firings cases are now 2.095-2.1. Have had zero signs of head seperation
I believe Alaskan potential is there,or more. One guy going to Colorado School of Trades wants to build 1 for his project gun and asked if 2100fps could be obtained with 500gr bullets. Maybe for him,but this is a 7.5lb gun!! Not for me!
