What is your favorite rifle / shotgun for bear and moose?

Holy cow....you guys are like children! "My dad can beat up your dad"........?

BBB~ Good post, and I agree 100%. I shoot a mix of "traditional" calibers (.270,7mm, .303, 30/06, .44, 45/70) for game, as well as some of the "newer" cartridges (7mm/08, 300 SAUM, 300 Ultramag).

My favorites are as follows: Moose-300 SAUM (closer watches) 300 Ultramag (Longer ones)

Deer/Bear .44 mag (Dogging-very close watches) and 7mm/08 (Everything else)

If you are buying 1 rifle, and one only......I agree with 270 WSM. Factory ammo available for everything from moose to 'yotes, lots of premium bullets, not alot of recoil, and accurate. And before either camp starts slagging on me...I don't even own one of these. This is an un-biased opinion.

Now try and get along......
 
If you are buying 1 rifle, and one only......I agree with 270 WSM. Factory ammo available for everything from moose to 'yotes, lots of premium bullets, not alot of recoil, and accurate
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Of course the 7mmremmag will do anything that the 270wsm will do,and it offers a far greater variety of factory loads.
 
Wrong Way said:
Holy cow....you guys are like children! "My dad can beat up your dad"........?

BBB~ Good post, and I agree 100%. I shoot a mix of "traditional" calibers (.270,7mm, .303, 30/06, .44, 45/70) for game, as well as some of the "newer" cartridges (7mm/08, 300 SAUM, 300 Ultramag).

My favorites are as follows: Moose-300 SAUM (closer watches) 300 Ultramag (Longer ones)

Deer/Bear .44 mag (Dogging-very close watches) and 7mm/08 (Everything else)

If you are buying 1 rifle, and one only......I agree with 270 WSM. Factory ammo available for everything from moose to 'yotes, lots of premium bullets, not alot of recoil, and accurate. And before either camp starts slagging on me...I don't even own one of these. This is an un-biased opinion.

Now try and get along......
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Nothing personal Wrong Way... but we already have a Referee... his name is Maddog... and he is God.:eek:
 
Then why did you post in a thread started by a new hunter asking about a new gun? And I'm not sure to whom you're referring, these guys who "think you can only hunt with a new caliber that starts with WSSSSSSSM something."

I've certainly never met one, or even heard of one.

But that's too much hijacking already. Gronski, in case you haven't noticed, gun owners are opinionated. Sorry 'bout the hijack.
 
Here's what I think... :rolleyes:

New hunter, wants advice on a deer/ moose caliber.

Alright. Every single time a new/young hunter asks this question I will always tell them to get one of: .243; .270; .308; .30-06. All of these are readily available, ammo is cheap, all of them will handle deer. So if we factor in a moose hunting interest then the .243 gets dropped; .270 is just adequate IMHO for moose. Personally I pretty much always recommend the '06, the single best all-around caliber there is, for new hunters.

In this case, we do not know the personal situation of the hunter in question; IE: Does his father/brother/uncle/grandpa reload!? I think it is silly to advocate our "pet caliber" on any newbie without bothering to determine this!

It's easy for some "expert" with 25 years of hunting and handloading experience to sit there and believe that the .300WSM is just the Cats Focking Meow, but WRONG to advise a young guy to get that caliber. Did we not just have a thread in which Gatehouse pointed out that Winchester could lose a patent dispute on the Short Magnum concept? So unless you reload and can deal with the problems, it's just BS to sell someone on a caliber line that could go the way of the Dodo Focking Bird... theoretical superiority and all aside...


Drop your bloody need to foist your favorite caliber on the newbish. :rolleyes:


THE SINGLE BEST CALIBER FOR 95% OF NEW HUNTERS IS THE .30-06.
 
I have a friend who is in the same predicament, new (old) hunter - wants a gun primarily for deer and maybe moose.

I told him bolt action, synthetic stock, 30-'06. Easy to clean. Ammo everywhere. More probable than not that someone else will be shooting one in the gang he may hunt with. Gun can be made very safe very easily and quickly by removing the bolt (he has a wife and kids - they're a little uptight).

The next piece of the puzzle is to scope or not. He has good eyes, we'll see shortly.
 
My recommendation for the 300WSM was tongue in cheek and meant only to illicit a response from the usual suspects. I am sure many long timers here could have wrote those responses before they were even posted.;)
One thing about being closed minded and prejudiced... you are very predictable....:)

I think that there are many viable options for a rifle as long as it is a caliber made after 1980......:eek:

just seeing if they're still biting:rolleyes:
 
BIGREDD said:
Nothing personal Wrong Way... but we already have a Referee... his name is Maddog... and he is God.:eek:
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I've been watching this one, it hasn't gotten outta hand yet......yet.

Our new hunter is just looking for some advice and I see a couple posts where he's getting it.

Now if it was up to me to tell him what to do, I'd be looking for a nice Savage 110 or a Stevens 200 in 30-06 with money left over to scope it. Cheap and accurate for the first time hunter and he can pimp it out down the line with a new stock, trigger or barrel. Just my .02.

admin.gif
 
Thank you so far

Demonical said:
In this case, we do not know the personal situation of the hunter in question; IE: Does his father/brother/uncle/grandpa reload!? I think it is silly to advocate our "pet caliber" on any newbie without bothering to determine this![/B]
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Though I MAY do reloads one day, I'd have to buy ammo off the shelf for now.

Re: Hijacking - I7m new to shooting and CGN but NOT new to the Internet. I love watching the dialogue unfold, and I very much appreciate people interjecting with "yes but" comments, for things I would not necessarily know.

Chris
 
I went through this same dilemma a couple years back and I chose a 30 06 with a detachable mag. I have since improved my shooting skills and moved on to the 243 for all my deer and varmint needs, it kills them just as dead as the 30 cal but I don't ruin meat or hides because I know I can hit whatever I am aiming at. IMO go to the gun store and look at some 30 06's 308,270 7mm etc and see which one is comfortable to you because I think bullet placement is everything not calibre, don't get me wrong I wouldn't go moose hunting with a .17 cal but I have seen many mosse killed with a 243 and 25 06.
 
BIGREDD said:
You should look at the best technology in both rifle and caliber... don't let the trendies sway you with regard to the Short Mags or the new rifles chambered for this new technology.:cool:

Long story short ... get a Husqvarna in 30/06 or .270.
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................................ :D




sc

 
I don't have a favorite, but would not feel "undergunned " having to use any of the smaller bored rifles I own if that was what was in my hands at the time.
I know how they all shoot and have enough confidence in my abilities as a rifleman that the bullet would go where it was supposed to , be it from a .577 Snider , or 6.5WSSM.

The big variable would be distance, and if the critter was too far away , so be it.
No loss, because no shot would be taken if I felt the shot was beyond the capabilities of the cartridge as far as energy or trajectory goes.
Inside the parameters of both shooter and rifle, LOOK OUT!!:D

Cat
 
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Originally Posted by BIGREDD
You should look at the best technology in both rifle and caliber... don't let the trendies sway you with regard to the Short Mags or the new rifles chambered for this new technology.

Long story short ... get a Husqvarna in 30/06 or .270

BigRedd, I agree with you 100% here, a beautiful little firearm you can still find for a decent price in good shape. Accurate as the dickens and a pleasure to pack around. I'd be opting for the 30-06 chambering. Both of mine have shot very well. Their only downside is they kick like a mule. One word of advice with the huskies, make sure you check that the tang area of the stock is relieved .020" so the stock doesn't crack under recoil. I had to learn that one the hard way. I had no knowledge of where to look for a replacement so I sold it and have kicked myself most every day since.
Enjoy the search for "that gun" and don't get in too big a hurry.
Maybe go with a shooting friend and try what they have, see if you like it.
Best of luck!
Noel
 
Here's my.02.

Plan on shooting alot under different environmental conditions and from REAL hunting positions. Benchs are usefull but it's unlikely your moose, gun and bench will ever be within a 100yds of each other. Shoot alot! Listen to every "expert" , be polite, nod to anknowledge you've taken their advice to heart and then make up your own mind. As for the gun; you get what you pay for.
 
Noel said:
Originally Posted by BIGREDD
You should look at the best technology in both rifle and caliber... don't let the trendies sway you with regard to the Short Mags or the new rifles chambered for this new technology.

Long story short ... get a Husqvarna in 30/06 or .270

BigRedd, I agree with you 100% here, a beautiful little firearm you can still find for a decent price in good shape. Accurate as the dickens and a pleasure to pack around. I'd be opting for the 30-06 chambering. Both of mine have shot very well. Their only downside is they kick like a mule. One word of advice with the huskies, make sure you check that the tang area of the stock is relieved .020" so the stock doesn't crack under recoil. I had to learn that one the hard way. I had no knowledge of where to look for a replacement so I sold it and have kicked myself most every day since.
Enjoy the search for "that gun" and don't get in too big a hurry.
Maybe go with a shooting friend and try what they have, see if you like it.
Best of luck!
Noel
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I am not sure if you are being serious or pulling my chain Noel???

Super has doctored my quote to relflect his own traditionalist attitude and to pull my chain in good natured fun.
I am neither a fan of the old or the new... but I am a ctitic of those who dismiss all the new technology out of fear or ignorance.
My original post read like this....
BIGREDD said:
Let me get in here quick gronski before the naysayers all start harping away with their insidious caterwalling.:rolleyes:
You should look at the latest technology in both rifle and caliber... don't let the traditionalists sway you with regard to the Short Mags or the new rifles chambered for this new technology.
Long story short... get a Tikka t-3 in 300WSM.:cool:

Now you can listen to all the silly people.... who's gonna be first...:p
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As you can see my original post was a preemptive strike at the traditionalists who feel the need to answer every question with a stinging rebuke of any option outside of their own opinion.:(
I don't disagree with your assessment of the Huskys... they are a fine firearm indeed and one of the best shooters I ever owned was a Husky heavy barrel in .243. The chances are that a used Husqvarna in very good condition is going to cost nearly the same as a new T-3. My point is only that many here dismiss any option if it outside the traditional.:cool:
 
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