What moose cartridge?
- Thread starter DES0LAT0R
- Start date
There is dead, and there is also deader. There is the moose that is dead where you shot him - or at least pretty close, and there is the moose that is dead in the deepest end of some muddy spruce swamp where he ended up because he was able to run there after being shot. This I would argue has less to do with the caliber used and more to do with where the bullet struck. Of course there are always exceptions.
Never had a problem with my 30-06, it's honestly my go-to rifle for anything I am shooting these days, and I highly recommend it.
It is what I feel comfortable shooting, and I know I can make an effective and humane hit.
As a differing opinion though,
Some guys I hunt with say I need a 300 WM, others swear a .308 is all I would ever need.
I will agree with both a bit in terms of.
A) Depends how far you are shooting the moose
B) Shot placement.
It is what I feel comfortable shooting, and I know I can make an effective and humane hit.
As a differing opinion though,
Some guys I hunt with say I need a 300 WM, others swear a .308 is all I would ever need.
I will agree with both a bit in terms of.
A) Depends how far you are shooting the moose
B) Shot placement.
I agree with you. Caliber is not important. Shot placement is. You gut shoot a moose with a 308 win, or gut shoot it "better" with a 300 wm????
What cartridge puts them down in their tracks??
- Location
- Chilliwack, bc
Any 30 cal cartridge will drop a moose in his tracks if you put the bullet through the vitals!
The Outsider
CGN Regular
Here's an interesting poll from Outdoor Canada magazine,
Expert Canadian outfitters share their picks on the best Moose cartridges,
Ten different cartridges received votes as the best choice for moose, though only four earned significant support. The .300 Win. Mag. was the clear winner, garnering 26 of the 75 recommendations proffered, though the venerable .30-06 wasn't far behind, with 22 mentions.
While the .338 Win. Mag. received strong support, that backing came mostly from B.C. and Alberta. That's not surprising given the largest-bodied moose tend to come from the country's western and northern extremes, and that these areas also have grizzly bears sharing much of the same habitat.
Other vote-getters included the .325 WSM, .300 WSM, .280, .270 Win., .308 and .300 Weatherby. Regarding the .300 Weatherby, its two votes were, with one exception, the only Weatherby cartridges mentioned throughout the entire survey. And I was surprised to see the .308 gather just one vote, as it has a storied reputation as a moose round in many parts of Eastern Canada.
Clearly, however, the survey respondents have a strong bent for magnum calibres when it comes to moose, with the .30-06 being the exception.
Expert Canadian outfitters share their picks on the best Moose cartridges,
Ten different cartridges received votes as the best choice for moose, though only four earned significant support. The .300 Win. Mag. was the clear winner, garnering 26 of the 75 recommendations proffered, though the venerable .30-06 wasn't far behind, with 22 mentions.
While the .338 Win. Mag. received strong support, that backing came mostly from B.C. and Alberta. That's not surprising given the largest-bodied moose tend to come from the country's western and northern extremes, and that these areas also have grizzly bears sharing much of the same habitat.
Other vote-getters included the .325 WSM, .300 WSM, .280, .270 Win., .308 and .300 Weatherby. Regarding the .300 Weatherby, its two votes were, with one exception, the only Weatherby cartridges mentioned throughout the entire survey. And I was surprised to see the .308 gather just one vote, as it has a storied reputation as a moose round in many parts of Eastern Canada.
Clearly, however, the survey respondents have a strong bent for magnum calibres when it comes to moose, with the .30-06 being the exception.
None can be guaranteed of that. Only a central nervous system (CNS) hit will do it, with whatever cartridge and bullet combo that manages to get in there. Personally, I don't really get the obsession with dropping him where he stands. Any solid vital zone hit will be assured of a downed animal in fairly short order, with a much larger and easier target to hit. And if you must have 'convenience', you would be shopping for your meat instead of hunting it.
Moose don't take a lot of killing. My wife shot a huge (7-year old) cow moose at 220 measured paces with an AK. 3 shots in the lungs. The moose laid down right there, and would have died there if my wife, my son, and her friend hadn't gone down there right away. I had neglected to tell her to wait if she shot something. That moose ended up running a long ways once adrenalin kicked in. Lucky for us, she crossed a swamp, but died smack in the middle of a logging road.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
It's what happens between "hit" and "dead". Dead faster is better. Less time for them to fall into a creek or gully or other alder-choked hellhole.
Deader is Better.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
Shot placement and a good bullet is why you don't need a cannon to kill a Canadian moose.
This went through a moose's heart at over 300 yards and he dropped on the spot. 7mm-08
Those should work nicely in my 7x57.
Are you telling me that a moose shot through the heart with a 300wm will die quicker than one shot with a 308 win?
Like someone has already mentioned, the time you have a bang flop is when the nervous system is disrupted. Shots through the vitals need time to do there work.
Uhmm .. maybe you've never hunted in the mountains of B.C.?
Your wounded trophy can easily fall down a 2000 foot precipice or disappear in a thick stand of Douglas Fir that will seem endless. etc. etc.
Yep. Within moments after the shooting stops there are two likely scenarios that will play out. Either you go get it; or you go look for it. I know which one I prefer.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Shot placement and a good bullet is why you don't need a cannon to kill a Canadian moose.
This went through a moose's heart at over 300 yards and he dropped on the spot. 7mm-08
Very nice!! Doesn't get much better than that. Oh, just curious, do you recall which of the four 7mm 154gr bullets put out by Hornady that was used? I have two boxes of Hornady 154gr RN in my 'stash' that I could put to use in a pair of 7x57's and a 7x61 S&H. However, in a few calibres I've been testing and changing over to Barnes. For my 7mm's, I've been leaning towards their 140gr and/or 150gr TTSX BT's.
