Moose Gun
 

I was hoping someone could help me choose a calibre for moose. I know I want a bolt action and probably syntheitic/Stainless but thats all I know. I primarly hunt moose and a little bit of deer/bear but moose is my main concern what calibre would you suggest??

RE: Moose Gun
 

I' d suggest a .30-06, .35 Whelen, .338 Win Mag, or any of the .300 mags.

RE: Moose Gun
 

I use a .300 win Mag. but any of the aforementioned calibers will work well.

RE: Moose Gun
 

Although many moose have been killed with lesser rifles, Anything from the 270 on up has taken many moose. The 6.5x55 and 7x57 mausers have worked well. My pick would be the 30-06 with bullets from 200-250 grains.

RE: Moose Gun
 

There would be many choices that are suitable. But the .30-06 is never a mistake for North American game. It is undoubtedly the most common caliber on this continent, (and possibly the world). It is available everywhere ammo is sold....is available in every action type produced....and available in a larger variety of factory loads than any other caliber. Because of its popularity...it is also one of the least expensive calibers to buy ammo for.

With any of its loads using the better 180 grain bullets (and up) it makes a good moose gun. Using the same 180 grain bullet it also works extremely well on black bear or deer, though many would suggest a drop of 15 to 30 grains for deer hunting. Personally I prefer the 180' s even when deer hunting as they insure penetration from less than ideal angles. With a good 200 to 250 grain bullet the .30-06 moves to an outstanding Moose gun and does double duty in the event of " big bear trouble" .

Good luck with your new purchase!

RE: Moose Gun
 

This was my reply from the same question in the Big Game Forum:

That' s a tough question to answer and will probably cause quite a debate because of other factors (shot distance, hunting method, shooter capability, over guning).

It would be easy to recommend one of the magnum calibers providing one is capable of shooting these well (no flinching). Shot placement and shooter capability/confidence is more beneficial. Having the hottest caliber on the planet isn' t going to help you if you can' t hit the target and are scared to shoot it.

If you can shoot a magnum and do not want to get caught up in marketing, I would recommend either a 300 or 338 Win Mag. My personal preference would be the 338 for increased cross sectional area and knock down power. Scared of the magnums, then a 308 or 30-06 would be my next choice. Leaning towards the 308 because of shorter barrel lengths (lighter rifle to carry through the bush).

I know there is going to be a lot of different opinions on this, not going to get into debates with others on this forum, but this is my 2 cents.

340,

RE: Moose Gun
 

The only problem I have with a .30-06 is where we hunt it can be a long shot up to 300 yards plus if you are willing to shoot that far. Will the .30-06 carry enough power to hit them hard at that distance?

RE: Moose Gun
 

300 win mag is excellent. I have a 308 Norma Magnum that is no slouch either.

RE: Moose Gun
 

If I could not do it with a 30-06, my next step up would be the 375 H&H . I would hesitate to take a 300 yard shot on a moose. Most moose are taken much closer. The 30-06 will still deliver 22-2300 lb of ME at 300 yards.

RE: Moose Gun
 

A 280 rem, 7 rem mag, 300 winnie if your concerned about shooting 300 plus, either of these will take down a moose and still offer you options for the future. I have killed moose with a 270, 308, 300 wby, 7 rem mag, 50 cal ML and Bow, they are big but tip over pretty easily with a H/L shot IMO. I certainly don' t see the need for 338, 375H&H or RUM for moose but hey it' s your dime/shoulder;)

The 3006 will work as well, I just prefer the 7RM to 06.

RE: Moose Gun
 

Yes.....Absolutely.

The difference between a .30-06 and the .300 Win mag is surprisingly small. It' s worst feature is that it' s so common. We come to think of it as a deer rifle.....and it' s a lot more than that.

I agree with the statement that if I REALLY need something bigger than a .30-06 I need a .375!!

RE: Moose Gun
 

Jack O conner once said that if legal he could hunt every species in the world with a 270 and a 375 H&H. I have never owned a 375 h&h of my own but I used one several times. I used to chronogragh one for a friend of mine. That along with a 416 Rem Mag. I used to borrow the 375 once in a while. I fially bought a 416 Rem mag. I consider the 416 to be the most rifle that I can handle without tears. I don' t know why it didn' t become more popular as it will dispatch anything on this planet with ease. The 375 H&H is a bit more versitile and would not be out of reason for a one gun battery. ( heaven forbid). It shoots pretty flat and hits hard. I quess it remains less than legal in some countries that have a 40 caliber minimum for big game.

RE: Moose Gun
 

I hunt Ontario, and my primary moose gun is a Remington 7600 in .35 Whelen. My backup is a BLR in .358 Winchester. Most of my moose were killed with a Remington 742 in 30-06.

I started hunting with bolt actions but found them to be inappropriate for hunting the thick stuff in this province. Those stainless things are pretty though.

RE: Moose Gun
 

I use stainless synthetic bolt actions.If you place your first shot properly you don' t have to worry about how fast you can get off a second shot.The people that worry so much about a fast follow up shot are usually the ones that don' t place their first shot properly.

RE: Moose Gun
 

Hey Rick,

I like your choice of cartridges. Particularly the .358 Winchester and the .35 Whelen, both great cartridges. (I need kicked in the butt....) I use to own a .35 Whelen in both the 7600 and the 700 Custom. We also had a Savage 99-358. Sadly, I don' t own any of them any more! (The stupid things we do?!?!?!) Currently my only .35 caliber is a Remington 673 chambered for .350 Remington Magnum. (When we get back to Alaska I intend to remedy that shortage!)

By the way.....I' ve owned (and still do) more than a few .30-06' s in my day. All great cartridges!

RE: Moose Gun
 

Four syllables: .30-06! ;) However moving up to one of the 7mm, .300, or .338 Magnums has its advantages, if you can take the recoil. But the heavy .30-06 loads will certainly get the job done with good placement.

RE: Moose Gun
 

I would go with the 375 remington ultra mag.It is also the best bear cartridge out there

RE: Moose Gun
 

.340 Wby. Mag. Good luck.

RE: Moose Gun
 

never hunted moose..

but vapodog got it!!

RE: Moose Gun
 

It will be hard to beat the 338 win mag here. Great out to 300 yards and can handle any bear you may run into.

But any 7mm mag of any flavor will do great to as will any 300 mag.

If you didn't need the option of shooting that far than the 35 whelen would fill the bill nicely.

Good luck

Brian

RE: Moose Gun
 

I've only shot about 25 or so moose (includeing the one in the pict.), so maybe some of these other guys have more experience than me.

Haveing said that, i've taken moose with everything from my S&W 44 mag., to some magnum calibers like the 340wby.

Personally i like the 7mm mag in the mag calibers, but the 30-06 with 200 grain Noslers is hard to beat. 300 yards in my opinion is too far to be shooting unless you log a huge amount of time on a range shooting at a "measured" 300 yards to get a feel for how far that "really" is!!

Bullet choise is the big factor! 160 to 175 grain in the 7mm mag, and 200 grain in the 30-06 would be my choise. I really like Nosler partition bullets in these calibers., and i use them as much as possible.

RE: Moose Gun
 

Hi Drilling-Man,

Nice animal! Where'd you take him at? (After the pictures were taken is when the real work began?!?) Though fortunately he's not knee/hip deep in water....thank god for little favors. Though I think the easiest recovery I ever heard of was one of my co-workers when I was living in Alaska. He had hit a moose not very far off the hardtrack just a little out of Wasilla. As he had to be back to work later that afternoon he used a cell phone and called a local wrecker. I couldn't believe it.....the wrecker came hauled it up and out....and carted it to his house, (think he paid $50.). Had it hung and dressed and still make it back to work on time. (Butchered it the next day!) Some people have all the luck?!?

By the way he looks about 50" or so (was he)? Nice Bull!

P.S. What'd you take him with?

RE: Moose Gun
 

I use a 300RUM on moose. I notice in Newfoundland shots at my camp is usually 200 yards. Why? That terrain is horridous. Hard as heck to move 100 yards closer in alot of situations. I would suggest anything with bullistics from a 270Win to 300RUM if hunting up in Newfieland. Can't really see a need up there for a 338RUM or greater. My old guide does it with a 243win. He's killed dozens he claimed with it. They ain't that hard to kill really.

RE: Moose Gun
 

.338 Win. or .338/'06. Moose are not particularly hard to kill, but are almost impossible to RELIABLY drop in their tracks, no matter what you shoot!

RE: Moose Gun
 

Akbound,

I took that moose in the flats on the west side of Cook Inlet aprox. across from Kenai. (Alaska) It's chambered for .338/06 imp.. The bullet was a 250 grain Gran Slam. I shot 13 big game aninials with that rifle within (3) years after i built it.

Other specs. on the rifle are, 22" Douglas premium bbl., English walnut stock, Remington left hand action, and Leupold scope.

I still have the rifle, but i no longer hunt with it. I built that one when i was doing a "huge" amount of wildcatting, and bullet testing!! I've settled down a bit since then! :>)

Glad you liked the picture.

RE: Moose Gun
 

Hi Drilling-Man,

Great caliber, nice rifle too! I was glad to see A-Square load it and Weatherby chamber for it....though not the improved version. Now if some of the other manufacturers would chamber for it! Of course it's easy enough to have the chamber reamed to the "improved version". I have even been thinking about an inexpensive conversion to .35 Whelen (or .338/06) with a barrel from Midway for the Savage, (about $140. I think). Then have it opened to Ackley Improved. Should make a nice Moose rifle "on the cheap". (Oh well, truth of the matter is, just another "toy...er project".)

The wife and I can't wait for break-up and we get headed back North this spring. Our son had Muscular Dystrophy so we sold our home in Alaska in "97" to bring him back to spend time with Grandparents and such. He's gone now....and my soul yearns for Alaska. I need somewhere to "stretch out and breath again".....and to get away from the memories down here. Break-up can't come quick enough to satisfy me!

Once again, nice moose, thanks for sharing the photo!

RE: Moose Gun
 

I was wondering. Is terrain in Alaska like that of Newfoundland or Ontario for moose hunting? Seems when I watch shows with Moose hunting in Alaska, terrain isn't as open and shots not as far. As for me, I think the terrain in Newfoundland is crazy. If your not sinking 1ft in marsh, you have to kill yourself in the Black spuce getting out.

RE: Moose Gun
 

Hi bigcountry,

Never been to Newfoundland or Ontario, (and only spent 5 years in Alaska....so no expert on Alaskan terrain either), but what I can tell you about Moose hunting in Alaska is that it can be extremely varied terrain. In hunting season they can be found in the swamps, bogs, (with and with out the spruce), or sometimes in slightly more open tundra, up in mountain meadows.....pretty much in just about any kind of terrain. And in addition to the spruce throw in some birch, dogwood, alders, devil's club, fireweed......well you get the idea.

Some hunters prefer "stalk and call" (depending on the rut) and many prefer just getting up high enough to sit and glass. Then after spotting planning a stalk. Some just head to the heavy cover and prefer "still" hunting. And a number of us will do any of the above...under appropriate conditions.

But the terrain is very varied!

Some of the long time Alaskan residents that may have been to Newfoundland or Ontario can give you a better comparison!

RE: Moose Gun
 

Sounds like a nice gun!!:)

RE: Moose Gun
 

"If" i was building another .338/06, i'd not go for the imp version. IF you think you need more than the std. 338/06, just pick a bigger case to begin with!

I lived in Alaska for 25 years, and at the time i built the rifle i was hunting brown bears a lot, so that's why i picked that cal..

After i got older (read slower) I built a 7 express Rem that is much lighter to carry, and i took a lot of big game with it. I till use it once in a while.

Hey akbound, i hope things work out well for you! I moved out of Alaska in 96, and have no plans to go back. It was 25 years and out for me. :>)

RE: Moose Gun
 

.300 Win Mag ;)

RE: Moose Gun
 

Hey Drilling-Man,

Thanks for the best wishes! I'm sure things will. I know I can't go back to a simpler time....but I can find a little more solitude in Alaska than I can in Pennsylvania.

Or maybe I just need to "tweak a bear"......