Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game first moose hunt...which rifle....bullet combo

Yep. Been there and done that on hunts where the dead moose was a loooooooooooooong way from the road. They have a saying in Northern Alberta about moose hunting:

"Nothing spoils a good moose hunt faster'n some damn fool shootin' a moose."

I have killed precisely one moose so my experience is limited.

I worked up a great .300 Savage load with the 180 gr TSX for my 99. United airlines sent my rifle to Toronto then Newark (neither are in Newfoundland). About all you can say it is it at least stayed on the same continent.

I shot the moose with a borrowed, rusty Rem 700 .30-06 that I had shot twice at a cardboard box at 100 yards. I picked out a half dozen rounds that looked the same from a gallon ziplock the outfitter handed me.

The moose died fine. My rifle showed up three days later and broken.

Suggest you try another method.

[quhote=ironbender]Where will you be? [/quote]

Ontario

I've shot more moose with a .308 than anything else, and it worked just fine with 165-180 grain bullets. I have also shot a few moose with cartridges such as the .35 Whelen and .375 H&H.

I prefer relatively tough bullets for moose, bonded, partition, etc. Not because moose are so tough, but they are big, and shoulder bones (Humerus/ scapula joint) are hard and can deflect or break up fragile bullets. Penetration is very important on some shoulder shots, and all rear angling shots, but almost irrelevant on side-on rib shots. Accuracy is WAAY down on the list of important considerations in a moose bullet. Don't choose a bullet that shoots like crap, but remember that Moose are real big, and are generally not shot very far away.

If I was going moose hunting tomorrow with my 30-06 I'd pick a 200 grain Nosler partition or Lapua Mega. If they weren't available I'd choose a 180 TSX, Partition, Norma Oryx, or perhaps a Speer Grand Slam, or A frame.
I have no personal experience with a .338 but the same bullets in 225-250 grain would do the trick.

I talked with the gentleman who has been on this trip like 6 times. It's basically cruising the lake looking for moose in bays then getting to shore and setting up for a shot. Or just sitting on bays waiting for something to show if you have seen them there on previous days. He say it pays to anchor them if possible. He has shot a few here and his longest shot was close to 300, one 200 and the rest under 100 yards.

If you are hunting close to water you might want to consider shooting your bull right on top of the shoulders. That will drop him on the spot minimal meat loss. Beats having them run out into the lake and falling over.

Trying to figure out where you mean to shoot... but not liking the sound of it much. The dorsal processes on a moose spine through the shoulder region are VERY long.

I have shot a couple moose just above the spine through the shoulders and do not suggest it. Both bulls went down instantly, but were hardly "anchored" in the sense of unable to get into water or worse...

If this were an Elk hunt, I would add "on the uphill side"!

The biggest, perhaps most reliable "tip over" shot may just be the pelvis. That won't mean he'll quit, but he won't be mobile anymore. I would certainly want an E-Tip, TTSX, GMX or something along those lines if that was on my agenda though (to avoid or minimize meat loss). Same deal if I was trying to take the much iffier shot to take out both scapula/humerus joints - it works very well and is quickly lethal as well, just a very difficult shot to pull off intentionally. Of course there's also the brainer shot as long as antler width isn't a legality issue; not liking the drawbacks unless it's a close shot however. From what I have seen, they seem to be quite willing to stand there and bleed when one front leg is useless and both lungs are ventilated. But then, I don't generally shoot them when they are tempted to swim either.

I have shot a number of BC bull moose over the years and a hit on top of the shoulders will drop them instantly. Never had one get up and run off. Shooting behind the shoulder is definitely lethal, but they can run a ways before tipping over. A pelvis shot in my view ruins too many steaks and is not that great.

For reference. And no, that's not me.

Having done a bou in a shallow river with a buddy once, and an early moose for me that fell in about 6 inhces of swamp.. I"d be very careful about deeper water. Last one was dry in a field, couldn't beat that. Probably won't be that lucky agian soon...

That's not the top of the shoulders that's the hump. Top of shoulders means top of scapula a little more forward and a little lower. Works every time.

Sounds like you're shooting neck. Shoulders, unless you break both sides, are not reliable dropping shots, but they are positive kill shots.



This one could have made it to water.



Likewise.

I've always subscribed to high percentage shots (lungs). I can count the number of instant drops I've gotten on one hand - and two of those didn't involve broken bones! If I was going to be hunting where there was a decent chance of a moose going swimming, I believe I'd rather carry a come-a-long rather than hope to plant the critter in a spot of my own choosing.

Didn't know Chevy Chase was into hunting

Well in any event let's hope whitedogone gets a good bull and on dry land.

Where's the fun in that?!?

And I remember the last time I tried a come-along to pull a bull moose out of a lake... it pulled a couple trees into the lake... they were only 8-10 inches but they gave up without much of a fight.

Three of the bulls I saw shot this year were incapacitated in their tracks with a single shot.

The first two legs of your tripod on the first pull? Sounds rather effective to me. (Is there a way to make a link from your comment to the thread where three buddies want to go after a DIY moose hunt? True perspectives might be more useful than opinion. )