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

Well,I have a 30-06 and a 338wm. Never hunted with either, but both shoot well. I will most likely take both with as I'll want a back-up. Which should I plan on hunting with and what bullet would you suggest for both? BTW, both are topped with VX3's 2.5x8's

I've never found the .30-06 lacking against moose. I'd use a Partition. 180 or heavier.

I haven't started loading for the 06 as of yet. I'll most likely see how the 180's shoot. The 338 really likes the first load I loaded for it..... a 250 game king.

I have shot exactly one moose and that was with my 338 with a 225 TSX bullet. Either would work just fine from what I saw/ have heard. Good hunting..

I have taken a lot of moose over the years with different caliber 's , but my favourite moose gun is my .338 with 225 partitions. The .338 makes a tough shoulder shot on a big bull a little better.

Nothing wrong with either caliber. Use the one you are most comfortable shooting. And good luck. Hunting moose is a great time until you pull the trigger. Lol

I have shot them with quite a few different cartridges and bullets and cleaned up a bunch shot with different bullets. This fall I shot my bull with a 30-06 and a 168gr TTSX.

I have used quite a few C&C and NPTs on them in 30 caliber.

Because I like to eat moose I use the X bullets. The reduced amount of damage they do to meat is extremely easy to see. They are also big enough that I want an anchor if they are near water. You have to go through the shoulders for that... as the old song goes you can eat right up to the hole... not so much with any lead core bullet.

I watched three bulls get shot with the 338WM and 210gr TTSX bullets this past fall... all died...

Alternate carrying them day to day and see which one is going to be the lucky gun Either will do the job nicely. For the 30-06 anything form a 150 gr TTSX or E tip on up will work if you want a mono bullet, I would load a 165-180 gr Accubond or Partition myself. For the 338 a 200-225 gr TTSX, E tip, Partition or Accubond is where I would look.

If you were ever looking for a reason to use your .338 Win Mag, you have it now! One of the better cartridge choice for moose hunting. I've shot several moose over the years with a 7mm Rem Mag, .35 Whelen, .300 WSM and my last two with my .375 Ruger. Most loaded with TSX AND TTSX bullets. That being said, my partner who's not as much of a gun loonie, has shot as many as I have with his .30-06.

My choice would be your .338 Win Mag loaded with 225gr TTSX.

I do have some 225x bullets for the 338. I assume they will drill shoulder if the need arises.

That would be cool, hopefully I actually shoot something.

Either will work! Premium bullets are a plus. My wife's last moose was with a .338 WM with a Barnes 225. Moose never took another step, with a nice exit wound. Tracking would have been real easy,though not necessary! memtb

Both have been successful on all NA game. More important will be where you shoot your moose.

Shoot it near a road.

Winner, winner, chicken dinner!

It's a fly-in. Got get it to the boat.

On a fly-in you will be very weight limited, usually. I assume you are too smart to go alone... pick just one rifle and bring an extra scope... if you have a failure beyond the scope you can use your partner's rifle if yours fails, and vice versa.

You should be fine as long as you are not using A-Borts!

I've taken moose with both the 30-06 and the 308, usually with 180-gr. Partitions, but I've also used 165-gr. Hornady BTSP's and Interbonds.

Moose are not that hard to kill. Hit them in the boiler room with anything reasonable and they will go down - not usually right away, though (unless you hit the central nervous system). They like to walk a bit before falling down. Also, they frequently don't show much reaction to being hit.

A friend here in the valley is a bear guide and his favourite personal hunting is for moose on horseback. He started shooting them with a 308, and then, after a few years, decided that he'd move to a 338. After taking a few moose with his 338, he went back to the 308, as he noticed no difference in results. His experience mirrored mine - he said that he'd shoot them in the lungs, then they walked off about 30- 50 yards and collapsed when their lungs filled up.

If you're worried about running into Mr. Grizz, then by all means pack the 338, but for moose it's not really necessary.

I shot my Shiras with my .300WSM and 165 gr Barnes TSX, only went 15 yards and tipped over.

Either.. The 06 with 165 or 180 Part. and the .338 with 225 part. or 210's.. Much would depend if there was a chance at a longer shot..

Where will you be?

Bigger cartridge is not really needed for bears either...

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. )

Like this?
https://www.24hourcampfire.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/10930025/Re:_Help_finding_an_unguided_o#Post10930025

This is probably better.

Re: Help finding an unguided outfitter for a Alaskan moose hunt [Re: wyolipripper]
Sitka deer Offline
Campfire Oracle

Registered: 02/02/01
Posts: 26813
Loc: Anchorage, AK USA
Originally Posted By wyolipripper
Thanks for everyone taking the time to respond to this post.
I will be looking into the outfitters mentioned above.
If we do this trip I am going make sure I am in great shape.

All the outfitters promise big things but I am really looking for first hand knowledge of a hunt. Raft float hunt vs a lake drop vs a regular drop camp.

Thanks


I strongly suggest you drop the float trip plan if you are not very experienced rafting rivers. Just a little bad luck can leave you in a very bad place, quickly. And you will be dealing with others of questionable experience...
_________________________

I thought the idea was to try to take em in the water. At shore of course.

I have been surprised more than once to open up a moose that walked away from the tracks he was in when shot through both scapula. Broken humerus seem to be a whole different deal, but the busted-up scapula aren't necessarily immobilizing.

If you want them immobilized then just do what I did. A 600gr Woodleigh soft point at 2180 out of a .505 Gibbs.
DEAD RIGHT THERE!



Plus hunting with open sighted big bores is a load of fun!

Yep, I bet that 505 gibbs does that even if gut shot... not.

But thats a nice round, always wanted something fairly big but for what reason I don't know.

Nice bull!

I threw 600 grains through a bull some years back with a 45-70....2-300 grainers. Both drilled the onside scapula, one, both of them. One exited. So did that bull, and uphill, for 25 yards or so.

I can think of three bulls that tipped over at impact via 30-06. The very first moose I ever shot with a 190 Interlock side x side through the ribs/lungs. The next took a 180 Grand Slam through the neck. Then there was a 180 E-Tip that went higher than planned above the lungs, severing the spine. Two others were via 340 Weatherby. The first time I fired that rifle at game, it was a 225 XFB which broke both scapula/humerus joints; the second a 250 GameKing which landed too far back and high. It entered in front of the femur/pelvis junction and angled forward, passing just under the kidneys - bruising them a bit. That bull may have died from a twisted neck as it fell, perhaps from being stunned by the bullet, rolling it's head up as the antlers caught in the tundra and the body skidded.

"Where" matters more than "what". (And then there was the bull that a buddy 'stunned' with a 22 Mag so his father in law could catch up and kill it. They have a hard head, but it ain't hard all over. 40 grains @ 1900 brained that dude and he was tipped over and perished before FIL came on scene. :| )

If hunting in BC, you need to be prepared to make a shot upwards of 450-500yds. A good 180gr bullet is a good starting point.

I'd have to disagree. The only shot my cow moose presented this last season was a pelvis (Texas heart) shot. I took the shot with the 400 Whelen and a 400 grain Hawk round nose at 75 yards. There wasn't a coffee cup full of damaged meat.

I've taken the shot a couple of other times on elk with a 30-06 and 300 H&H, both with 165 grain Partitions, and didn't find it doing much meat damage. Certainly not near as much as most shoulder shots. In all cases it instantly anchored the animals. In both instances the elk were hit in the chest but still on their feet. One was close to a state line and the other close to a very steep ravine. The pelvis shot anchored both and saved me a much longer pack on the one and prevented the other from crossing into another state. The landowner's farm was divided by the state line.

I took a pelvis shot to anchor a Bull I had already liver shot with a .450 Marlin. The meat damage was bad. The worst the butcher saw that year.

Bullet choice here is the issue.

Shoot em there with a stout bullet and not a mild cup and core one and you will loose, but it wont' be much....

I did a deer once to stop a wounded one with a cup and core... all I had.. it was not pretty.. I've done it since a couple of times same reason, TSX, no issues.
Watched one get done same back to cup and core in November, toss most of that meat...

Maybe this moose hunting ain't for me. I have no plans other than to try to put a round thru the heart or both lungs. Just how I was brought up, I guess.

Bullet selection has much to do with meat damage. The various common factory loads for a .450 all come with relatively soft bullets and exacerbate tissue destruction due. Same shot with a 400ish grain hard cast lead likely produces much less tissue damage.

I often hunt with TSXs for just this reason, minimal tissue damage. However I know that to get radical terminal effects I need to shoot substantial bones. Bang flops, that aren't CNS hits, are more common with softer bullets with greatly increased tissue/meat damage.

I agree. I was using 350 Hornady's and they are soft. A hard cast bullet wouldn't have done so much meat damage. But I was well equipped for the double lung shot I was intending to take.

Not to be labor a point or start an argument, but I have taken somewhere around 30 bull moose over the years and probably been in on 60 plus bulls down. My preferred shot placement is a heart lung shot for sure, but if I have to anchor one its a shoulder shot.

Alaska moose are bigger than Canada moose and that physical difference may be a factor.

Mart is right. That's why I like heavy for caliber bullets. I had a large bull faced away from me in some really think stuff and all I had was a hip. I used my 375 H&H with a 300 grain, Barnes (one of the few Barnes I've used) but it was like that bull was hit with a drill press. You could eat right up to the bullet hole. Heavier, high SD bullets don't damage the meat as bad.

Back to the OP either caliber will serve you well. Just remember all the fun is over once you pull the trigger Just use a heavy for caliber premium bullet.

I LIKE it once I pull the trigger!!

I hope my 6.5-06 and 127lrx will get the job done. If the gun dont like them Im going to go with 140 partitions.

I busted a pelvis up (unintentionally) when a second shot was needed and the young bull was trotting away at a sharp angle. The 225 XFB caught him in the hip and broke the pelvis into numerous chunks. The worst part of the job was trying to find the pieces of bone since none of the meat had telltale blood-shot to indicate wreckage. Perhaps the worst mess I've seen in a moose involved a 165 cup and core hitting a big bone in the shoulder. Much of that leg was bloodshot. Soft bullets and big bone combos are the problem. I would rarely choose a pelvis shot, but if the question is putting the animal down, it is a viable answer. It is a much more reliable "dropper" than the shoulder shots are. The latter- when they include lungs- are 100% lethal however.

I want to take a moose with the .270 Winchester. Not much difference between the two.

Nope I think they will both get the job done. But it does have me scrolling the ads looking for a cant pass up deal on a Whelen. Guy cant have to many guns.....

I haven't started loading for the 30-06 yet. I do have some 180 barnes x's to try in it. Maybe I'll get some 180 pt to try as well. Also wondering about the 182 Grain E-Tip's. Don't hear much about those. The 338 shoots 250GK's extremely well, but I do have some 225AB's for it I want to try.

Pugs, your story makes my belly hurt.

My son shot a huge-bodied bull with the 80gr TTSX in a 25-06... a minor step between the three cartridges...

I should be in good shape then.