Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Moose, 30-06, 358 Win, 6.5/284 ,or new rifle ?

Working on Moose hunt, what would your choice ? I have a Rem. 700 box drop, 30-06, shoots 150 Nos. PT, dime @ 100 yards. A old Ruger 77rs 358 carbine, that shoot 200 Horn RN and 220 Nos BT like a well tuned varmit rifle, and a custom 700 6.5/284 with 140 XLC, one holer. 1st two nice light carry rifles.
I haven't considered my timber 444 marlin which I haven't worked with.

Tacksmacker

yes

how far are the shots? I would try 165gr tsx or Hornady in the 06 and if 1" at 100 go forth and fill a freezer. I amnot personally familiar with the 358 but if at distance the trajectory loops.

Randy

I would take them both and keep the .30-06 in camp as a back up. The .358 will make them bad sick.

Hard not to like the '06 with 165 Hornady or Partition, or go way silly and use the 168 TSX. Moose drop dead at the sound of an '06 barking. Wife killed a nice bull this year with 150 gr TSX at 2840 ft/sec. It dropped at the shot and stayed dead. Last I checked, it was still dead and tasting jess fine.

I hear mooses really get a gut ache when it comes to lead poison..

Depending on the area your hunting, the 358 as your primary, then take that ol 06 for a ride too as a backup.


Oh,,,, Make sure you take pics, to share with your camp buddies..


Later�

I've used 358 and '06 one several moose apiece. I would favor either of them over the smaller caliber. You do have the better bullet in the 6.5 however. I would not use the light bullets you propose for the two larger calibers. There's no reason to avoid a standard (or stouter) 180 grainer in the '06 even if it double the 1 MOA standard. (Moose are large, tough targets which can easily stop just about any bullet - and I have a substantial collection of evidence to prove that.) I would also suggest something like at least the 200 TSX or 225 PT in the 358. (The 225 XFB has worked well for me more than a couple of times - and I've only recovered one of those.)

If you don't want to change anything you have, go with the 140 XLC. That is the best of the three arrows in your quiver.

Ought six for sure. The .358 has a poor trajectory and the 6.5 doesn't have a heavy enough bullet for my taste.

I would go with the .30-06 with a good 180, just because you never know exactly how far away a moose will stand when it decides to be shot.

If a moose doesn't die from .30-06 injection, the problem wasn't with the .30-06.

All of you are to have your official "Rifle Loony" cards suspended for not less than 30 days for the serious infraction of failing to recommend buying a new rifle .

For future reference and to avoid more severe penalties, please remember Rifle Loony Rule 11:

Rule 11 -- Even if you want to support the individual's current selection of rifle and cartridge, you must always append your statement of support with the following caveat or equivalent: "...but if I were recommending a new (rifle or cartridge), it would be a ......".

It's done like this...

I generally take my .35 Whelen when a shot at a moose might be in the offing, so I'd go with the .358 Winchester. Trajectory is plenty flat out to 300 yards or so to make good hits, with a big bullet. If you want a new rifle, though -- take a look at a .375 Ruger or its new little brother, the Ruger .338 RCM. They combine great features, affordability and "moose-size" bullets.

Let's be careful...the wrong person might see one of us recommending that someone stay with a rifle they already have...

Dennis

Dennis; I was scrolling as fast as I could to get here and post what you said. You beat me, but just barely.
I am appalled at the lack of consideration for firearms manufacturers! We all need new rifles, even if they are in calibers that we already have. Carry on!

I've seen a couple go down with a 30-06 and 180gr Partitions . The 200gr .308 Accubonds with the high BC will give about the same trajectory as the 180gr NP.

6.5x284 with 160g Woodleigh Weldcore PP at 2750fps with H100V (BC 509, SD 328).

I would like to publicly apologize for not taking the opportunity to suggest that nothing would do but a NEW rifle. I was only on my second cup of coffee when I posted earlier.
ct

OK, then. I will recommend buying a 7x57, since that is what I killed my last moose with. It worked fine, so it is obviously a great moose cartridge.

If you really want to be a loony about it, make a 7x57 Ackley Improved. That ought to make the moose die a nanosecond sooner.

LMAO, But true how true! I'm ashamed of all of you

Since a new rifle is pretty much required to shoot a moose with style,a guy needs a magnum.

If it is also big bear country get a 338,if it is just a normal moose neighborhood,a 300 Magnum would be near perfect unless a guy is overly recoil sensitive in which case a 7mm mag would qualify with about the same recoil as the 30-06 and 358.

All things considered,dern near any centerfire rifle suitable for deer and elk will work,and since nobody has alluded to the semifamous Swedish Moose Study,I'll point out that everything from the 6.5x55 to the 375 H&H killed moose pretty quick when they were hit 'with the pointy end of the bullet in the front half of the moose' to paraphase a famous gunwriter.

In the interest of full disclosure it bears pointing out that I still have not actually shot a moose,but I've read about it a lot and even wrote about it some on the internet or Wikipedia or somewhere that I can't remember.

So go out and shoot your moose with a good bullet in the right place from virtually any big game rifle you can imagine or already own,it'll work out.

Did somebody already mention to post the pictures?

I don't know how small of a moose your going after, but if it were me I wouldn't make the extreme accuracy of the load or rifle be a main consideration in which bullet or rifle you were going to use.

Use the gun and load that is best suited for the game your going after. If it happens to be a 180 partition @2700FPS that shoots a 1.5-2" group at 100yrds so be it. Sight it in 1.5-2 high at 100 and the shot will never be more than an inch away from were you pulled the trigger and that shouldn't be a problem at on a Moose.

take the 30-06 and use some 180gr partitions. no need for another rifle for moose.

Ooooh.... use the .358! That would be way high on the cool factor. But 'cept, I'd load the 225-gn Partition, if it were me, over the two bullets you list.

A reasonably accurate .358 is a 300-yard cartridge, easily, so unless the mooses are gonna be way out there...

Just my non-moose-hunter thoughts <g>.

-jeff

The 30-06 with good 165gr or 180gr loads.