Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Mule Deer - 308 Win and Moose question

As some "wise guy" once said, "Killing power is 90% bullet placement, 9% bullet action, and 1% headstamp."

Das ist richtig.

Well if we listened to that, 90% of the threads on the 'fire would cease to exist.

Update of question,

I've tested 168 TTSXs and 150 TTSXs and GMXs with RL15 and Varget in my Browning BLR .308 Win.

All loads tested, save two have proved disappointing (at least to me - 1 3/4" to 4" 3-shot groups). RL15 loads for the TTSXs and GMXs are a little more than I was hoping for with average 3-shot groups of .74" and .82", respectively).

However, the average velocities are 2656 and 2656 fps for the 150 TTSXs (46 grains) and GMXs (45.3 grains), respectively. Interesting that the velocities are similar with different charges (GMXs generate higher pressures, and thus velocities faster; lame chronograph (F-1 shooting chrony); some other variable).

My question is are these velocities adequate/appropriate for shots at moose if kept to 250 yards or less (most shots probably within 50 yards)?

BTW,

On my hunt last fall, I had a bull moose within 30 yards of me doing that head-swaying motion I've seen on hunting shows. Was simply amazing to witness - watched him for ~5 mins. However, I elected to watch him rather harvest him. Temperatures were hot (25 Celsius), I was about 1.5 Km from the trail, and because of an injury, 2 of our 4 person hunting party were unavailable that day. I was worried about wastage so I just enjoyed watching him. A definite highlight of my life.

No worries - 2 days later, one of the guys got a 46" bull.

I was finally able to get my moose this fall. Small 2-3 year old bull taken at 80 yards. Used 43 grains of H4895 Travelling at 2730 fps - close to the max I would expect out of my 20" Browning BLR barrel. Shot hit rib on entry (actually hole in rib - no shattering, passed through heart, then exited ribs and passed through front quarter meat ( no bone hit). Found round in hide.

IMG

Tried posting pic - will try again. Recovered bullet looks just like a barnes add.

There is an Aussie writer called Nick Harvey who used to hunt pretty much everything with a .308 Norma Magnum. Nick has been writing since the early 60's and shot out if I recall correctly, 7 barrels in .270 culling roo's professionally for a time.

About 4 years ago, he was given the then new, Miroku (aka Browning)for review and discovered during his tests that it killed just as well as his .300.

He toyed with some bolt option and then remodeled a Remington 600 into a carbine .308 format and that became his main hunting rifle for local game up to sambar.

The folks at Remington were visiting him and doing some culling about '78 and saw this rifle and came back to the US and created the Model 7 variant.

Such a rifle in .308 is very competent for most intended use.
IMO, there is too much emphasis on power increases when what is really needed by the majority is a flattened trajectory and not more power.

This is the very reason hunters and handloaders are waking up and discovering (for them) the lesser calibers over the past couple of decades, which still have enough bullet weight and power to take the very same game they have always hunted, but at the increased ranges some valleys and hillsides are providing.

Instead of watching them from afar, many are now taking the shot.

I'll say it again, I never met a .308 user who walked away from the cartridge because of inadequacy.

John

Why not just use a 165gr Partition?

Congrats BearClan !

Sounds like you made a great shot .

BearClan,

Fall of 2013 my wife took a big cow moose with her 308 and a 150 grain TSX. After some sage advice from MD, I tried the 150 TSX and the 165 grain Partitions in her rifle. It liked the TSX better so we went with that. Her shot was a quartering one at 30 yards and the bullet punched through about 30" of moose and exited after leaving both lungs with 1.5" holes and shredding the top of the liver. The bullet broke one rib exiting and the moose made about a 50 foot half circle before collapsing. I was impressed. In the back of my mind I had some reservations about that light a bullet for moose. Not so much anymore.

Good job on the moose. Congrats.

Outstanding, congratulations. Looking forward to the pics.



P

Here is what I hope is picture of recovered bullet using photobucket.

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Hard to beat that. I've only recovered one TTSX, and it looked pretty nice too!

Guess I'll have to add some of those 130 TTSX .308s to the thirty caliber bullet mountain on my bench.