What is the best caliber for moose and what is the average shooting distance for a Kenai area moose? Looking for a best all around rifle.
Moving there in 2009.
Have a marlin GGS 45-70 and a mini-14.
What else do I need?

From what I hear you need a cannon to kill a moose.....

30-06

Just go out and get a good 30caliber or even a 338winny and you will have the state covered.

Actually if I was building a moose rifle I would build a .338 fed off an old style Rem TI.

Been boozing today Tom.....grin

Just in the back row during church.

Me too

I have shot moose with a 7mm Rem Mag with 175gr CoreLokt and 160gr TSX. My moose rifle is now a custom stainless Ruger MKII in .35 Whelen with 225gr TSX and that also worked pretty good this year. I'd have to say that it would be hard to go wrong with a .338 Win Mag.

My choice is a 35 Whelen or 9.3x62mm. If you are not a reloader, then an ought six or 300 mag would do.

I used a .338WM to take my Newfoundland moose this year. I was shooting the 225gr TSX. The first one passed through and the second one was recovered under the hide on the far side. It looked exactly like the one pictured on 'BCSteve's' post. The moose went about 20 yards.

I've kill moose with cartridges in 6mm, 6.5mm, 7mm, 30 cal, 33 cal, 35 cal, and 45 cal. If for some reason I had to pick only one to use for the rest of my life it would be a 30 cal, the 30-06 specifically. And that makes a nice middle of the pack for the pair you already have. I do imagine that even your 45-70 would be a perfect match for much of what you may find on the Kenai though.

106 yards, 180 grain Hornady AccuBond, 30-06. He went about 25 yards into the thickest willows imaginable...My first moose, but definately NOT my last!! Not a particularly tough animal from my one encounter.

BSG
Hey Friend welcome to the Campfire.
That is a nice Moose you have there.
Take Care
HD

300 win mag stainless synthetic 180 grain noslers . great all around cartridge up here. good round for about anything that walks up here.

Only one gun? In that case a .338WM would be hard to beat as an all around gun.

I agree with all of the above posters.


they steered you right, now just do it! (grin)

yep all of it, I didn't stutter. (well at least not this time)

The 45-70 would be just dandy!! I killed a Newfoundland moose this past October with a 45-110 BP rifle and it literally bodyslammed the moose.

The 45-110 is far left. 45-70 far right

If you are not recoil sensitive (and I assume you're not since you're shooting the .45-70) then the .338WinMag (as others have suggested). If you are recoil sensitive, then the .270,.280, 7Mag, .30-06 class of cartridges will work fine.

I have killed a lot of moose with a .338wm. It has never let me down, it also gives you a little more bite if you run into that other large brown mammal that runs around up here. My little brothers 300wsm does a great job on bullwinkle as well.

It's what comes in to the dinner bell after you've shot that moose that you need to be thinking about in a moose gun.

No experience here with the AK/YK moose, but the 45/70 does wonders on shiras bulls. Even though they are bigger, I would imagine that 45/70 of yours would do just fine with AK/YK bulls as well, unless you are looking for a longer range moose gun. In that case, I would trust those who have already sounded off.

Well I shoot a Sako 75 SS in 338 Winchester just for that purpose and elk too. You really can't go wrong with an .30-06. I have a friend who shoots nothing but a 7mm-08 and he collects his every year. The key is a good bullet and being able to put that bullet in the right spot.

You already have the rifle....distances can and will vary though. I've shot them out to 185 yards and as close as 10.

There it is.

Thanks for the welcome. This is a great site!
Todd

I had not idea that moose had rifles!

slow day at the improv....? he he he

338 Win Mag gets my vote as well, love mine and it's a killer!

Like, Klikitarik, I've killed moose with a lot of different stuff from the .243 up. Including a 12 guage slug. Currently carry a .338WM for moose only, but that's mostly in case Big Hairy shows up. Hasn't in 35 years of moose shooting, but ya never know. And if I need to shoot one of those hairy-footed, night-creeping deck crawlers, most anything works at 7 feet. Especially behind a big flashlight!

Of about 20 bulls, only two were over 100 yards. They die easy generally- my '06 has worked just as well as the .338. (Shoot 'em through both lungs, wait 2 minutes, and they'll tip over. Somewhere within 200 yards or so, but generally within 100. Most of us just keep shooting until they go down, if we can see them. About a dozen years ago, after loosing my second bull getting "lost" in nasty chit long enough for the meat to spoil overnight, I went to CNS shots if they present themselves. Saves a lot of angst looking for the durn things.) So for that matter, did everything else work equally well, all things equal. The toughest moose I ever shot was a spike - he took 3 225 grain TB (2nd one thru the knee), and a 250 Sierra Game King before going down. Those other 3 were all good shots, exiting his far side, 2 through the same hole, the last one several inches higher, just below the spine.- he just didn't want to go down. In fact, the first TB went through both shoulder blades and both lungs (120 yards). Every once in a while, if you hunt long enough, you'll find one like that. Especially if they have the adrenaline up, as this one did.

My average shot-distance for all the moose I've killed is 60-70 yards, from 16 closest to about 160 farthest.

In your shoes, I'd get a .300 short mag in stainless/synthetic. Paired with 165 or 180 grain premium bullets of your choice, you have everything up here from deer to brown bear covered, at any range YOU are good for, and it should be light enough for backpacking/ mountain hunting. Good luck.

I think anything from .308 and up is adequate for moose, but I generally go with "bigger is better" as long as you're comfortable with it. I use a 375rum with 300gr a-frames.

The 300wsm is a great gun if you are only going own one rifle for Alaska -- for exactly the reasons stated above. I just purchased one but haven't got to the range with it yet. Of course, why would you only want one?

when you stated you own a .45-70 the rest here took off "lit on fire" about there choices, don't think I came across one reply that said it is a plus. The .45 cal is sure something to see at work, nothing wrong with it either. I surely loved mine before I gave it to my kid brother-a WWG worked over lever gun. Gets some good hardcast or reload and you are gauranteed steaks for dinner if you know where the moose are at.

The other rifle of choice would be for distance shooting-many fine calibers and many fine ones recommended. I too would have to say right off the bat is the .338 win mag. Have 2 of them and is tough to beat. Good bullet selection. Many a moose have fallen to the three-three-eight.

For Pete's sake: he said he has a Mini-14. I thought all Alaskans loaded up TSXs in a 223 and went hunting, grizzlies and all from what I hear.

'Course, I ain't from Alaska either!

You hit a moose in the boiler room with any reasonable cartridge/bullet, they walk off about 50 yards or so, lie down and bleed to death. It makes little difference if it's a .338 WM or a .308.

I have never killed a moose with anything bigger than a 30 cal and have never had any of them do anything but die in short order. Moose arent hard to kill, though it seems that hitting an animal in the right spots is a lot harder for some folks. If you can shoot a 45-70 accurately you'll be fine though it can limit your range some. The primary reason that guys up here use big guns (338WM's and up) for moose hunting is not for the moose, its for the bears they may potentially encounter, and that goes for just about every animal we have here. Guys dont usually grab a gun because it will kill Caribou, Sheep, Moose and Deer exceptionally well but one that can handle the chance encounter with Griz and Browns, they tend to dictate that for us in our psyche's and a few chance encounters just reinforces teh thought process.

He asked what else do I need?.....need I say more.
And yes I think the 45/70 is good.

Oh-oh....guess I gotta quit using that darn 7x57 that's been doing the job!

The .338WM is hard to top as all around cartridge for Alaska hunting.

It is all about placement of shots not the size of the cannon. I think some of you guys have no meat left after you drop the poor animal! I use a .270 with 160 grain bullet. I have taken 2 in the past 3 years one at 275 yards and one at 125, both are dead and a small caliber weapon did the trick with very little meat loss.

Walt

www.northwestalaska.com
Kotzebue, Alaska
33 miles north of the Arctic Circle

My 7x57 Ruger has killed two. One with 140gr Noslers, the other with 150gr PSPCL. Wouldn't have any qualms about using it again.

Sure, thats what it means. Sell it now. Let me know what you're asking.

".308" was a largely arbitrary staring point. .307 would be good too.

Your 45-70 is VERY ADEQUATE for any critter on four legs in AK. Limit your range to 100 to 150 yards and its meat in the freezer every shot.

You just ain't gettin' it C. Jack. He's looking for another gun! And an excuse.

The 45-70 is great on moose to however far you can hit with it, which is probably greater than any range one will be shooting at them.. Ain't worth much on a 300 yard sheep or whatever.

He NEEDS another rifle!

Well, a couple of years ago an older fellow in Anchorage killed a moose in his backyard with a pellet gun. The pellet passed between ribs and hit the lungs. The moose bedded down and died later. Sooo, shot placement is very important of course, but call me chicken if you like. Moose roam the same grounds as bears.

35whelen kills has well or better than the 338wm, my vote goes to the 35

"guns don't kill...hunters kill!" *





*slightly changed quote to fit this topic

...with that said...

2,700 fps and down is usually a guarantee to allow the hunter to "eat up to da hole." I like the Whelen alot. The Ackley version better. The .338 is my favorite, though theres a lot to be said for the good ole aught-six (Alaskan traditional piece for sure) First at ripe old age of 12 was with an 80 grain soft oudd'a 243 mod.88 Winny. Just below and forward of the base of the ear...

Had faster kill with an arrow though...scary dead it was...

bhtr

I use a 45/70 guide gun

Rifles don't kill Moose, bullets kill moose.

Way up there (as they say) in Maine, where they hunt moose a whole lot, most people hunt with Rem 742's in .30-06 or .308. It also curious that the gun shops like Kittery Trading Post have so many .375 H&H's on the shelves. No charging Buff in Maine, more likely dedicated to moose swatting. I know a lot of people with moose stories where they shoot the moose and it goes into the thicket and dies. A day or two with the chainsaw and come along later, the moose is in the truck. Some people gear up with guns like the H&H so they don't go so far. Given both ends of the spectrum, it would be possible to find a myriad of cartridges in between. Your beloved 9.3's, a .338 Win, anything like that.

OK folks, so far the count is close to these numbers.

a. .338WM number and location of votes:
-5 votes = Alaska
-1 vote = Indiana
-1 vote = CA
-1 vote = Wash. State
------------------------
b. .35 Whelen or .338WM:
-1 vote Canada
------------------------
c. .338WM and .45-70:
-1 vote = Alaska
------------------------
.35 Whelen:
-1 vote Canada
------------------------
d. .45-70:
-1 vote NY
-1 vote Montana
-1 vote Indiana
-1 vote TN
-2 votes Alaska
------------------------
.300WM:
-1 vote (unknown location)
------------------------
.30-06:
-1 vote Montana (Big Sky?)
-1 vote (unknown location)
-1 vote Alaska
-------------------------
.7x57:
-2 votes (maybe?) Alaska
-------------------------
.375 H&H:
-1 vote Alaska

It seems that the most votes for the .338WM come from Alaska, but I could be wrong of course In reality, the most popular cartridges in Alaska are the .30-06, .300WM, and the .338WM, and when bears are mentioned, then the last one in the list is favored. While those three are much of all around cartridges, the .375 H&H is another favorite with bear hunters alone. The .7mm Magnum is also popular, and so the .308 to a lesser degree along the .270. The .45-70 (different versions) has a good following, too.

So now we're killing them by the democratic process? (Add a vote for the 270 Win - he voted [from AK]).

Okay, how about doing a bullet thing next?

I've used a broad gamut of stuff from Ballistic Tips to Failsafes. However, only three have been at-the-shot-tip-overs. They were Interlocked, X, and Gameking. (Two of them boattails ). One other bullet / rifle combo which came close was a Core-Lokt from a 30-30.

I told you my 7x57 has killed two moose, that's correct. But, my preferred caliber is the .350RemMag.

I have shot them with 338 win mag 308 winchester and two with my bow. I would say whatever blows your skirt up. Just dont use varmint bullets in the smaller calibers. Your 45-70 would be great.

Now that you have mentioned, it would be nice if we can create polls on such things with web buttons for us to mark. I really like the old 230-grain Fail Safe (Lubalox coated). But the 225-grain TSX is quite nice, too.

Don't forget the 225 grain A-Frame.

The 225-grain A-Frame, as well as the 250 grainer, are outstanding bullets.

I kill moose every year. To date I have shot them with:
300 hh
270 wm
338 wm
hoyt trykon
hoyt magna tek
300 wm
223 (ar 15)
44 mag
45 auto
12 ga with slug
truck
I have never had to track

Moose are dumb and easy to kill shot placement is key.

" Moose are dumb and easy to kill shot placement is key."

Half right.

retire 09,
both of your rifles will work on moose - however one is definitely better than the other

I ain't gettin it! damn sounds like my kids talking. no respect I tell ya no repect!

well since I missed the "obvious" let me recommend the 280AI then as the alternative rifle. that would be a damn good sheep gun then!

But allowing for the backyard in Anchorage, perhaps more than half ??? ....... (Confidence, courage, and foolhardy testosterone can, of course, sometimes fool a person.)

Real moose hunters don't use anything bigger than an original 1876 deluxe in 40-60 caliber with a magazine full of ammo.

Hmmm....
So I assume the next time you have some of those Sako rifles for sale at the gun show, you'll be selling them for practically nothing????

Who are you?

Well, let me put in my vote for the .308 Norma mag. I have killed moose with everything from a 410 punkin' ball in a single shot Model 37 Winchester to a 45/70 Marlin. The most I shot with the Norma. If I had to go out the door with just one rifle, that would be it.

Either the Guide Gun or a 338-06 with 210 gr. TSX

You heard wrong. IMHE, we tend toward the dark (heavy) side!

Nope- only half. Moose ain't dumb. Not if they get regular pressure on them. I'll stack them against a white-tail any day for smarts, all thing considered. Hit properly, they do die easy, if not quickly.

Oh, I agree they're not dumb at all - even the ones that don't get a lot of pressure. I was just thinking that certain circumstances may color one's perspective, urban versions being one example. It is rather easy to think that moose are not real bright when seeing Triple A moose (Anchorage Alley Alces). It's kind of like thinking they are slow because they don't dash like smaller deer - but they certainly can cover ground fast when they want to, and at a gait that can at best be described as "purposeful".

Not much really.

But a good 308/30-06/270 class rifle would be a good addition.


With the Giude gun, you have plenty of self defense "Thump".

Good shooting,

BMT

I've used both a 338 Win Mag at 300 yds and a 454 Casull at 15 yds. Both worked equally well. Would love the try out my 1895 if I draw a 3rd Wyoming moose license.

I have never killed a Moose but I do own a 30-06 that has not "self actualized" yet.
So maybe one day I can kill two birds with one stone!

Have killed and seen moose killed over the last 40+ years. Shot placement is ALWAYS the key. Here are some of the cartridges I have seen dead moose taken with.

-- 22LR - I don't recommend it, but a lot of Indians eat moose every year that died from one.
-- 243 Win - my wife took her first moose with one in a NEF Handi, and an uncle in BC buys one for his daughters and daughters in law and they all kill moose.
-- 270 Win - Uncle with all the 243 ladies.
-- 300 Savage - kinda like a 308 lite.
-- 30-30 - MANY killed. Around here if you were a moose hunter 40 years ago, you had a 30-30 to start with.
-- 303 British - LOADS of moose killed with them.
-- 308 - they do just fine.
-- 30-06 - more moose killed with that every year than all others combined in this area.
-- 300 WM - a 30-06 heavy.
-- 7RemMag - works fine.
-- 6.5X55 - very effective
-- 8mm Mauser - not many but they work good.
-- 338 mag - needlessly overpowered IMHO, but they kill stuff.
-- 45-70 - great killer.

I have only used a 30-30, a 30-06, a 300 WM, and a 303 Brit. I hope to add 405 Winchester and 45-70 Government to the list.

A good bullet through the lungs makes moose very dead.

Agree with the bullet placement theory, which is correct. Have shot a number of moose with both the .300 weatherby and the .340 weatherby at distances from 40 yards to 450 yards from the center of a lake in a boat during a rain down pour. In all cases it was exciting.

Can't help myself, as it is my favortie caliber and rifle!

My first big game rifle in Alaska (other than the Marlin 336) was a .308N, built on an 03-A3 action. Lovely gun. Shooting standing off-hand, every round would go on an 11" paper plate at 200 yards if I did my part.

Ballistically, however, it is a 300 Win Mag, and the WM is way easier and cheaper to feed.Unless one is handloading- then, it's just the brass that costs considerably more - or did back before my .308NM burned up.

I've killed more moose with a 375 H&H than anything. Grand old cartridge. But the 338 WM and 350 RM has worked well enough. I tend to carry the 338 more often the last few years. And I like to get my 30-06 out ever so often so it doesn't feel unloved. During the off season the 45-70 gets carried plenty.

That would be .223AI, DakotaDeer! Have to open up that Mini-14 chamber a little.

-jeff

Jeff... Jeff... Jeff, how many times do you have I have to tell you? DON'T POKE THE BEAR!!! ~josh