Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Alaska Cartridge for Alaska Moose Hunt

I’m a month away from a long sought Alaska moose hunt. I have two choices of rifles and cartridges. A Remington 700 in 338-06AI that shoots 210 Nosler Partitions at 2.800 FPS or a Remington model 7, chambered in 300 WSM shooting 180 train Nosler Partitions at 2,900 FPS. Both are very accurate, but the model 7 weights about 2 pounds less. More recoil, but a quick handling, easy to carry rifle. So, what would you chose.

Whichever one you shoot the best offhand with.

What he said.

Doesn't really matter, either is more than plenty.......shoulders, legs and boots are where it's at. Think power and endurance rather than speed.

Pretty much sums it up. Take lots of pictures.

Less can offer more off hand. Ask yourself which one caries and shoulders best for you in the field conditions. Wish you an amazing trip.

The most reliable of the two.

Minute of moose chest is not a high bar and still plenty good enough.

Sometimes you only have a softball sized opening at the wash tub sized target.

The rifle you feel most comfortable with and are most accurate with quickly from field positions. Hopefully thats also the most reliable of the two.

Don't ever recall that problem with moose.....have had more than a couple instances where I had to wait for a better shot than a washtub sized ass opportunity however. "Threading" a shot has usually involved moving targets which favor the better handling weapon and bullets with good integrity.

A month to go and you haven't got that ciphered out yet?

You're gonna love that trip BTW.

Flip a coin or take both.

I'd go with whichever gives you the most confidence.

30-06

Had to say it.

308, 180 grain Hornady spirepoint Bullets.

I've killed bull moose with recurve bows, 308, 30-06, 300 Win mag, 7mm mag, 7mm STW, and 375 H&H and none died any sooner or quicker than those shot with 308. Well-constructed bullet in the boiler room and you are done. A broadhead through the lungs is probably faster than any of the rifle options mentioned above.

John

In the thicker cover in SE I can see that being a serious issue... and of all the moose I have dealt with I have seen one time where there was no softball sized hole in the cover and a much-too-high shoulder shot was required, and worked, but not particularly well... There were two bulls locked up and under 60 feet. the willows were over six feet.

Little differences in shot placement make big differences in how fast moose die. And a shot through both lungs will virtually always be fatal, but the option of a high shoulder shot is not a valid bow shot, yet a good bullet there will drop a moose virtually instantaneously, virtually every time, with any cartridge you listed.

To the OP: it makes no difference with one of the two rifles you use to hunt moose in Alaska. I favor the .338-06 juts because I like .33-caliber bullets, and use .338's for hunting. Some of my friends kill moose with .270's, .30-06's 7mm Magnums, .375's, and so on. My .338's weight over 8 pounds unloaded. I would not even think about the weight difference unless I was climbing mountains, or walking miles and miles on the tundra.

I hunt with a Tikka T3 Lite. So I would opt for the lighter of the two. Either cartridge is more than what you need to knock over a moose. Of course the .300 WSM will give you range if you can't close the gap.