Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Ask The Gunwriters Canadian Moose - select the .30 bullet

Sierra Game King 165 grain over a max. charge of IMR 4350 has always served me well, accurate and deadly. Never felt the need for premium bullets.

My Sis and in-laws live in Alaska and hunt moose fairly often. They mostly use 30-06 and 308.
All of them use 220 grain bullets for their moose and bear hunting from the 30-06 rifles they own. I have used 200s and 220s on bear and elk. So I can't give much 1st hand advice about 180s in the 30-06, but I have used 200s and 220s,and I would not even hesitate to use them for moose.
I'd use the Noslers just because I have in the past and the results left nothing to be desired. But I also did fine in the past with 220 grain RN bullets from Hornady and Sierra too.

So in the weight range from 200 to 220 I think any bullet that's made for hunting is going to be ok from a 30-06, but left to those on your list I'd choose the Noslers the Woodlies or the Swifts.

My moose hunting experience is next to zip, and I'm not a gunwriter, but it's the campfire, so why should that stop me from commenting?
While any bullet over 150 grns could work, I'd take a proven penetrator over a little extra accuracy or velocity any day. In September I saw the results of a bull moose shot with a 178 ELD-X from a .30-06 and a caribou shot with the same bullet from a .308. None of the bullets penetrated very well. The moose was hit well on the first shot but stayed on his feet long enough for 3 more hits plus the hunter had time to get in his backpack for more ammo and start to reload. The bull ended up in a schit-hole of swamp.
On the other hand, my son shot 2 moose with a shot a piece from my .338-06 with 185TTSX. Complete pass through on the cow and nearly full length penetration on the young bull. The cow went about 30 yards and dropped. The bull took a few steps and was down in seconds. The other thing is, even though we could see animals out to about 600 yards, there was never a time that we couldn't have got within about 300 yards or much less without too much trouble. Being able to reach out isn't much of a concern. YMMV.

You can put two into them or as in the case of my first you can put four into them. They don't seem to go down any quicker and they lay on the ground huffing and puffing until they're done and you can't seem to speed that up. I'm trending in the right direction. My first I shot four times, my second twice, and my third once. They all took just as long to expire

I thought he was just flaunting his wealth :-). In this market, use the Partition and sell the rest to fund a second moose hunt next year!

I can tell you the results I got this year from my .06 loaded with 180 Grn. Norma Oryx on top of Ramshot Hunter Powder on a mature Mule Deer Buck. He was quartering to me, I hit him in front of the right shoulder, the bullet penetrated the length of him and was recovered near the left rear leg joint. I measured the bullet at .937 inches, and it weighed about 168 grn.'s. I was very happy with the results/performance of the 180 Oryx. Although I wouldn't hesitate to use any of the bullets you listed.

I have taken several moose. The first was with a Rem. 760 in .270 caliber with a Dominion 160 grain Kling Kor bullet. The majority of others I used 150 grain Nosler Partitions. Most recently I have been using a .338 Win. Magnum shooting 225 grain Nosler Partitions. The latter seemed to put them down with a bit more authority but they ended up no deader than those shot with the .270.

I vote for the Nosler Partitions just because of my experience with them.

Jim

I've shot two moose. The first was a Nosler solid base in 308 win. Two bullets were used at about 50 yards. I didn't find more than a few fragments. The second was 260 grain Nosler AB, in a 375 H&H, a high shoulder shot. The recovered bullet was 91 grains the shot was about 200 yards.
I stood by a friend while he used my '06 with a Barnes 165 original, 30 yard head shot. The bullet wasn't found.

My next moose will be with '06 using RWS TUG, uni-classic.184 grain.

"The second was 260 grain Nosler AB, in a 375 H&H, a high shoulder shot. The recovered bullet was 91 grains the shot was about 200 yards."

I would have thought it would have held together better.

Not with an 06 but 4 bulls with a 180 partition (out of a 300 mag) with predictable results. Furthest any of them moved was maybe 40 yards,(an average of perhaps 20 yards) all with shots through the lungs (one thru the left shoulder to get there). I would look no further if I had those on hand.

Use the accubond. It's on my short list of "1 and done" load for everything and I (selfishly) want to know how it does!

If you can only manage a 5 moa hold in a field position, then accuracy could be quite critical on 6 moa target at 300. If you are hunting logging cuts, it’s quite possible you will encounter a 300 yard shot.

They are all sound bullets the OP listed. Letting the barrel decide is sound advice. IMO

You have chosen a great cartridge. I dont know how many moose hunts Ive guided over the last 3-1/2 decades but suffice it to say lots. Chances are great that your shots will be much closer than 250. Either of the two Noslers would be my first choice as long as they shoot well. When hunting moose, or any other animal in Canada, it helps to know that dozens and dozens of big game animals are taken in northern Canada every year with rounds most southerners think are underpowered. I've seen many big Yukon bulls taken cleanly with 30/30s all the way out to 175-yards. Just stay away from the shoulder blade.

Yea, the rifle was built many years ago around the 180 gr. Partition in Norma brass @ 2750 fps MV, depending on the particular lot of H4350.

It's taken many critters large and not so large.

It's a bad day when groups are larger than 3/4"... in those cases, more coffee is obviously called for...

Laser beam indeed! What are the specs on your rifle and who built it? (Extra credit for a picture) I suspect a case of OCD in a guy who keeps working up loads once the Partition shot that well.😁 I think I’d have just smiled and stopped right there. Good luck on your hunt. I’m also planning a Canadian moose hunt this year.

Any of them that does sub 2" groups. zero for @ 200 will be about 8" low at 300, 24 " at 400

That's point blank to 300 - "minute of moose".

I've done in countless dang moose with a 06 since the early 80s....last 15 years I've using the federal 165 to 168 grain stuff with the plastic tip...the old 180 corlok took the first 10 or so , I had a 180 Federal classic round that I ran into a moose with and on the scale when I got back came in at 179 that's pretty good ! That was fun but I use my bow and .44 hand gun when I can ... ...

I'm said it before my meat cutter just loves to shake that big coffee can he has a separated Nosler partition rounds in your face... he just loves that...I'll pass...

Lol.....nowadays

I have only shot 3 moose myself, but they were with 180 grain ballistic tips, 180 grain accubond, and a quite mildly loaded 165 gr SST that I had loaded for an M1 Garand and used when I couldn't find my "good ammo". The other two were 300 WM and 30-06.

Small sample size, but I've seen 3 others dropped with the 30-06. My buddy dropped a decent size young bull with 150 gr TTSX loads I made for him, took 3 before it fell but they just about always do. They don't seem to light the afterburners like a whitetail does when its hurt and we don't worry too much about wasting meat on an animal that size. Shoot it again in important things.

It works good with any respectable bullet on Bullwinkles.