Our moose in New Brunswick are medium sized. A big bull will run around 1000 lbs.

With the 308 Win, what bullet would you recommend. Typical shot ranges would be 50 yards to a really long shot of 300 yards.

I typically shoot bullets in the 150 to 168 grain range in my 308 and I do handload.

I am looking for opinions.

Really appreciate your feedback.

Colin

Two 168 gr TSX in rapid succession.

168 TSX if you are a believer. If not, 180 NPT. Either can be driven sufficiently flat out to 300 for an animal that size and both should provide adequate penetration.

Expat

I shoot a lot of 308, but I never shot a moose so use a grain of salt here.

I'd get some Barnes TSX or TTSX bullets in the usual weight range, turn up the throttle and find an upper accuracy node with RL15, Varget or since hot weather won't be a problem W748. About 2750 with a 168 Barnes ought to do in a properly hit moose.

I agree with MM.

The only bullet I've used on moose in the 308 is the 180-gr. Nosler Partition. Works fine, although I'm sure many other premium bullets would work fine, as well.

Nosler Partitions are good Barnes Triple Shocks are better IMHO

No need to turn up the throttle or use anything extraordinary, though a 168 TSX would certainly do the job.

Any decent bullet of at least 150 grains will also do the job. I base this on experience with the .270 and 7x57 on moose, and quite a bit of experience with the .308 on various large animals with bullets as light as 150 grains.

Thanks Mule Deer. How do you think a 150 grain Accubond would work? My 308 loves these bullets at 2760 fps but I thought for a moose I might have to go up to 165 grain for a little better "punch".

What bullets are you now shooting in you .308 for deer?

If it is 150-gr, just go with a tougher 150-gr that will shoot well. You are already used to the trajectory, recoil, etc.
150-gr Scirrocco

165-grs fly better out of the .308 than 180-grainers.
165-gr Swift A-Frame
165-gr Scirrocco
.... if you can find them.

At close range, the 180-gr has plenty of speed, and at long range, you don't have to worry about vanilla bullets coming apart. Standard Remington Core-Lokt 165-gr is the place to start.

My personal experience with 30 caliber on moose has involved the 30-06 and 30-30, but I've used a variety of stuff from the 165 HP GameKing, through 180 Weldcores, Ballistic Tips, and Grand Slams; 190 Inter-lockeds, 200 Partitions, as well as 170 and 220 Core-Lokts. I've seen the 308 in action on moose several times and plain old 180 Core-lokts seemed to kill them just fine. You don't need a 308 to kill moose, but it will work.

If I were going to use a 150 grain bullet, I'd use an X in some form. The AB would probably be an okay second choice as long as you are willing to limit yourself some. A thousand pound moose has enough resistance to seriously limit penetration from a number of angles. I have several 225 grain Xs fired out of a 340 Weatherby which moose have "caught". If I were pulling the trigger, I'd certainly like more weight than a 150 in the 308 and would find something that will shoot well enough that way or with one of the copper/alloy solids. Even with copper I'd still use 150 as the lower weight limit in spite of the fact that some folks might point out their even lighter examples. I'll just say I've seen the 223 work a number of times with 55 copper and lead; it works too, not a recommendation though obviously.

I've shot them with 165 grain Nosler Ballistic tips out of a .30-06. The bullets are always under the far side skin perfectly mushroomed. Shots were 25 yards. You sure don't need premium bullets. I have shot a ton of elk with this same load. Never a dull moment, dead right now, no tracking and no bull has taken a step. Bullets are always found under the off side skin. You can expect the partitions and TSX's to zip right through with very little reaction from the animal in my experience. Yes, they die, but they do tend to go a ways. A 165 or 180 ballistic tip will turn the insides to jelly. The hydrostatic shock of ballistic tips with slower rounds on big critters is phenominal. Flinch

I guess my experience has led me to conclusions somewhere between Klik and Flinch.

The 150 AccuBond is a greast bullet in the .308. The only thing it wouldn't do versus a monolithis like a TSX or E-Tip is penetrate big bones as well, so might not be the best choice for any sort of frontal shot. But it sure as heck would do for a broadside or even somewhat quartering shot through the ribs.

My experience differs from Flinch's in that the two quickest lung-shot kills I've seen on bull moose have been with Nosler Partitions. One was with a 9.3x62 with 286's, but the other (and even quicker) kill was with a 150-grain Partition from a .270 Winchester. But I do agree that in general Ballistic Tips will kill quicker. The latest version of the 180 .30 BT has the super-heavy jacket that the 200-grain .338 BT had, so would definitely be a moose load.

Lee 24
It seems that many on this board have decided not to talk with you as you may see by looking at the posts. Since I've never had any contact with you, I thought I would just let you know about it.

Regards,
Dew

I was thinking relative to my usual easy going 168 grain loads that mimic old school high power match ammo at 2550-2580 fps. I only meant to move up to full 308 potential which I've found is better than 2700 with several good powders.

Sorry, I should have been more clear. I'd never suggest red lining to anybody.

Pards wife shot a 42" bull in ND this fall, which would be the same as a Canadian moose, can't recall what it actually weighed though. 20" M70 Classic Compact with 130gn TSX's around 2900fps. 110yds, caught a rib in and the off-side blade on the way out. Complete pass-through, twice for good measure FWIW.

I've never had to shoot a moose 300 yards away but I like my 06 with 180 grain noslers. YOu should be fine.

180 Nosler PT's are perfection in 308 - 30 06 class cartridges for elk, moose and caribou. Worked mighty fine on a black bear this year also.

Dew, I hope the trolls don't respond to me, because I am never talking to then, only to serious hunters. If you want to disagree with anyone's choice of ammunition, feel free, but you need not get personal. Just post your direct experience with the ammunition, rifle, or activity I describe.

You can start with your experience with the .308 on moose.
Mine is with the .30-06, at 200 fps faster, which equals 50 yards more reach.

If I had to use a .308 on moose, the bullet I'd use would be a 180 gr. Partition. Better yet, a NorthFork at about 180 grs.
NorthForks are awsome.
Bear in Fairbanks

I have seen way too many moose shot behind the shoulders with NPs go way too far. I would not trust a NP to leave every time if sent through both shoulders... So an X iteration is the ideal IMO&E.

And I have yet to see an Accubond go completely through a deer or any other critter...

thanks guys. I appreciate all the comments. Have a good one!

150, 165, 168 TSX. I pushed three of the 168gr TSX thru a small bull moose this year. One from tail pipe to front bumper, 5+ feet of penetatration. The TSX is perfect for large game like moose.

My good friend shot a big moose 1000 lb'er in Sept. at 200 yards with a 7MM Rem Mag. with a 160 grain Accubond. Bullet hit behind the shoulder and exited the other side. I shot two deer in Alberta two weeks ago (a 250 lb field dressed 14 pt. whitetail) at 35 yards and a mule deer buck at 270 yards with the 150 grain accubond in 308 Win. Both bullets exited and both deer only went 30 yards at the most. I shot a black bear 3 years ago with a 150 grain accubond at about 15-20 yards and put it through both scapulas and the bullet exited. The accubonds seem to be very tough bullets. Not X tough maybe, but pretty darn good bullets none-the-less.

Anyway, thanks again guys.

Colin

This 900 pound bull was killed in Maine in 2009 and really did not like a 180 grain Partition from a 308. Shot was 100 yards (approx.) and the bullet exited. Moose took 2-3 steps and dropped.

I think a 165 Partition or Accubond would be the cat's meow.

Hey, when did the start making a 165 for the .270...<g>

Dober

Go buy a box of Remington Core-lokts or some Federal Fusions, 150's to 180's it doesn't relly matter which.
Spendier bullets won't kill any deader. Then shoot the critter where he otta be shot.
That's really all that's needed.

Well, since the question was about the 308 Win... Dober, you've got 270-itis

Of the four moose that I have shot with a .308 I used 180 NP for three ( about 20, 200 and 250 yds) and the Remington 165 corelokt for one at about 100 yds. In all cases the bullets seemed very effective, good penetration and expansion.

Either would be sufficient IMHO.

Yeah, if Sitka Deer really hasn't seen an Accubond exit an animal, then he hasn't seen them used much. Or only seen people run super-light ones super fast. Sumptin'. All I've seen them DO is penetrate, even on big animals, even after hitting bone. Damn fine bullet.

I've not hunted moose... Only elk. Moose from a .308 I'd run a 180 Partition or Accubond myself.

My son shot an elk with a 308 and a 150 grain partition a few years back. Hit both shoulders and found the perfctly mushromed bullet on the off side shoulder in a dinner roast (at dinner, by the way).

She dived for the dirt. I'd have no issues shooting that bullet at a moose.

If you half awake,you can ussualy get a good shot on a moose.It's when you get a "oh,sh**,that was a moose",that you get those bad shots. I would avoid your tougher bullets,as you need a bullet that expands,one where he feels ill quickly,and lays down before he gets to the water.This very very important.We use 180 Accubonds/Interbonds in our 30-06s,so a 165 in a 308 would be the same,but any cup and core like Interlocs would be very good. 1000# is a big moose,that's over 650# at the butcher.

A friend uses a 308Win on moose and has shot quite a few of them. A core lockt 180gr or a Hornaday 180gr at 2550fps seems to do the trick. Shots are normally inside 200yds with the most under 100yds. A 308Win needs nothing special for bullets but a 168gr TSX-BT may offer a bit more ranging ability. I use a 200gr AB in an 06 at 2625fps , so if you can get 2500fps out of this bullet i think it would be excellant on moose.

Everybody wants to use their anecdotal evidence based on a success story or two or four, or whatever... Successes are not nearly as indicitive of reliability as are failures.



Unacceptable performance for a bullet where big stuff roams... Deer at relatively long range...

And bad enough the bullet did so poorly, we had company at just over 400 yards from where two deer died...


And a bullet like these two would be a poor choice for big bears.

Again, slowly, the failures count a lot more than the successes. Though deer died the angles were perfect and the shots were in proper places, the bullets simply failed to maintain integrity when hitting a little bone at extended range. If they are inadequate for sedate velocities a little warp speed seems foolish...
art

I have looked at this quite a bit, as I've had .308s all my life, but only ever hunted moose with a magnum. I've come to the conclusion that if I were to use my .308's, I'd go with the 150 TTSX...

Here's a 150 TTSX launched from a 308 Win and recovered from last years elk... I'd prefer the Accubond's in Art's pics personally:

The Accubombs were recovered well before the offside on broadside shots on smallish deer at extended range. Given the range and the fact they hit about where they should have it indicates no problems like reloading error or anything beyond poor penetration.

If that TTSX was pushed at reasonable speed it would either pass through or upset and be stopped. Failure to open would normally be associated with "excess" penetration...

Considering the fact I saw 4 Accubombs in a row fail to penetrate from three different rifles leaves me with zero faith in them for penetrating. They would be fine for deer bullets, but I would not use them for anything of size or heft...

The fact Brad has a failure does not surprise me. With no way to investigate the failure all we can deduce is something happened to prevent the bullet from reaching appropriate speed...

The bullet was launched at 2,880 from a 1-12" twist 308 Win, hit an elk at 175 yards, didn't open/tipped on impact traveling backwards where it was found on the offside (backwards). It hit nothing before impact (branches, etc).

Simple really... when a bullet relies on a tiny air cavity to initiate expansion, chitty things will happen occasionally.

That's why I prefer Partitions... far less to go wrong.

Say Art,

Is that picture on Kodiak or down that way? When I lived in Eagle River, we made an annual pilgrimage down there and the bears always kept us on our toes.

Brad
The OP was about moose and your "failure" is about a bullet that almost completely penetrated an elk.

The Accubomb failures are about inadequate penetration on much smaller critters at greater range (327 yards IIRC) under ideal broadside conditions. They failed to make it through an animal about 15% of the original poster's question.

And you would prefer inadequate penetration over nearly complete penetration? And the TTSX seems to have killed the elk, far more of a test than a deer...
art shaking his head slowly

David
The bear is on Uganik Island, north side maybe 1/4 to 1/3 of the way out from the NE corner of the island. Or, if you know the island, just one ridge West of the big lagoon on the North side.
art

The only thing that makes me shake my head is that anyone would consider the TTSX pictured acceptable performance.

But coming from someone who believes Partitions don't perform well on BG, that shouldn't be a surprise to me.

Having shot far more head of big game with X bullets than you have shot total critters... AND having shot more head of big game with partitions than I have anything else, I sorta feel like I have a little clue about how they work.

I have a ton of recovered partitions, almost all have completely shed the front core. I have yet to recover an X of any iteration... And I have tried repeatedly to catch one.

The TTSX is the answer to the question I would not ask. It is a marketing ploy. As to how poorly it preformed you missed the point that an elk has some mass... deer, not so much. I did not say it was adequate preformance, but it is the only one like it I have seen pictured. And it nearly made it through the elk.

My father was a huge disadvantage for me when it came to killing stuff. He believed in shooting behind the shoulder. He knew bullets of his era could not be trusted to crunch bone and make it very far.

When I realized what an X will do it all became much simpler...

Well, that's some more to think about I guess. How far did you elk travel after being hit?

I have had four out of six Ballistic Tips "stay" in the moose I've shot with them. The two which exited were early version 180s in the '06. (The others were 200s out of the 340.)

I can recall shooting seven X type bullets into moose. Only the 140 out of a 7mm-08 left the scene. The rest were 225s in the 33 and 35 calibers.

I have a 150 Partition which was stopped by a whitetail on a broadside/angle shot from a 308. That bullet is far too stubby to make a decent moose hunting bullet out of any 30 caliber IMV.

You won't go wrong using heavier bullets on moose. And over penetration is not a concern with moose as much as it is with many other animals.

life is too short and bullets too cheap... if I wanted to run 150s, it would be TTSX hands down. I'll take a bullet that bulls its way ALL the way through ANY day, even if its barely over caliber, than take the chance of an explosion too early.

BTW the comment about the 180s shooting worse than the 150s from a 308 shows a lot of ignorance about ballistics, rounds, guns etc....... I shot 308 in competition for years, and dumped a LOT of 180-185s downrange in my M14s and the bolt gun 308 guys often laugh at my bullets choosing to run 190-210s... believe me the accurayc we got at long ranges was MORE than enough.

130 TTSX and Varget. That little 30 does some damage.

Klik,

I wouldn't leap to any vast conclusions about the 150 Partition because of that deer. I have seen a 210 .338 stopped by a whitetail buck on a quartering shot, and it wasn't all the big a buck, no more than 150 pounds field-dressed. The cartridge was the .338 Winchester Magnum and the range was less than 200 yards.

There is something about an angling shot that tends to stop bullets, especially when they break out of the flesh at an angle to underside the of the hide. Many of the Barnes X's I've recovered, for instance, are found after such shots.

Though I do tend to agree that the 150 .30 Partition is a little stubby for bigger game. I would have no qualms about using any of the Partitions from 165 on up, though....

You are wrong, Art.

Three elk seen killed with 225 AB's from a .338... All exited. Elk went down fast.

Two elk I killed with the 8mm 200. One exit, the other hit the elbow joint first, went diagonal through the chest, made it to opposite side under the hide.

A buck with a .30 180. First year the Accubond came out. Quartering-on shot. Smashed shoulder bone, diagonal through the deer, exited WAY back on the opposite flank.

A buck with the 8mm 200. Close range, magnum rifle, pretty much worst possible scenario for a bullet. The bullet smashed the hip joint, went the entire length of the deer, ended up under his chin. 70% weight retained, perfect mushroom.

Yeah, they don't penetrate.

If a bullet is to be judged by it's failures, there's been plenty of failed TSX's to look at in the last couple years. Did you miss that?

.30 cal 150 Partition started 3100fps.

Excellent pronghorn bullet....(grin)

Thats ezactly what the partition is supposed to do.

John,
No vast conclusions; in fact, it seems like a great bullet for caribou and less. And obviously, since even 55 grain bullets in the 223 have worked very well on moose several times when I've watched, even the 150 grain 30 cal Partition would also. But, on the basis of what can be counted upon to work reasonably well over a broad range of possibilities I would draw the line above the 150 Partition while giving the nod to a 150 copper/alloy monolithic type as a minimum in that weight. I haven't used the E-Tips or GMX, or whatever Hornady calls theirs, but I have used the 150 XBT and XFB in the 30-06 a number of times. I think the last time involved two caribou and both went flat really quickly. I wish I had had three lined up so I could have (might have) caught the bullet. A moose can simply be a lot more animal than many people seem to think they are. Yes, they die quite easily and generally close to the point of decent impact. But it is naive to underestimate what a 1000 pound moose can do to a rapidly moving piece of metal.

I agree with you about the heavier Partitions though.

Calvin
Nice try! But I have gotten over responding to the moron after someone posts his posts. Very few people have dropped to the level where I simply do not care one bit what they have to say...

But thanks for thinking of me!
art

Then I want no part of them. I want a bullet to leave... Like someone said of ladies of ill-repute, "I don't pay them for sex, I pay them to leave!"

The vent is important to my way of thinking and in my experience; and confirmed by doc friends in reference to making stuff die fast. Might not be needed every time, but often enough to make it mandatory feature...
art

Art,

Actually, I prefer that you ignore me. Saves me the energy of responding to your baseless attack posts.

That said, I'm not above correcting you politely when you speak in error. If you say Accubonds typically don't penetrate, you are in error.

Haha! Ignore isn't foolproof you know!

Just buy a box of federal high energy with the nosler partition or the hornady light magnum loads. The 165's or 180's are good for big tough animals like moose and elk. These loads duplicate 30-06 velocities and energy levels and the bullets are controlled expansion meaning they are tough and hold together well but still mushroom nicely.

I'm under the impression that the front end of a partition is supposed to exspand violently and will or won't seperatefrom the core. The front end violence is ideal for tissue damage causing excelent blood loss while the partion and it's core maintain it's path of massive penetration...

Really it's a perfect desighn. And IMO leads to faster kills and eaisier tracking than a TSX..

I live on the wetside of washington. Sideways rain is how we spend alot of our seasons.. I'll take a bullet that leaves a better blood trail anyday. I'm not into losing an animal.

We also only get one deer per year. I don't tent to blow [bleep] through the shoulders as I like the meat. Now if I live somewhere I could shoot 5 deer a year I wouldn't be as concerned with that.

My favorite quote ever is from an Alaskan ass kisser that was desperate to fit in so he started running the TSX...

After several seasons he was quoted as saying that he did like the TSX but didn't like it's performance on lung shots. He said he felt like he could shot a field mouse in the lungs and it would run for 300yds and not leave a blood trail..


Nice to beable to choose. Isn't it.

Exactly.
I want a bullet to mushroom and leave, not blow half up, cause undue bruising and leave a lot of metal fragments behind.

Jeffio-
You've really got no idea what's typical for Accubonds lighter than 200 grains, nor can you "correct" anybody or find them "in error" by extrapolating your heavy-weight, large caliber AB experience to all Accubonds.

Why are you trying so desperately to be an "expert"?

I cannot speak upon moose, but a friend of mine has now shot 3 elk with a 180 AB with a total of 5 shots. The one time he had an exit was on a double lung shot.

This same load I saw him shoot a large feral hog twice with no exits, but a dead hog (bullets gave up on opposite shoulder).

I have also used Partitions and seen them used on deer sized game, mostly the heaviest weight for caliber. I've seen them exit and seen them not exit on broadside shoulder shots and always exit on lung shots.

I recall one big hog that soaked up 3 358 250 Parts, two frontal hits, one breaking a shoulder, and one low in the lungs; very little blood on the ground, even with the lung bullet exiting. He went about 100 yds.

I've never recovered a FailSafe, TSX or X. I recently made an angling shot on a 250-300 pound hog with a 224 62 TSX that traversed the rear lungs and exited the offside shoulder. He went 10 yds and didn't twitch, with quite a bit of blood on the ground....

I guess my opinion is that two holes are never bad, bullets that don't lose a front core don't kill as slow as one is led to believe but I think a 308 loaded with a Partition would work fine, too. If you want to break bone and stack your odds on two holes, they make bullets with that reputation as well. I personally don't cotton to the AB as a concept, but there are dead critters on its behalf.

Did I say two holes are never bad? (grins)

Obviously you have not cut meat from TSX/X kills... The phrase "Eat right up to the hole" was coined for them. They "cut" much more than other bullets and do not run the tremendous bruising one gets fron C&C bullets.

Meat loss with a TSX through the shoulders is far less than with Partitions. There is simply no comparison on that one.

I hunt Kodiak a lot... do you really want to compare weather? Seattle gets slightly less than half the rain of Kodiak... I have seen the differences in blood trails many times, first hand.

I grew up shooting behind the shoulders because I was told it was the right thing to do. And with C&C bullets it is probably correct, but give me the X through the shoulders for tracking ease... I mean, how hard can it be to track a critter from standing to prone in the same set of tracks?

And the benefit of less meat ruined is obvious...
art

It's what they don't do that is perhaps their biggest appeal in my book. And breaking bones doesn't seem to detract from that. The worst edible damage I have had from them, however, is seeing them kill without expansion. Then they have produced tremendous blood infiltration throughout otherwise edible parts.

"cannot speak upon moose, but a friend of mine has now shot 3 elk with a 180 AB with a total of 5 shots. The one time he had an exit was on a double lung shot. "

Hawk1,

just curious, what cartridge and what range? Was a 308 Win used?

Thanks!

Colin

This article by Richard Mann is a good comparison of some the 150 grain premiums as used in the 308 Win. The performance of the Accubond is very close to the Partition. He makes an interesting statement about the Partition saying that it travelled the deepest before reaching "full" expansion.

I forget the date on this article but I believe it was before he came out with the Bullet Test Tube material.

Anyway, interesting article. Everyone has some strong opinions on which bullet is the right one. It sounds to me as though if I went with either a 165-168 grain TSX, 165 partition, or maybe a 165 gr. Accubond I would be in real good shape.

Thanks again, guys.

Colin

Bullet Shootout

Colin,

From a 30-06. All of his elk were shot under 125 yards, as was the big pig

His elk this year he went for a shoulder, broke one and the bullet missed the other and it went in the offside skin. He was a little surprised when it got up. He shot again, of course! The other bullet hit considerable bone as well and was found on the far side.

Yeah, it sounds an awful lot like a Partition; I still like the Partition better

Something funny about your link.

http://www.gunsandhunting.com/bulletshootout.html

Why does "guns and hunting" get bleeped?

While I have never used a 308 on moose, my wife has shot more moose than I can remember, a lot of them using a 308 Win.

In the 308, she has always used 180 gr Partitions behind the shoulder, never lost an animal, and rarely needed a second shot.

Moose are not really that hard to kill.

Ted

I also have never shot a bull moose. But From what I've seen I'd go as far to say a big bull elk is tougher to kill..

I've some pretty good experience with the 180 Accubond in the 30-06. The entrance and wound channel are darn near identical with the Partition.. And the exit wound with the AB's have been slightly to somewhat smaller than those of the Partition. I've actually had several bullet sized entrance and exit wounds with the AB. Lots of blood.

At 308 velocitys I'd not hesitate to shoot an elk with an Accubond.

Jeff what you miss here is Arts location, its a bit more serious up there. And just about anyone that gives this a thought will agree that an accubond won't penetrate as far as a better bullet will. Not that its an issue on a moose or elk so to speak but in bear country I'd be a fool to rely on a mag full of accubonds.

My friend has guided up there a long time now, and the only brown bear they've lost was with accubonds and the outfitter is really wanting to ban them from camp but can't bring himself to do it... Says enough for me anyway.

Now if you know you wont' run into anything else dangerous and can afford to pass risky shots, then the shell game is changed again.

BTW in your buck scenario I'd be dollars to donuts a version of the X wouldn't have been stopped by offside skin....

I won't argue that one way or another. I will, however, point out that "killing" and "drilling" are not the same thing. An elk may take more killing (read better bullet placement), but a big moose will certainly take plenty of drilling - and can stop just about anything one might typically try, certainly a moose can stop - not always will, obviously- any bullet you might shoot from a 308 Winchester.

Oh hell yeah. Agreed. But that's not what Art said. And what he actually SAID is so contrary to my and many many others' experience that my post was necessary for balance if nothing else.

I'll bet they ran a long way hit like that with such a crappy bullet

Two 180 NP's recovered from two bull elk:

When the sun, moon and stars align, this is what a TSX looks like pulled from an elk:



When things don't go as planned, this is what they look like:



I know what I'll put my faith in...

Here's a 180gr. Partition shot from my 30-06. Victim was a 192 pound boar. Neck shot. Bullet was found under the hide on the far side.

Perfect.

Another bullet option available that doesn't get much press on the boards is the new Trophy Bonded Tip.

My son and I used the Federal 165gr. TBT in his 30-06 this past June in Namibia. I came away extremely impressed with the bullet.

On the menu was Gemsbok, Kudu, Blue Wildebeest, and Mountain Zebra. The only recovered bullet was from my mountain Zebra, and the shot was a bit over 350 yards.

Nice, but no doubt the wider frontal area inhibits penetration a wee-bit... at the end of the day, for me, the NP is the high water mark... does everything well, and nothing to an extreme.

The bullet above was dug out of the Zebra's hip bone.

All the other bullets had no trouble completely penetrating the Zebra, two blue Wildebeest, five Gemsbok, a Kudu....

One of Sitka Deers Accubonds that don't penetrate. All this one did was go the entire length of a buck AFTER smashing the hip joint at an impact speed of 2900 fps. And retain 70% of it's weight. Fookin' POS.

You need to get a real camera...

My real cameras all use this stuff called "film", and I ain't going there!

(I also have several digital cameras)

I will say, that's one beef I have with the iPhone. Camera won't focus up close, as you can see. Sorry.

Have we proven that the 308 is better again?

Dooood...


Ingwe

I dunno about "better".... that subject is subjective....

However, after our trip to Namibia I walked away with a rekindled/renewed sense of appreciation for the .308 caliber.

From what I have seen on this and other threads, I will use partitions and/or the TSX without any worries.

I would extend that to include a whole pile of other "premium" bullets.

Mostly I have found that any of the recent (past 20 years or so) so-called premium bullets will work on game bigger than deer when shot out of a .308, and some of the non-premiums will do nicely as well.

Humans were killing moose neatly with centerfire rifles a long time before we had such magic bullets.

I am sure that is true, John.

Funny thing is, debates about what bullet is best for a given hunting scenario is one of my favorite things to read about here.

i have no idea

I have seen my partner shoot a couple of moose with a 308,both some 20+ year old 180 Silvertips he had.One moose went three steps,the other two,both heart lung shots. The moose that went two steps,went one step too far,down an embankment. All those TSX look too damm skinny,I remember that moose that went two steps.

i'd use a bag of rocks if it meant gettin' him close to the truck before he dropped

corbon is loading 308 with xxx's in lapua brass for about $45 or so a box.... seems like a reasonable plan.....

woofer

I'd shoot a 165 gr. Partition and go kill moose!

That sounds like a good plan!

I realize this is an old post, but my experience has been quite the opposite. I haven't found an Accubond yet be stopped by a deer, from the 140gr 7mm-08 to the 160gr in a 7mm Rem Mag.

I’ve never seen a moose, but that is what I would use.

My sister used a Winchester M88 for her moose. She lives in Alaska and her and her husband kill a lot of moose.
I load 180 grain Nosler partitions for her. She tells me that she has never had one get away. Moose are often "low-strung" and after a shot they don't always fall fast, but within 10-15 second they are on the ground and all done. I don't know how many she's actually killed but she moved up there in 1989 so it's quite a few.
A few were shot with a 338 but she's tall and thin and the 338 is more gun then she likes. At least 2 were killed with her husbands 30-06 Mauser. All the rest were killed with he M88
Last year my Nephew told me to please load another box (case guard 50) of the Noslers because "Mom's almost out of them" and a box of 30-06 also (I load them with Nosler Partitions in 200 grain weight) He is coming through here in the next few months and said he's pick them up.

165 or 180 grain:

Partition
Accubond
Interbond
Federal Fusion
Trophy Bonded Tipped
Interlock

Stay off the shoulders, no reason to go there.

I have shot or been in on the Killing of 5 moose, 2 elk with 180 Gr Winchester Power Points from a 30.06,. Also shot one 1 moose with the 165 grain Interbond and a big cow moose with 130 grain accubonds from the swede.

I would defer to the Canadian cousins on this one. My brother in law lived in remote BC for 25 years, and he claimed for every moose bagged in his area, half or more were taken with .303's without a great deal of drama apparently, the same people, year after year using the same cartridge to gather meat.

The 308 Win performs very well because of its impact velocities at 300 yards and in. Moose in general are taken well inside 300 yards and typically inside 200 yards. 165 and 180 partition class bullets work very well expanding even at 1,600-1,800 fps impact velocities. A NPT or Swift A-Frame out of a 308 Win will never be the weak link in the overall hunt.

Our guide in NF said he always uses a .308 with 150 grn coreloks with no issues.

308 cal 175 Barnes LRX on elk. 400 yards plus shot

What do you call that, a 308 Win +++P+++x ?

2700 fps impact but lost petals and all. I figure another 200 yards or so petals would have been opened and attached.

Maybe not the best representation I guess.

I'm sure it would work. But impact velocity is going to be about 400 fps slower at 200 out of a 308. The bullet should lose next to no weight.

I have enjoyed reading this old thread. Lots of good guys posted on this thread that dont post here anymore. Thats a shame. I have learned.a.lot from some of them.

+1

John/MuleDeer, any thoughts on factory Norma Ammo in 165 grain Oryx in a .308 Winchester, from a 22" bbl., on moose?

Old post but my vote would be a 165 or 180 gun Swift A Frame. No experience on Moose just witness great performance on elk.

I wouldn't stop at 2! I've now shot 22 Scandinavian moose. In 2011 I used the 168gr ttsx out my 308 and needed 4 on a spike. I was not impressed and reverted back to 165gr partitions

Maybe it's just me but the 308WCF class cartridges seem a bit light for shooting a 1,000 lb animal at varying distances and angles. Yeah I know its been done a million times under the right conditions but I'd opt for more horsepower. The bulls that I've taken went down to a 338RUM.
This year I'll be looking to take a Maine bull in a heavily forested area. My ol' trusted 45-70 will be the rifle of choice and I'm working up a good 400gr load as we speak. Hopefully it will be "one & done".

I used to harp around about the " need" for heavier bullets......and got berated for it here.

And I feel now a lot of my " abuse" was deserved.

I only Harvested one moose in my life and it was with a 3006 .

I have harvested several cow elk using a 300 savage and a Hornady FTX 160 grain bullet out to 400 yards.
No complaints.

I noticed, not much talk about the Nosler E-Tips
I wonder if anyone uses these bullets.
Oh, I’m sure they sell some.
Take care.

I’ve used:

168 ttsx
200g tbbc
200g np
180g np

Giving the 166g hammers a try this year.

I shot my moose with a 168 TSX (2825 fps) out of a 30-06 at ~170 yards. My 308 win shoots the same bullet at 2725. I doubt the moose would have known the difference.

Around 45 grains of Varget is a good load for the 168 TSX or TTSX. I have recently switched to CFE-223 and am getting good accuracy around 47.5 5 grains and velocities in the 2785 range which gets your 308 awfully close to a 30-06.

Hammerdown,

Have peronally used plenty of Nosler E-Tips on animals from coyotes up to really big bull elk, along similar-sized African game. Have been beside other hunters (including my wife) who used them too, in diameters from 6mm to .30, both in North America and Africa.

Have yet to be able to tell any difference in on-game performance between E-Tips and Tipped TSXs--or Hornady GMX's. Though when E-Tips were first introduced, they did tend to expand a little wider, which may or may not have had any effect on "killing power."

Sometimes one of those bullets shoots a little more accurately than the same-weight bullet in another brand, but my latest experiments with 100-grain E-Tips in my NULA .257 Weatherby Magnum resulted in 200-yard groups around half an inch.

Mule Deer
Thanks for the information.
I might try the 150 grain E Tips in one of my 308’s hunting in CA requires none lead ammo.
Take care.

I have zero moose experience, but can report the results others have had. A friend shot a New Brunswick moose with his 300 Weatherby and a 180 grain TSX. The guide was impressed. An acquaintance from the range shot a moose last year with his 308, using a 200 grain Nosler Partition. I was surprised at his choice of bullet in a 308, but it worked just fine.

Buffalo Bore lists the 150 grain TTSX as the best bullet in the 308 for the really big stuff. Based on the penetration I have seen with guys using that bullet it would be my choice in the 308.

For moose I'd be inclined to the heavy slug side for max penetration and strive for optimum placement as well. Used 30 caliber stuff on prior outings, but if I go again a 45-70 will come along.

Light for caliber is what Barnes recommends . 150 gr. is about right for the .308/30-06. Moose aren't that hard to kill. Barnes TTSX bullets retain almost their entire weight when recovered, penetration is outstanding.

The last bull moose my wife shot was with a 30-06 loaded with 150 gr TSX at 2800 fps. Dropped at the shot and stayed there. Complete penetration. That's 308 ballistics.s

I think sierra's tipped game king is a pretty good choice.
You'd have to plug the numbers for yourself, but when I ran them them in a ballistic calculator, they were still doing 1400 fps at about 415 yards with 16" barrel velocities.
When I talked to the folks at Sierra they said they should still open up at velocities as low as 1400.
I'm sure with a longer spout you'd be well into the high 5 yardages.

Moose are not difficult to kill if you get any decent projectile into the vitals. One of my buddies that I load for kills moose every year sometimes multiple moose every year (party hunting) with Hornady Interlocks 165 gr BTSP with 57 grains of IMR4350 powder out of his '06/ Velocity is about 2800 fps. Most of his moose are one shot kills, and none of them run more than a few yards.

Shot placement is the key.

Same bullet/cartridge I have used many times on moose... I have yet to recover one. I do not want to ever recover bullets. I buy them based on their ability to make two holes...

Which: 165gr Federal Fusion !

Why: 'cause it's worked 3 times outta 3 !

If I were still toting a 308 Winchester along rivers here in Alaska, I'd be using some sort of 200 grain flat-base, lead core bullet.

If a 1:10 ratio on the rifling:

Alliant 2000 MR gave 2450 fps-2550 fps with three different 200 grainers from three different rifles with barrels from 20"-22". Same thing with reloader 17. Trajectory to 300 yards, was excessively flat and precise, compared to the generous-sized kill zone of a moose.

With most moose hunting, boat tail bullets contribute nothing, advantage wise. Most shots are in close.

Since the little 308 is lacking capacity compared to other cartridges like the 30-06, stick with flat based, lead core bullets, rather than eating up powder space. A flat base 200 grain lead core bullet is not overly long, but they penetrate fairly well. They expand reliably at 308 velocity.

Quartering-towards, head-on and quartering-away shots are not something Id pass up. Penetration is more important than velocity or range.

I dont consider moose as easy to kill as some folks claim. These odd-angles encountered, theres a lot of animal that bullet must past through.

In my world, if a moose isn't anchored closely to where I pull the trigger, recovery could get tricky.

If 1:12 twist, which is common with the 308, I've seen this twist fail to stabilize certain 200 grain bullets. A 180 grainer would be a safe bet there.

Maybe Big Stick is moderating and he does neither. LOL

I’ve not shot a moose yet but would gladly use my 308 and 168TSX. I use H4895 and get about 2700fps. I shot a large zebra stallion ( among many other animals) at nearly 300 yards with it. Shot through the shoulders and was under the hide on the far side. Looked perfect.

Ben

150 TTSX at 2,950 is on the short list for my September moose hunt here in coastal Alaska.

165 BTSP

I've used the 30-30, 30-06, and 450 Marlin on them. They all worked. I was more impressed with the results with each step up in power. If I get drawn again, and I still do apply, I will use at least a 30-06.

I've shot a couple moose with a 375 magnum. Both were shot in the lungs and did not react to the shot in any way. Moose will just stand there and die unless you hit them in the front shoulder or CNS and then it becomes a bit more dramatic. A bigger cartridge won't always make a difference.

Have mentioned this before, but the quickest-deadest I've seen a bull moose killed with a pure lung shot was with a .270 Winchester and a 150-grain Partition. Took a step and a half and fell dead.

Have seen a big Alaskan bull shot with a 300-grain .375 H&H at relatively close range. It fell--then got up again, requiring another shot, whereupon it fell and stayed down.

Have seen a bull shot three times through the lungs with a .300 Winchester Magnum, with bullets that made a mess of the lungs and exited. Didn't go down until several seconds after the third shot--while the hunter was stuffing more rounds into his rifle's magazine.

Good luck on finding consistent results on moose due to "caliber."

I have never used a .308 at all on anything.

Anything 150 gr and up should do fine. Splurge on a premium bullet if you want. I've taken a number of moose with the 30-06, using 150, 165, and - my preference - 180 gr C&C. Some hand loads, some factory, some premiums.. Makes no difference. .... Or hasn't yet.

I've taken over 20 moose using the .243 (100gr), 12 guage slug, 270, 30-06, .338WM.

Makes no difference... As they say in the real-estate bidness," location, location, location".

The toughest one to go down was a spike yearling. He took the first one (Trophy Bonded), 250 gr .338 high through the shoulder blade , just under the spine, at 140 yards, the second took his knee out, the third as he was going away, just creasing the front of right ham, and exiting bullet #1 exit hole on far side after passing thru the paunch (uhg!), and the 4th - a 250 GK - same as first - finally put him down, tho he had only seconds left on his feet anyway at @ 160 yards. (1, 3,and 4 made one exit hole)

But he had his adrenaline up prior to #1. And it's not easy shooting offhand at a moving target while standing on a rotting birch log 4 feet off the ground, through a screen of alders. That's my story and I'm sticking to it.


I shot another yearling running, at about 35 yards with a 12 ga slug, neatly centering the big artery just under his backbone. He made about 100 yards before tipping over mid-stride, all bled out.

My wife double lunged a 3 year old bull at 80 yards with a 100 gr .243 Corelokt. Missed ribs on both sides, penciled right thru, turned the lungs to mush. He walked about 30 feet, stopped behind a screen of willows, stood there for a minute or so and tipped over.

'Tain't so much WHAT you hit 'em with..... Me - in heavy cover, especially, I've gone to CNS placement if I can get it.

"Good luck on finding consistent results on moose due to "caliber." : MD

I know I could kill Moose with a 308 without trouble. I'm sure I could do just fine with even smaller. I just don't want to.

I shot a large bull with a 338RUM and a 250 Accubond. At the shot, the bull lurched up into the air and flipped over backwards. By the time his palms slammed into the turf he was DEAD. Horsepower matters.

Must be the 338 RUM making them flip back over. Just kidding, I shot an elk with my 338 Rum it did the same as your moose.

Wow!

Would love to hear from more .338 RUM users about it flipping animals over backwards! Sounds like the greatest round ever!

Agreed!

So...what was that physics thing about equal and opposite reactions...if it cause the animal 100 yards away to flip over, wouldn't it cause the shooter to flip over?

I wouldn't say that. I much rather hunt with my 30-06 or my 308 win.
I'm not sure why, i still have that rifle or why I bought it in the first place.
Prolly wouldn't happen again in 100 kills +/-

Take care

Partition, accubond, Interbond

It's NOT the rifle that hits the Moose..... It's the Bullet and I'd not be surprised to be flipped backwards.




I noticed the last part.

Jerry

edit: commentary - IF I was going Moose hunting, the 308 W is one cartridge I would not consider using.

las;
Top of the morning to you sir, I trust it's a nice cool morning up in your neck of the woods and hope that all is right with the world as far as possible.

Thanks kindly for adding your post as it caused me to chuckle and nod a few times while reading. There are in my experience, few things that replace actual experience and you've got that with moose in spades!

While I grew up eating Saskatchewan moose, very few were bulls as my Mom would give Dad absolute grief if he brought one home. I can still hear her saying, "Fred, there were no nice calves or cows? You had to shoot this tough old bull?" It was a young one by the way....

When Dad protested that he'd like a set of antlers for over the garage door which was a "thing" back in rural Saskabush in the '60's, Mom of course replied that we couldn't eat the antlers!!!

Anyways Dad started shooting moose with a Lee Enfield Mk III, then used a Savage 99 in .250 for a few years and finally traded into Model 100 in .308 which he pronounced to be the "ultimate moose rifle"!

The ammo was whatever was available at Thorsness Hardware in the small town near us so likely either Imperial or Winchester I'd think.

The Okanagan bull I shot died eventually after I inserted the second 220gr RN Hornady into it - they came right apart by the way - and like a few in your post it went about 100yds before expiring.

Dad used to say, "moose aren't all that hard to kill really, but sometimes they take some convincing they're actually dead"

A couple of my hunting shooting mentors had such different approaches it's comical really in that one used a 95 in .30-40 to kill what he said had to be "about 40 grizzly bears, at least that many moose and many, many black bears" as they were considered pests in the Fort St. John, BC area in the '20's and '30's.

The other buddy shot everything he could see in the Kootenays with a .270, using St. O'Connor's recipe of a 130gr Sierra because if it was good enough for Jack it was darn sure good enough for anyone else!

Anyways sir, thanks again for your post and for causing some forgotten memories of fine folks crop back up in the memory banks.

All the best to you folks up north and good luck on your hunts this fall.

Dwayne

A 308 Win is the same as a 30-06, it's just a matter of distance.

I am continually amazed by the misunderstanding that if a 30-06 shooting a 180 grain bullet is adequate for moose at X distance and the bullet is travelling Y velocity at X distance, then a 308 Win is also adequate for moose at Z distance when a 180 grain bullet is travelling Y velocity at Z distance when fired from a 308 Win.

Here is an interesting example, I suspect everyone on this forum would be comfortable shooting a moose at 200 yards with a 30-06, 22 in bbl launching a 180 grain Nosler Partition at a MV of 2725 fps.

But it appears that some people would be uncomfortable shooting a moose at 200 yards with a 308 Win launching a Barnes 180 grain TTSX at a MV of 2625.

Yet, the 308 win (in this case) is actually traveling 5 fps faster at 200 yards and delivering more energy.

Funny.

Tough to argue with that logical example.

I've said the same thing when people talk about .308 impacts at longer ranges and how it's not "magnum-ish" enough. If that bullet is still moving at 30-30 100yd impact speeds, it'll certainly kill a deer, provided the bullet construction is soft enough.

Mike Dettorre:
Good morning to you sir, I hope the sky's clear in your part of Idaho and it's a tad cooler down there too.

If I can be forgiven for repeating this family experiment, I shall and it illustrates a few things you've mentioned.

For a good portion of our hunting we've had at least three family members tags to cut for testing, so in the name of science I loaded the 165gr. BT Hornady at about 2650fps in a .308 carbine, 2850fps in a 21" '06, 3050fps in a pair of .308 Norma's and 3100fps in a .300 WinMag 26" No. 1.

We then went out and shot as many mulie and whitetail bucks as we were allowed to see what differences if any we could see.

As well, we cut our own game which enables us to not only gauge the reaction to the shot but internal damage to bones and tissue.

The short version is that while there was a bit of a difference in the higher initial velocity bullets when we'd stretch things a bit, it wasn't as much as I'd personally expected.

What I believe made "some" difference is that the higher initial velocity gave a higher initial rotational speed on the bullet and thus when it landed at the same impact speed of either the '06 or .308 closer in, there was usually a wee bit more tissue damage. Usually and wee bit being the operative words.

Anyways sir, I'm cognizant moose are bigger than deer and that we're talking about moose, but having cut and wrapped a few moose as well, I can say that though it's bigger bones, it's still bones, you know?

All the best to you this fall and good luck on your hunts.

Dwayne

BC30Cal,

I am not sure I understand. If both barrels are 1:10, if bullet A is launched at 3000 fps and it has X rotational speed when that bullet reaches say 2300 fps and it then has Y rotational speed. How does it differ from a bullet launched at 2625 fps and it has W rotational speed when it reaches 2300 fps does it not have Y rotational speed also.

I ask because my in depth physics knowledge is limited and if I read your post correctly it seems to imply that they had different rotational speeds even though they were travelling at the same velocity.

I have seen exactly that with the 30-06 and 165gr bullets...

CNS Matters...

Not Dwayne, but I understand what he is saying, and agree with him.

The bullet reaches maximum speed at about the muzzle, both forward and rotational. Forward speed is lost much faster than rotational and they are in no way connected. By maintaining the higher rotational speed all the way to the target bullets are spinning faster when hitting animals. That greater rotational spin leads to more dramatic deformation and therefore more tissue damage.

Taken to extremes, watch some prarie dog videos. Higher rotational speeds and frangible bullets makes for some serious goo-flinging.

Sitka,

Thanks. Like I said I have a limited knowledge of physics.

Sitka Deer;
Good afternoon sir, I hope the day's as bright and fair in your section of the globe as it is down here today and you and you're fine family are well.

From what I recall of your photos, you're taller, better looking AND have a full head of hair - but despite that and thus emphatically not me, that's exactly what I was attempting to convey sir!

Honestly I'd have to say that was the beginnings of me heading down the whole fast twist rabbit hole and am now a dyed in the wool apostle of rapid rotation.

The current walking around rifles are either a .308 Norma or a 6.5x55 with a deep groove, fast twist military 96 barrel that a smith modified to fit a 98 action. So far Sitka, the combination of deep groove, fast twist and monometal bullet appears to be a wonderful combination.

Thanks for answering the query on my behalf, all the best to you all and good luck on your hunts.

Dwayne

LOL ....

Maybe to you. I had one 308 and killed WT with it and was not impressed.

IMO there are several cartridges superior to the 308 and I’d jump the 06 too.
Yes, they’ll kill moose and elk but I prefer more, flatter trajectories.

It does not matter to me what cartridge anyone uses. It should not matter to you
Brad.

Jerry

Jerry,

The quickest-deadest I've seen a bull moose killed with a double lung shot was with a .270 Winchester and the 150-grain Partition. By almost any measure the .308 is just about the same as the .270--except for slightly larger bullet diameter.

Did kill a big Alaskan moose with the .338 Winchester Magnum and the 230-grain Winchester Fail safe. It was almost facing me at around 100 yards, so I aimed just inside the near shoulder. Like Charlie-NY's bull, it "lurched up into the air and flipped over backwards" or something like that. It looked more like a bucking horse standing on its hind legs, then falling over backwards and sideways and rolling down a stream-bank about 12-15 feet high, landing on the flat gravel below.

It looked pretty dead, but within a couple seconds got up again and lurched into the river itself, whereupon my guide said, "DON'T SHOOT HIM IN THE WATER!"

The bull tried to cross the river, but ended up dying in the deepest part of the channel, with ONE tine of it's antlers about 3 inches above the surface. The next six hours were very interesting. Turned out the bullet had made a good-sized hole in the chest innards, ended up resting against the front of the pelvis.

Have seen a lot of elk-sized game killed with the .308, African plains game and ELK. With a bullet that expands and penetrates sufficiently, it kills such game very well. If it doesn't kill whitetails very well for you, hmm....

If you actually had some experience with the OP's question, that would be interesting. Otherwise not.

Colin, where will you be hunting? I have taken a couple of NB moose with old timey 200 gr. Speer SPs. They were only travelling at about 2400 fps. These days, I would be inclined to load up a Barnes middleweight bullet. Those rimless 303s (308 Winchester) are all the rifle you need for sure!

We hunted off Hwy 108 whren I was stationed in Chatham. No long shots. We didn't have rangefinders, but one was maybe 40 or 50 yds from me. The other, 100 yd or a bit less.

And an unrelated question: How is the pavement on 108 now? I was posted in Chatham in the mid 1980s and they had decommissioned the highway. Trees and shrubs grew right up to the highway. I used to drive down the yellow line. When I got posted to BC in 1988, a buddy slammed into a moose on 108 riding his motorcycle. Not much left of him or the bike.

Edited to add: Colin hasn't been here for a while. Anyone else in NB that can tell me how the highway is these days?

My son has killed a huge-bodied bull, a brown bear, several caribou, black bears, a mountain goat, a Sitka blackmail, and maybe other stuff I forgot with a 25-06 and 80gr ttsx... seems that putting the bullet in the right spot allows it to work

First and I think most important, you read more into my "passing" comment than I intended.

I did not say the 308 did NOT kill well. I said I was not impressed with the cartridge - totally diff.
I had a 308 in the 1980s.... have not owned one since.


Since I don't own a 308 for WT hunting why would I choose one to hunt Elk, Mosse, etc. ?


This is not for your benefit MD. I own, shoot, & hunt 7mm RMs, 300 WMs, & 8 mm RM without WHINING.

WE should be very glad that EVERYONE does not like, shoot & hunt the SAME cartridge. Ammo would be very difficult to find and components would suffer the same for handloaders.

I ask again (I've asked this before), What difference does it make to someone else, what cartridge anyone chooses?

Jerry

You're a whiny old man, Jerry. Shush.

Your son obviously doesn't know what he's doing.


And if anyone wants to read the OP, he wasn't asking opinions on the .308 as a moose cartridge. He was asking about bullets to use in the .308 for moose.

Why anyone would opine on its sufficiency is a mystery, he seems to be comfortable with it. So if we don't care what cartridges other people use, what's up with opinions on his chosen cartridge? He didn't ask that question.

smokey

"edit: commentary - IF I was going Moose hunting, the 308 W is one cartridge I would not consider using."

merely a passing comment --- nothing more.

Jerry

Jerry: If I was going moose hunting, I'd use my .375 Ruger. Not because it's needed, just because I've never hunted anything with it and it's a cool rifle. Re-stocked with a McMillan.

Smokey

Yep I understand. I appreciate that round and don’t need one either.

I’ve used the 8 mm RM, 300 WM & 7 mm RM on WT and they aren’t needed except for
the flat trajectory in some places.

I’ve had the 8 since the 90s and have thot about selling/trading it but decided
not to. They aren’t making them anymore and it’s not costing me anything in
my arsenal. Not many people can say they have an 8 mm RM

I really believe and feel that anyone can/should use any rifle, cartridge they want to use.

We STILL have the “right” to diff opinions.

Jerry

I know you still don't get it, Jerry. He wasn't asking for your opinion on different cartridges or rifles. Lie down and rest.

168 TTSX.

Nosler partition 165 or 180 . Good luck and envious that you get to hunt those.


How many Canadian moose have been killed with a 303 ? Hint ......Lots

This is from 2009

So tell us how your 2009 moose hunt went. I’m betting it never happened. Happy Trails

Colin hasn't visited the Campfire since March of 2019, and quit posting in 2015, I would guess because he got tired of the BS. Some people do.

I would guess, however, that the moose hunt did happen, because he's listed as living in New Brunswick. I PM'd back and forth with him a few times, and he had plenty of moose experience.

Moose tags are on a draw here in New Brunswick. I've only had three tags in 35yrs. Lots of folk have had less.

With the borders closed, it opens up some opportunity for moose hunting in NFLD this year for those who live in the Maritime bubble. I suspect a few will be going over. It's a lot less expensive than on a normal year.

FWIW ....... I wouldn't hesitate to use a 308 for moose here in NB.

So SC, I'll ask you. I used to live in Chatham, NB and we hunted off Highway 108. What is the condition of that road now? It was decommissioned, but the hunting was good. When I was there, the western part was probably better, closer to Plaster Rock.

Colin hunted moose in other provinces as well.

I could tell you how my 2009 Moose hunt went. But it's not me you're asking. Plus I used a .30-06 anyway.

John, you left us hanging.

I'd love to hear the "rest story of the story." How in the world did you guys recover that moose?

And if he had it to do over again, would he have kept shooting once the moose was in the water?

I also would like to hear the rest of the story....

I know I know! They got wet.

Many people do if they want to moose hunt at all. I've hunted in NB, Yukon (x2), Ont and will be going to NFLD this year. The outfitter told me that there will be 4 or 5 others in camp that week I'm going. They would all be Maritimers.




I haven't been through that road in 10years. Not much help here as I live in the southern part of the province.

Looks like they rerouted and repaved and fixed things up. When they decommissioned it years ago, the highway was very dangerous to drive at night. You couldn't see much. Trees and bushes came right up to the road.

I see that moose are still a concern. The 108 is called the "Renous", and is not a secured route (no moose fencing), so it is very dangerous for semi-trucks. Heck, for anyone!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Brunswick_Route_108

Last I went through was in the middle of the night in the middle of a snow storm. <barf>

We went slow to say the least.

That makes sense.

I remember it was hard to get a moose tag 35 yrs ago. I always thought with the moose numbers around 108, that there would be more tags.

There are tons of swamp donkeys taken every year inn Alberta with 308,s, most of them with 180 whatevers.

In my personal rifle I use either 180 or 215 grain KKSP bullets made by C.I.L. from way back when, but have also killed one with a 150 TSX .
Same old thing, what you hit them with is not nearly so important as WHERE you hit them!
If your rifle and you are capable of MOA at 500 yards , fill yer boots.
Personally I like them a tad closer with my hunting rifles........
Cat

I have shot a couple moose at 250 or so yards with my .308's, and a few at closer range. I can't figure out any reasonable excuse for using a bullet less than 165 grains. A 150 might work just fine, and usually does, but if you hit the joint where the humerus / scapula meet up, a standard construction 150 grain bullet will often not penetrate to the vitals. Have seen that a few times. Compared to an inch or three more drop of 180's, most 150's have nothing useful to offer on a target the size of a moose. An exception could be made for the 150 gr. Barnes or similar all copper bullets. The .308 bullet I have the most moose experience with is the 180 gr. Nosler Partition, and I highly recommend it. Consistent, and deadly. But a 165 gr. Remington core lokt, Nosler Accubond, or Nosler Partiton would do as well. If I was forced to use one bullet in my .308 rifles for game animals bigger than deer it would be a Norma Oryx, 165 gr. Any similar bullet that holds together, gives deep penetration even through heavy bone, with adequate expansion and is accurate in your rifle would be OK for moose. I personally would not use any Berger, Hornady SST, Sierra target bullets, or similar frangible bullet for hunting moose.

An acquaintance from the range went to Canada on a moose hunt last year. He has plenty of rifles, but decided to take his 308. His load used a 200 grain Nosler Partition. The moose he shot was quite dead. I don't think it was a long shot.

If I were to take my 308, I would use the load I shot recently with a 175 grain Barnes LRX at around 2,700 fps.

Always interesting to hear so many stories.

My wife and I have taken bull moose in Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia and Montana. The cartridges included the .270 Winchester, 7x57 Mauser, .338 Winchester Magnum and 9.3x62 Mauser. Oh, and a 12-gauge slug gun, used by Eileen because centerfire rifles were not lagl in that area. Have had hunting partners take them with rounds from the 6.5x55 on up to the .375 H&H, from Alaska to Finland.

The farthest any of them went after the shot was around 50 yards--if hit right.

Remington and CIL were the last two companies that produced regular, cup and core 215s. My first moose was taken with a No 1 Mk III and a 215 gr. CIL KKSP. That was the rifle I talked about that had scotch tape holding the rear sight down to keep it from hopping. I always felt that a heavy bullet was all I needed because long shots might have been 100 yd. Probably less where we hunted. Since I still hunt thickly wooded boreal forests, I don't bother with any fancy bullets.

When you asked if I was still making 200 gr. bullets, I thought about the letters and pictures guys used to send me of their hunts with them. Some guy in Winnipeg bought 500. I assumed he wanted them to last a long time. But most hunters sold off their 303s for 308s or 300 WMs. Buying a 308 was understandable. You could get ammunition everywhere, and there wasn't much on the continent that remained standing with a good hit. But the 300WM?

I have a running joke with a couple of gun shops after moose season. How many 300 WMs did you take in trade? A fair number return each year, but hardly any 308s. And like I always say, that's to be expected. A 308 is merely a rimless 303.

Fun reading through this old thread.

Anybody else think that the bullet pics Sitka Deer posted aren’t actually Accubonds?

65 yards with a 140 TSX out of a 7mm-08 at 2825 fps using CFE223

Punched thru both shoulders. Dropped to the ground at the shot. Last Sunday - opening day of Moose for several Idaho units

Congratulations! Lots of tasty eating!

Nice moose Mike, congratulations.

I wasn't the hunter, I was just the "guide". Bull went 39 1/4 which is decent for Idaho.

Concur !!!!

Before I went to Newfoundland in 2014 I called the outfitter and asked what they shot moose with. He said 308's and 30-30's. (I took my 338 Federal anyway.)

Yes! I will be working up a 168 tsx or ttsx for a 308 as soon as the right one comes back into stock. I plan to put a suppressor on it and get a ton of trigger time.

I've done moose with 375 ruger and 338 wm. They worked but I certainly wouldn't call them magic. I am certain I could have done at least as well with a better placed 308 win. Besides, knowing you have (just) a 308, you'll have more fun hunting closer.

Any plain jane or premium 150 gr or heavier.

tagging epic thread...lots of 270 references...

I talked to my sister a few days ago on the phone and asked her for numbers, and I asked her how many times her 308 bullets exited her moose.

As near as she can remember she has used her M88 to kill "about 25" and also "about 15 Caribou and 1 grizzly". She used a 30-06 on a few moose also, and 2 she killed with a 338. She doesn't like the 338 because it kicks her too hard and she's tall but thin.
She said about 1/2 of the kills with her 308 gave her exits on moose, and all her caribou had exits except 1. I loaded all her 308 ammo and used 180 grain Nosler Partitions, and 41.4 gr of 4064, so 100% of those animals were killed with that load. She said shots on all her moose were from 20 yards to about 150. Never needed to shoot farther on a moose, or her bear either.

I was only with her on one kill in the last 30 years, (and for that kill she used her husband's 30-06 with a 200 grain Nosler Partition) so I just have to go on the information she tells me, but I just loaded another batch of ammo for her rifle and my Nephew picked it up here to take it back, just about 2 months ago. She is very happy using her Winchester 88 and the ammo I loaded for her before (in 1989) so she didn't want to change anything.

Her husband had a 30-06 Mauser with a Leupold 4X scope and a Winchester M70 in 338 with the same kind of scope as he has on the 30-06 but her M88 has a peep sight I installed on it just before she moved to Alaska in 89. Moose are big, and she's never wanted to scope her 308 because she shoots well, and all her moose have been killed under 150 yards. She likes being able to hold her rifle with no scope in the way, and likes how slender it feels compared to the scoped rifles. As we age however I would not be surprised to see her cave in on the scope in the coming years. She and I both have noticed that dim light is a problem now, where when we were younger it didn't seem to matter as much. She makes a point of shooting them through the lungs because they are both hunting for meat, and trophy size is not very important to them. As a rule she shoots and (to quote her) "I watch the moose fall down in about 10 seconds or less".

Personally I have killed only 4 moose in my life and of the 4, 3 were the same, falling after the shot 10-20 seconds with double lung shots. 2 with my 375H&H and 1 with a 348 Winchester. Not one of those 3 fell at the shot, and all of then were hit perfectly.
The one that fell instantly was hit with a flintlock in 62 caliber with a round ball shot from about 80 yards. That one was hit in the shoulders instead of just through the ribs, but I was quite impressed at how well that big ball put the bull down.

And as a side note, the only bullet I recovered in one piece was the one from my 348, a 200 grain Hornady. I recovered the jacket from my Sierra 300 grain 375, but I still got an exit, so I have to say at least part of the core punched through. I shot one bull with two 285 Grain Speer Grand Slams and both exited but as far as I can tell, neither expanded. One hit a rib on it's way out and didn't even cut it completely off. So I have to assume they were made for much thicker skinned game then american moose.

Flap Flap Flap................. but rifle loonies will probably like the info. Safe to say to the OP, if you load a good 180 grain bullet that will hold together you will not have any problems killing a moose with your 308. Lighter ones will kill too, but I expect less penetration with less weight and from what you said and what my sister has done for over 30 seasons you are likely to shoot close up, so faster speed is not going to help you at all, but heavier bullets may.

Bottom line: .308 Winchester kills Moose dead. I have also witnessed it firsthand and via Canadian friends. Mostly, the hunters were using older 180 gr and 200 gr Winchester Silvertips and a few using older Federal 165gr TBBCs. Shots from 50 yards to about 200 yards. One Moose was simply shot in the head for meat, the remaining in the heart/lungs or even spine and then heart/lungs.

I'd recommend heart/lungs first shot.

This is s great thread, sounds like a 308 is a great killer round for Moose. I looked down at 308’s for years until I bought one for a suppressor rifle. It kills deer and pigs as well as the cannons I have, but way easier on your shoulder. I have a couple now.

I saw a 7-08 120 TSX knock a moose down pretty well with good shot placement. Couldn't imagine a. 308 would be that much worse.

Prolly as good if not better!

Wife of that valley guy killed a Kodiak bear w .308.

That's funny right there.