Help me guys

Wouldn't be my first choice but put a Barnes TTSX in it, and I'd use it!

140?

DF

Or he could go the 160 Partition route near 2700 fps.

140 grain Partition, break shoulders, and keep shooting until it is down.

"Or he could go the 160 Partition route near 2700 fps."

"140 grain Partition, break shoulders, and keep shooting until it is down."

Split the difference and go 150 PT?

175 PT and get close? Never shot one but that is what I would use in a 7mm-08

One of our Alaskan posters has a wife who has taken at least two moose, both one-shot kills, with her 7mm-08 over the last couple of years. With the right bullet and a cool hand, it will do the job.

Dont the Swedes use 6.5 on their moose? And with success for many many years.

I believe our own Steve Timm has killed the crap out of them with 120 BT's.

The 162 AM has worked great from our 7-08's on bull moose, and I'd have zero hesitation using a 120-140 TTSX or a heavy PT.

I haven't used the 7mm-08, but used the 7x57 on my last moose, with 160-grain North Forks at 2650 fps. This was a mature but not exceptional Alberta bull. Typical of many moose, it stopped and stood there after the first shot landed about a third of the way up the body, behind the shoulder, where I'd aimed. Whereupon my guide (required for non-residents in Alberta) suggested I shoot it again, because he didn't want the bull dying in some nearby thick brush. So I did, which started the moose slowly walking toward the brush. He died near the edge, 19 yards from where he'd been standing at the first shot. The second bullet landed about two inches from the first, and I suspect if we'd just waited a little longer he would have dropped from the first shot, without moving. But who knows?

Might be doing another Alberta moose hunt this year, and if so would consider taking my 6.5x55 loaded with 140 Nosler Partitions.

154gr Hornady is one of the tougher bullets out there. My buddy's wife used one on a big bull elk several years ago, then they got out their knives.

I would use a 30-06 180 grain cokloc if you have one. Otherwise 140 Barnes TTSX and use it.

The bullet second from right started out as a 160 grain Failsafe in my Model Seven 7mm-08 years ago. It was one of two that caught a nice bull one winter as he strode up the shoulder of a hill. The distance was closer to 300 yards than 200 by my estimation on that day. The other bullet whizzed through the lung-lattice broadside. This one entered the heavy shoulder muscles and stopped against the heavy spine bones.

'More' is never a bad idea if distances are stretched on animals that are well put together. That, or just keep your shots in the lungs and just about anything works.

One of my high school classmates shot a moose in NH a few years ago with a 140 grain Partition from a 7mm-08. One shot through the lungs killed it, but as with Mule Deer's moose, it stood there and wobbled a little before realizing that it was dead on its feet and should have the courtesy to fall over. IIRC, the range was just shy of 200 yards, lasered after the fact, and the bullet was found under the hide on the off-side with very little blood outside, but the pleural cavity full blood and lung pudding.

Them cokloc bullets do freeze a bull in his tracks.....

Seems pretty typical from what I've observed. I've rarely seen them get lit up; generally just keep doing what they were doing before the hole hit them. Long holes trump craters in that regard however.

I've participated in many a moose kill with everything from 243 on up and I agree with John.......put one shot behind the shoulder into the lungs and wait a minute for him to drop. This can be done from a frontal angle also.
No shoulder breaking for me and I've had poor results from neck shots......the neck being a huge muscle mass on an old bull......two 180 TSX from 300 WSM didn't exit nor drop the bull as the spine wasn't hit.
I've reviewed video of 16 moose kills our party filmed and I find no noticeable effect from a second shot after a bull has been lung shot with the first round.

Last year, I gave my buddies 16 YO daughter a shortened 700 in 270 and some 130NP ammo. A quick anatomy lesson on where to hit em and she was off on her first moose hunt. She tucked one 130NP inside the shoulder on first shot and the bull collapsed within 20 seconds. Sixty-one incher!

So yes....your 7-08 will do just fine.

Someone on this site said "It ain't the arrow....it's the Indian".......

I wouldn't hesitate to take a 7mm-08 for Moose. A sturdy bullet would be my only prerequisite.

"Coklok" huh. That must be what Blackhead uses in his 30-06 when he's not touting the .30-30 as the ultimate while trashing the 308.

My wife killed a huge one, not with a 7mm-08, but with a 140 BTBT one shot behind the shoulder one step, and it was over.. Moose are not hard to kill.. She could have dropped that one with the little 7, but the magnum was her favorite.. I would go with a part. or accubond in what ever wt. you like best..

Good advice on this thread. Good bullet and good placement and put your knife to work. Moose ain't bullet proof.

Wow! I just read your article in an old 2007 issue of Handloader this morning!

Dad took one in the 1970's that was the largest taken that year in BC. 175 Partitions from a 7x57 took it down about like what's been described several times in this thread.

I'd have no qualms staking my moose hunt on a 7-08 or 7x57 with a good 140+ grain bullet. I've personally seen enough from the 154 grain Hornady SP to trust it completely with such an endeavor.

FC

Yeah, the 154 Hornady works great, especially at 7mm-08 velocities--as does just about every thing expanding big game bullet available.

The 154 grain Hornady round nose bullet was Harvey Donaldson's preferred bullet in the 7x57.

That is right. A razor blade on the end of a stick will do the job admirably. Why question a 7-08?

FYI, I've seen more than one 162 AM exit on bull moose, and have recovered a couple just under the offside hide after they smashed through shoulders. Any heavy C&C, or any premium (though if shooting monos, I like light-to-medium weight bullets), should be fine from the 7-08. It's not pushing bullets fast enough to place any special stress on the bullet, so most things will work well.

A 7mm-08 for moose might be inadequate for moose. An 8mm-09 would be far better.

It's one more of each really important number.

Trust me. I'm an expert.

Funny you should ask..... I have been having the same debate. I am leaving for Newfoundland next week. This past June as a special birthday present, my wife bought me a Ruger #1 in 7-08. The number 1's were being heavily discounted at the local Cabelas. Next to the 7-08 was a 1S in 30-06. Hey, it was my 70th birthday. I can afford to be self-indulgent. I bought that '06 too.

This will be my third trip to Newfoundland. On previous trips I have taken moose handily with the 30-06. My usual practice on a hunting trip is to bring two rifles.My current plan is to take the 1S '06 and bring along another '06, a Tikka t3 as a backup. It's a very sensible thing to do. But the little 1A in 7-08 is whispering to me from the corner as I type this. I have been hunting with 7x57's and 7-08's since 1972. I know with absolute certainty that a 160 grain Nosler Partition will put a moose in the freezer. I am sorely tempted.....

Have never taken a moose with a 7-08 but several with .270/150 Ptn's. Have shot caribou with the 7-08 and 140 gr. Nos. pts and feel the results would be identical to the .270/150 ptn's on moose. As others have said, moose are not hard to kill. If you are calling and can get a lung shot it is all over in a minute. A friend took two in the early days of his hunting career with a .243 and c & c 100 gr. bullets.

Jim

At what?

Having also hunted Newfoundland I have seen Moose taken by the 7-08 and know of none lost to it. Take the 7-08.

Just about everything.

I'm a Kahuna. I've made 17,218 posts on the fire over the past decade.

I pay homage to you, Great Kahuna.

I shoot 7-08s frequently but have not shot a moose with one. However, with a 150 or 160 grain Partition, I would feel fine under 200 yards with a solid lung/heart shot. TSX would work I'm sure but would pick the partition due to the bit of expansion it offers. Again, would try and sneak the slug right behind the shoulder and am sure it would do just fine.

Take the 7mm-08 and use it. Personally I love the 154 RN Hornady. I would not hesitate using it on a Moose

I wouldn't be too afraid of it. Think on the heavy side when loading bullets..

Reminds me of the time I went to NAPA and asked the guy for a water pump for a 1978 corolla. He said "Nope, but I got one for a 78 Mustang II". Wasn't really sure what to do with that, so just said cool and walked out the door.

Anyway, I've shot a lot of things with several 7-08s and wouldn't be afraid of using it on moose. I doubt there'd be much difference between the 120gr and 140gr TTSX, but I like the 120gr. I've used the 140gr and 150gr partition on mnt goat and black bear and would probably lean toward the 150gr for moose.

Having seen a pile of moose fall to the likes of the .270 and .308 usually shooting cheaper cup and core bullets I would have no hesitations to shoot one with a 7mm-08 and what ever bullet it shot best. Mine seems to like 140 accubonds or federal factory 150 hotcores best. I'd happily chase Bullwinkle with either.

My Uncle Larry shot several Ontario and New Brunswick moose with his Marlin levergun in 35 Remington. None got away. This old time cartridge features a 200 grain bullet that expands reliably and penetrates deeply into the chest organs. While its not a long range rifle, it served my Uncle Larry quite well during his hunts in the 1960's.

Sherwood

Yeah, I never used anything on Moose except Cup and Cores. Rem. Core-Lokt, Win. Silvertip, Win Power Point, and Hornady Interlock.

After seeing my wife's 7-08 with 156gr Norma Oryx kill stuff in RSA, I'd not hesitate to shoot a moose with it.

Jeff

Get out and shoot the moose. Let us know what happen.

Share your load if you don't mind? Congrats to the wife.

Will do Raider. Give me a bit, as I've misplaced a few of my note books when we moved. Just getting my reloading stuff back in order, and I hope to unpack that data. It worked well enough that I put a slip on recoil pad to make the LOP to my liking, and shot most of my stuff with it as well!

Jeff

The 156 Oryx is loaded in factory Norma ammo, for a guy who shoots only factory ammo, it would be a good choice

I've never seen a moose, what do they look like?

I have seen moose killed with 243s and 308s. Likely a couple dozen between those two calibers alone. I don't see why a 7-08 wouldn't work in this case. Moose are not hard to kill by any means.

Sorry, JG, I can't find my damn notes on that load, and I don't want to work from memory. It was a very mild load, that gave us 2400fps from the Kimber's 22" barrel. Apologize for being of no help!

Jeff

Like a horse redesigned by drunk hunters.

Spot on.

I've not been in on any moose hunting. I've seen lots of moose when I was younger and hunting in Idaho though. Three huge bulls one day while elk hunting that were no more than 15 yds away from us, and didn't seem to care that we were there at all. Another came within a beanbag toss distance when I was huckleberry picking at age 16. I've often wondered if hunting moose would be like hunting buffalo in Yellowstone Park, where the goal would be to keep the powder burns from screwing up the mount.

Well you can't walk right up to them and pick your Moose. They have amazing hearing and noses that are second to none. When we say they aren't hard to kill it's because a bullet in the right place generally ends their day regardless of headstamp. But it takes them two minutes to accept the fact that they're dead. Good thing is they usually don't go far after the shot. But it's not like shooting a parked car like some guys seem to claim. It takes woodsmanship. A bumbling, careless hunter doesn't see many Moose.

I think my wife would call me a "woodsman", but other than her, I'm not sure anyone else would. Hard to say. I'm not a traipse-and-trample hunter, that's for sure. Maybe I've just been lucking getting close to them.

During the rut in September they're far less wary.

Actually, September is pre rut activity. The true rut occurs in very, very late Sept to early/mid Oct. After the hunting season is closed in most every game unit. Here in Alaska, anyways.

Jeff

In the northeast the Moose rut is more a September thing. It of course spills over into October.

Yep. And in the glory days on the bench here on the KP, when there were draw hunts for early and late season, season was closed for a week at the very end of September between each season.