BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

Hammer1 · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 1609

Lovely moose & Welcome to BGH :thumbsup1:

aksheephuntress · Joined: 04 Feb 2008 Posts: 20 Location: seward alaska

....Yeah, I agree, with those of you who believe it does'nt take a huge caliber to catch a moose. I love my .338 Browning A-bolt. The round is pretty available...though, not one of the cheapest...and it is great for bear. This caliber has taken our moose and bear for the freezer.

H2ODOG · Joined: 29 Jan 2008 Posts: 29

I shot my moose with a 7mm Mag and 175 grain NOS. At 70 yards it really didn't matter. One shot and he was done. I put a second one in him as he was going down. He went about 8 yards from the first shot to where he went down.

My uncle has been in Alaska for well over 50 years and he uses a .30-06 for everything. He has killed numerous moose, bou, and sheep over the years using that rifle. You can shoot all the big powerful heavy mule kicking rifles you want, but not a one will do you any good if you aren't comfortable shooting it or if you can't hit the target with it. :laugh:

My cousin's husband loves a .375H&H as well as a few friends up there. Its big & bad and can stop just about anything. Its a great gun when you venture into big bear territory....which is just about everywhere. I let them pack the big heavy stuff and I stick with the 7mm.

Cold North · Joined: 02 Aug 2008 Posts: 10 Location: North Pole, Alaska

Ok, where to start...Like anyone who has hunted big critters like moose for any length of time, I have seen them put down with .223's up to .50 caliber rifles and pistols. Each critter is different. I have seen them take 5 shots with a .338 and then drop from a one lung shot with a .243. It all depends on adrenaline and the moose. If they see you, they might run after the shot. If you surprise them, they might drop. With all of that said, I have seen the exact opposite happen on multiple hunts. My take is, just about any caliber that can be used on deer and elk will work just fine on moose. As mentioned many times in these posts; bullet placement, bullet style or make-up, and caliber effective range/ distance of the shot reference are key to hunting moose and anything else. The 30/30 is as good as anything else within 60 to 80 yards...Same with the .35 Remington. The .270 or .30/06 can take moose way out there if hit in the right spot. I have witnessed moose being hit with a .375 several times while standing and on the run and still go hundreds of yards even when hit in the right place. So, what am I saying? They all can and do work when all the planets are aligned. As far as premium bullets are concerned...I cannot believe that no one has mentioned Swift A-Frames!!! One of my favorite...I have pulled many out of many moose and all retain the advertised 90% percent weight and they rarely pass thru the whole animal, allowing 100% of the bullet's energy to remain where it is needed. So, if what you use works, stay with it and keep your weapon sighted in! Another issue that was brought up in several posts was the problem of hunting in Brown Bear country and needing a caliber with enough power to take down a charging bear while hunting moose. This is a very real and valid concern. Most Borwnies will drop from one shot with a .338 or a .375 even though the 2 are not in the same league. This shot is taking from a little distance with the bear not knowing what hit him or her. All of this changes when they have a full head of steam, are charging you, and are very mad!!! What caliber is the best then? Guides have always told me, "Bigger, the better", in this situation and I must agree. In Alaska, most of the really big bears are on the islands or along coastal areas and this is where this logic is applied. Interior Grizz are smaller, but can still be a handful and the .30/06 still does a very good job with whatever bullets work best in your gun. That is about all I have, which about what many have already said. I am heading to the hills in about 4 weeks for moose and I have not decided which gun to take yet: .270, .30/06, or the .300 Win. Mag...Who knows, I might buy a new one by then!!! Good luck to you all...

Hammer1 · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 1609

WELCOME to BGH, Cold North :thumbsup1:

wlfdg · Joined: 01 Aug 2008 Posts: 99 Location: Teton Valley, ID

More than a few have been dropped by mushers/dog drivers with large bore handguns like .44 & .357 magnums.

Widux · Joined: 18 Feb 2007 Posts: 221 Location: Melvina, Wi.

And Jeff mann killed a cow moose with an Axe in the yukon Quest--back in about 87--357 ain't much good for anything but people stopping. I carried a 44 as LAST resort when hunting moose- boo on horseback so I would have something if I had a non sceduled dismount caused by a bear. It was loaded with a 320 gr hard cast bullet and lots of powder!!

Cold North · Joined: 02 Aug 2008 Posts: 10 Location: North Pole, Alaska

Yes, moose have been killed with axes, plenty of pistols(all sizes), and also by plenty of .22's!!! Thanks for the welcome and I hope to have a few hunting stories in about 5 -6 weeks!!!

jimie · Joined: 11 Aug 2008 Posts: 4

i've taken all my moose in bc with a browning a-bolt stainless stalker in a .300 win mag

PA BEN · Joined: 30 Sep 2007 Posts: 34 Location: Washington St.

I drew a once in a life time moose tag for Washington State. I've never hunted moose before, I've killed deer, elk, bear but not moose. My question is, "Wheres the best place to hit a moose"? I'm shooting a 7MM REM. MAG. 175 gr.

Hammer1 · Joined: 03 Dec 2005 Posts: 1609

PA BEN asked :
"Wheres the best place to hit a moose ?
Just go back one page on this Topic and there is a diagram of moose vitals, basically the same for all four legged critters regardless of how big or how small.

Your rifle and bullet selection is more than adequate, you won't be able to blame the gear :roll:
GOOD LUCK :thumbsup1:

175rltw · Joined: 13 Sep 2008 Posts: 3 Location: AK

i guess i'd hunt moose with a 257 roberts with 120 grn partitions, but those damn brown bears would make it SOOOO much less fun. It's really to me about the brownies not the moose, he'll go down if you shoot him right.

AlaskanHunter · Joined: 14 Sep 2008 Posts: 1

You are all over gunning it, i shot my first moose with a .243 using 100 grain ammo, you dont need a 308 or 338 to kill a fricken moose

Don Fischer · Joined: 24 Mar 2005 Posts: 2147 Location: Antelope, Ore

AlaskanHunter wrote: You are all over gunning it, i shot my first moose with a .243 using 100 grain ammo, you dont need a 308 or 338 to kill a fricken moose

I'm not sure you can be over gunned for anything, but you can be undergunned. Reguardless of how easy it may be to kill a moose, it is a big animal with lots of bulk to penetrate.

northwolf · Joined: 05 Oct 2008 Posts: 16 Location: Northern Ontario

I shot moose (calves) with a 300 Savage 165 Hornady, then I went to a 30-06 180 Hornady and then I build MY ultimate Moose gun, a .375X284 on a Vz24 with a Bishop stock (Yes, that long ago) and use a 300grain Win Silvertip. I went to almost all the gunshops in Ontario to get all the 300 Silvertips, since at that time win stopped making bullets. Our distance for moose is usually less then 100 yards and a lot are shot at 50. I found out that the Magnums ( 300, 7mm) have a tendency to blow up on the shorter distances. (I know that will get a lot of static) :evil:
I concur that bullet placement is of importance, BUT I like the bullet to stop on the other side, making a bulge on the skin, expending all the energy inside . Unlike a lot of German hunters, who like the bullet to exit, to make a better blood trail. I would like no blood trail but have them drop on the spot. :thumbsup1: