BigGameHunt.net Hunting Forums

[expatriate]

I'm moving to Alaska in a couple months and am thinking some moose might be nice in the freezer. There's a lot of discussion about cartridge selection for moose, but what about energy? I've read that a good rule of thumb for deer is that you should have at least 1,000 ft-lbs at impact -- which works out great for evaluating potential cartridge choices because you can take range, etc into consideration.

But I haven't heard a rule of thumb value discussed for moose. Anybody have any thoughts on the matter?

[Guest]

My suggestion to you would be to either check out a model 70 Winchester in a 30-06 using the 180 grain bullets. If you can handle the recoil and don't mind that extra push a .338 magnum gives, than by all means go for it using the 250 grainers. It would be nice to know you have one of these in your hands, should you run across a grizzly bear in the wild.

I do believe if you check the records, those are the two favorites of the locals up in that state. A 300 Win mag is also a well used caliber too! None the less you don't want to be thinking about the .270 Winchester or one of those other whitetail calibers for a place like Alaska. :)

[MMichaelAK]

Expat,
just bring what you got. Like I mention in another post, the 270, 308, 30-06, 300 Winmag all work fine for moose. Last time I checked moose were still thought of as thin skinned game. Contrary to popular opinion they are not all that hard to bring down. Best thing is to shoot them with something you can handle and shoot well. Good bullets and an accurate rifle will do fine up here.

Good luck on the move. Are you planning on driving up or flying? Planning on bringing all your household stuff ot doing the big moving sale then rebuying everything once you get instate?

Cost of living is most likely higher than what you are used to there in NC. Jobs can pay better than in the lower 48 but forget about COLAs. Those don't really exist any more since the early 90's when they began phasing them out. The cost of living is higher here than Seattle or Portland in comparison. Gas is $2.24 to $2.35 currently. A loaf of cheap white bread is $1.50. A gallon of milk costs $3.39. Rents are high in SouthCentral as land isnt plentiful. Ocean, mountains and Federal lands cut off available land for development raising costs.

My advice is have a job locked in before you move as living isn't cheap up here and nepotism is unbelieveable! For a good job you need to be born doing it.

I'm not trying to rain on your parade, just let you know what is here waiting.
Good luck.

[expatriate]

Hey, MMichael:
Actually, it's the job that's moving me up there. I'll be up around Fairbanks, which is around two weeks driving time from NC. My stuff is being moved for me, which makes things relatively easy. What worries me most is actually the Canadian border. I've got all the forms, have read the regs, etc, but I'm paranoid that I'll be out in the middle of nowhere on the Montana border and some Canadian customs official will have one of my guns in his hands, saying, "I'm sorry, but we're going to have to confiscate this one, eh?" It's the stuff in the reg that talks about guns being "forfeited to the crown" that makes any red-blooded American a little nervous.

[NONYA]

Dont try to take any handguns across the border,my grandfather lost a 1911 Colt a couple of years ago at the border,they can take anything they like if they decide they want it,just like mexico.

[Michael Jones]

not to ask a dumb question, but why won't they allow hand guns into Canada?

[expatriate]

That's a great question, best answered in Ottawa. The Canadians have succumbed to the mystical belief that gun control is the key to civilized society. It's not that they're completely banned. Some are "prohibited" but others are "restricted." The restricted ones are generally bigger models with longer barrels. You have to register those and get permission ahead of time to take them in. But if it's got a barrel less than a certain length, high capacity magazine, etc, forget it. I'm not messing with that -- I'll ship my handguns through a dealer. But I'm taking my long guns with the exception, of course, of my SKS, which the Canadians have deemed leprous and therefore unacceptable in their crime-free utopia.

[Remington270]

Sorry for you Misinformation Pal, but canadians haven't Succumbed To anything. The canadian Government are Retarded IF you Compare our Death rates to that of ONE american city...There are more killed inthat city than ALL of Canada.

I think it is just another program to Drain the public outta money...And its retarded.

[Truenorth]

Rule of thumb that I have used for 35 years is 1200 ft/lbs, nothing less