Exo Experience "through my lens"

[TBoschma]

Thought that I would make a thread here about our 2024 Moose hunt, been getting a few questions about my plans for this hunt and what I want to get out of it.

Steve and I started talking about doing some type of moose hunt the end of last year and in true Steve fashion we committed pretty quickly to putting together a plan and making this hunt happen in 2024. Pretty funny how things work but it really didn't seem like that complicated to put something like this together; maybe because we have done enough hunts in Alaska? Anywho this whole thing is super exciting, and I am looking forward to seeing how the season shakes out, you just never know what can happen on these types of adventures and there is always something to take away.

This year I have really dived into my current rifle setup, years past I have made little changes and tweaked stuff in my gun platform but other than shooting at the range and doing load development I have not spent a ton of time shooting field positions and training for that. this year I shot my first NRL hunter match and that was great. One thing I took away from that was managing recoil and building a solid shooting position can be done even when not laying on my belly. given all that I am still a weight wuss and don't want to pack a 12-pound gun. I have 3 rifles that I am considering for this hunt, and this is what I am considering.


Lightest to heaviest:


Seekins slam in 6.5 PRC

Sig Cross in 6.5 CM (picture attached)

Semi-custom in 7 PRC


Ill dive more into what the weights are and how I am shooting each rifle more in this thread and overall, what I end up taking. I definitely have been influenced by @Formidilosus in some degree and dang its hard for me to go from shooting a 300 WSM to one of these but the guy makes sense as I am sure most of you all here already know.

September sure cant come quick enough! I am the worst person for doing a thread like this but I will make it a point to try and keep up with it and how my AK moose 2024 prep has and is going.

 

[TBoschma]

One thing that is super cool about this hunt is that it's the 10-year anniversary from when Steve started Exo, it was also 10 years ago when I killed this Idaho moose and packed it out with an OG Exo pack!

 

[bascott1]

Vote goes to the 7prc.

 

[TBoschma]

Vote goes to the 7prc.

Gonna spend some time shooting all 3 fr field positions. What bullet would you use?

 

[silasbowhunter]

Cool thread and looking forwards to your updates. What scopes do you have on your rifles? That sig paint scheme is pretty sweet!

 

[Fever Buck]

Gonna spend some time shooting all 3 fr field positions. What bullet would you use?

If you’re talking about factory, def avoid the Hornady offerings and go with the Federal 175 ELDX.

 

[bascott1]

Never shot a moose so couldn’t tell ya. I’m a federal man. Anything from them has worked well for me

 

[VernAK]

The 7PRC for sure with a good hunting bullet ala; TTSX or a quality bonded core.

 

[TBoschma]

Cool thread and looking forwards to your updates. What scopes do you have on your rifles? That sig paint scheme is pretty sweet!

So currently that cross has the NXS 2 to 10 the Seekins will have a NX8 and the 7 PRC the maven RS 1.2 that’s everyone is raving about about.

Don’t know much about the maven just got it a couple days ago so far playing with the glass and doing a little bit of shooting I have with it I like it.

 

[TBoschma]

If you’re talking about factory, def avoid the Hornady offerings and go with the Federal 175 ELDX.

Today I’m gonna grab a bunch of that federal ELDX stuff. Hopefully it shoots good.

 

[Watrdawg]

7 PRC and look at the Federal 170gr Terminal Ascent round. It's bonded and at least out of my rifle it shoots better than the Federal ELDX.

 

[Fever Buck]

7 PRC and look at the Federal 170gr Terminal Ascent round. It's bonded and at least out of my rifle it shoots better than the Federal ELDX.

Haven’t tried it yet, but good idea. @TBoschma try both if you can.

 

[kevingm1987]

Moose are generally taken at closer ranges so the high BC stuff isn't required for me. When our group hunts BC moose, so slightly smaller than Alaskan, we all use the Nosler partition bullets. Always performed flawlessly. Animals just straight up die with them

Moose killed with:
.270
.308
30-06
300 win mag

140gns to 180gns

I now shoot 6.8 western instead of my .270 but still plan to develop a a load for a 140gn partition for it. Hoping for a moose draw next year.

Enjoy your hunt

 

[PredatorSlayer]

We shot two moose with my 280 AI Ridgeline FFT 2 years ago and it is coming to alaska again with me in september. I was slinging 168gr bergers and they were amazing.

 

[TBoschma]

Moose are generally taken at closer ranges so the high BC stuff isn't required for me. When our group hunts BC moose, so slightly smaller than Alaskan, we all use the Nosler partition bullets. Always performed flawlessly. Animals just straight up die with them

Moose killed with:
.270
.308
30-06
300 win mag

140gns to 180gns

I now shoot 6.8 western instead of my .270 but still plan to develop a a load for a 140gn partition for it. Hoping for a moose draw next year.

Enjoy your hunt

Love it!!! I’ve killed a moose with a 270 win granted I’ve only killed two moose with rifles, but the other one was a 300 win and that took a few more shots than I’d like, and 270 went down pretty quick.

 

[LongWayAround]

Are you guys doing a moose/caribou combo or is the caribou trip that Steve and Mark talked about separate?

 

[TBoschma]

Are you guys doing a moose/caribou combo or is the caribou trip that Steve and Mark talked about separate?

Yeah, this is all part of the Exo experience that Steve is doing but the Caribou is separate and that’s in August!

 

[bowrunner81]

I second the Federal 175gr ELDX for factory ammo. I did not have as good of luck with the Hornady loaded ammo. I also thought Hornady brass was not as good as the federal stuff, but if you reload you are welcome to my Hornady brass. The Federal ammo had a longer jump to the lands than the Hornady. I fell somewhere in between with my hand loads but I really didn’t spend much time on them. The first batch shot great so I stopped there.

 

[TBoschma]

So today I spent a little time shooting the 7PRC and the 6.5 cm both guns have been shooting close to an inch with factory ammo, I am really impressed with how well the federal TA’s shoot so far that’s the clear winner between that and the Hornady factory loaded ELDX

 

[TBoschma]

Shot both of the 6.5s side by side: that RS 1.2 definitely fixes a lot of my complaints. I have about other scopes. I really like the reticle Think I’m gonna drink the Kool-Aid on that Maven!! Has anyone found a muzzle device that they like for these Seekin’s?