Moose bullet for tikka .243

[akhunter3]

Yeah, you here the same crap about native hunters here, they don’t care about gutshooting or blowing legs off.

No mooses here but I had great results with a 22/250 on desert dwelling moose when I ran out of 338s and the number was well into triple digits.
View attachment 1002322

No wonder cigarette sales are sliding...

 

[Treeman_MG]

Yeah, you here the same crap about native hunters here, they don’t care about gutshooting or blowing legs off.

No mooses here but I had great results with a 22/250 on desert dwelling moose when I ran out of 338s and the number was well into triple digits.
View attachment 1002322

Shoot any of those critters with a 243? What bullet in the 22-250? My 22-250 has been crushing deer for me the last 2 seasons.

 

[Alaska92]

I’ve killed 12+ (I’ve lost count of all the winter and fall hunts) Alaskan moose and been on at least as many kills that weren’t mine.

I sort of agree with what you’re saying, out in villages there’s some mini 14s guys use but they also blast the shit out of stuff and usually aren’t great shots but you’ll hear lots of stories of 1000yd moose kills and fathers that would give the kid only one bullet and beat the shit out of them if they didn’t come back with a moose. It’s mostly BS. I used to think it would be cool to get in with the native hunters until I actually did for a few years. I saw shitloads of wounded and lost animals and guys who didn’t even bother tracking gutshot caribou after a group of guys emptied their 223s into a heard. Yeah no thanks.

I always laugh when guys make one trip to AK and say “natives use 223s….”, I mean I know lots of natives who use 300s, 338s etc to the extent that I can’t even remember the last time I met some native swearing by his 223. I guess in my experience, I’ve probably seen more 270s and 30-06 than anything else.

Hell, I was at a turkey shoot a month or so ago, it was like 15 natives and 4 white guys, there wasn’t a 223 there. Take it for what it’s worth but I’ve stopped listening to the great native hunters out in the villages.

And guys that make one trip to AK then act like experts are a joke. So many people come up here every year for their once in a lifetime hunt and become “experts” on the native ways and what Alaskans do. These guys are a dime a dozen and they all go home as hardcore Alaskan experts. We laugh at those guys.

And my favorite cartridge for moose is a 375HH just because it’s awesome and there’s no reason to play super sniper while moose hunting. I absolutely love getting near those things. I love big bulls in September.

 

[Alaska92]

I’ve killed 12+ (I’ve lost count of all the winter and fall hunts) Alaskan moose and been on at least as many kills that weren’t mine.

I sort of agree with what you’re saying, out in villages there’s some mini 14s guys use but they also blast the shit out of stuff and usually aren’t great shots but you’ll hear lots of stories of 1000yd moose kills and fathers that would give the kid only one bullet and beat the shit out of them if they didn’t come back with a moose. It’s mostly BS. I used to think it would be cool to get in with the native hunters until I actually did for a few years. I saw shitloads of wounded and lost animals and guys who didn’t even bother tracking gutshot caribou after a group of guys emptied their 223s into a heard. Yeah no thanks.

I always laugh when guys make one trip to AK and say “natives use 223s….”, I mean I know lots of natives who use 300s, 338s etc to the extent that I can’t even remember the last time I met some native swearing by his 223. I guess in my experience, I’ve probably seen more 270s and 30-06 than anything else.

Hell, I was at a turkey shoot a month or so ago, it was like 15 natives and 4 white guys, there wasn’t a 223 there. Take it for what it’s worth but I’ve stopped listening to the great native hunters out in the villages.

And guys that make one trip to AK then act like experts are a joke. So many people come up here every year for their once in a lifetime hunt and become “experts” on the native ways and what Alaskans do. These guys are a dime a dozen and they all go home as hardcore Alaskan experts. We laugh at those guys.

And my favorite cartridge for moose is a 375HH just because it’s awesome and there’s no reason to play super sniper while moose hunting. I absolutely love getting near those things. I love big bulls in September.

If you know, you know. Many here do not know.

 

[Treeman_MG]

If you know, you know. Many here do not know.

Please, enlighten us! You have commented multiple times, while sort of furtively implying that anyone who supports the use of small calibers "don't know". I asked for your experiences, and any evidence you have to support your experiences, but you "bowed out".
So again, what cartridges/calibers/bullets have you used on moose, and what were the results? I have never killed or hunted moose, so perhaps you can educate me.

 

[Jim1187]

Not my preference but that's entirely a mental thing. I'm happier with an extra mm of diameter and it is Eastern Canadian not Alaskan moose so a little smaller on average but I know a couple dozen moose that have been tipped over with a well placed 6mm projectile from either a .243 or a 6mm Remington and one with a 6mm-06. The bulk have been nosler partitions 2 with 95 grain nbts including one very nice bull that would be hard to pass up anywhere. The 6mm06 may have been a 105hpbt but it was shot in the head at about 40 yards so any cartridge would have got things done. The user's did have the advantage of not being handicapped by having to draw tags or be confined to a season so passing on less than ideal shots is easier. Their deer rifle and load when presented with an opportunity got the job done.

 

[Treeman_MG]

Not my preference but that's entirely a mental thing. I'm happier with an extra mm of diameter and it is Eastern Canadian not Alaskan moose so a little smaller on average but I know a couple dozen moose that have been tipped over with a well placed 6mm projectile from either a .243 or a 6mm Remington and one with a 6mm-06. The bulk have been nosler partitions 2 with 95 grain nbts including one very nice bull that would be hard to pass up anywhere. The 6mm06 may have been a 105hpbt but it was shot in the head at about 40 yards so any cartridge would have got things done. The user's did have the advantage of not being handicapped by having to draw tags or be confined to a season so passing on less than ideal shots is easier. Their deer rifle and load when presented with an opportunity got the job done.

I know what you mean about the mental part. I was an enthusiastic .300 win mag shooter for a decade and a half, along with a .358 Winchester. I went from that to a 6.5cm, then to a .22-250 tikka as my main deer rifle. I can honestly say that at least with deer, all have died much quicker on average than with the 300 and copper monos or bonded bullets.

Lots of friends/family think I'm nuts for bringing even a 6.5 cm, let alone a .243. My cousin/hunting partner will be packing his .300 win mag, so I think we'll be covered there.

 

[Wagondriver]

It may not take much to kill them, but they are big. Personally I would not consider a 243 for anything bigger than deer unless it was cow elk up close.
I have killed 3 Shiras moose. First one was front on a bull shot with 338, dropped on the spot, bullet did not exit. Second one was a cow at about 40 yards, one 338 through the chest appeared to be a miss (it wasn't), I put a 2nd bullet through the chest which didn't appear to faze it, it just kept walking, third shot also in the chest didn't change its pace any. It went about 50 yards before going down. Third moose, also a cow, took a 375 taylor through the shoulder broadside, did not flinch, a second 375 about 4" to the rear of the first shot put it down.

My belief is that if you NEVER miss your exact point of aim and always have a good shot angle, a smaller round is just fine on big animals. However, I hunt in the real world where animals do not always cooperate, vegetation that you didn't see before the shot suddenly appears, and where shooting positions are not always rock solid.

 

[glock233]

It may not take much to kill them, but they are big. Personally I would not consider a 243 for anything bigger than deer unless it was cow elk up close.
I have killed 3 Shiras moose. First one was front on a bull shot with 338, dropped on the spot, bullet did not exit. Second one was a cow at about 40 yards, one 338 through the chest appeared to be a miss (it wasn't), I put a 2nd bullet through the chest which didn't appear to faze it, it just kept walking, third shot also in the chest didn't change its pace any. It went about 50 yards before going down. Third moose, also a cow, took a 375 taylor through the shoulder broadside, did not flinch, a second 375 about 4" to the rear of the first shot put it down.

My belief is that if you NEVER miss your exact point of aim and always have a good shot angle, a smaller round is just fine on big animals. However, I hunt in the real world where animals do not always cooperate, vegetation that you didn't see before the shot suddenly appears, and where shooting positions are not always rock solid.

The smaller rounds we are talking about work great at all shot angles. Except maybe a straight up the ass shot.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

It may not take much to kill them, but they are big. Personally I would not consider a 243 for anything bigger than deer un.
…
My belief is that if you NEVER miss your exact point of aim and always have a good shot angle, a smaller round is just fine on big animals. However, I hunt in the real world where animals do not always cooperate, vegetation that you didn't see before the shot suddenly appears, and where shooting positions are not always rock solid.

Where exactly do you have to hit them with a .338 or whatever caliber that would kill them, that would not also kill them with a .243 caliber? What shot is it that you would take with a .338 caliber, but not with a .243 caliber? Are you going to shoot through feet of brush or small trees with one but not the other? What makes an unstable - let’s say 16 MOA - shot with a .338 caliber better than an unstable 16 MOA shot with a .243 caliber?

 

[Treeman_MG]

It may not take much to kill them, but they are big. Personally I would not consider a 243 for anything bigger than deer unless it was cow elk up close.
I have killed 3 Shiras moose. First one was front on a bull shot with 338, dropped on the spot, bullet did not exit. Second one was a cow at about 40 yards, one 338 through the chest appeared to be a miss (it wasn't), I put a 2nd bullet through the chest which didn't appear to faze it, it just kept walking, third shot also in the chest didn't change its pace any. It went about 50 yards before going down. Third moose, also a cow, took a 375 taylor through the shoulder broadside, did not flinch, a second 375 about 4" to the rear of the first shot put it down.

My belief is that if you NEVER miss your exact point of aim and always have a good shot angle, a smaller round is just fine on big animals. However, I hunt in the real world where animals do not always cooperate, vegetation that you didn't see before the shot suddenly appears, and where shooting positions are not always rock solid.

I appreciate your real world experience. What bullets were you using in the 338 and 375?

I used to think like you do about a 243. . . ."nice varmit round that could maybe kill a deer". Until I started paying attention to the terminal ballistics. . . What was happening when bullets hit flesh. Examining the carcass and the organs, as well as shot placement. I did have a bad experience with a 243 some years back, that I now believe was a shot placement issue, not a bullet or caliber issue.

After seeing a whole slew of critters killed in the 223 for big game thread, from deer to elk, moose and grizzlies, plus the same in the 243/6mm thread, I started to change my tune. After killing 5 deer with my .22-250, I sold my 300. It really is amazing how much better I shoot lower recoiling rounds. Along with ease of spotting shots, this has been a game changer for me.

 

[6mm Remington]

A Nosler Partition is never a mistake, and that being a 100 gr. Partition in your 243 would work well for you. It's light, but the 243 should kill a moose if hit properly. I'm with others that it would not be my first choice but it could work.

The 90 gr. Nosler E-tip would also be a good one. My son shoots it in his 6mm Remington and it kills game exceptionally well. His first elk was a nice big cow that was broadside at 350 yards. He hit her tight behind her right shoulder in the lungs. The bullet completely penetrated and exited out the center of her left shoulder. She staggered about 20 yards and went down. I was impressed by the damage done internally and the penetration was superb.

 

[dallen]

I’m another AK res with no real experience with a .243 on moose. I’ve been in AK since 1988 and have killed a moose in all but a handful of those years. So, that’s more than 3. I’ve personally used a .270 on a couple and it did fine as long as the shots were good. Have no doubts that a .243 will kill moose, but would not be my pick to carry on a moose hunt. I’ve killed almost all of my moose with a 300WM using 200 grain partitions. Some moose go down fast, others act like you didn’t even hit them (at first). Moose tend to live near water and willow/alder jungles. They like to run towards those when hit. I like to have a gun that has a high odd of putting them down right there. The other consideration that is always in my mind when moose hunting is the fact that some pretty big bears live in the same territory and if you spend enough time in moose country, you WILL have a run in. I’d feel really naked staring down a brown bear with a 6mm in my hand. Sure, you can kill the bear with that 6mm, but he just might kill you back……just my observations hunting a few years up here.

 

[Treeman_MG]

I’m another AK res with no real experience with a .243 on moose. I’ve been in AK since 1988 and have killed a moose in all but a handful of those years. So, that’s more than 3. I’ve personally used a .270 on a couple and it did fine as long as the shots were good. Have no doubts that a .243 will kill moose, but would not be my pick to carry on a moose hunt. I’ve killed almost all of my moose with a 300WM using 200 grain partitions. Some moose go down fast, others act like you didn’t even hit them (at first). Moose tend to live near water and willow/alder jungles. They like to run towards those when hit. I like to have a gun that has a high odd of putting them down right there. The other consideration that is always in my mind when moose hunting is the fact that some pretty big bears live in the same territory and if you spend enough time in moose country, you WILL have a run in. I’d feel really naked staring down a brown bear with a 6mm in my hand. Sure, you can kill the bear with that 6mm, but he just might kill you back……just my observations hunting a few years up here.

Hard to argue with a 300 winny and 200gr partitions, from a terminal standpoint. I shot 200gr accubonds in mine, it's what I killed my caribou with. Funny story about that, my bro spotted the bull outside our tent when taking a leak. I pulled my rifle out, bull standing broadside, less than 100 yards. I line up and pull the trigger, CLICK. Empty chamber from being in the tent. Ended up shooting him at close to 300 yards, just before he would have topped a rise. Got Lucky, cause I flinched, hard on that empty chamber shot. That became one of the many reasons I started downsizing cartridges.

The bear thing is funny. In my my previous 3 trips to Alaska, I have yet to see a brown/grizzly bear. Had a black bear steal my food bag though. People will say a handgun is adequate for bear protection, but then say a center-fire rifle won't kill them? Gotta hit brain/spine to stop them anyway. Both my cousin and I will have 10mm handguns, and he will have a 300 winny, so I think I will be ok for a bear encounter. Honestly hope to just use my head and avoid having to shoot an angry bear, if possible.

 

[Chris in TN]

Second one was a cow at about 40 yards, one 338 through the chest appeared to be a miss (it wasn't), I put a 2nd bullet through the chest which didn't appear to faze it, it just kept walking, third shot also in the chest didn't change its pace any. It went about 50 yards before going down.

If someone had that exact same experience with a .243 a crowd would gather to tell them a .243 wasn't enough to kill a moose.

But when it happens with a .338, we say 'moose are tough'. Maybe caliber doesn't matter.

 

[Treeman_MG]

If someone had that exact same experience with a .243 a crowd would gather to tell them a .243 wasn't enough to kill a moose.

But when it happens with a .338, we say 'moose are tough'. Maybe caliber doesn't matter.

Most of the videos I have watched of moose getting killed, show them kinda standing around after they get shot and getting shot a few more times before tipping over, regardless of caliber/cartridge. They are big for sure, I think it just takes them a bit to run out of oxygenated blood.

 

[VernAK]

I’m another AK res with no real experience with a .243 on moose. I’ve been in AK since 1988 and have killed a moose in all but a handful of those years. So, that’s more than 3. I’ve personally used a .270 on a couple and it did fine as long as the shots were good. Have no doubts that a .243 will kill moose, but would not be my pick to carry on a moose hunt. I’ve killed almost all of my moose with a 300WM using 200 grain partitions. Some moose go down fast, others act like you didn’t even hit them (at first). Moose tend to live near water and willow/alder jungles. They like to run towards those when hit. I like to have a gun that has a high odd of putting them down right there. The other consideration that is always in my mind when moose hunting is the fact that some pretty big bears live in the same territory and if you spend enough time in moose country, you WILL have a run in. I’d feel really naked staring down a brown bear with a 6mm in my hand. Sure, you can kill the bear with that 6mm, but he just might kill you back……just my observations hunting a few years up here.

I'll be dallen's echo.

Having hunted moose for 60+years, I can't recall having shot one with a 243 nor have I seen a moose taken with a 243 even though I've worn out a couple 243 barrels on other critters. Cartridges from 270 to 375 have all been very effective with the classic double lung shot. The two taken with arrows probably collapsed as quick as any shot with a rifle. I have a couple dozen kills on video and you cannot distinguish those shot with the 270 vs, 375H&H when lung shot.

I would hesitate to take a quartering away shot [guts to lungs] with a light caliber but it might work with quality hunting bullets. I guess my position is if I were spending $$$$ for a once in a lifetime hunt, I'd opt for some cartridge a bit larger.

Another shot I don't do anymore is the neck shot. If close to the head, it'll usually work but halfway up the neck is not good unless the spine is impacted.

The smaller cartridges have the advantage of less recoil and thus a lighter and handier rifle but there seems to be a tendency to hang a lot of gingerbread on today's rifles. Oh well, maybe it's just me but I like my rifles light and handy in my old age.

 

[Treeman_MG]

I'll be dallen's echo.

Having hunted moose for 60+years, I can't recall having shot one with a 243 nor have I seen a moose taken with a 243 even though I've worn out a couple 243 barrels on other critters. Cartridges from 270 to 375 have all been very effective with the classic double lung shot. The two taken with arrows probably collapsed as quick as any shot with a rifle. I have a couple dozen kills on video and you cannot distinguish those shot with the 270 vs, 375H&H when lung shot.

I would hesitate to take a quartering away shot [guts to lungs] with a light caliber but it might work with quality hunting bullets. I guess my position is if I were spending $$$$ for a once in a lifetime hunt, I'd opt for some cartridge a bit larger.

Another shot I don't do anymore is the neck shot. If close to the head, it'll usually work but halfway up the neck is not good unless the spine is impacted.

The smaller cartridges have the advantage of less recoil and thus a lighter and handier rifle but there seems to be a tendency to hang a lot of gingerbread on today's rifles. Oh well, maybe it's just me but I like my rifles light and handy in my old age.

Thanks to all the resident Alaskans that have chimed in. I think what vern wrote above is telling. . . ."cannot distinguish those shot with 270 vs 375h&h when lung shot". I feel like the 270 minimum is a bit of an old school hold over.

An interesting read is "Alaska's wolf man," a biography of Frank Glaser, who moved to Alaska before it was a state, and made a living as a fur trapper, market meat hunter, and later, government wolf trapper. He killed everything there is to kill in Alaska with a .220 swift. Although he preferred a 30-06 for grizzlies, he did kill at least one with the swift.

Lot's of people on this forum are having no trouble at all slaying elk with various 6mm's, from 6mm arc to 6 UM. Lots better bullets available today than in Frank Glaser's (or Elmer Keith's!) time. I think a lot of those same people have said that they absolutely take their 6mm's, or even .223's in some cases, on once in a lifetime hunts (which this is not, for me). Hell, @Ryan Avery killed a freaking giraffe with his 6UM!

 

[dallen]

I do get the recoil thing. I’ve had an old Ruger M77 shooting those 200 grain partitions for a long time. That thing will beat the absolute crap out of you from a bench. So much so, I won’t shoot it more than a few times just to verify zero (because I don’t want to induce bad habits). When shooting at animals though, I barely even feel or hear it. I have been shooting another 300 WM lately, this one suppressed. It has noticeably less recoil and is easy to shoot more ammo than I should. Everyone has their idea of ideal. I think maybe I’m in the old dog camp of bigger animals equal bigger gun. It’s not that I can’t learn new tricks….maybe I don’t want to. My wife would surely agree. Hope your hunt goes great!

 

[Treeman_MG]

I do get the recoil thing. I’ve had an old Ruger M77 shooting those 200 grain partitions for a long time. That thing will beat the absolute crap out of you from a bench. So much so, I won’t shoot it more than a few times just to verify zero (because I don’t want to induce bad habits). When shooting at animals though, I barely even feel or hear it. I have been shooting another 300 WM lately, this one suppressed. It has noticeably less recoil and is easy to shoot more ammo than I should. Everyone has their idea of ideal. I think maybe I’m in the old dog camp of bigger animals equal bigger gun. It’s not that I can’t learn new tricks….maybe I don’t want to. My wife would surely agree. Hope your hunt goes great!

I am insanely jealous of all you guys that live in states that allow suppressors!

That's about why I sold my 300. . . I didn't want to shoot at from the bench, load dev was dreaded. Sure, you don't really feel it when shooting at an animal, but I was definitely getting bad habits from mine. I was a die hard big gun guy until a couple years ago - my other guns were 444 Marlin, 358 Winchester, and 356 Winchester (still have the .35's!). But going to smaller guns, and being able shoot ALOT more has had a huge impact on my shooting, especially field shooting.

Thanks for all wishes on my hunt, love the great state of Alaska, it will be a good time regardless of whether we kill something!