Moose bullet for tikka .243

[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!

 

[24valve]

Personally I would not consider a 243 for anything bigger than deer unless it was cow elk up close.

Yep 243's are marginal on bull elk at distance...

To the OP's initial question, 95 TMK's are quite violent out of a 243. I have not seen any of them on moose, only elk and mule deer.

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.

On moose behavior after being hit, I have only witnessed two (shiras) in person but they were similar to what you've shared here. Both took three rounds into the chest at less than 100 yards, went 40-50 yards before falling over and dying. One was a bull moose with a 270, unknown bullets, and the other was a cow with a 300 WM and monos.

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 agree, the real world is a very different place than the range. Which is where the shootability of a smaller caliber (when paired with fragmenting bullets for adequate terminal performance) really shine. Less stable shooting positions make accurate shots with larger calibers exponentially more difficult.

 

[MtnW]

Yes- but only for me because I don’t want to waste moose meat. No doubt a TMK will kill faster on average, but also cause more meat loss. Being that shots on moose aren’t typically very far and that they don’t tend to take off when hit- I prefer less wasted meat.

WOULD LOVE TO SEE PICTURES OF ALL OF YOUR MOOSE KILLS OVER THE YEARS,
Actually would love to see all of your hunting experiences photos outside of the raghorn bull elk that you may actually have a photo of. I say , FORM- BIG HAT NO CATTLE

 

[Treeman_MG]

WOULD LOVE TO SEE PICTURES OF ALL OF YOUR MOOSE KILLS OVER THE YEARS,
Actually would love to see all of your hunting experiences photos outside of the raghorn bull elk that you may actually have a photo of. I say , FORM- BIG HAT NO CATTLE

Do you have any pictures of bull moose that you have killed? What cartridges/bullets do you use?

I started this thread as a discussion of what bullets in 243/6mm would be suitable for moose. Do you have anything to add, that's relevant to that subject?

 

[Formidilosus]

WOULD LOVE TO SEE PICTURES OF ALL OF YOUR MOOSE KILLS OVER THE YEARS,
Actually would love to see all of your hunting experiences photos outside of the raghorn bull elk that you may actually have a photo of. I say , FORM- BIG HAT NO CATTLE

What’s more funny- that you don’t offer any information ever? Or that you are too dense to search and see hundreds of pictures from elk, deer, bear, moose that I have posted?

 

[Formidilosus]

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).

Do these two statements above and below-

I like to have a gun that has a high odd of putting them down right there.

Not cause you to logically think about your beliefs or “feelings”.

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.

So all handguns will get you killed on a bear?

What about all the moose and bears killed with pointed sticks?

 

[SheepCrk]

Partition

 

[Treeman_MG]

Partition

Almost surprised no one mentioned partitions earlier. Ironically, I was shooting 100gr partitions out of a 10 twist 243 when I shot the only deer I've ever lost with a firearm. In retrospect, it was almost certainly a shot placement issue, not a bullet issue, but it sort of soured me on partitions, and the 243, for a while.

 

[SheepCrk]

Almost surprised no one mentioned partitions earlier. Ironically, I was shooting 100gr partitions out of a 10 twist 243 when I shot the only deer I've ever lost with a firearm. In retrospect, it was almost certainly a shot placement issue, not a bullet issue, but it sort of soured me on partitions, and the 243, for a while.

I would suspect so.

With a fast light bullet hitting something as solid as a moose you’ll want a stout bullet at any reasonable range. I’m sure solid coppers or accubonds will come up too and would be other sound options.

 

[Treeman_MG]

I would suspect so.

With a fast light bullet hitting something as solid as a moose you’ll want a stout bullet at any reasonable range. I’m sure solid coppers or accubonds will come up too and would be other sound options.

Shot accubonds out of my 300 winny, when I had it. Shot copper monos for a decade+, wouldn't use them now unless required to by law. I'm pretty sold on fast expanding, heavy for caliber, match type bullets. Part of the reason partitions work so reliably is because the front half expands rapidly/fragments, and the base drives through. I would probably revisit partitions, except they are pretty pricey and only available in 50 count boxes.

 

[Chris in TN]

I would suspect so.

With a fast light bullet hitting something as solid as a moose

When you say 'solid as a moose'....help me out here. I've never shot a moose but I'm assuming you have an inch of hair, maybe an inch of rib, then a foot of lungs. Right?

 

[Wagondriver]

When you say 'solid as a moose'....help me out here. I've never shot a moose but I'm assuming you have an inch of hair, maybe an inch of rib, then a foot of lungs. Right?

Probably a tiny bit more than hair and bone, like a little bit of fat, some thin muscles, adding up to not much, maybe another inch or two. But, oops, he moved a tiny bit and you were breathing heavy without a bench rest and all of a sudden your bullet hits the shoulder. Will that 100gr bullet now break heavy bone, and penetrate several inches of meat to reach the vitals AND have enough energy to do some significant damage?
Oh, and he's walking toward a big pond about 4' deep, and its 40 minutes to dark.

 

[Q_Sertorius]

Probably a tiny bit more than hair and bone, like a little bit of fat, some thin muscles, adding up to not much, maybe another inch or two. But, oops, he moved a tiny bit and you were breathing heavy without a bench rest and all of a sudden your bullet hits the shoulder. Will that 100gr bullet now break heavy bone, and penetrate several inches of meat to reach the vitals AND have enough energy to do some significant damage?
Oh, and he's walking toward a big pond about 4' deep, and its 40 minutes to dark.

Yes.

 

[Treeman_MG]

Probably a tiny bit more than hair and bone, like a little bit of fat, some thin muscles, adding up to not much, maybe another inch or two. But, oops, he moved a tiny bit and you were breathing heavy without a bench rest and all of a sudden your bullet hits the shoulder. Will that 100gr bullet now break heavy bone, and penetrate several inches of meat to reach the vitals AND have enough energy to do some significant damage?
Oh, and he's walking toward a big pond about 4' deep, and its 40 minutes to dark.

Have you seen the video of Tyler Freel shooting a moose with an AR-15 in 22arc? Or the picture of the destroyed FEMUR/hip socket from his follow up shot as it turned away?

 

[z987k]

I've shot 2 moose with a 143 eldx(6,5cm), both about 60 yards. Both got shot twice before they tipped over.
I've shot 1 moose with the 135DRT out of that same gun, maybe 20 yards away. It was a larger cow, 1 through the lungs and she didn't really go anywhere and was wobbly, so I didn't shoot again, she eventually fell over.
That's the extent of my "small caliber" moose kills. Worked fine.
If I was concerned with swamps or lakes, I'd be talking close in head or spine shots.

I've been party to 1 moose shot at distance. It was 400y or so. I'd never personally do that due to the work involved.

Bring them in to under 100 and make a good shot with just about anything. Bringing them in is why moose hunting is fun anyways.

 

[wyosam]

I would suspect so.

With a fast light bullet hitting something as solid as a moose you’ll want a stout bullet at any reasonable range. I’m sure solid coppers or accubonds will come up too and would be other sound options.

They aren’t any more “solid” than anything else. They’re actually pretty thin skinned. Put something through those garbage can lid sized vitals and things will probably work out fine.


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[mtnbound]

Probably a tiny bit more than hair and bone, like a little bit of fat, some thin muscles, adding up to not much, maybe another inch or two. But, oops, he moved a tiny bit and you were breathing heavy without a bench rest and all of a sudden your bullet hits the shoulder. Will that 100gr bullet now break heavy bone, and penetrate several inches of meat to reach the vitals AND have enough energy to do some significant damage?
Oh, and he's walking toward a big pond about 4' deep, and its 40 minutes to dark.

Yes, and it's purely subjective to believe a 300 WM will do it better. If you look, or better yet, test for yourself, you will find plenty of objective information about the effectiveness of small-caliber cartridges.

 

[Grassymike]

I grew up in the Yukon. .243 was the smallest centerfire cartridge allowed for big game at that time. (mid 80's). Most of my friends used .270's, or 30.06. My first rifle was an 06. My dad had a 300WM that someone had given him. I have shot 4 Moose with that 30.06 with either Winchester power points or Rem corelock bullets. Most of our friends and nieghbors owned exctly one hunting rifle and used them for everything.