Moose Caliber: Maine

[PA Hunter]

The 30-06 is easily your best option for a Maine Moose Eastern Canadian species or any species moose for that matter. Use the ballistic tips for deer though and get some Accubonds 180-200 gr range, or Nosler partition. Any bonded or good bullet will work, aim behind shoulder and dont expect to bang flop their lungs are big and take awhile to expire. If you think it will run keep shooting till down otherwise after the shot just watch it and it will fall over if you did your job.

 

[WMag338]

I agree with others have said. Super jealous too. Apply for Maine each year. Please report back after your hunt.

 

[Mebe007]

As a lever gun lover, I hate to say this, but if that is factory Remington brand 405 Grain 45-70 I would not use that on a moose. The factory 405 grain loads are notoriously underpowered so they can be safely chambered in trapdoor Springfields and other period single shots. If those are hot handloads or you could get some HSM 430 grain "Bear Loads" or Buffalo Bore 45-70 (assuming you have a modern Marlin or Winchester 1886) I would go with that. Otherwise, the 444 would be better suited, and honestly with the 265grain load, not by much. The 7mm Mag or 30'06 better is better than either of them.

I Do handload all of my cartridges and they are far from mild, I listed the projectile that I currently use for reference, I figure a good bonded or mono bullet would be preferred. I typically black bear hunt with my marlin 444p. It seems to garner the most attention compared to my 45-70. My 7mm mag was the one I was leaning towards for the trip. Synthetic stock, cerakoted, and a nice barnes 160 tsx load worked up. It seems like a clear fit choice given the potential for bad weather etc.

As to others mentioning sentimental guns, I would love to take my dads sporterized 03A3 but it has very old glass and i cannot bring myself to change it and its hard to force myself to use the old optics given that I have better optics to use. I love when I use my fathers guns but for some reason I find myself only using them in good weather. Hard to bring a pretty blued rifle with wlanut out in a downpoor when a plastic fantastic is available. My 7mm mag is a remington 700 and has a tract toric 2-12 on it. 2-12x seems like it would be a good magnification range for the environment.

I feel like I am essentially at battle inside my own brain. its pretty simple to me. All the listed cartridges will perform properly with the proper bullet and placement. It just doesnt seem that easy in my head. Id love to have some nice new pointy PRC cartridge, especially something with a moderate barrel length that is threaded, as i do not have a threaded bolt rifle for my suppressor.

As for some other comments on the sub permitee etc., it is what it is. My friend is a ME resident I am not. We both applied and he drew. Id be just as excited just to go, much less participate. This is his second bull tag and he harvested on his last draw, so he has passed the opportunity to me. I feel luck and grateful. I nonresident draw odds for moose in ME is less than 2% while Residents are closer to 8% So it can make a diference, but main is just wierd overall in how their system works. Clearly about money, residents have higher draw odd and can build bonus points, however they can only enter the lottery time. As a nonresident you can enter multiple times if you are willing to pay (you can purchase blocks of 10 entries for gods sake)

 

[Maki35]

The cartridges you listed will all take a moose.
Don't over think it. take the 7mm mag if that's what you shoot well with.
Plus, it has a longer reach than the others should you get the opportunity.

 

[Mebe007]

The cartridges you listed will all take a moose.
Don't over think it. take the 7mm mag if that's what you shoot well with.
Plus, it has a longer reach than the others should you get the opportunity.

its so easy to overthink lol. We have 200lb and less deer, and black bears that get decently big in VA. So when we started talking moose, I start thinking horse size lol. and now here I am.

 

[JDK]

mebe007

I've been on a grand total of seven Maine moose hunts (Maine resident). Three as permittee, three as sub, and one as manual labor. I've killed 5 moose using a 300 Weatherby, 308 Winchester, and 30-06. My brother was sub-permittee on our last hunt and he used a 7mm Remington Magnum to kill a 700 poundish cow. All 6 of those moose died just about the same no matter what they were shot with.

As others have said, take what you shoot best, have a great time and enjoy the woods.

 

[roymunson]

I do not understand that is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. The only reason I could see that is if you put your wife in for a tag and then you shoot it because she doesn’t want to shoot it but she still wants to go. Party hunting in the west is totally illegal. This is what that is. I didn’t know it was legal anywhere.

They didn't really ask for your approval. Party hunting is done in some places and not in some others, but realize, you're not hunting the big huge expanses that are often the case in the west. Glad you're opinionated vs the DNR in Maine tho. That oughta get something accomplished.

To the OP, if you're in close quarters, I think it'd be cool to kill one with a gun that means something to you. I think lever guns are cool. a 45/70 or a 444 would be pretty neat. But all should get the job done. Big vitals and a good penetrating round and go kill em.

 

[Mebe007]

They didn't really ask for your approval. Party hunting is done in some places and not in some others, but realize, you're not hunting the big huge expanses that are often the case in the west. Glad you're opinionated vs the DNR in Maine tho. That oughta get something accomplished.

To the OP, if you're in close quarters, I think it'd be cool to kill one with a gun that means something to you. I think lever guns are cool. a 45/70 or a 444 would be pretty neat. But all should get the job done. Big vitals and a good penetrating round and go kill em.

Love my 444. Drops VA bears in their tracks.

 

[Rich M]

My cousins have shot 3 ME and NH moose w 45/70. Works great.

Otherwise 3006 w 165 or 180 NP.

 

[Eastonsgrandpa]

That TSX will give the best penetration and at the close range you’ll be shooting will also expand well. I’d take the 7 mag.

 

[Usi05]

@Mebe007 are going to bring an extra rifle? I have been going back and forth on that since I have so much time to overthink this hunt !


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[roymunson]

Love my 444. Drops VA bears in their tracks.

I want your gun. But I'm too tight to overpay for the levers on gunbroker. So its me and my singleshot handirifle. Still does the job.

 

[Brad Metcalf]

I finally drew a tag after 29 years of applying I am using my Model 7 350 Rem Mag

 

[Berksbowman]

I finally drew a tag after 29 years of applying I am using my Model 7 350 Rem Mag

Shot moose in Maine in 2019 and 2022. I used my model 7 350 mag and 200 tipped triple shock and 700ks in 280 with 140 accubond. 350 mag shot was 200 yards, 280 was 6 yards.

 

[Grassymike]

I grew up in the Yukon. At that time (80's) most people had one gun to hunt everything. Lots of 30.06's and .270's .Pretty well everyone used factory ammo like Remington corelokt or Winchester Powerpoint. Moose were shot with 150 grains from the .270's and anywhere from 150 to 180 in .06. They are not hard to kill, just big.

 

[akcabin]

I'd take that 06 with Nosler all day no questions. The crack of the sound seems to be quieter with the ballistic tip I used ( walk of shame time, I missed a beautiful wolf) with one, I'll own it. Than the crack of a 150 nosler partion I use. Just something that I noticed to me. Fwiw. Last bull I saw harvested was one I called in a 58" Ak/ Yukon in for my son's first bull. No problems
It's not just the caliber. Stuff happens. And availability could be an issue. No stores down the way. And it's just a dependable bullet with a wide range of available weights. Simple
Have a great time and wish ya the best

 

[Jim1187]

I am inclined towards your 270 and 7mm mag options though I must admit my experiences with monos are the ttsx and typically lighter. The 270 with a 130 swift would make me very happy assuming you shoot it well.
The .30-06 is a great option too but the .30 cal 150 nbt has been an erratic performer on moose sometimes very fast killing and other times making me wish for tracking wounded big game with dogs to be legal here. Hard to go wrong with a .30-06 and a partition for moose although current pricing up here would have me going back to old favorites like the 180 and 200 grain hotcore.

 

[Ram4402]

I have shot shot 5 moose in Maine and been on a ton of other moose hunts. I have used anything from a 308 to a 338wm, seen other people use 6.5cm and 300 sav all the way up to a 340wby. It seem bullet construction and shot place is key to clean kill.

Also factor in what type of hunting you are planning on. If you’re going to be out walking old roads, clearcuts and calling I probably wouldn’t be packing a heavy gun. If your going to be hunting out out the truck I guess it doesn’t matter much. Maybe one you can load quickly

 

[Leatherneck]

What distances are most Maine Moose taken from?

 

[Macintosh]

Across a clearcut or beaver pond is the farthest shot you’ll get, thats rarely more than 200-300 yards, and if maine moose are anything like VT and NH moose, unless it happens to be in a clearcut it’ll likely be 100 yards or less shot, often much less. Both of the moose shots Ive been part of (I was subpermitee, which was great) were less than 50 yards. I run into them reasonably frequently bird hunting, also usually under 100 yards despite crashing around with a dog. I know some of the cuts in Maine are much bigger, we just always run into them in the cuts that are grown up just enough (shoulder high whips and blackberry cane, etc) that its still often hard to make a longer shot—maybe its different there?