Moose Hunt Cartridge and Bullet

[thinhorn_AK]

I still like shooting 260g Accubonds or 250g ttsx out of my 20” 375HH.

180g partitions out of my 30-06 work well too.

 

[QBTurner7]

I think you could use any cartridge from those listed as long as you are aware of the limitations in shot placement. I am definitely going with a match style expanding bullet over copper though.


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[jhm2023]

I have used and seen used everything from 6.5 Creedmoor to .375 Ruger for moose from sub 10 yards to nearly 500 yards. The smaller cartridges are more than adequate to kill moose but are limiting. The smaller cartridges limit you on shot angle as they don't always give you a broadside opportunity. Also, the moose can and sometimes do move into a place after the shot that you really don't want to work on a 1,600 pound animal in, such as in water.

My preference for a moose specific cartridge starts at the magnum 30 cals, but more so .338 and .375. Not because they are hard to kill, but because I want to take any shot angle presented and I want them to die right where they stand and not go into a swamp or river. The various flavors of Barnes or Hammers are always my choice regardless of cartridge as well.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’d take the 300 with a 200 gr Partition. Accubonds are as good or better, as are many copper bullets, but I enjoy the long successful history of Partitions and it’s fun bringing home the meat with an old bullet design when other members of the family are still second guessing more modern designs and flip flopping around riding the struggle bus.

You’ll have fun - it’s big country and the moose are bigger in person. Every bit of long range preparation will be worth it. Hunting planning has a way of bringing up visions of a certain type of shot, but we all find situations that are less than ideal and it’s a heartbreaker to have an animal walk away because something about it was beyond the capability of you or the rifle.

The partition is never really the wrong answer in my opinion. I like the accubond slightly better in certain cartridges but the partition is an absolute classic and it’s not going away any time soon.

 

[Pilsner]

Haha...definitely KeepHammering! Well played!


@AZ_Hunter_2000 In regards to Grizzlies, your question is definitely valid and I'm sure there are many different points of view on it. Never a "right" or perfect answer on these things I suppose. I think the "most powerful one that you are consistently accurate with under field conditions" statement applies to all animals in all conditions. I don't know all the data, but I believe the most effective pistol cartridge for bear based on data has been 9MM. Is that just because that's what people happened to have? Or is that because people can use that cartridge most effectively? I don't think we'll ever know for sure, but you have to ready the weapon and hit your intended target for anything to be effective. I'm going to be carrying a pistol in a chest holster for bear defense, so in my case, the power of my rifle isn't really relevant to that part.

You are correct,
There are no answers - only tradeoffs.

 

[Pilsner]

Only one moose for me. 338 Federal using the 210 gr Nosler partition at roughly 2500FPS. 98 yards qtr away. Bull went about 15 yards and fell over.

I've wanted to build a short barreled, suppressed bolt gun in 338 Federal for years now but have never quite pulled the trigger so to speak on the build. Target critters would be small (~150#) Ozark deer and hogs of all sizes. Have you used the 338 Fed on other critters and if so, what was your experience good, bad, and ugly? Or would you go with a 338 Arc for that application? I hand load and have a ton of 308 brass lying around.
Thanks,
-Doc

 

[Pilsner]

For the OP and his original Q:
I don't have any experience with moose, but I have been either the shooter or guide on ~ 2 dozen bison and water buffalo hunts. So, critters of roughly the same size and higher tenacity. I've seen everything from a spear or an arrow work nicely up to 375H&H or 45-70. Most of them were taken with something near the 30-06/300 Win Mag class of cartridges. Bullets tended to matter more than caliber all things considered.
Only one turned into an absolute Texas Goat-Rope and that was with a 30-06 and a nasty tempered water buff. We ended up putting 8 rounds of 180 or 200 grain 30-06 into its vital zone and then having to finish it with a 357 Mag pistol round at the end.
Buffs also rarely do a Bang! Flop! and they tend to soak up lead and either stand there or walk towards the nastiest cover within eyesight until they bleed out enough to lose hydraulic pressure. This sounds very similar to what I've read and watched about moose.
I've oddly NOT seen much difference with frontal diameter.
Basically, if you shoot it in the lungs with a 5.56 TMK it stands there and falls over in 30 to 60 seconds. Or you shoot it with a 45-70 cast bullet in the lungs, and it stands there for 30 to 60 seconds and falls over. Or you put a spear or a broadhead through the lungs and it stands there for 30 to 60 seconds... Or you get the idea.
So, take whatever that you shoot best for moose.
I am currently waiting on my Texas guide service owner buddy to text me about my next buff hunt and I'll be taking whatever rifle that I have zero'd and have ammo built for without much thought as to its caliber.


Now if there are big and ill-tempered bears in the area I would lean towards the 300 PRC with Swift A-frames, Nosler Partitions, or monometal bullets even if I was going to be hunting with ELD-M's, TMK's, or what have you.


-Doc

 

[StupidLightweight]

I’ve killed 5 moose using .338 Win. (2), 7x57, .308, and .30-06 and watched my dad kill one with .45-70. The only ones that ran were with .338 and .45-70. In my experience, moose aren’t hard to kill. Use a moderate cartridge with a soft bullet that you shoot well. Good luck!

 

[Lenti]

In my opinion I'd choose the 300 PRC with the Berger 215 Hybrid Target.

 

[STK-300]

when I go on moose hunts, I usually take my 300 win or 300 prc in case I run across a bear.

 

[Joshk358]

I've wanted to build a short barreled, suppressed bolt gun in 338 Federal for years now but have never quite pulled the trigger so to speak on the build. Target critters would be small (~150#) Ozark deer and hogs of all sizes. Have you used the 338 Fed on other critters and if so, what was your experience good, bad, and ugly? Or would you go with a 338 Arc for that application? I hand load and have a ton of 308 brass lying around.
Thanks,
-Doc

yeah, ive shot a few whitetails, hog and an antelope with the 338 Fed/210 partition combo. Really, just what you'd expect. Dead animals...pretty quick too I'd add. Super solid all around combo if you don't shoot super far. IMO anyway.

 

[KHntr]

Has the 223/77TMK been mentioned yet? We’re four pages in and I feel like it needs to be mentioned

I don't have a ton of moose experience compared to some guys (figuratively speaking), but I have tons of moose experience (literally).

My very first moose was 34 years ago, and I shot that bull with my dad's 300 win mag and a pair of 180gr Winchester PSP's. The guy that was with me also planted one in the bulls guts with a 270 win. No idea what he was shooting for bullets. I do remember that both shots I landed were only a couple of inches apart, and pretty much square through both shoulders.

I've managed one or two moose over the years since then, and have killed them with a 6mm Rem (100gr psp), 264 Win Mag (140 psp, and 140 X), 280AI (150 TTSX), and 300 Ultra (168, 180, and 200 TSX), plus one or two other guns along the way.
Last years bull was shot with a 223AI (88 ELD m) at 352 yards. Bang flop.
The bull the year before was shot with a 223AI (pair of 88 ELD m) 176 yards, not quite a bang flop, but less than 10 seconds from 1st round to legs in the air.
The bull from the year before that one, 223AI (88 ELD m) 151 yards. Bang flop.
Any guesses on what this years bull will be shot with?

Plus a few others that I was there for where I didn't personally pull the trigger, but I called the shots.

My own personal observations have led me to the conclusion that it doesn't much really matter what cartridge you shoot them with, but the bullet matters a bunch.
Relatively soft bullets put into the lungs put bulls down fast, regardless of diameter.
Hard, non fragmenting bullets take longer.
Great big bullets work pretty well if you put them in the lungs. Great big bullets pushed fast work faster than slower great big bullets, all else being equal.
Great big softer bullets pushed faster will put stuff down just as quick as itty bitty softer bullets at moderate speeds, but there won't be much difference (if any) in how quick it puts stuff down.

 

[Deadspace]

I don't have a ton of moose experience compared to some guys (figuratively speaking), but I have tons of moose experience (literally).

My very first moose was 34 years ago, and I shot that bull with my dad's 300 win mag and a pair of 180gr Winchester PSP's. The guy that was with me also planted one in the bulls guts with a 270 win. No idea what he was shooting for bullets. I do remember that both shots I landed were only a couple of inches apart, and pretty much square through both shoulders.

I've managed one or two moose over the years since then, and have killed them with a 6mm Rem (100gr psp), 264 Win Mag (140 psp, and 140 X), 280AI (150 TTSX), and 300 Ultra (168, 180, and 200 TSX), plus one or two other guns along the way.
Last years bull was shot with a 223AI (88 ELD m) at 352 yards. Bang flop.
The bull the year before was shot with a 223AI (pair of 88 ELD m) 176 yards, not quite a bang flop, but less than 10 seconds from 1st round to legs in the air.
The bull from the year before that one, 223AI (88 ELD m) 151 yards. Bang flop.
Any guesses on what this years bull will be shot with?

Plus a few others that I was there for where I didn't personally pull the trigger, but I called the shots.

My own personal observations have led me to the conclusion that it doesn't much really matter what cartridge you shoot them with, but the bullet matters a bunch.
Relatively soft bullets put into the lungs put bulls down fast, regardless of diameter.
Hard, non fragmenting bullets take longer.
Great big bullets work pretty well if you put them in the lungs. Great big bullets pushed fast work faster than slower great big bullets, all else being equal.
Great big softer bullets pushed faster will put stuff down just as quick as itty bitty softer bullets at moderate speeds, but there won't be much difference (if any) in how quick it puts stuff down.

I remember seeing those! It’s pretty impressive what the little 223 can do. I haven’t killed a moose with one but I have killed a couple elk. My comment was suppose to be sarcastic, which is hard over the internet. My point was most people seem to jump in recommending the 223 when nobody is asking about it.

 

[Snowwolfe]

I would bet a years income more moose in Alaska were killed with 30-30's and 30-06's than all other cartridges put together.
Pound for pound they seem to be one of the easier animals to kill. Hit them in the vitals and usually within 30-45 seconds they crash over. They rarely travel very far once fatally hit.
The reason I prefer large and more powerful cartridges is twofold, grizzlies and the occasional need to take that less than perfect presented broadside shot.
And if I were a non resident on an expensive hunt I dang sure would have enough gun to make sure I didn't regret my choice.

 

[buffybr]

I've only killed 3 moose, all were bulls and one shot kills at 50-100 yds. Two were Montana Shiras that I shot with 180 gr Partitions from my .30 Gibbs (as improved .30-06). In between them, I took a friend who shot a B&C Montana Shiras bull with his 7mm Rem mag. It was also a one shot kill at 50-100 yds.

Two years ago I killed a bull in Alberta with my .300 Wby and a 180 gr Barnes TTSX bullet at about 50 yds.

About 6 years ago I went on a Caribou and Moose hunt in Newfoundland. I hunted with my 7mm Rem mag with 160 gr Accubond bullets, but we didn't see any Caribou, and the 3 bull moose that we saw were smaller than my Shiras bulls, so I chose not to shoot them.

My first Montana Shiras bull moose, 50" spread...

My 2nd Montana Shiras moose, 40" spread...

And my Canadian moose from Alberta, 36" spread...

To the OP's question, I would recommend he use either his .300 PRC with at least a 180 gr hunting bullet or 7mm PRC with at least 160 gr hunting bullets that are the most accurate in his rifle.

 

[Hunter26]

I think you can get it done with the smaller caliber rifles but in the instance you have a marginal hit or have a weird angle the 300 PRC will pay off. Minimum would be a .284. Personally, I have had good experience with a few of bullets you mentioned so I would say you are good but the best option would be something like a nosler partition or similar type bullet that is designed to hold together and retain weight. I haven't personally shot a moose but been present on several kills. Only one was less than a .308 caliber and it was a bit of a rodeo with the rest being quick kills. The guy was using a .270 and I can't remember the bullet but it wasn't known as a weight retention type bullet and he placed at least a couple at short distance in the sweet spot and the when it was all said and done I think he ended up using the last bullet on him. In this situation I think this moose got some adrenaline going and it didn't help but I won't be doing the same thing personally. Have a great time!

 

[ColeyG]

I've seen somewhere in the neighborhood of a dozen moose get shot, maybe a few more.

Three of those have not died well.

The rest went about how one would expect/hope with well placed shots.

The first bad outcome moose was hit poorly 2 times from a .300 Weatherby Mag shooting 180gr Nosler Partitions. 75 yard shots. The shots were high lungs below the spine, one a little far back. The moose hit the ground after the second shot and then hopped up and ran deeper into an area that happened to be closed to hunting. Oops. The hunters were not allowed to go after it. It was still alive last I saw it three days later, several miles from where it was hit. I was not the shooter nor was I affiliated with them. Just happened to be hunting in the same general area and watched this go down through the spotter.

The second bad outcome moose was hit in the boiler room with one round by my hunting partner, double lunged but a bit high. .300 Win Mag shooting 180 grain SSTs. 100-ish yard shot. The bull bled very little and was never recovered despite two long days of looking.

The third was the same hunter as moose #2 above, shooting the same .300 win mag and 180 grain SST bullets. 80 yard shots across a river. The bull soaked up 3 rounds in the kill zone while standing and eventually tipped over. The hunter shot him in the middle 2 more times while it was on the ground as it was thrashing around a bit. He thought that did the trick. An hour later when he was able to get back to the boat, cross the river, and make his way to where the bull was at, it was still alive. Gruesome scene and unfortunate to say the least. Finished it off with a .44 mag shot to the base of the skull.

The other 10-ish bulls I've seen shot have varied from dead right there after one well placed shot, to the bull soaking up a few well placed rounds while standing before realizing they are dead and tipping over. I can't remember any that took more than 2 rounds before dying, with one notable exception. Rifles and bullets used include .30-06 with 180 Core Lokt, .300 win mag with 200gr Precision Hunter, .308 shooting 168gr Barnes TTSX and .300 RUM shooting 180gr Nosler Accubonds.

The notable exception. My bull from last year soaked up 7 rounds from my .300wm shooting 200 grain ELD-X bullets. 120 yard shots. After the first shot, one that blew up his heart, he took about five quick steps and stood still about three steps from a high bank and the river. I put 6 more rounds through basically the same hole while he stood there not moving a muscle or reacting in any way. I was starting to wonder if I was shooting blanks. Finally he flopped over dead after what seemed like way too long. Cutting him up, I could see that all rounds went through the heart and lungs. He was dead after the first shot but it took a while for him to figure it out I guess.


I've killed a few with arrows. One ran about 200 yards and the other about 25. Both were dead in less than a minute. One barely bled and the other, a frontal shot, left a blood trail that looked like it came from a garden hose.

Based on the above, my takeaways are as follows.

1) Shot placement is key. Personally I won't think I would go less than a 150 grain bullet and I would err on the side of a more solidly constructed bullet as compared to one that expands rapidly. Weight and mass retention and penetration are important on these bigger animals. Exaggerate shot placement low and try to blow up the heart. High double lung shots are problematic with moose for blood trailing and rarely kill the animal quickly. A big bull's chest wall is damn near 4' high and they can hold a lot of blood in their body cavities before they start dumping it out the holes. Lower holes are much better for making them dead and blood trailing.

2) If they are standing, particularly close to water or somewhere else you don't want them to wind up, keep shooting.

3) Don't hunt moose with Hornady SST bullets.

One theory that has been discussed regarding some of these bad outcomes is the bullet "penciling" through the animal and not doing enough damage to kill it quickly. The line of thinking is that the bullets from a magnum rifle moving quickly at close range didn't have the time/ability to expand and do their job well. I don't necessarily buy into this. Hard to ground truth this theory as two of the three animals were not recovered.

One of the SSTs was recovered from moose #3, well, what was left of the bullet anyhow. It was pretty fragmented, for whatever that is worth. It did make it through the animal and hit the hide on the other side.

The .300 PRC with the 212 ELD-X would be my choice.

 

[JJ_whitetailhunter]

For you 300prc guys, which bullet do you guys like best? I have one and am trying to figure out which one I want to build a load with for moose! I've been shooting Hornady eldx 212 and they shoot great but some people say they don't do well with bone.

 

[roymunson]

For you 300prc guys, which bullet do you guys like best? I have one and am trying to figure out which one I want to build a load with for moose! I've been shooting Hornady eldx 212 and they shoot great but some people say they don't do well with bone.

my buddy killed his moose with a 212 ELD-X out of a 300 WM.

Stuffed 4 of them right behind the shoulder (didn't hit bone one purpose), but hit right where he was aiming. It never left the beach beside the river. Absorbed 4 rounds and hit the dirt right there. It's a darn good hunting bullet.

 

[JJ_whitetailhunter]

my buddy killed his moose with a 212 ELD-X out of a 300 WM.

Stuffed 4 of them right behind the shoulder (didn't hit bone one purpose), but hit right where he was aiming. It never left the beach beside the river. Absorbed 4 rounds and hit the dirt right there. It's a darn good hunting bullet.

Awesome! Good to hear! I have taken deer and a wolf with it and never had an issue either! Just going off what I've heard so I'm glad to hear it works well with larger game!