Moose Hunt Cartridge and Bullet

[KeepHammering]

Let's suppose you are going on an Alaska Moose hunt this Fall. You will be hunting mountains (not a float hunt along a river) and have a max shot distance of 600 yards. You can pick one of the following cartridges and one of the following bullets. Which combo are you taking?

Cartridge choices:
300 PRC
7 PRC
6.5 PRC
6 Creedmoor
6 ARC

Bullet choices:
300 PRC - Berger 215 Hyb Target or Hornady ELDM 225 or Hornady ELDX 212 or your choice of a copper bullet
7 PRC - Berger 180 Hyb Target or Hornady ELDM 180 or Hornady ELDX 175 or your choice of a copper bullet
6.5 PRC - Berger 165 EOL or any other bullet of your choice
6 - Berger 105 Hyb Target or Hornady ELDM 108 or your choice of copper bullet


If you really have a specific bullet that you have a lot of experience with in the field (min 10+ big game animal kills) and solid reasoning it's better than any of the choices above, I suppose you can list it.

 

[Team4LongGun]

6.5PRC

 

[whoami-72]

I've never killed a moose and never mosse hunted but I've used some of the bullets you've mentioned on other game. I wouldn't even enter the field for a moose hunt with any of them. Monolithic copper or bonded bullets only for moose IMO.

 

[waspocrew]

The 215 hybrid is quite the killer. My vote would be 300 PRC, but any in the list would do the job.

 

[kkp005]

6.5prc
130tmk , 147eldm or 140 tipped fusion

 

[jonny5]

I'm not a moose expert, but have shot 2 bulls in Alaska...so far.

- 300 win mag at 550 yards with a 199 grain hammer. Ran 30 yards and tipped over.
- 7mm rem mag at 90 yards with a 160 grain accubond. Ran 40 yards and tipped over.

Pick the one you can shoot the best and doesn't have too much recoil for you to have fun with.

All of those will work when you put it in the right spot.

 

[Live_weighT34]

If I HAD to pick one from your list it’s a 6 creed with 108 ELDms. If I could trade for one it would be 300 PRC for 300 Winchester Magnum (still the lords cartridge) firing 190gr Barnes LRX.

 

[Nickziegler]

Go with the 300 or 7.

Choose a tougher bullet that won't blow up if you hit bone. Moose are big animals. Thick hide and alot of meat to penetrate.

U have used partitions out of my 7mm rem mag for the last 10 years. That combo has taken 1 bull moose, 1 mountain goat, 1 red stag. 1 NZ bull tahr, 4 black bears, 2 sitka blacktail bucks and 2 whitetails. All were 1 shot kills

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[KeepHammering]

I love all the replies and variety so far! Much appreciated!

@Live_weighT34 I got a good chuckle at the Lord's cartridge. Also that you picked the low and high end cartridges. My mind has been going around and around in talking myself into why I should take any of these cartridges as well!

You all have valid points and I know there's not a "right" answer. There are small caliber mindsets, large caliber mindsets, and everything in between. I'm not going to take a 6 ARC. And my mind tells me to take my 300 PRC, but I feel like I should take one of the smaller/mid cartridges. I've been paying attention to the small caliber crowd for a couple years and it's fairly convincing data.

As far as bullet selection, I've shot multiple deer (Berger Hybrid Target and ELDM) and 2 elk (215 Hybrid Target and 180 Hybrid Target) in the past 2 years and have been very impressed with all. One bullet kill each animal and all were either DRT or death ran for less than 40 yards and piled up.

I know moose are much larger, but the bone structure/density between an elk and a moose percentage-wise is much less than generally thought. Mostly just more mass and larger geometry. The Exo Mtn guys killed multiple Alaskan animals (including at least 2 moose) last Fall with a 6 Creed spitting out a 108 ELDM. I believe @Formidilosus had a hand in that.

Basically, I've been getting more and more into the small caliber and target bullet camp, but it's hard to put my money where my mouth is and grab the 6 Creed with some 108 ELDM's out of the safe and head to Alaska for a dream hunt!

 

[Sako76]

I have killed about 12 mule deer and 10 bull elk with a 300 Weatherby shooting a 180 grain Nosler Partitions. Distances were from 176 yards to 512 yards. One deer ran because I made a bad shot.

The rifle was a factory Weatherby that didn’t group the greatest so when I had the money I had an Alamo Precision Maverick built in 300 Weatherby, Using a 200 grain Nosler Accubond I’ve killed a New Foundland moose, a B&C Woodland caribou and 6x6 New Mexico elk, mostly all DRT!

I’ve killed a bunch of elk and mule deer using Bergers and like them a lot, for moose in Alaska I would feel better using a premium bullet like a Nosler or Barnes TTSX! I used a Barnes 120 grain TTSX in 7-08 on African plains game due to an elbow injury and that bullet performed great! No issues and only caught one bullet, the rest were pass throughs.

I may be going on an Alaska Peninsula hunt in the near future and I’m in the preliminary stages of talking with the outfitter. If weight allows on the fly-in I will be taking a Legendary Arms Works in 300 Winchester Magnum shooting 180 grain Barnes TTSX and topped with an Nightforce NX8 4-32 SFP scope and a Ruger Alaskan in 375 Ruger shooting a 250 grain Barnes TTSX topped with a Nightforce NXS 2.5-10 SFP scope. Both rifles shoot amazing!

I’m not taking the Alamo Precision in 300 Weatherby because it has a Nightforce NX8 4-32 FFP scope and I have a hard time seeing the crosshairs below 8x. Good luck!

 

[Robinhood21]

Me Personally, I'd go with either the 300 or the 7.

I think any of the bullets you listed would work just fine.

I've had good luck with Accubond flavor out of a 300RUM

 

[Nickziegler]

Is this a guided or unguided hunt? If it's unguided are you taking a pistol for bears?

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[VernAK]

In six decades of moose hunting, I've only shot one that was near 500 yards and only because it was wounded and escaping. I get great enjoyment from calling a bull in close range. When he's thrashing the brush at 30 yards and intending to seek you out, it's a thrill you won't soon forget.

IMO, the better 7s and 30 calibers are where the better moose cartridges begin. I've taken a few meat moose with a 270 but you are about to spend $$$$ on a hunt for a trophy bull so why handicap yourself with a marginal cartridge when you have other choices. The 6mms are great for caribou and wolves.

Most of the bullets that you listed are very sleek, high BC projectiles that fly very nice but are not designed for the purpose intended. Most of the target/match high BC bullets will do OK if you can get that nice broadside lung shot but why limit yourself? A few years ago, a young fellow that was hunting with me had taken the Berger bait for his 7RM and he did manage to get a bull, but the subsequent medium grizzly was a fiasco requiring nearly a half box of ammo. I wish I had one of those recovered bullets to show.

I switched from corelokt type bullets to NPs very early on and then to TBBC which Federal now has a version of that I'd like to try. The TBBC gave very impressive results on moose and grizzly. Twenty years ago, I got into the Barnes copper bullets and had good results with TSX and am even more impressed with the TTSX and only recently I've tried the LRX on meat moose and I like it thus far. For your purpose, I'd be considering the TTSX and LRX.

If you're going on a guided hunt, you may want to ask the guide if they even allow 600 yard shots. Many don't.

Good luck with your hunt.

 

[KeepHammering]

Thanks again for the thoughtful and thorough responses! In regards to the questions for me, here are the answers:

@Nickziegler it is not guided by a professional, but some family members that live in Palmer/Wasilla area will be hunting with me and assisting. I will be taking a pistol in a chest holster as well.

@VernAK six decades of experience?! I'm sure you have quite the library of experiences and stories! In regards to the shot distance, I totally understand. I honestly don't think the people I'll be hunting with ever shoot more than a 100 yards or thereabouts. I only listed the 600 yard range because I've shot elk at greater distances than that and figured it would be an absolute maximum for everyone to consider in giving me feedback.

In the experience of those who have shot animals with the Barnes bullets, do you have any data on what the approx terminal velocity was for your kills and were you able to recover the bullets or verify the exit hole diameter to see how much expansion there was?

 

[Nickziegler]

Thanks again for the thoughtful and thorough responses! In regards to the questions for me, here are the answers:

@Nickziegler it is not guided by a professional, but some family members that live in Palmer/Wasilla area will be hunting with me and assisting. I will be taking a pistol in a chest holster as well.

@VernAK six decades of experience?! I'm sure you have quite the library of experiences and stories! In regards to the shot distance, I totally understand. I honestly don't think the people I'll be hunting with ever shoot more than a 100 yards or thereabouts. I only listed the 600 yard range because I've shot elk at greater distances than that and figured it would be an absolute maximum for everyone to consider in giving me feedback.

In the experience of those who have shot animals with the Barnes bullets, do you have any data on what the approx terminal velocity was for your kills and were you able to recover the bullets or verify the exit hole diameter to see how much expansion there was?

Right on. Good luck. Kill a good one and report back

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[VernAK]

Thanks again for the thoughtful and thorough responses! In regards to the questions for me, here are the answers:

@Nickziegler it is not guided by a professional, but some family members that live in Palmer/Wasilla area will be hunting with me and assisting. I will be taking a pistol in a chest holster as well.

@VernAK six decades of experience?! I'm sure you have quite the library of experiences and stories! In regards to the shot distance, I totally understand. I honestly don't think the people I'll be hunting with ever shoot more than a 100 yards or thereabouts. I only listed the 600 yard range because I've shot elk at greater distances than that and figured it would be an absolute maximum for everyone to consider in giving me feedback.

In the experience of those who have shot animals with the Barnes bullets, do you have any data on what the approx terminal velocity was for your kills and were you able to recover the bullets or verify the exit hole diameter to see how much expansion there was?

I have two 180 TSX from 300WSM recovered from a very large bulls neck on 90 yard shot. Expanded very well. A 250 gr TSX in 9.3 caliber recovered from a large bull's opposite skin from 370 yards shot, opened very little.

 

[KeepHammering]

Thanks again!

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Thanks again for the thoughtful and thorough responses! In regards to the questions for me, here are the answers:

@Nickziegler it is not guided by a professional, but some family members that live in Palmer/Wasilla area will be hunting with me and assisting. I will be taking a pistol in a chest holster as well.

@VernAK six decades of experience?! I'm sure you have quite the library of experiences and stories! In regards to the shot distance, I totally understand. I honestly don't think the people I'll be hunting with ever shoot more than a 100 yards or thereabouts. I only listed the 600 yard range because I've shot elk at greater distances than that and figured it would be an absolute maximum for everyone to consider in giving me feedback.

In the experience of those who have shot animals with the Barnes bullets, do you have any data on what the approx terminal velocity was for your kills and were you able to recover the bullets or verify the exit hole diameter to see how much expansion there was?

Here are 2 Barnes 250g TTSX bullets recovered from moose I shot a few years apart, same load, same rifle. One was 320yds, the other was like 80yds. You can probably figure out which is which.

 

[Nine Banger]

6.5prc

147gr ELD

 

[KeepHammering]

Here are 2 Barnes 250g TTSX bullets recovered from moose I shot a few years apart, same load, same rifle. One was 320yds, the other was like 80yds. You can probably figure out which is which.

I love data like this! Thanks for sharing the pic.