Moose Hunt Cartridge and Bullet

[Snowwolfe]

Glass bedded my left handed Ruger Guide rifle and got her ready for the range. Bullet is the 250 grain Barnes TTSX. Mounted a Athlon 2x12 scope on the rifle. Loaded up some ammo and hit the range yesterday.
78 grains Big Game - average 2645 with extreme spread of 20
80 grains Big Game - average 2702 with extreme spread of 9.

Sighted in the rifle 2 inches high at 100 yards with the 80 grain load. I kid you not, 3 shots touching, around 3/8ths of an inch. Only thing I did to the rifle was glass bed it with Pro Bed. Barrel is free floated from about 1 inch in front of the recoil lug. Rifle has less recoil than the 9.3x62 I just had built up. This is the Guide model with the 20 inch barrel and brake. Weight with 2x12 scope is 9.5 pounds. No signs of high pressure with the 80 grain load. Next trip to the range (after a upcoming hunt) will try 82 grains. Two inches high at 100 equals about 3 inches low at 300 which is about my limit to shoot.
Her first hunt will be at Afognak Island next month when I accompany my son on his quest for an elk. I may hike up to an alpine meadow and look for a blacktail while him and his friend go high searching for elk.

 

[BCsteve]

Glass bedded my left handed Ruger Guide rifle and got her ready for the range. Bullet is the 250 grain Barnes TTSX. Mounted a Athlon 2x12 scope on the rifle. Loaded up some ammo and hit the range yesterday.
78 grains Big Game - average 2645 with extreme spread of 20
80 grains Big Game - average 2702 with extreme spread of 9.

Sighted in the rifle 2 inches high at 100 yards with the 80 grain load. I kid you not, 3 shots touching, around 3/8ths of an inch. Only thing I did to the rifle was glass bed it with Pro Bed. Barrel is free floated from about 1 inch in front of the recoil lug. Rifle has less recoil than the 9.3x62 I just had built up. This is the Guide model with the 20 inch barrel and brake. Weight with 2x12 scope is 9.5 pounds. No signs of high pressure with the 80 grain load. Next trip to the range (after a upcoming hunt) will try 82 grains. Two inches high at 100 equals about 3 inches low at 300 which is about my limit to shoot.
Her first hunt will be at Afognak Island next month when I accompany my son on his quest for an elk. I may hike up to an alpine meadow and look for a blacktail while him and his friend go high searching for elk.

Nice! I've shot three bulls with my Ruger Alaskan .375 Ruger with that 250gr TTSX. It works!

 

[Sako76]

Glass bedded my left handed Ruger Guide rifle and got her ready for the range. Bullet is the 250 grain Barnes TTSX. Mounted a Athlon 2x12 scope on the rifle. Loaded up some ammo and hit the range yesterday.
78 grains Big Game - average 2645 with extreme spread of 20
80 grains Big Game - average 2702 with extreme spread of 9.

Sighted in the rifle 2 inches high at 100 yards with the 80 grain load. I kid you not, 3 shots touching, around 3/8ths of an inch. Only thing I did to the rifle was glass bed it with Pro Bed. Barrel is free floated from about 1 inch in front of the recoil lug. Rifle has less recoil than the 9.3x62 I just had built up. This is the Guide model with the 20 inch barrel and brake. Weight with 2x12 scope is 9.5 pounds. No signs of high pressure with the 80 grain load. Next trip to the range (after a upcoming hunt) will try 82 grains. Two inches high at 100 equals about 3 inches low at 300 which is about my limit to shoot.
Her first hunt will be at Afognak Island next month when I accompany my son on his quest for an elk. I may hike up to an alpine meadow and look for a blacktail while him and his friend go high searching for elk.

My Ruger Alaskan shoots like this! 250 Barnes TTSX at 2650 fps using H-380.

I would look at a Nosler Accubond! I just recently came back from a Maine moose hunt, shot an average size bull (36” spread and 752 lbs.) at 40 yards with a Nosler Outfitter in 30-06, almost head on in the neck. The bull dropped and the bullet was found in the hind quarter, it traveled 5-6 feet of moose!

 

[JGood]

147 ELDM at 100yrds. Below are photos from exit side. The reality is you just can’t shoot them outside the vitals and expect them to die no matter what bullet/cartridge you choose….and if you’re gonna shoot them in the the lungs, it doesn’t really matter what you use.

 

[Jimss]

I shot a shiras bull this fall with a muzzleloader with 345 grain Hornady bore driver ELD-X. The first shot was at only 10 yards. He just stood there after the shot just behind the shoulder. The 2nd shot just behind the shoulder was at 15 yards. I was amazed after recovering the bull that neither bullet went entirely through the bull, even at point-blank range. When gutting him, the entire lung cavity was filled with blood with hardly and lungs left! Moose are tough critters and can take a pounding!

I just looked at the ballistics for a 6.5 prc with a 143 grain ELDX. At 500 yards the bullet drops approximately 3' and the energy lost is 43%. The drop from 400 yards is 18" and 500 is 36". My guess is that at 600 yards the drop is over 4'. Is it really wise to take a 600 yard shot with a 6.5 prc on such a large critter? Yes it is possible but is it wise?

There is a pretty good chance at a large critter like a moose that it will take a pounding. If in dense, tall willows will you get a 2nd shot? Will you be able to trail a wounded bull in tall willows if it is raining (which is pretty common in Alaska)?

With that said, without a doubt if it was my once in a lifetime moose hunt, I would have a lot of faith in a good ole 30 cal but would limit my shot to under 300 yards in respect to the animal.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

A nosler accubond worked well for me again this year.

 

[schmidty3]

I shot a shiras bull this fall with a muzzleloader with 345 grain Hornady bore driver ELD-X. The first shot was at only 10 yards. He just stood there after the shot just behind the shoulder. The 2nd shot just behind the shoulder was at 15 yards. I was amazed after recovering the bull that neither bullet went entirely through the bull, even at point-blank range. When gutting him, the entire lung cavity was filled with blood with hardly and lungs left! Moose are tough critters and can take a pounding!

I just looked at the ballistics for a 6.5 prc with a 143 grain ELDX. At 500 yards the bullet drops approximately 3' and the energy lost is 43%. The drop from 400 yards is 18" and 500 is 36". My guess is that at 600 yards the drop is over 4'. Is it really wise to take a 600 yard shot with a 6.5 prc on such a large critter? Yes it is possible but is it wise?

There is a pretty good chance at a large critter like a moose that it will take a pounding. If in dense, tall willows will you get a 2nd shot? Will you be able to trail a wounded bull in tall willows if it is raining (which is pretty common in Alaska)?

With that said, without a doubt if it was my once in a lifetime moose hunt, I would have a lot of faith in a good ole 30 cal but would limit my shot to under 300 yards in respect to the animal.

The beautiful thing about bullet drops is that it's predictable and easily calculated. 600 yards is a chip shot on a moose sized target if you have the right equipment and experience.

Bullet drop and energy lost arent metrics that matter.

Maintaining expansion velocity is. Energy doesn't equal damage. Damage equals damage.

 

[wweaver]

Not really a moose list but out of the list take the 300 PRC and a load up a Barnes 190/208 since you said copper. Nosler 200 partition or accubond would be good also, yes old bullets I know. Any of those if they shoot and you will be golden. Remember if your hunting moose in Alaska there will also be a chance for close encounters w G bears. I do the majority of my hunting with a 7mm 195 Berger at 3100 and it is a straight killer on everything in lower 48 including elk. But that combo would not be even a thought going to Alaska for moose. Sure these modern bullets with high BC work great most of time and I love them. Save your typing for 6.5 prc is perfect blah blah blah.
Just looked and this started in March. How did it go ???