New moose rifle? .300 WM vs .338 WM

[mtnhmr]

If you're comfortable and confident in shooting 300-500 yards, the .300WM is a solid choice as you will have the velocity and energy to finish the job nicely. Anything under 300 yards, you will see the .300WM easily penetrate (through and through) but also create a lot of muscle trauma due to the velocity on well placed and misplaced shots. I know a few lads who launch .300WM shots at 700 yards on moose, unfortunately they won't stop shooting until the animal has been punctured multiple times.

/vote .375H&H or something similar +/-... big bore guns for big AK/Yukon moose all day. They're too large and I surely dislike following an animal into the musky marshes they joyfully frequent. This is of course for anything 250 yards or under.

PS: .300WM = slap / .375H&H = punch

 

[mtnhmr]

Or, save yourself the cash and become attuned with the 30-06 as any lung or vital shot will also do the job. Confidence in your tool makes up for the lack of confidence by increasing your firepower.

I'm seeing too much trauma from the .300WM and use a .366 250gr to break bone/immobilize moose/bear/bison.

 

[duckhunter175]

.338wm! Great bullets available (210gr TTSX, 225gr NAB, 250gr NPT) and with the right rifle the recoil is completely manageable. I'm not sure how it will feel in a Kimber but my CRF Model 70 with a 24" barrel weighs in around 9.25lbs (with a fancy walnut stock) and can be shot all day without issue.

I like the idea of a .375 of some form but I've never hunted in grizz country. I feel the draw back is that rifle will be less useful outside of that particular hunt than a .338wm in a good platform.

I owned a Kimber .280ai select grade-- it, like mcseal said, was not a dream to shoot. However the results were hard to argue with. I traded that gun off but I'm considering a synthetic version...

 

[FLAK]

I'm a 300 Win Mag guy. BUT
The .338 Would be a great all round gun, esp. if yo uhave
the 06 already.
I might would even jump up to the 375 Ruger.

 

[Fullfan]

I have two Montana's in 300WSM. Like mentioned above I would not want to shot either. Friend of mine has a Montana in 300Wm even with the brake it is not fun to shoot. My WSM is not bad for recoil and with hand loaded 180 TTSX at 3000 fps it can shoot better than I do. Good luck in your choice.

 

[mcseal2]

If you're comfortable and confident in shooting 300-500 yards, the .300WM is a solid choice as you will have the velocity and energy to finish the job nicely. Anything under 300 yards, you will see the .300WM easily penetrate (through and through) but also create a lot of muscle trauma due to the velocity on well placed and misplaced shots. I know a few lads who launch .300WM shots at 700 yards on moose, unfortunately they won't stop shooting until the animal has been punctured multiple times.

/vote .375H&H or something similar +/-... big bore guns for big AK/Yukon moose all day. They're too large and I surely dislike following an animal into the musky marshes they joyfully frequent. This is of course for anything 250 yards or under.

PS: .300WM = slap / .375H&H = punch

Just curious do you still see this with the all metal bullets like a Barnes X or Nosler E tip? I have only seen the 2 moose shot and they were at 300 and 500yds, so I don't know about closer. I plan to use this bullet for mule deer and elk since it shoots so well and am curious. Thanks.

 

[AkMtnRunner]

Unless you have a particular reason for the high velocity, 338 wm all day. Great factory ammo options in AK, great bullet and loading options if you handload, and more efficient powder usage if you wanted a shorter barrel. Or, like others have suggested, go to a 375 for really cover some bases. People who've seen many more moose hunted than me usually say there's not much difference in effect from a 270-30 cal until you get up around .358 cal and higher. But there is the weight penalty when you get to the 375's. If you by chance, hand load and like cup and core bullets, I suggest a nice lightweight 358 win, 35 whelen, or 9.3x62 and don't look back. Or just use your 30-06 as most do in AK.

 

[North61]

For moose it's shot placement not bullet displacement (within reason)! I haven't found much difference between the different calibers when a good bullet goes through both lungs of a moose. I think 30 caliber is a good place to start and it would also be a good place to end for a good moose round. That said I use a 348 Winchester for my moose hunting because of the extra style points of the old 71 in the canoe.

 

[Robinhood21]

Heck just get a 300 RUM and be done

Funny you say that, I asked about the 300RUM vs the 300WM for moose on 24hourcampfire (I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER). Everybody thought I was crazy for wanting to take a RUM and even the 300WM... you would have thought I just cussed out their Grandmother. Basically telling me that the guides would think I'm a city slicker that doesn't know how to hunt if I took a 300RUM (I even stated in the original post that it was a DIY hunt and not guided LOL!) and was told to not buy a new rifle for my hunt that's 22 months away because it wasn't enough time to "know my rifle".

Even had people that were telling me to take my 6.5CM because that's currently the largest caliber I own and people automatically thought I couldn't handle recoil???

I tried firing back for a couple days but then realized it was useless as the whole thread got derailed because they couldn't read the original post and they tried to answer questions I didn't ask. It was quite comical really. I quickly realized why I don't spend much time there anymore...

 

[EastMT]

I would get the one that appeals to you the most. Anything from 243 up will do the job, I personally like to stick with 30 cal guns because I don’t have to stock so many different bullets. Your reasoning doesn’t even have to make sense, heck I own one rifle because I like the way the cartridge looks hahaha.


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[Robinhood21]

That place is something else, I had a guy from a flat state argue with me about which tent someone should take to Alaska. Far as I know he’d never even been here, much less even hunted here. Probably the only time I’ve ever posted there. I’m sure there’s some good dudes but the keyboard war veterans with 25k posts are unbearable.

No doubt, and I thought archerytalk was bad...


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[AK Troutbum]

One thing to consider, call me paranoid but you can’t fly guns and ammo in the same case.

Is that something new Kyle? I’ve always put my ammo with my firearm, in the same case, when I’ve flown commercial. It’s been a little over a year though since I’ve done it.


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[AK Troutbum]

Not sure honestly but I didn’t think it was new. They checked when I flew to Kodiak in August.

That was my last comm. flight as well but it was a year ago Oct. I’m pretty sure TSA checked my rifle case, while I waited (if memory serves me), and I had several boxes of ammo in with it, and nothing was said. I don’t think I’ve ever carried the ammo separate from the firearm when I’ve flown.

Anyway, sorry for derailing the thread.


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[Yellowknife]

I flew ammo in the rifle case multiple times this summer. Have done it that way countless times in the last 15 years. Only TSA rule is that the ammo has to be in it own box (ie not loose or in mags).


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[AKDoc]

I flew ammo in the rifle case multiple times this summer. Have done it that way countless times in the last 15 years. Only TSA rule is that the ammo has to be in it own box (ie not loose or in mags).

Exact same experiences that I have had as well flying out of ANC to/from Bethel, Kodiak, etc.

 

[AKDoc]

...Anyway, sorry for derailing the thread.

...to the OP, me too.

 

[juan trueno]

I hunted a lot with a couple 300wsm and a 7mm08 when I lived in AK and took moose and black bears easily with the 300 and the 7-08.
I had a 7 1/2 lb all up 300wsm in a “hunters edge” stock, no break, never have had one never will- and it cured me of both magnums and that stock pattern. How that ends up being such a popular pattern I’ll never know.

Anyway 308 shooting 180s maxes me out in a 7 - 7 1/2lb rifle. And it needs to be in a bansner, a KS, a Montana a NULA, AG “CAT” or other stock with geometry that moves the recoil away from you face and has enough comb height to be able to get behind the scope with a solid cheek weld instead of perching your chin on it or against it....

If I was going big nowadays I’d be looking at 9lbs and it’d be 338win with 20-22” barrel

Or a 338-06 configured similarly

 

[Gatorgrizz27]

Nothing wrong with adding a different .30-06 if you just have the itch to buy a rifle, or want a shorter/lighter/different one. I don’t like heavy recoil and the .300 WM only has practical gains when shooting the high BC 200+ grain bullets at longer range.

I hate having a ton of cartridges to buy ammo or reload for. I’m setting up pairs of .223’s, 6.5 Creedmoors, and .30-06’s for different purposes. Those choices are based on factory availability before the .260, .264 mag, .280 guys chime in.

 

[717jeeper]

Your 30-06 will suit you well. I hunted this October in Newfoundland for moose. I took my 308 with a Barnes 168 grain tsx. The gun did fine on a cow at 215 yards it dropped. My brother took a bull with his 30-06 while in a canoe. I know you have some time, but I had planned on taking a 7mm-mag and I could not get it to shoot as well as I would like. Therefore I decided to take the lighter 308 kimber classic. I am happy with my decision especially considering the fact that the bogs will wear you out and carrying a heavier rifle that you have less experience with is probably not the best decision. But get your 300 win mag and keep shooting the 30-06 in case you decide to go with it instead. Best of luck in your hunting prep.

 

[Creakylimb]

I have an Xbolt composite stalker in .338 Win. It’s taken a beating and keeps coming back for more. Shooting it is a bit like learning to kiss and getting punched in the mouth at the same time. However, the more I shoot it the more comfortable I get with it.
I’ve taken a few Canadian moose with it and one elk, all with Barnes 225gr TTSX, they all died.
That being said I’ve shot several elk and a couple of moose with a .280 Remington, they also died.
I do love the .338 Win, with no real basis for it outside of the fact that I consider it a bit of a classic medium bore that gets the job done across North America in the right rifleman’s hands. Maybe a little romance here? I’d sure be keen to try a Kimber Montana chambered it in as a few others have mentioned here.
The reality is it’s pretty tough to go wrong with either the .300 or .338 win, they just plain get it done.

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