What cartridge would you choose for hunting Bull Moose in Canada?

Take the yot 6!

R eight said:

Any of the cartridges you mentioned with good bullets will work. As to precision …. Any rifle that can put 3 bullets into 1.5 inches at 100 yards is more than precise enough to kill a moose at 400 yards, if you really have too. I’d go stainless / synthetic purely because it’s practical. As to scope 1.5 to 6 with good glass, without a Christmas tree reticule. Rifle zeroed at 200 yards and know where she hits from 25 yards out to 400 yards.

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I went to the range today to practice for the Nilgai hunt coming up in February. But some of the same guns are under consideration for the Moose hunt. Namely the 375 and the 338. I was shooting from sticks at 200, 300 and 400y.

FN Browning with 1-6x Swarovski loaded with 300g TSX and 300g AccuBond. Both grouped at about 2MOA at 200y and with 200y zero from sticks. Was hitting a 12" steel plate at 300y after a small tweak to the DOPE to raise the POI.

Sako 338wm with 1-8x Arken EP-8 loaded with 200g Fed Trophy Bonded Tipped ammo. Thes chrono slightly faster than the box speeds. I am averaging 2977fps at the muzzle. 200y zero grouping 2moa off of sticks at 200y and hit the 12" plate 4 shots of 4 off of sticks. This is not pinpoint accuracy but is real world hits on Nilgai or Moose sized kill zones standing shooting off of sticks.

At 400y, I hit below the tgt with the 375 and could not see the hits well enough to adjust so I put it away. With the 338 I did hit the full sized IPSC tgt twice with well centered impacts. The drop is significantly less than that of the 375 as well. Not point blank but could hit a Moose at that range as long as I take my time with the sticks or shift to a more solid rest.

This has me leaning even harder toward the 338wm with the nearly 3000 fps 200g TBT ammo. That should hit like a ton of bricks and still penetrate deep to the vitals. The 7mm mag is still in the running as it is more accurate than both and it gets 2950fps from the Barnes 160g TTSX. It is nice to have options and I am feeling pretty good about the hunt now. Will practice again in a few days and once more in early Feb. I have some additional ammo coming in a few days including some Nosler 210g Partitions and some Swift 210g Scirocco ammo as well. Both are proven performers for Moose and could be deployed on the Nilgai as well if the little Sako likes them.


FN Browning Safari Grade 375HH

Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:

@Tgood1
I think you meant can't go wrong with a Whelen.
Bob

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Please forgive my ignorance and transgressions kind sir, I was breathing glue fumes when I posted that absurdity

JG26Irish_2 said:

I went to the range today to practice for the Nilgai hunt coming up in February. But some of the same guns are under consideration for the Moose hunt. Namely the 375 and the 338. I was shooting from sticks at 200, 300 and 400y.

FN Browning with 1-6x Swarovski loaded with 300g TSX and 300g AccuBond. Both grouped at about 2MOA at 200y and with 200y zero from sticks. Was hitting a 12" steel plate at 300y after a small tweak to the DOPE to raise the POI.

Sako 338wm with 1-8x Arken EP-8 loaded with 200g Fed Trophy Bonded Tipped ammo. Thes chrono slightly faster than the box speeds. I am averaging 2977fps at the muzzle. 200y zero grouping 2moa off of sticks at 200y and hit the 12" plate 4 shots of 4 off of sticks. This is not pinpoint accuracy but is real world hits on Nilgai or Moose sized kill zones standing shooting off of sticks.

At 400y, I hit below the tgt with the 375 and could not see the hits well enough to adjust so I put it away. With the 338 I did hit the full sized IPSC tgt twice with well centered impacts. The drop is significantly less than that of the 375 as well. Not point blank but could hit a Moose at that range as long as I take my time with the sticks or shift to a more solid rest.

This has me leaning even harder toward the 338wm with the nearly 3000 fps 200g TBT ammo. That should hit like a ton of bricks and still penetrate deep to the vitals. The 7mm mag is still in the running as it is more accurate than both and it gets 2950fps from the Barnes 160g TTSX. It is nice to have options and I am feeling pretty good about the hunt now. Will practice again in a few days and once more in early Feb. I have some additional ammo coming in a few days including some Nosler 210g Partitions and some Swift 210g Scirocco ammo as well. Both are proven performers for Moose and could be deployed on the Nilgai as well if the little Sako likes them.

View attachment 735109
FN Browning Safari Grade 375HH

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Good to see you’re getting plenty of appropriate practice/range time. That is the most important preparation for any hunt.

Go kill your moose.

JG26Irish_2 said:

I went to the range today to practice for the Nilgai hunt coming up in February. But some of the same guns are under consideration for the Moose hunt. Namely the 375 and the 338. I was shooting from sticks at 200, 300 and 400y.

FN Browning with 1-6x Swarovski loaded with 300g TSX and 300g AccuBond. Both grouped at about 2MOA at 200y and with 200y zero from sticks. Was hitting a 12" steel plate at 300y after a small tweak to the DOPE to raise the POI.

Sako 338wm with 1-8x Arken EP-8 loaded with 200g Fed Trophy Bonded Tipped ammo. Thes chrono slightly faster than the box speeds. I am averaging 2977fps at the muzzle. 200y zero grouping 2moa off of sticks at 200y and hit the 12" plate 4 shots of 4 off of sticks. This is not pinpoint accuracy but is real world hits on Nilgai or Moose sized kill zones standing shooting off of sticks.

At 400y, I hit below the tgt with the 375 and could not see the hits well enough to adjust so I put it away. With the 338 I did hit the full sized IPSC tgt twice with well centered impacts. The drop is significantly less than that of the 375 as well. Not point blank but could hit a Moose at that range as long as I take my time with the sticks or shift to a more solid rest.

This has me leaning even harder toward the 338wm with the nearly 3000 fps 200g TBT ammo. That should hit like a ton of bricks and still penetrate deep to the vitals. The 7mm mag is still in the running as it is more accurate than both and it gets 2950fps from the Barnes 160g TTSX. It is nice to have options and I am feeling pretty good about the hunt now. Will practice again in a few days and once more in early Feb. I have some additional ammo coming in a few days including some Nosler 210g Partitions and some Swift 210g Scirocco ammo as well. Both are proven performers for Moose and could be deployed on the Nilgai as well if the little Sako likes them.

View attachment 735109
FN Browning Safari Grade 375HH

Click to expand...

The 338 with 7 RM as alternate sounds like a great option.

RedTag said:

It’s true, .338 Winchester Magnum is no longer as popular as it once was in Alaska. When I first moved here it was most definitely in the top three, alongside .300 Winchester Magnum and .30-06, but I hardly ever see new .338 rifles for sale anymore and the selection of ammunition for it on store shelves has dwindled significantly. It seems the .308 Winchester and the (gasp) 6.5 Creedmoor have now surpassed the good old .338 WM in terms of popularity here in the great land. Why? I can’t explain it, but I suspect it has something to do with the crowd who thinks they need muzzle brakes on those .308 and 6.5 rifles…
I’ve spoken to Tyler about his recommendations of (very) small bore rifles for moose hunting, and how I think it’s not such a good idea to suggest this to inexperienced hunters. He wrote an article not long ago actually suggesting the .243 Winchester is an appropriate choice for hunting moose. I think most of us would agree it’s not. Sure it can be done, but there is absolutely no margin for error. Now don’t get me wrong, I recognize Tyler is a very accomplished hunter (much more so than I) and I respect him. I’ve seen him shoot and he’s an excellent shooter. I would still maintain that .270 Winchester with 150-grain Partitions is a practical minimum for moose, allowing some margin for error in shot placement, and a recoil level that most folks can learn to handle comfortably.

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Yup, for sure. Same as the 375s also (the 338). I always used to see them at the top of the list up here. Now I'm more likely to see a guy with a WSM or PRC it seems. I'm really not sure why (internet?). And I do mean Matsu and Fairbanks, as opposed to the villages (which vary so wildly - some places are all Mosin, some all have freaking Mini-14s, and some are nothing but 06)

I've gone back and forth on the thing about cartridges over the years, and I joined the large caliber magnum addiction for quite a while, but I guess I finally realized (particularly after raising and hunting with families), that the spouses and kids were doing just as well as anyone else, with 308s, 7mm-08s, 6.5 Swede, Weatherby, Creedmoor, etc as long as we carefully chose bullets. These were all inexperienced folks, who almost by definition were not able to handle larger calibers until they gained more size and proficiency. I think the margin of error is more in placement than caliber, and smaller calibers are simply easier to shoot for most.

Grant me a margin of hypocrisy, as we all carry 375s and larger (now) in bear country. I don't expect a bad shoulder shot on an angry bear to anchor it, but it could? give you a bit more time for a follow up. But, then again... we've anchored them with pipsqueaks with well constructed bullets. It has all forced me to agree with Tyler. I still passionately hate both the 270 and 243 however, but I've already done those diatribes on here more than once.

I think I'd more focus on being wet and cold. Clothing that wears warm when wet, optics that don't fog and can glass very big country, stocks that are synthetic, etc...

Whatever deer rifle you shoot best.
A 139gr interlock from a 7x57 kills them just as quickly as anything else

Tgood1 said:

Please forgive my ignorance and transgressions kind sir, I was breathing glue fumes when I posted that absurdity

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@Tgood1
All is forgiven we all make mistakes, even me.
I still think I'm 21 and good looking ( never was good looking) the looked in the mirror.
That ugly old bastard in the mirror was a horrible wake up.
Vob

JG26Irish_2 said:

I went to the range today to practice for the Nilgai hunt coming up in February. But some of the same guns are under consideration for the Moose hunt. Namely the 375 and the 338. I was shooting from sticks at 200, 300 and 400y.

FN Browning with 1-6x Swarovski loaded with 300g TSX and 300g AccuBond. Both grouped at about 2MOA at 200y and with 200y zero from sticks. Was hitting a 12" steel plate at 300y after a small tweak to the DOPE to raise the POI.

Sako 338wm with 1-8x Arken EP-8 loaded with 200g Fed Trophy Bonded Tipped ammo. Thes chrono slightly faster than the box speeds. I am averaging 2977fps at the muzzle. 200y zero grouping 2moa off of sticks at 200y and hit the 12" plate 4 shots of 4 off of sticks. This is not pinpoint accuracy but is real world hits on Nilgai or Moose sized kill zones standing shooting off of sticks.

At 400y, I hit below the tgt with the 375 and could not see the hits well enough to adjust so I put it away. With the 338 I did hit the full sized IPSC tgt twice with well centered impacts. The drop is significantly less than that of the 375 as well. Not point blank but could hit a Moose at that range as long as I take my time with the sticks or shift to a more solid rest.

This has me leaning even harder toward the 338wm with the nearly 3000 fps 200g TBT ammo. That should hit like a ton of bricks and still penetrate deep to the vitals. The 7mm mag is still in the running as it is more accurate than both and it gets 2950fps from the Barnes 160g TTSX. It is nice to have options and I am feeling pretty good about the hunt now. Will practice again in a few days and once more in early Feb. I have some additional ammo coming in a few days including some Nosler 210g Partitions and some Swift 210g Scirocco ammo as well. Both are proven performers for Moose and could be deployed on the Nilgai as well if the little Sako likes them.

View attachment 735109
FN Browning Safari Grade 375HH

Click to expand...

@JG26Irish_2
The Whelen is a bigger stick with a 225 grainer at 2,900+ fps. 400 yds is a doddle for the Whelen and 2,000fpe will get the job done.
You may gather in not a 338 fan when the Whelen will do BETTER.
Bob

ANY SHOT You WANT - Arthur B. Alphin Editor

JG26Irish_2 said:

I am planning a Fall 2026 Bull Moose hunt in Canada. I have never hunted moose but know them to be larger than an Elk and a bit harder to kill. I know that a good bullet and good bullet placement is more important than the rifle and cartridge used but I also know that using enough gun can prevent longer tracking jobs and that using a flatter shooting gun can make taking longer shots less of a guessing game. Our tag also gives us the option of a Bull Elk if one is found. The terrain is mostly flat and open where we will be hunting so, spot and stalk using terrain and limited cover is the plan and longer shots are expected in some cases.

I am blessed to own multiple rifles all capable of taking moose. I will likely limit my ranges to 300y or less and endeavor to be inside 200y if at all possible so we do not need a long range precision rifle for this hunt but accuracy builds confidence and confidence makes taking the shot when presented less of an issue. Here are my current options:

• 308 FN Browning - 180g Fusion bonded a proven killer in Africa. Has never failed to result in a 1 shot kill for me. Light and handy and good out to 300y. I know it can work but think it a bit small for this job. Not my 1st choice.
  
  
• 30-06 Husqvarna - 180g Swift Scirocco bonded or Barnes TTSX. One of the most accurate rifles I own and the one I would choose if I had to shoot over 300y due to its extreme accuracy. Shoots sub MOA out to 400y. How good is the 06 on Moose? This one is a maybe.
  
  
• 7mm Mag 175g Fusion or Barnes TTSX - Fierce Firearms CT Edge. A true 1/2moa hunting rifle that is also light in weight and capable of running a suppressor. Has a nice 3.5-16c Swarovski on it and is also a 400y rifle. How effective is the 7mm on Moose? I have killed deer with it but nothing this large.
  
  
• 338 RCM - Ruger's light and handy little Compact Mag. The only ammo I can get for it is the Hornady 225g SST. Works great on deer but is the SST the best choice for Moose? I love this rifle but it is at best a 1.5-2.0" gun at 100y and at anything over 200y I would struggle with it. That and the ammo limitations disqualify it unless I reload for it and can load a 225g TTSX and get under 1" performance - Two very big "If's". This one is lowest on my list.
  
  
• 338wm - Sako 85. This is the one I like the best for this job but it too is less than a tack driver but I can get Barnes 225g TTSX ammo for it and it shoots about 1" at 100y with them. At the moment, it is my front runner. Enough velocity and energy to reach out to 400y but not enough precision to suit me for such long shots. Keep it inside 200y and it is money. Current front runner.
  
  
• 375HH - ER Shaw Custom P14 Enfield. My DG rifle. Super accurate and capable of 400y accuracy but does not have enough oomph in my opinion for shooting game out past 250 or maybe 300y. Still a great choice for Moose but a load to pack around all day. Heavy. TSX might not expand well out past 250y. I have TBBC and Nosler AB ammo for it too but all are running under 2000fps out past 250y. Better for closer range shots but we may be force to shoot out there on this hunt due to the terrain.

One of my hunting partners is bringing a 300wm. In many ways the 7mm Mag out performs the 300 once you get out past about 300y. Would I be better off to hunt with the 7mm which is several pounds lighter than my larger options? Or bring the big boomer and be done with it? Some of you knowledgeable Moose slayers out there please chime in. Pic of the 7mm below.

View attachment 734265

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Aside from the cartridge , consider how you will get the harvest out !!! I saw a video of 4 Brit hunters overlooking the giant moose one of them killed in Canada. They were all standing there stymied as to how they were going to get it out . No joke- very stymied and totally dismayed ! I found it humorous to watch at the time , but realize you may end up similarly. Keep in mind there were four of them. Lol

akrifleman said:

Yup, for sure. Same as the 375s also (the 338). I always used to see them at the top of the list up here. Now I'm more likely to see a guy with a WSM or PRC it seems. I'm really not sure why (internet?). And I do mean Matsu and Fairbanks, as opposed to the villages (which vary so wildly - some places are all Mosin, some all have freaking Mini-14s, and some are nothing but 06)

I've gone back and forth on the thing about cartridges over the years, and I joined the large caliber magnum addiction for quite a while, but I guess I finally realized (particularly after raising and hunting with families), that the spouses and kids were doing just as well as anyone else, with 308s, 7mm-08s, 6.5 Swede, Weatherby, Creedmoor, etc as long as we carefully chose bullets. These were all inexperienced folks, who almost by definition were not able to handle larger calibers until they gained more size and proficiency. I think the margin of error is more in placement than caliber, and smaller calibers are simply easier to shoot for most.

Grant me a margin of hypocrisy, as we all carry 375s and larger (now) in bear country. I don't expect a bad shoulder shot on an angry bear to anchor it, but it could? give you a bit more time for a follow up. But, then again... we've anchored them with pipsqueaks with well constructed bullets. It has all forced me to agree with Tyler. I still passionately hate both the 270 and 243 however, but I've already done those diatribes on here more than once.

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Completely agree on the smaller calibers working well for youth hunters. (Which also means they would work well for us too!) I brought up my 3 kids on shooting the 308Win. When they were very young and just beginning to hunt deer and hogs here in Texas (they shot their first deer when they were 5, 6 and 8 yrs old) I used youth loads I got from the Hodgdon website and 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets. This combination worked great on deer and hogs and with the youth loads and light weight bullet the rifle kick was very tame. Because the kick was tame my kids practiced a lot, not only from the bench but from sticks and other field positions on our deer lease. As a result they became very good shooters. I also had a gunsmith cut the wood stock of their Tikka T3 down by 2" so the stock fit them well. As they got a bit older all 3 of them continued to use the 308 Win to hunt black bear in Northern British Columbia, elk in New Mexico, pronghorn in Wyoming and eventually many of the larger plains game species in Africa. For the game bigger than whitetail deer we switched to a heavier bullet, mostly 180 grain Nosler Accubond's, and I increased the powder charge. With a 308Win and 180 grain bullets we have shot game as large as eland in Africa and big black bears and moose in Canada without any issues. When my oldest son was 10 he did drop a 7 foot black bear in his tracks with a well placed shoulder shot. The key is to put a well constructed bullet in the right place.

Houston Bill said:

Completely agree on the smaller calibers working well for youth hunters. (Which also means they would work well for us too!) I brought up my 3 kids on shooting the 308Win. When they were very young and just beginning to hunt deer and hogs here in Texas (they shot their first deer when they were 5, 6 and 8 yrs old) I used youth loads I got from the Hodgdon website and 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets. This combination worked great on deer and hogs and with the youth loads and light weight bullet the rifle kick was very tame. Because the kick was tame my kids practiced a lot, not only from the bench but from sticks and other field positions on our deer lease. As a result they became very good shooters. I also had a gunsmith cut the wood stock of their Tikka T3 down by 2" so the stock fit them well. As they got a bit older all 3 of them continued to use the 308 Win to hunt black bear in Northern British Columbia, elk in New Mexico, pronghorn in Wyoming and eventually many of the larger plains game species in Africa. For the game bigger than whitetail deer we switched to a heavier bullet, mostly 180 grain Nosler Accubond's, and I increased the powder charge. With a 308Win and 180 grain bullets we have shot game as large as eland in Africa and big black bears and moose in Canada without any issues. When my oldest son was 10 he did drop a 7 foot black bear in his tracks with a well placed shoulder shot. The key is to put a well constructed bullet in the right place.

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Totally agree .308 Winchester is a great choice (perhaps the best choice) for smaller-framed and/or recoil-sensitive people to hunt larger game up to and including moose. The only real difference between it versus the .30-06 or .300 Winchester Magnum, given the same projectile design and weight, is going to be the distance at which impact velocity is sufficient.
I just really dislike the trend of shooting larger game (like moose) with smaller calibers like .223 and .243, known to have marginal performance on medium game, regardless of whether they may get the job done as we all know the possibility of wounded and lost game is going to be increased and significant. I have too much respect for these magnificent animals to plug away at them with varmint cartridges.

RedTag said:

Totally agree .308 Winchester is a great choice (perhaps the best choice) for smaller-framed and/or recoil-sensitive people to hunt larger game up to and including moose. The only real difference between it versus the .30-06 or .300 Winchester Magnum, given the same projectile design and weight, is going to be the distance at which impact velocity is sufficient.
I just really dislike the trend of shooting larger game (like moose) with smaller calibers like .223 and .243, known to have marginal performance on medium game, regardless of whether they may get the job done as we all know the possibility of wounded and lost game is going to be increased and significant. I have too much respect for these magnificent animals to plug away at them with varmint cartridges.

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It is a bit sickening watching villagers shoot a moose 30 times with a mini14.

Houston Bill said:

Completely agree on the smaller calibers working well for youth hunters. (Which also means they would work well for us too!) I brought up my 3 kids on shooting the 308Win. When they were very young and just beginning to hunt deer and hogs here in Texas (they shot their first deer when they were 5, 6 and 8 yrs old) I used youth loads I got from the Hodgdon website and 125 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip bullets. This combination worked great on deer and hogs and with the youth loads and light weight bullet the rifle kick was very tame. Because the kick was tame my kids practiced a lot, not only from the bench but from sticks and other field positions on our deer lease. As a result they became very good shooters. I also had a gunsmith cut the wood stock of their Tikka T3 down by 2" so the stock fit them well. As they got a bit older all 3 of them continued to use the 308 Win to hunt black bear in Northern British Columbia, elk in New Mexico, pronghorn in Wyoming and eventually many of the larger plains game species in Africa. For the game bigger than whitetail deer we switched to a heavier bullet, mostly 180 grain Nosler Accubond's, and I increased the powder charge. With a 308Win and 180 grain bullets we have shot game as large as eland in Africa and big black bears and moose in Canada without any issues. When my oldest son was 10 he did drop a 7 foot black bear in his tracks with a well placed shoulder shot. The key is to put a well constructed bullet in the right place.

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@Houston Bill
Why is it we give our kids guns WE think are marginal for the game they hunt yet manage to kill them quite easily with these calibers like the 257 and 308 , yet the majority of male hunters need to use some sort of fire breathing bitch slapping magnum to do the same job.
That's right some gun writer and advertising guru told us we need those things to kill game.
Maybe we need to re-learn from our kids.
Bob

My Moose guide in Newfoundland said almost every local owns a .303 British and more moose are killed with that then anything else. The .303 is a real DOG too.

I have hunted moose in BC on and off for over forty years and have taken somewhere in the area of 30 bulls. I have used from 3006 , 300WM, 9.3x62, 376 Steyr, 45-70 and 375H&H; at ranges from 30 yards to 500. A couple of things to keep in mind. If you are going to be hunting in BC or Alberta, you will definitely be in grizzly country. The population of bears are very high due to reduced or no hunting pressure on them. Number of attacks go up every year. Grizzly's IMHO are losing their fear of man in these two provinces. I / We , my hunting group routinely have problems with bears, so be advised.
Also as many have said moose aren't difficult to kill, but they can take a while to die even if hit right. Those 1~3 minutes can make a big different when your 1000 lb. bull decides to bugger off into swamp.
Packing or dragging 250~290 lb. quarters isn't all that fun, and your hunting partners may express their thoughts on the matter. So my recommendation would be you want to anchor your bull where you shoot him, because he will inevitably go into the area that is more difficult to retrieve him from.
My caliber of choice is 375, with a warmly loaded 260 Accubond that's shoots about a 1/3 moa out my rifle.
ps: there should be pictures on AH of my moose hunting trips.
and yeah no handguns in the woods except for guides, prospectors, LEO/CO in most of BC & Alberta

Cheers
Pat

archer36 said:

My Moose guide in Newfoundland said almost every local owns a .303 British and more moose are killed with that then anything else. The .303 is a real DOG too.

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@archer36
The 303 may be a dog and an old dog to go with it but it still carries enough bite to harvest the same game it has been doing for over 140 years.
The 150gn Barnes tsx at 2,700 out of the old dog really let's game know it still has teeth to do the job.
Bob

Bob Nelson 35Whelen said:

@archer36
The 303 may be a dog and an old dog to go with it but it still carries enough bite to harvest the same game it has been doing for over 140 years.
The 150gn Barnes tsx at 2,700 out of the old dog really let's game know it still has teeth to do the job.
Bob

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A lot of calibers have "enough" bite but are hardly close to ideal. How many sporting weapons in the last 50 years were made in .303 British? Isn't this an indication that there are much better rounds?