Choosing a rifle for a Saskatchewan Bull Moose Hunt - Input Requested

JG26Irish_2 said:

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The attached photo is a 3shot grp fired from the Husqvarna 30-06 at 400y from a bench. It measured 2.25". Just because we can make a 400y shot does not mean we should take one. I generally limit my shots on game to the distance where my bullet's impact velocity drops below 2000fps. That is about 400y for this rifle but I further limit my shots on game to a range that is well less than that which I use for practice on tgts. Most situations for me make that limit closer to 300y since I usually do not have a bench rest to help me in hunting situations. When possible, I get closer. That insures a clean, quick kill, with less tracking involved.

I know many hunters take game at longer ranges and good for them. That is not my MO. We always have a choice when taking or passing on a shot. I care little if I kill an animal or not when hunting. For me, the fun is in the preparation and execution of the hunt. The actual shot is rather academic and is the sad period at the end of the story.

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Finprof said:

Not to high jack your post but I am going to Saskatchewan in November — Newark to Toronto to Saskatoon. How much time should I leave for customs to process my firearm?? I presume that an agency is not available. I used Gracy for Johannesburg to Zimbabwe and was pleased.

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NIGHTHAWK said:

Well, you’re certainly dialed if you need to make that shot. Hard to improve on that grouping.

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coyote wacker said:

I used a Winchester 70 custom built 338 WM used it with Nosler 210 gr. killed every North American animal except a polar bear with one shot each. If I was to do it again today I would use Cutting Edge Bullets 175 gr. Raptor. 338 WM is one for the greatest cartridges ever made.

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JG26Irish_2 said:

The only reason, I had considered any other rifle than the 338wm was because one of my buddies has hunted this region before and had talked about it being flat and very open. My 338 is one of the less accurate of the list I posted. Unlike most Sako's I have found mine to be very ammo picky. With my best loads I am getting acceptable precision from it and it is a solid 200-300y rifle on small tgts and better on large ones. I would not trust it at 400y without doing much more load development.

I am more confident with the 7mm Mag and the 30-06 as they just shoot to a higher degree of precision. I have been recently reviewing a number of recent Saskatchewan Moose hunting videos and am finding that while the terrain is flat, the tree cover and other vegetation are such that most shots seem to be closer to 200y than 400y. In fact I think 260ish was the longest shot I have seen so far on them. I can make that shot with the Sako just fine.

You all have bolstered my confidence in the 7mm Mag for Moose as well and it is my #2 choice and while smaller, it still hits hard. Will likely choose a Barnes load in both of them and then spend some quality time at the range this spring refining my dope on the best loads out to 400y (the limit of my tgt range).

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JG26Irish_2 said:

Myself along with a pair of friends are planning a Saskatchewan Canada Bull Moose hunt scheduled for Sept-Oct 2026. This will take place on the Cree Nation lands. I am told that the terrain is mostly flat and that ranges can be on the long side at times. I prefer to limit my range to about 300y for ballistic reasons but am capable of making a 400y shot as long as I can find a solid rest. I am an accomplished big game hunter and have taken many large animals such as Cape Buffalo, Kudu, Gemsbok, Nilgai, Deer, etc. I can shoot well with any of my rifles but have zero knowledge of Moose, their habits, or how difficult they may be to kill.

My understanding gathered from the experiences of others is that Moose are not as hard to kill as an Elk and while very large are not too much harder to kill than a large deer? Still, with that much mass and large bone structure, I would expect that larger, heavier bullets would be the order of the day. I have a few viable candidates to take along for this hunt but would appreciate the inputs of our AH community, especially if you have shot Bull Moose before or hunted in Saskatchewan before. What is the hunting really like? Below are my current candidates for my hunt:

• Fierce Firearms CT Edge - Carbon Ti, Sako 85 clone action with carbon bbl and stock in 7mm Mag. This is light and very accurate. Topped with a Swarovski 3.5-18x, this is a long range dream rifle and shoots actual 1/2 moa with Barnes ammo and near to that with others. I have 175g Fusion ammo that should work. Question: Is 7mm Mag too small for Bull Moose?
  
  
• Husqvarna Swedish Mauser - Classic rifle in 30-06, topped with Arken Optics LH-4, 4-16x FFP scope. This rifle is also very accurate and has recorded a 3 shot group of 2.25" at 400y from a bench for me. It is that good. I have 180g Federal Premium ammo loaded with Swift Scirocco bullets that is a go-to or Barnes TTSX or Federal Fusion, any of which would drop a Moose, I think. I am not in love with this scope for hunting as the reticle seems to be hard to see when dialed down to lower power. It is great when dialed all the way up but that is rarely what one uses when hunting. I can change the scope if need be.
  
  
• Sako 85 - in 338 Win Mag. This is the same rifle I just used for Texas Nilgai and it was very effective. A bit heavy to lug around but works. Likely my default choice. This rifle wears an Arken EP-8 LPVO FFP 1-8x illuminated optic and this is my #1 favorite hunting scope. 8x is not much power for long range but it has a great reticle that enables speed up close and precision for long range. It is enough to take 300y shots with confidence and I used the same scope on a 7mm/08 in Africa to take a Blk WB at 314y with one shot. This rifle is however, a picky shooter and only shoots 225g Barnes TTSX or Federal Premium in 200g Trophy Bonded Tipped ammo well. All others are so poor that I would never use them to hunt with. Even with the best ammo it is only barely a 1.0moa rifle.
  
  
• Ruger M77 Compact Mag i in 338 RCM. This is loaded with 225g Hornady SST ammo and also wears an Arken EP-8 1-8x LPVO. I have used it on deer and it is devastating. But the cup n core SST bullet is not the best for big game and is prone to fragment on bone. The little Ruger is not a tack driver either and is at best at 1.5moa rifle. Better suited for close cover hunting than long range precision. Not my first choice. But still viable. My African PH loves the Hornady SST ammo and uses it a lot in his loaner guns in 308 and has seen them take tons of game. He said he would not hesitate to use them on game up to Eland. Hmmmm? Would you do the same?
  
  
• FN Browning HP - Classic Mauser action in 308. I have used this on African big game and it never failed to drop all of them with one shot. Using Federal 180g Fusion ammo. A wild card choice, but viable out to 300y. Probably anyone who thinks this is a good choice would also take the 30-06. This rifle wears a vintage 2.5-8x B&L Balvar scope. Obsolete tech but fully functional.
  
  
• Shaw Custom P14 Enfield - Chambered in 375HH. This is my DG rifle. Wears a Kahles K16i 1-6x optic. It is supremely accurate with Barnes 300g TSX ammo and others and would likely be loaded with 250g TBBC bonded core ammo at 2690fps. This is a 300y load at max in my view due to the drop in velocity and ballistic drop and would be better off limited to 250y IMO. Will obviously kill a Moose but is a chunk to lug around in the bush and might be over kill?
  
  
• Mauser 98k Custom - Chambered in 270 win and loaded with 130g Swift Scirocco ammo at 3050 fps. Wears Leupold 3-9x scope and has been my long term deer rifle for more than 25yrs. Well worn and the lightest load of this list. Capable but is this the one you would choose? I doubt it.

Please look over the list and tell me which one you would choose and why? I do not need to hear about the 35 Whelen or the 9.3x62 or the 300PRC or other wiz-bang options as I have no need to buy a rifle for this hunt, only choose a good one from the list. At the moment, my short list is: 338wm, 7mm Mag, 30-06 more or less in that order. What say you? Is the 7mm Mag a good moose gun? Tell me about hunting in Saskatchewan, especially if you have been on the Cree Nation lands. I have several months to get ready.

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My 7mm Mag with its 1st kill a 10pt Whitetail

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Daryl S said:

The fellows I know who use .338 Win. Mags on moose, love them.
An 85gr. TTSX or TSX from a .243 will easily kill moose at 100 to 200 yards.
Just double lung them and they are dead. If not chased, they will lay down within 50yards of where they were shot and be dead when you walk up 10 minutes later.
Chase them and they will go a long way. They cover ground VERY quickly if chased.

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