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

[JG26Irish_2]

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.

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

 

[Bullthrower338]

338 Sako, 338 RCM with 185 gr GMX/CX

 

[Aaron N]

All will do what you ask of them. I’d choose the prettiest one

 

[RLD]

Sounds like a great trip. You have a good shot at getting a nice moose out there.

I have shot several moose with a .308 with perfect results. Many of my friends and family have taken moose with 30-06. I don't think either of those would disappoint you.

 

[jlb1036]

I would suggest either the 30/06 with 180grs bullets or the 338 win mag wiht 225grs bullets

 

[Boyd Brooks]

Moose are not that tough to kill, a hole in the boiler room usually puts them on the ground. All your rifles will stop a moose, so take the one you want, and have fun.

 

[PHOENIX PHIL]

I don't know how the species of moose you'll be hunting compares to a Shiras moose from Idaho. But I kill my Shiras bull, a full grown big bull, with my 7mm and a Nosler Partition. I want to say it was a 160gr bullet. Were I to do that hunt again and choose that rifle, I guess I'd prefer a 175gr version. But that said we found what remained of the bullet under the offside skin, weighed in at about 50% of starting weight.

The bull died from one shot and took just a few steps after he was hit. So I think a 7mm Rem Mag will do the trick, but with larger calibers in my cabinet, I'd probably move up if I could. So I would lean to your Sako .338. The TTSX or Federal loads......well I'd want to know what velocity would be at 300 yards and decide based on that and expected bullet performance.

 

[JG26Irish_2]

The bull died from one shot and took just a few steps after he was hit. So I think a 7mm Rem Mag will do the trick, but with larger calibers in my cabinet, I'd probably move up if I could. So I would lean to your Sako .338. The TTSX or Federal loads......well I'd want to know what velocity would be at 300 yards and decide based on that and expected bullet performance.

My 338wm Barnes load is fast and is still running 2402fps at 300y. The 200g Fed load is 2366fps at 300y. Both still exceed 2000fps at 400y as well. They hit hard. I hit a Nilgai at 237y off sticks with the Barnes load and shot a coyote with the 200g load at about 150y which nearly tore him in half.

I want to take the 7mm Mag but only because it is more accurate and works well at longer ranges. It is not as fast as the 338 with the heavier bullets. 2680fps MV for the 175g Fusion load and 2950fps for the 160g TTSX load.

 

[Atticus]

They’re big but not hard to kill. I used my 30-06 on a 50” bull that dressed at 850# back in ‘03 and it was no problem. Proper placement of a good quality bullet and you’re good. I hunted again this past fall but didn’t find one I wanted to take. A guy in camp dropped his bull with a 308 using a Barnes TTSX—again, no problem.

 

[Andrew62]

If those were my choices, I'd pick any of them except the 270, not that it won't do the job, you just have better options listed.

 

[Green Chile]

Technically they will all work but I think there is a reason you listed the 7mm first. It shoots and carries well...it has the best scope for what could be a longer shot. Moose are huge but aren't particularly hard to kill. Use the Barnes ammo and enjoy your hunt!

 

[Slickshooter]

The 338 win mag Sako would be what I would choose.

 

[meigsbucks]

I would think all would work. I’m partial to the .30/06 or .338 Win mag.

 

[TMac]

All of yours will work. Which one do you have the most confidence in for that possible 400 yard shot? I’d start there.

Taken or been a part of taking 4 Moose. Rifles used were 7 RM with 150 Core-Lokt, 30-06 with 180 TTSX and 180 Fed blue box ammo, 270 Win with 130 TTSX. All worked equally well. 1 in AK, 2 in WY and the last one in Alberta with the 270.

They are large but not hard to kill. Chest depth is similar to an elk. What I did notice is it can take them a bit to tip over from a double lung hit. Guessing large animal and lots of blood just take a bit longer?

 

[Green Chile]

Moose sometimes don’t respond to a vitals hit or they might just take a step or two. They usually fall in a minute or two. Lots of blood capacity in those big boys but they aren’t more than a huge deer. The fun is all over when they fall! You will be sick of it in the end.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Have fun. Shoot straight.

• Sako 85 - in 338 Win Mag.

 

[BryceM]

Take the 7mm with Barnes, and start shopping for a new freezer.

As others have said, they are pretty easy to kill. The vital zone is huge and they do not soak up lead like elk or nilgai.

That said, any of the rifles you listed will be fine. I would not hesitate to use the .270, but I’d maybe think a little more carefully about taking a quartering-on shot through the shoulder. Any difficulties you have with the moose will be related to finding one. Sort that out, and the next biggest problem, by far, is the recovery. Saskatchewan is pretty flat, but you can’t get a vehicle to every possible place they can die.

 

[roklok]

I would choose the Sako .338 or the .375 H&H. All my moose hunting with rifle has been done with either .35 Whelen or .375 H&H, I prefer big bullets for big animals. Don't sell the .375 H&H short, it is certainly 400 yard capable on moose, I shot a bull at 400 yards with my 35 Whelen, the 375 H&H will certainly do what the Whelen will do plus some. It is true that many moose are killed with smaller cartridges, and put a bullet through the lungs they will do the job. I prefer bigger cartridges for off angle shots and less than perfect shot presentations.

 

[Nosler guy]

Will pretty much be hunting in my back yard. you've got a handful of good choices there. Don't need a cannon to get the job done, so I personally wouldn't bother with the .375. Your 7 mag, 30-06 with heavier bullets, will both getter done, but the .338 definitely checks all the boxes

Enjoy the hunt!!

 

[Finprof]

I grew up in moose country in Ontario north of Lake Superior. I used a 30/06 and so did my father because that was the one rifle we had. We never lost a wounded moose.
Several times you would hit one and it would stumble around for a while, maybe even go down and get up again but the second shot would put it down.
Given your choices I think a 338 Win Mag would be perfect. I wish we had one when I lived there.
By the way, a hunting buddy used to run the check station for the Winter Elk Hunt for elk coming out of Yellowstone. He talked to hundreds of hunters who brought elk into the check station. After that he was convinced that a 338 was the best gun for elk and he bought one. He also felt that a 270 was marginal.