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

[375 Ruger Fan]

I shot my Alaskan moose with a 338 WM with a 225 gr Swift A Frame.

 

[Mr. 16 gauge]

I'm planning a hunt for 2027.......I'm taking my Ruger 77 in .338 Win Mag, and my 30-06 as a back up.

 

[Ontario Hunter]

I used 180 gr 30-06 for years but then switched to 190 gr Hornady bullets when one bull soaked up five 180 gr. Sadly, it seems Hornady no longer makes 190 gr cup and core. They carried further than 220 gr and punched a bit harder than 180s. I think modern all copper 180 gr would be fine but put some gas behind them.

 

[Rando8586]

30-06 on first moose,300 win mag on 2nd & 3rd. Last with 280 ai, none went more than 20yds. Last went down in his tracks.

 

[Mtn_Infantry]

You’re over thinking and over complicating this. Moose are big so it can take them a little while to exsanguinate, which give them the reputation of being able to absorb lead but in reality they’re dead on their feet. Any of the calibers you mentioned with a good quality controlled expansion bullet through their larger vital area will do the job.

Your 30-06, 7mag, or 338 shooting some something like a Terminal Ascent, TBBC, Scirocco, A-Frame, or TTSX would be my choice. Depending on the terrain you’re hunting in, if it’s thick and shots under 200yds are common the 375 might get the nod. Pick whatever rifle you shoot the best, or has the most meaning to you.

 

[Rafiki]

Reticle. Maine moose terrain

Good pic of a couple guys standing around pissing.

 

[JeeperCreeper]

Almost every "expert" hunter I've come across reports Elk are a tougher animal than a moose.

Plus, the vitals of a moose are like the size of a beachball.

I've taken 2 up here in Alaska so far. 338RCM for both. The rifle and cartridge are amazing, but your assessment is correct... Limited by ammo. I used 200gr SST factory loads.

My big moose was a charging shoulder shot, bullet fragmented, then a double lung as it cut to my left. The double lung looked like someone threw a supercharged baseball through its chest... What you would expect from a weaker lead bullet that expands massively.

Second moose was 1 shot in the chest, facing me, at 10 yards. Found the jacket in the rear quarter, lead stripped itself off, hopefully through the vitals and not meat as I'm still eating it haha.

So for me, I love the RCM, but it's not ideal with SST.

Go 30-06. Plenty of rifle, and you report it's accurate for long shots.

 

[Albert GRANT]

Good pic of a couple guys standing around pissing.

Well, that is typical Maine moose terrain!

 

[Nosler guy]

I'd say you are overthinking things - 3 rifles there that would handle most any situation you're likely to encounter.

Gets a bit more interesting when you throw the elk in there, though. Like a lot of the guys say - you will find the elk to be a lot tougher - harder to kill animal. I'd be taking the .338. A minute of angle rifle@100, no problem at all. Both of these animals (assuming you are shooting mature bulls) present a huge effective kill zone. The big magnum would give me a bit more confidence if you were presented with a less than perfect shot at distance

 

[CoElkHunter]

.338

+1.

 

[BryceM]

Caliber/cartridge isn't so important, as long as you're in the ballpark of .270 and up. I'd use a quality bullet, in case you need to get through a shoulder on the way in. A-frame, Partition, Barnes, etc. Accubond and similar bonded bullets would be my 2nd choice.

I used a .300 Wby for my only moose. These days, I'd probably grab a .300 Win, or maybe even my .375 H&H. If I was picking only one, I'd say .338 would be about perfect.

 

[M70375!]

Big rifles for big animals, use your 338 win., why not ,you might as well use it on the moose hunt. It is an ideal moose cartridge , there is a reason it is the most common caliber in Alaska.

 

[archer36]

I asked my Newfoundland Moose outfitter if a .270 was enough gun. He said definitely. Just use a Nosler Partition. I harvested a cow moose quickly with it. For my South African Safari I used a .308 with Nosler Partitions. Took 6 animals, including the hard to kill Wildebeest, with one shot each. The partition has been around a long time. But something about it kills like crazy.

 

[Atticus]

I took a nice bull in Maine with my ‘06 and a 165 failsafe. He dropped right there.

 

[RedTag]

On one side of the coin, moose are just big deer, and any ordinary deer rifle/cartridge will suffice, provided you use a premium bullet and make a clean hit. I know folks who’ve successfully taken moose with .243, .25-06, and 7mm08. On the flip side, a larger caliber allows us more margin for error, and errors can and do occur, especially under adverse conditions and inclement weather. If a 7mm RM or a .30-06 was all you had (and those cartridges are very capable) then I’d say you certainly don’t need a whole new rifle just for moose. But since you have a .338 WM and .375 H&H, and presumably feel comfortable shooting those, I’d select one of these heavier hitters. And keep in mind moose country is often grizzly country too.

 

[Arac]

I have used .270, 7x57 and 7mm RM. They all worked pretty much equally as well. My good friend who has shot at least 2 dozen moose swears by .300 Win Mag. Between my friends and me, the vast majority of the moose have been taken with 7mm RM and .300 Win Mag, and almost all with Partitions.

As noted by quite a few folks, moose are not as tough as elk.

The only caveat is, here in BC anyways, the grizzly population has greatly increased since hunting them was banned in 2017. In some areas a gunshot can be like a dinner bell. Maybe something more substantial will make you feel comfortable.

Good luck and enjoy your hunt!

 

[CADDIE5]

A bull moose will attack a locomotive. Guides carry 17 round 9mm pistols in Maine. A tree won't save you when rut takes over not even a logging truck. Less may kill but more will stop when not broadside lungs. 800-1000 pounds.

 

[RLD]

Myself, friends and relatives have been hunting moose successfully with 30-06 and .308. Anything at that level or bigger will do you fine.

 

[Tgood1]

Ive taken 3 with a nula .300 wm, 180 gr barnes. The largest body moose I've seen taken in camp was with a .308 and 165 gr barnes vortex. At about 250 yards, dropped at shot as I watched with binoculars

 

[Ryan]

If your hunting is anything like Alaska you probably won't be shooting over 200 yards. As for caliber, I've heard all of what you had mentioned used up here and all worked fine. Honestly the majority of moose are shot with 30-06 and 308s using 180 grain quality bullets, though the tried and true 220 grain Core-lokt is a favorite of the old-timers I've known.