I have a combination moose/mule deer hunt
booked for this fall in western alberta
canada and can't seem to make up my mind as
to the rifle/caliber combination to take.
currently I have rem. 700 in .300win shooting
200 gr nosler partitions very well at over
2900fps. this rifle is well traveled and I am
very familiar with it. I also have a new rem
700 titanium 30/06 with swarovski 3-10 that
handles like a dream and shoots barnes 168gr
xlcs pretty well. this will be my 1st moose
hunt, but from what I hear they are not overly tough. my question is: do I resist the
urge to take the new rifle and stick with one
that I know is a better choice or is the 30/06 adequate

I think you answered your own question in the last line. "the 30-06 adequate"
Of course they both will work. Take the gun you are most comfortable taking. Failing that, take both. Back up guns can be handy.

hotweather,

Either will work fine but I would bring the 300 as my first choice based on your comments about how well you shoot it etc.

I live in western Alberta and am curious of exactly where and who you will be hunting with if you don't mind me asking.

As bis as moose are they are not very hard to put down, both the .300 and the 30-06 will work fine. Just use a bullet that will penetrate deeply, like a partition, x, A-frame, etc.

------------------
Walk softly and carry a big bore!

lobstick river,
As best I can tell I will be hunting a couple of hours northwest of Grand Prarie.
I will be hunting with Alberta wilderness outfitters (Louis Shilka). If you can give me
any insight into the quality of the hunting in that area and a general idea of the size of moose to expect from that area I would appreciate it.

thanks

Certainly the 300/200 gr. has greater energy and range, but the 30-06/168 gr. is no slouch. It seems you like both rifles. If your hunting will involve walking quite a bit, take the '06. The 5 1/2 lb weight will come in handy! Also, the X bullet will penetrate very deep, maybe even more than the 200 gr. Nolser from your 300 Mag.

Not much extra to add, exept that 200 gr of partition will be about ideal for your hunt. The area is not mountainous and I would expect 300 yards to be the outside yardage. That said, If a big bull is head on at that distance down a siesmic line, where most hunting is conducted here,the 300 will be better. That area has some great moose country and a 40-50" bull is attainable unless you are in a very accessible area, ie Native hunting.Good luck out there.

BR

It would be best to check out what 'kind' of moose you can take. In B.C. we must count brow tines/eye guards to determine if the bull is legal. If you have to get close enough to count points, the difference between the '06 and the .300 mag will be nil. And, also, I agree that you carry them more than you shoot them so light weight is nice! I have shot all my mose with the bland old stinky '06 and haven't lost any in 20yrs.

I find moose much easier to kill than elk.They may not drop right away but they seldom go far.Either rifle will do fine and I would take the one you are most comfortable shooting.

Based on the way you wrote the question, it seems you are already aware of the answer. So, it seems to me that maybe you are fishing for an excuse for a new rifle.

Despite what we all know about the performance of the '06 and the 300 Winnie on moose, I'd be more than happy to vouch for you if you feel the need to buy yourself a "Moose Rifle". You can use my e-mail link above if you need me to explain the inadequacies of your present battery to your wife. Just let me know what other caliber you are might choose, so that I can wax poetic on its virtues as the ultimate moose killer. We have to stick together.

Canuck

The hunting gods here in Canada will smite anyone not bringing a new rifle for their first hunt. Oosesaga, the God of the ungulates has written,

"And the hunter shall smite his first with a shiny thing to appease the gods at rest who watch him."

You don't want to piss off Oosesaga.

And while you're looking for that new, shiny thing, pick up a good used 303. You can show it to your friends after the hunt and tell them, "Yessir, this is what I used up there. Those Canucks aren't as stupid as I thought!"

Safe Shooting!
Steve Redgwell
http://www.303british.com

Not to beat a dead horse, but I think either rifle will be sufficient. If you are more comfrotable with the 300, by all means take it. I would probably take both, just in case.

Good luck and good shooting

hotweather,

Battle River has answered your question on the size of moose etc. I have had a few conversations with Louis and he seems to be a very nice guy. In fact I will be going up to meet him around the end of the month.

Here in Alberta a legal bull moose is described as one having at least 4 inches of antler so no need to worry about counting brow tines or worrying about width other than for trophy quality.

Good luck hotweather and I hope your visit to our province is an enjoyable and successful one.

hotweather,
i hope you have a great hunt.One thing i thought i should mention is that on huntamerica.com they have a section of outfitter reviews by past clients.You will find that Louis's name comes up quite a bit.There are several things there that you might want to discuss with him.
Good luck!
editing now....woops..as stubblejumper says the reviews i was thinking of are on huntinfo.com..sorry..

[This message has been edited by Alberta John (edited 05-03-2002).]

Alberta john has a very good point.The reviews on Shilka's hunts on huntinfo.com have also not been overly kind in some respects.Combined with the reviews on huntamerica.com they do indicate this outfitter may have some problems.

[This message has been edited by stubblejumper (edited 05-03-2002).]

Take the 300 and don't look back.Familiarity is very important IMHO.I have carried the very same rifle/caliber for a week every September for 11 seasons now about an hour southwest of Grand Prairie.I can't see hunting in the foothills without it.It feels better than a lighter caliber when you come across large grizzly tracks while searching for elk.I also shoot 200's in mine,Grand Slams at 2950fps.Good luck, it's beautiful country up there.

thanks for the input guys, let me throw one
other wrinkle into the moose gun question.
I also have a thompson center encore in 35
whelen and would love use it on a moose, but
I have second thoughts about traveling thousands of miles from home and spending much hard earned $$ and taking a single shot
rifle. Ive used it for bear hunting over bait, where the shots are close and predictable, and i know that I should only
need 1 well placed shot. But if it were your
$$ and vacation time would you consider this
rifle or would you go with the more versatile
300 mag??

I would caution this, not the caliber, but the rifle. Hunting up here is mainly done from siesmic lines which are at most 20 yards wide. You usually have only one shot at these moose before they disappear into the bush and I like to keep shooting until the moose is down. The ability to get a reasonably quick second shot may save a lot of work and grief.

BR

Exactly as battle River says.Take the 300 as you can see a long ways down some of the cutlines also and you never know how far you may want/have to shoot.It's nice to keep your options open for a long shot just in case.Also they go down faster with more than one shot.I use a single shot for coyotes in the fields and plains but i'd never consider using one in the bush,you don't have much time .

I'll get in line with all the other Albertans here. Take the 300. Moose may not be tough to kill, but they aren't very impressed with being shot either. The more bullets you can put into the boiler the better. Some cut lines can give you a pretty long shot, although not long by prairie standards, I guess. Also, once you shoot him, sit down and have tea. It's good for you, and gives Bullwinkle a chance to lay down and die. Have a great hunt, and if you need to know anything else, just email. Take care - Dan