I have used Norma Oryx 11,6g factory loading in my browning bar! last autumn I shot three mooses. the bullets worked perfectly! Only bullet, which I like more, is federal trophy bonded bearclaw. But it is much more expensive!
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[This message has been edited by Tumppi (edited 04-06-2002).]
Posts: 18 | Location: Turku, Finland | Registered: 06 April 2002
180 gr bullets in a 30-06 will handle moose nicely,especially if a broadside shot presents itself. As someone has already pointed out shoot for the lungs NOT the shoulder. My choice is a 200 gr spitzer. The Nosler partion is very good and the Speer 200 gr spitzer is almost as good at 30-06 velocities and is half the price. The partion is better when pushed @ 300 mag velocity. The 200 Speer is an excellent bullet for large game in the 30-06.
I've taken abought 15 moose with 308 & 3006. Mostly with 165 hornady btsp 4 or 5 moose with 180 btsp. Most one shot through the lungs or heart, any second shot I found out latter were not needed.
Posts: 36 | Location: prince george bc canada | Registered: 07 April 2002
My choice for anything in the 1200 lb. up catagory is the 200 and 220 gr. Noslers, preferably the 220 in the 06 or the 300's for the big animals....
If you ever use them one time you will never use the 180 again..I even use the 200 Nosler on deer and plainsgame in both the 06 and the 300 H&H...I used the 180 for years and it is a good bullet.
Deja vu, all over again......moose are notoriously easy to kill. They have been taken with .243's and up (probably even smaller calibres). Bullet placement, as usual, is EVERYTHING! Choose a bullet that is not frangible; I personally dislike Sierra's as they seem to be too thin in the jacket. Be familiar with moose anatomy, know where heart/lungs are, and use it to your advantage. Most kill shots on moose (around here, anyways) would average less than 150yds. Have fun, hunting moose is a blast! Oh, yeah.....never shoot a moose if you have a dinner date with your wife in an hour....
Just because it's a very large animal, 180 grain controlled-expansion bullets and heavier should be used to insure good penetration. The 180s are heavy enough unless it's a soft bullet.
Two years ago, a friend took a healthy 5-year old bull in Wyoming. He used the Federal High Energy 165 grain Trophy Bonded Bearclaw with excellent results. The bullet entered behind the front shoulder, went through the boiler room, broke the back shoulder, and came to settle under the skin on the other side. The bull stumbled, groaned, and fell dead not five feet from where he was shot.
Lots of good advice above on bullet weight,any good 180 gr or heavier will be fine. Just a little advice on the BAR though,make sure it's totally degreased and de-oiled if you're hunting in cold weather.They're a terrible contraption for gumming up and jamming in freezing weather.
The 180gr. round nose in the 30-06 should give the best velocity and maximum penetration. More energy should be released in the animal to produce the most hydrostatic shock. The round nose design should mushroom and produce a more devastating wound channel. For shots beyond 200 yards the PSP Point should do best. If the bullet is designed with a heavy jacket it may not mushroom at all at extreme ranges. Once the bullet slows below it's designed mushroom velocity it will only punch holes in the game.
Terry B - try the 190gr Hornady. I am sure you will be happy with it. I lucked onto them and found they were exceptionally accurate in my rifle. Have used them since for moose. If you hit moose in the lungs on a broadside shot, you will undoubtedly get 100% penetration; if you have a quartering away or a head on sternum shot, there is no doubt they will go in. I don't load them fast, as fast is not accurate in my gun, but you don't need fast. When you look at the inside of a moose, you see there isn't much in there to stop much of anything.
I have killed several moose and have never and never plan to use a .308" bullet heavier than 180grs.I just don't believe that heavier bullets are necessary since the 180's have always done a fine job.
Posts: 3104 | Location: alberta,canada | Registered: 28 January 2002
Someone always chimes in and sez the 22 hornet is a deer rifle, the 243 is a moose rifle and they believe that until they loose a deer or moose as the light guns usually do work just fine, I killed a truck load of deer with a Win. M-63 auto in 22 L.R. in my mispent youth, but that does not make it a deer rifle...Small calibers do not leave good blood trails.
What ever caliber you use for any game should have the ability to shoot lenthwise through the animal and be capable of breaking the shoulder and come to rest on the off side at least....
For Moose, I would use a 200 gr. Nosler in the 30-06 and a 220 in the 300's...I believe Moose guns start with the 30-06....I know they are stupid and easy to kill, but they can be very tough sometimes...The heavy bullets are not so destructive on meat...I also like two holes and a good blood trail.
Posts: 41976 | Location: Twin Falls, Idaho | Registered: 04 June 2000
Kinda lack of info for picking proper bullet, as Ray says 200-220 are good in a 30-06, but only if you keep shot closer, not possible in clear cut country! 165s are an excellent bullet for l o n g range but for al around covers most situations 180gn corelocks or Horn interlocks are as good as you can get. OHh I can hear the premium bullet specialist start now!!!
