I am going on a moose hunt to Alberta in Oct. and am looking for opinions on a rifle and load. I have a Sako .280 Remington in which I usually shoot 160 gr Grand Slams or I have a Win M70 in .30-06 with stainless/laminate shooting a 180 grain bullet. Any suggestions? Thanks.

Take them both and hunt with the one that shoots the best.

duckster, of the two you're better of with the .30-06 with 180 grain premium bullets.

Duck Either rifle will work just fine but if it was my choice I would try loading some 200 Speer bullets in front of all the 4831 or RL 22 an 06 case will hold (safely).They shoot almost as flat as the 180's and they are very effective on larger game especially if you have a quartering shot.They group well in any rifle I've ever tried them in.

Both rifles are equal to the task along with the right bullet and shot placement. I would use the rifle I am most comfortable with and have the most confidence shooting. My favorite of the two is the venerable 30-06 with the 180 grain round nose bullet. Large Moose are tough critters and can take an amazing amount of punishment. They can take the shock of any rifle and not react at all to the hit. It is seldom a large bull Moose will drop at the crack of the rifle, especially during the rut. The round nose bullet will deliver the maximum amount of hydrostatic shock to the animal. Long shots at Moose are not the norm and that is as it should be. The more energy the bullet has to deliver the better. It is far better to fire 99 rounds at a target practicing and know round 100 will strike where you intend it to. Take as many rounds along with you as Canadian game laws allows so you are not caught short. Good luck, be safe, shoot straight, and always cherish the many wonders of nature.

Take whichever rifle you like the best..There isn't really any performance difference there..

Thanks for all the replies. I am taking my father on this hunt and the rifle will actually be for him. Both rifles are sub MOA weapons. I will be using a .35 Whelen with 225 grain TBBC Federal loads. I guess the best bet is to let him shoot both with the selected bullets and see which he likes the best. Any recs as to type of bullet. I have had very good luck with the Trophy Bonded bullets.

Duckster, Federal TBBC's are excellent loads, enjoy.

Duckster, While both cartridges will without question do the job the .30-06 may be a tad better IMHO. Heavy for calibre bullets in the 180 - 200 grain class work well and have enough weight to plow through to the vitals if a quartering shot is all that is available to you. Any of the controled expansion bullets on the market will serve you well as long as they shoot good out of your gun. Moose hunting is usually not a long-range proposition so as has been mentioned a good quality heavy round-nosed bullet will work as good as anything else.

If I had to choose I would go with 30/06. That being said, nothing wrong with the 280 for moose. I have just found the load for my old man's 280 using 160gr Barnes XLC's. Even with a shoulder hit they should plow right through.

Duckster - It sounds to me like you just need to relax and enjoy. You've got two good choices here. Let you dad use whichever one he feels most comfortable with. Afterall, a well placed bullet is worth a thousand foot lbs of energy and all the other bs anyway.

Have a good, safe hunt.

I agree....either will do the job.....
Personally, I'd pick the .30-06 and load up some 180 or 200 grain Swift A-Frames.

I'm a big .280 fan, I don't even own a 06, but I would take the 06 w/ a good 180-200gr bullet. I just like bigger bullets for bigger game. I like your choice of the Whelen, cousin to my .338-06.

[ 08-25-2003, 23:09: Message edited by: fredj338 ]

Thanks for all the help. We will be heading to the range this weekend to try them both.

Duckster, you have received some good advice and either one will do the job with good bullet placement. I use a 270 loaded with 150 gr. Nosler Partition bullets and have not had any problems taking moose. Good luck and safe hunting!!!

Duckster; Take whichever one suits him best, or that he is the most comfortable with. I have shot a lot of moose, and more than half a dozen fell to a single shot from the venerable old 7x57. I do not consider moose to be as hard to put down as Elk are. Regards, Eagleye.

Duckster,
Take whichever rifle you shoot the best. Last year my hunting partner Killed a very nice bull at 450 meters with two well placed rounds from his 280. The first entered the moose just behind the "elbow" penetrated both lungs and exited the off side. The second shot was a little lower and further forward breaking the onside leg, severing the top of the heart and coming to rest in the offside shoulder.
The bullet... 140gr fail safe.

good shooting,
TK

Where in Alberta are you hunting?

Contrary to most,I use 150 grainers in 30-06. They worked fine on my moose and on my wifes moose. The three moose I saw shot all went down easy and most all the experienced moose hunters I talked to when I lived in Alaska related the same thing.