The Accurate Reloading Forums THE ACCURATE RELOADING.COM FORUMS Hunting American Big Game Hunting Shoulder shots on Moose and other large gameGo | New | Find | Notify | Tools | Reply | |
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| one of us |
How much meat would i dammage by shoulder shooting a large moose with my 358 norma? what about white tail deer with a 30-06? | ||
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one of us |
Depends on velocity, bullet construction, impact range. ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
A shoulder shot would leave a wound channel across the moose, and inside the hole you would usually find moose hairs left behind by the bullet. You would have to make the hole larger with a fillet knife to clean the meat. If the bullet goes all the way through there would be some jelled meat on the far side of the shoulder. For that reason alone, aiming to hit the heart "just" behind (almost touching) the shoulder bone would be a better shot, but the moose would have to be broadside to you. Lung or heart shots would drop a moose pretty fast with most cartridges starting with the .30-06 and a heavy bullet. | |||
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| one of us |
The 358norma is not a cartridge that I have delt with. The 30-06 on whitetail is another story. I butcher my own deer plus any deer shot by family members or friends. One of the most interesting aspects is the evaluation of wound channels. Any close range shot that hits bone always increases the loss of meat. If you butcher the meat yourself and time is not a factor, you can salvage quite a bit that you would loose from a butcher shop. I do agree that bullet type and vel. will be a major player in meat destruction. Best bet, aim behind the shoulder | |||
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| <Made in Sweden> |
I would say the 358 makes quite a hole in a moose... the moose are really a weakboned animal and it generally falls to pieces with anything larger than a 30-06. With the 358 you can count on a fistsized hole right through, with lots of blood blown in between the muscles. You will also ha lots of bonefragments flying around in the woundcavity. be sure to clean out all the blood before hanging it for tederisation, or the meat will go sour. My experience with moose is that the best way to kill them is by a neckshot or behind the shoulder, right through the lungs, the moose will run for a few hundred yards but almost no meat will be destroyed. Good luck with the 358 ! /Peter | ||
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| one of us |
As for the 30-06, I would say that if you use a heavy bullet (180 grain), you won't have too much of a mess. You'll lose some meat, but it's better than missing the opportunity, and will put the buck down on the spot. Never shot a moose, but have been on a couple of moose hunts. I would guess that the same applies, use heavy for caliber bullets, and if you're a handloader, load to a modest speed. | |||
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| <waldog> |
Why a shoulder shot? Wether on whitetails or moose, shoulder shots ruin meat, create more work for the bullet, introduce the uncertainties of heavy bone, ruin excessive meat, and are not an especially leathal anyway.
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| one of us |
waldog, I've taken several deer with shoulder shots, not because that's where I prefer to shoot, but because that's the shot I had. I would much rather take the lung shot, and do when that shot presents itself. When hunting up close and personal, with the wind blowing this way and that, you never know when the animal is going to take off. Where I hunt, you get damned few chances in a season, and sometimes can't wait for that broadside behind the shoulder shot. I've also shot them in the neck when that's all I had, which I consider to be a risky shot. I would suspect things may be different for people who hunt primarily in open country... | |||
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| one of us |
Thanks for the info guys, glad I asked this question instead of finding out afield. | |||
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| <T/Jazz> |
I don't think I would be apart of taking a shoulder shot on a moose or elk, don't do it on a deer if I can help it. Why mess up a good shoulder, that's meat for the pot so to speak right. A shot right behind the shoulder will usually get the lungs and or heart and the animal will be yours to take home. I read once were many elk size animals have been lost by hunters taking shoulder shots. I am sure some of it might be based on the type of bullet they were using at the time, but still and all, why take the risk is the way I look at things. | ||
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| one of us |
I only shoot dangerous game through the shoulders...otherwise an off the shoulder shot is best for meat salvage. Deer and antelope type animals succomb easily to that shot...Instant kills just don't always happen unless the spine or brain is hit, so use enough gun to leave a good blood trail. In Idaho its a good idea to use a head or spine shot on ocassions if the sidehills are steep or they will go to the bottom and thats not good, not good at all.... ------------------ | |||
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| <Alberta John> |
I like a shoulder shot on moose especially if you're anywhere near water you want to drop him on the spot.The big buggers will wander into the water and drop quite often, and believe me,you won't want to clean a moose in the water.I still have nightmares about the time i had to do that.I now use a .338 and try and take a shoulder coming or going towards the top of the lungs.Be care ful of hitting too high though,if you the tall bones sticking out the top of his spine he'll drop instantly as if stone dead then jump up in a little while and run away.You'll never get him unless you shoot him again, so keep the gun on him for at least 2 minutes if he drops instantly. | ||
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| one of us |
I partially agree with Alberta John, but a moose will not die until he decides to unless the spine or brain is hit...If he is near the water I will only shoot him in the neck or brain, I want an instant kill...The water is a bad place to gut a moose... ------------------ | |||
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| one of us |
You should try a six-foot ditch + two feet of water which is were I once had to gut a moose after a run out on some fields  Thankfully it rolled and landed on it's back! | |||
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| one of us |
I can't say that a shoulder shot will drop the animal on the spot. Seen too many run for a ways after being hit there. Shoot for the neck or lungs behind shoulder if your worried about meat damage. | |||
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| one of us |
Ray: I have dropped a few moose almost instantly with shoulder shots, heart shots, and lung shots, but I had one that walked perhaps 25 yards after a quartering away shot through the lungs. I am not an expert on moose hunting since I have only killed about seven so far, but what I have noticed is that if the moose is not aware or my presence I have a good chance to drop it very fast, if not instantly, with one well placed shot from my .338 WM. BUT....Maybe I have a lucky rifle? I usually stay out of view hidden at the edge of a large field; moose eventually come into this field to browse, so I sit on a small chair from sunrise to sundown, and only get up to stretch my legs of for "nature" calls. Several years ago I was riding my ATV to this spot, and I noticed very fresh tracks on the trail. I looked to my left, and there was a bull moose in the middle of the field, about 150 to 200 yards yards from the trail. I rapidly dismounted from the machine, and "sneaked" to the rocky knob I usually watch moose from, and as the crosshairs settle on the moose's shoulder I could see that it had not paid attention to me. The 230-grain FS hit the moose low on the shoulder, and it dropped like hit by lighting. The bullet broke both shoulder bones and exited, and it also clipped the top arteries right on the heart. It dropped so fast that when the rifled settled after the recoil the moose was flat on the brush. This moose was 200 yards away from where I stood. Two years ago I shot a small bull moose that was peacefully browsing in the same field, but only 100 yards away. Because of the trees, all I could see through the scope (a Leupold, of course) was the chest, but high on the lungs. I took the shot anyway, and the moose took maybe one step and dropped before I had reloaded the chamber. Last year I shot a moose that was at another large field I also watch, but this one saw me and was walking away through the trees, then stopped in the open right by the trail. This time I used a 250-grain Nosler Partition bullet from Federal HE load. The moose was 250 yards away, broadside to me when I fired my rifle. When the bullet hit the lungs it pivoted around on hind legs, and dropped on its belly facing the opposite direction. The moose that walked away 25 yards was the biggest one I have killed. I called it into the middle of the field, but since it was walking straight at me I could not shoot it through the trees. It came in straight at me to perhaps 125 yards, then it stopped and walked across the field to my left, but still behind some tall brush and trees. I slowly stood and moved my rifle to a higher branch (for rifle support), and the moose saw me. It immediately made a right turn and all I could see was its rump, but like in a dream it turned to the right just enough for me to take a quartering shot through the lungs. The 230-grain FS broke a rib on the right side and scraped the next, and continued its path through the lungs, broke the far shoulder bone, and stopped at the hide. It was dark already and I thought this moose was going to disappear in the dark, so I fired my rifle a couple of times on what I though was the chest. Later I found I had hit it on the rump's side missing the intestines. The shot that ended killing it was the first one, but it still walked about 25 yards. I am mounting the antlers this weekend. That was the only FS bullet I have recovered. My hunting partner found it and cut it out of the hide. Sorry about the long response. | |||
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| <FastEddie> |
quote: On the white tail figure 15 - 20%. ------------------ | ||
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| one of us |
DP: I can't answer your question since I have no experience with a 358 Norma and there are other factors involved as well. In my experience however, I have no concern about meat damage by shooting a moose in the shoulder. Normally where I hunt, we're near a river and I don't want to take a chance of the animal getting into the water. I always go for a shoulder shot first to put him down. Obviously if he's immobilized, he can't go anywhere. I'd take that shot on any moose since they can travel a long way even when lung shot and I've hauled my share of moose on my back. I don't even want to pack one 1/4 mile if I can help it. For the size of the animal, meat loss is minimal anyway. That's my take on it anyway. Bear in Fairbanks | |||
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| one of us |
alberta john.... thats no joke... when you look at a mooses' spine between the withers, it farther down then most herbivors. Though I do take shoulder shots on moose... generaly I havent found them to be as hard to put down as elk. Paladin... How much moose are you looking to eat? | |||
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