I was wondering if anybody has any experience in hunting moose with a 264 win mag. As my grandfather gave me when I was child his 7mm rem mag. Which had originally been a 264 win mag, so for sentiment sake I want to put another 264 barrel on it after I shoot out this one. Would it be too light for this type of hunting.

I'm told that the most popular cartridge for moose in the Scandanavian countries is the 6.5x55. It does what the .264 does, just 400 fps slower.

Using a premium 140 grain bullet like the Nosler Partition, I wouldn't be hesitant to go after moose with my .264. I've used that combination on bull elk with success. Most people who have hunted both will tell you that the elk is tougher to kill. Not having hunted moose, I can't make that claim, but if it will kill an elk (wapiti), it will also kill an elk (moose).

Anything the 270 , 7 mag, 280 , 30-06 ,8x57 ,and most probably the 300 win mag will kill , the 264 win mag will kill just as well .... . I would use a TSX ect. bullet myself , but any good bullet that holds together will work good .... Like with any round , make your first shot a good one and be ready to shoot again ...........

The Euro's use the heavier 156-160 gr bullets which American barrels are usually not set up for twist wise. Also I do believe Scand moose are smaller then Yukon moose, closer to our Shiras. But it should work just fine with a premium 140gr. Aim the pointy end towards the front half of a moose and you should be good to go! If you're using an outfitter, ask his suggestions. Most of the webpages I've seen ask that clients bring a 30 mag or larger, but you should be fine with a good shooting 264 Mag. Like Stonecreek said, it'll kill a bull elk, and while smaller, its a tough critter for sure.

Tough 140's and up should be fine.

as stated previously the 6.5 x 55 Swede is used every year in the Scandinavian countries to take countless moose and has been doing so for over a hundred years

Just about any hunting rifle will kill a moose.
I kiled moose with a a 44mag handgun, a 7x61S&H,
30-06, 300Wby, 340Wby, 303Brit, 2years ago with a 257Roberts. This last year I was after moose with a Ruger#3 in 375Win but did not get a shot.
My friend got it with a 308 Win.

My brother killed a lot of Moose over many yrs with his 264 custom. it worked just fine.
He mostly used the Winchester 140 gr PP factory loads. The handloads he shot out of it were the 139 gr Hornadys IIRC.

quote:

Originally posted by WestCoaster:
My brother killed a lot of Moose over many yrs with his 264 custom. it worked just fine.
He mostly used the Winchester 140 gr PP factory loads. The handloads he shot out of it were the 139 gr Hornadys IIRC.

Could it have been the 140gr Hornady or the 129gr Hornady?

quote:

Originally posted by olarmy:

quote:

Originally posted by WestCoaster:
My brother killed a lot of Moose over many yrs with his 264 custom. it worked just fine.
He mostly used the Winchester 140 gr PP factory loads. The handloads he shot out of it were the 139 gr Hornadys IIRC.

Could it have been the 140gr Hornady or the 129gr Hornady?

Olarmy
Yep Mr.typo crept in there it was the 129 gr bullet.

Since Swedes hunt moose with dogs it is not fair to compare rifles. I wouldn't be afraid to use a 264 though with good bullets. Wouldn't be legal where I hunt though. I got two with a 8mm mauser with factory ammo. Seen others killed with one shot from 30/40 Krag and 30/30. Not too hard to kill a moose, but I like to use plenty of gun anymore.

quote:

Wouldn't be legal where I hunt though.

And where would that be that has such a caliber/cartridge restriction?

African elephant are killed with .22 rimfire short by poachers. Little bullet thru major artery and then track.

No doubt the .264 Win Mag will harvest a moose. I know a man that hunts eland with a 7mm Rem Mag. One eland bull took 15 shots, but he killed it after many miles.

I'm in the bigger caliber, moderate velocity, stalking club so the .264 caliber would be out for me if I had access to bigger caliber for moose. I have made 400 yd shots on thin skin small big game. Moose start at .338 for me and go up from there.

If all I had was a .264 rifle and the opportunity to go moose hunting came along....I'd load up some 140 grain A-Frames and go....

However I'm a very fortunate gun owner.....and I'd opt for something throwing about 250 grains at about 2,500 FPS or more!

Thanks guys. I do have larger calibers but I was just wondering if I was deer hunting, that I could just take this one gun out.

I used have the 264 for moose and can assure you it does a fine job. I normally loaded 140gr Noslers over H450, but eventually began using the 125gr Nosler as my rifle shot them better.

FWIW, I also have used a 338 on moose, but my all-time, hands-down favorite moose round is the 300 Winny.

Stonecreek
Much of Ontario can't use 30-06 for deer go figure

140 Sierra Gameking over 73+ grs H-870 and a VERY dead Moose at about 170 yds. One shot. Died one body length from where he was shot. A 264 Win WILL work!
Aloha, Mark

quote:

Originally posted by Mikelravy:
Stonecreek
Much of Ontario can't use 30-06 for deer go figure

I'm confused. In your first post you indicated that a .264 is not legal for moose where you hunt. In this post, you indicate that a .30-06 is not legal in much of Ontario for deer. What are the caliber regulations/restrictions you're speaking of?

In southern Ontario 270 was biggest allowed for deer. In much of Ontario (or all, I don't remember) a 270 was the smallest allowed for moose. I haven't checked the regs recently. I don't get the logic behind much of what Ontario's DNR requires. (Don't get me started on their fishing regs, which are really ridiculous)

moose dont seem to like to drop in their tracks, no matter what they are hit with. But, neither are they hard to kill. A 264 is plenty if you do your part. my 18 yr old neice downed hers last year with one shot from a 7/08 and a 140 corlok, it ran 30 yds, I've had them run the same when hit with a 10.75x68 or 8mag.

quote:

Originally posted by buckwild:
I was wondering if anybody has any experience in hunting moose with a 264 win mag. As my grandfather gave me when I was child his 7mm rem mag. Which had originally been a 264 win mag, so for sentiment sake I want to put another 264 barrel on it after I shoot out this one. Would it be too light for this type of hunting.

Has it occoured to you that your grandfather rechambered it to 7mm for a reason?

Wanna be sentimental leave it alone.

Unless you want him to rise from his grave and take the rifle back.


in Sweden the 6.5x55 is the MINIMUM caliber but I know a couple people in sweden who would insist that the american 30-06 is actually MORe popular... that being said, I also have been led to understand that in sweden they shoot more calf and cows than bulls.

so a simple "Fact" about the 6.5x55 being used for moose can be very misleading.

AD

He actually rebarrelled it because a ruptured case destroyed the barrel and bolt back in the 70's.

I shoot the Lapula 155 gr mega tip bullets out of my 264 they are awesome.The Woodleigh 160 gr shouls be awesome also.I shot two pronghorn at 350 yards it flattened them in their tracks.I also shot a hudge 275 pound buck with that bullet.The Swedes shoot moose with the 155 gr Lapula bullets all the time.Its super accuirate too.My 264 ruger model 77s have shot 3/8"groups at 100 yards and 1.5" at 300 yards.I really like these bullets if you going to shoot larger game with the 264.Myself I like the 338 win mag for moose.

I would think that either 140 grain Swift A-frames or the 160 grain Woodleigh Protected Point should be fine. I can get 3185 fps with the 140 grain bullets and 2,950 with the 160 grain bullets in my 264. The 140 grain worked great on black bear.

quote:

Originally posted by buckwild:
He actually rebarrelled it because a ruptured case destroyed the barrel and bolt back in the 70's.

And he could have just as easily put another 264mag barrel on there, but apparrently chose not to.


I've owned a 264mag, it's "novelty" is overrated

I have a 7mmMag now.

BUT.... IF I were out actually looking for a Moose I'd leave my 7mmMag at home... and take my 30-06.

AD

Maybe he had it rebored?

JPK

quote:

Originally posted by buckwild:
I was wondering if anybody has any experience in hunting moose with a 264 win mag. As my grandfather gave me when I was child his 7mm rem mag. Which had originally been a 264 win mag, so for sentiment sake I want to put another 264 barrel on it after I shoot out this one. Would it be too light for this type of hunting.

Hello buckwild,

I've never shot a moose with a .264 but I have lived in Alaska for 27 years. I have known people here to take them with the most diversified and bizzare minagerie of cartridges from .22 rimfire (poachers with ear hole shot) through .50-120 BP Express (nostalgia types) that one can ever imagine.

Except for their sheer body mass and therefore built in ability to soak up projectiles if said projectile does not penetrate well, moose evidently are not very "impact resistant".

I once worked with a woman who had taken a pile of moose (among other local critters) with a .243 while growing up in the bush (King Salmon/Bristol Bay area). I feel it is worth mentioning that she had a .375 H&H made to fit her though, at about the age of 35.

I'm a "heavy bullet for heavy animal" type man and therefore I am biased in that direction. Nonetheless, I am confident that you will have no trouble taking moose with your .264 as long as you use a real tough projectile and shoot it into the vital spot of said critter.

I would just caution against trying to break heavy shoulder bone (quartering toward you) with such a light/HV bullet. Likewise, I'd be nervous about trying a quartering away shot with it as well on such a large animal.

Bring what you've got, use what you've brought, hit the right spot and hit it alot.

Safe Hunting.
Ard.