I'm asking this for a mate in Canada that does not post here,he wants a bullet 243 bullet for Moose well its for his girlfriend who shoots Remington model 7.My pick would be barnesX,partition and get in real close any other ideas.Thanks guys

You must be shitting me. You owe the animal more than that. A .243 on a Moose? That's cruel, irresponsible and morally reprehensible.

I would say thats a little lite but if your going to do it that would work. I would go for a North Fork for penetration.

I hope she can shoot it in the head .

Absolutely amazes me that someone would consider using a .243 on moose?????

Is it really that hard to borrow a .30-06 in Canada?

Your mate muist be very unknowlegdable about the real world to even consider using a .243 on a Moose.

I would suggest using a bullet for the 243 that weighs 180 grains. If you can't find one, maybe choose a caliber that you can find appropriate ammo for.

Yip,i don't know much about moose hunting and have never shot one so wanted to ask guys that do hunt them.Cheers guys he is going to have to get something bigger.

I have never hunted moose personally but I know someone who has and from what I gather from him (and other sources), moose while being a large animal don't have the "will" that you would expect from big game, like elk for example. Apparently they give up on life fairly easily. If the 243 was the only gun I had, I'd make sure that I could shoot it well and get very close. In addition I'd get the heaviest weight of bullet that I could find and it'd be something stout like a Barnes X. Just a thought. Like the the other folks mentioned though, if I had a choice I'd go with something bigger if at all possible.

I have never hunted or shot a moose,,,I have never been closer than a hundred miles to one,,But know what it does on white tail,,I'd sooner take my .45 colt and stalk to 20 yds. Before using a .243,,Good golly,,at least move up to a .308,,Clay

I have hunted Moose in Newfoundland, Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, and in B.C all these are provinces in Canada.

Here is what I used. 30-06 with 220 gr RN. on three Moose.

7x61 S&H 160gr Speer two Moose

300Wby 180gr Hornady, 200gr Bitterroot, 220gr Herter RN. five or six Moose.

340Wby three Moose with 250gr Siver tip and 250gr Nosler Partition.

All the these guns and bullets worked perfect one shot for each moose. Moose don't fall over too easy unless you break heavy bones.

You don't want them to run with lung shots. They are hard enough to pack out without adding extra distance. No worry about ruining a few pounds of meat. There is lots to go around.

Get in close if you can.

243 good grieve I don't even like to shoot deer with one. Mind you I don't have one.

I wouldnt hesitate to take a moose or elk with a 243 if I could take a 200 yard or less broadside shot. I would use heavy bullets 100 or 105 grain loaded slow, 2500 fps or so. Just dont be stupid and try to take a shoulder shot and they will die dead and you should get good penetration.

I don't necesarily recommend it, but moose are killed routinely with .223 and .243. I saw one that went over 55" in Kenai/Soldotna, AK North of Tustamena that was shot with a Model 70 .243 using a 115 gr Barnes round nose.

I'd suggest a little bigger, maybe a good 160 gr out of a 6.5x55 or 7x57.

Regardless of what you shoot it with you gotta hit them right.

I saw one nice bull hit with a .375 H&H in the shoulder and that three legged bull ran/walked well over a mile (away from camp) without much of a blood trail before it went down. It was about 3 hours after it was shot before we found it and it had died very shortly before we got there. The left shoulder was destroyed and the bullet went thru the shoulder and upward over the lungs, missing the lungs and spine. The shot was too high and too far forward. A shot with a much smaller gun and a good bullet thru the ribs hitting the heart/lungs would have killed him much better....so would an arrow.

Most folks can shoot a small gun much better than a big one and with the right bullet and the right shot, they can kill most anything. Give them a .243 with the right bullet and teach them to shoot....they'll do fine.

If FORCED to shoot a moose with a 6mm, I'd load the Barnes 115 gr RN and pray for a 50 yard or less neck or lung shot. Wouldn't feel very confident however....

While it might not take the biggest gun to kill a moose, the moose might decide to die in a place you really don't want it to die in, ie a pond, lake or worse yet river, if you don't drop it on the spot.

The biggest mistake folks make is not considering everything that happens after you shoot a moose. Finding them and shooting them is easy.

My thought is, anyone experienced enough to go after moose with a .243 will have no problem picking a bullet, and anyone that has no clue what bullet to use in a .243, has no business shooting a moose with one.

quote:

Originally posted by SwiftShot:
I would say thats a little lite but if your going to do it that would work. I would go for a North Fork for penetration.

IIRC the smallest bullet Northfork makes is a .270 Does that mean that they too don't consider the .243 to be a hunting caliber?

I guaran-damn-tee you an 85 gr TSX or 100 gr Partition will kill ANY moose that ever thought about stripping a willow. That's not to say a bigger caliber wouldn't be a bit better, but the 243 will get it done, period.

115 grn Barnes is the only one I'd choose.

Once I had them loaded up over some RL25 and the loads dialed in, I'd put it back in the safe and get a real gun.

.45/70, 8mm Mauser, .303 British, surely there is one of these around?

Get her comfortable shooting centerfires with the .243, then a few shots with the bigger gun for practice and off she goes.

A big bull in rut is as tuff as any,a 243 is to light period!Will it kill a moose ,yes.Everything must go perfectly with no margin for error.The chances of wounding are high.If I had only a 243- I'd load up an x bullet and wait for a perfect broadside shot at 100yds or less.I've taken some big bulls with calibers from 300 win up thru 9.3x64 and 375ultra and 416 taylor.My advise is to use a 7mm with a 160gr or larger.

I would not dare attempt to shoot a moose with a 243 Win. I don't even consider it ethical. A 243 may well kill one with premium bullets and perfect shot placement but in reality, how often is that going to happen with a neophyte hunter? I owe it to the game I'm hunting to use enough gun to humanely kill it quickly given a less than picture perfect broadside shot such as a strong quartering angle. A bullet must reach and cavitate the vitals from a variety of angles, through muscle, bone, and possibly large organs such as the liver. IMHO, said girlfriend should not step in the woods after moose without a larger, more suitable chambering.

Moose are not that hard to kill. I use a 358 Norma but if need be a 243 with 100 grain partitions would get the nod. The Barnes Original bullets are tempting for increased weight but generally separate when driven fast.

A lot of hunters spend quite a few years and a good bit of money to nail old bullwinkle. He's quite a majestic animal.
You want to go after him with a .243Win.? Maybe you can find a good book on using appropriate calibers for large animals. Assuming you know what you're doing, you'll quickly learn that a .243 is not an appropriate caliber for this animal. You have an obligation to dispatch that animal quickly and cleanly. Best of luck, and I hope he doesn't come after your butt with hooves a flailing. It's been known to happen. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

quote:

Originally posted by Tombo:
You must be shitting me. You owe the animal more than that. A .243 on a Moose? That's cruel, irresponsible and morally reprehensible.

"You have an obligation to dispatch that animal quickly and cleanly."

Guys, I've never understood statments like that. I'm not sure what you guys have done to moose in the past to feel that way but I don't owe any moose any where any thing.

Would I use a .243? NO.

Do I want to kill one cleanly and quickly? YES.

Do I owe it to them? I don't think so.

By this reasoning bowhunting should be against the law or our moral code because it takes a while. When I had a doe drop in front of my treestand after a shot I sat and watched her die for 15 minutes. Do I owe it to her to go hit her on the head? I can't put a bullet in her brain with out breaking the law during bow season.

Am I rambling now? YES.

Agree. You don't owe the moose anything. You DO owe it to YOURSELF to lessen the potential chance of a half mile tracking job and it ends up in the lake!

People who have never shot a moose think a big animal=hard to kill. Moose die very easily if shot properly Ie: close shot in the boilder room. I'd definately not go for a head shot with a smaller caliber as their heads are pretty thick with having to carry 50 lbs of antlers and all.

How many have been killed with the 30-30 hundreds of thousands probably. Now the sticker, if buddy hasn't hunted moose before he might not be able to get close enough for the perfect shot and his excitement might lead to a poorly planned/executed shot. I've rarely seen moose run after being shot but then we usually shoot them when they are pretty unaware of danger. After the shot they can often be called back, or at least stopped from running away.

I'd still vote for a larger gun.

The chef

I'd like to add that if using a 243 the perfect shot is a must. You have to treat it more like bowhunting and refuse to take anything other than a double lung broadside shot period. I mean if a bow can kill a moose certainly a 243 can.

the chef

30/30's have taken alot of moose, but probably have accounted for more wounded moose than any other caliber.Use enough gun!

Don't mean to get off topic here, but IMHO, shot placement is what either kills or wounds animals, not the caliber of the gun used. I must agree that a gut shot moose hit with a big soft point probably won't go as far as one hit with a little soft point, but they are still wounded animals.

I'd rather see folks shoot a smaller gun with the right bullet and have them practice until they hit the hair they are aiming at everytime....like bow hunters are supposed to do!!

I shot a 110 lb doe last night with my Savage ML 10 with a 250 gr XTP at about 2000 fps. At 40 yds, it went thru the front of the right shoulder, right lung, clipped the heart, back of the left lung and tore open her belly with about a 4" ragged exit hole on the left side...over kill??...yes at 40 yds, but at 140 it's just right. A .223 with a 64 gr power point would have been perfect!!

I won't argue a 243 will kill a moose, but someone I know went hunting for moose and jumped a bear with cubs at VERY close range (not a black bear-bigger). He was carrying a 340 Weatherby.

He escaped with CLEAN underwear.

If he had a 243, he would have had to throw them away I do believe.

Yes, it can be done. But...

Which .22 LR should I use for deer?
Which .222 bullet should I use for polar bear?
Which 7 Mag bullet for Cape buffulo?

All of these have been done, that doesn't mean that it should be. My Mother-in-law has killed moose in Northern BC w/ her .250 savage. Yet, she has done so off her porch as they ate in her garden, shooting them at the base of the neck. Most people won't have a such an opportunity in normal hunting. BUY a something larger than will be a more likely to insure clean kills.

quote:

Originally posted by 6.5BR:
I won't argue a 243 will kill a moose, but someone I know went hunting for moose and jumped a bear with cubs at VERY close range (not a black bear-bigger). He was carrying a 340 Weatherby.

He escaped with CLEAN underwear.

If he had a 243, he would have had to throw them away I do believe.

Bears in moose country is a very real possibility. Something to consider when choosing a calibre.

I have a couple local aquaintances who hunt moose. One shoots a .243 and has no problem getting his moose. The other shoots a 340 weatherby and he's very well known for leaving a trail of wounded animals wherever he goes. I'd much rather hunt with the guy who shoots the .243. It's the person using the weapon that is much more important than the weapon itself. A .243 is very deadly in the hands of a person who knows what he is doing.

Don't let these biger is better freaks bother you.
If you shoot a moose with a 243 and a barnes TSX in the chest he will die just as dead as any other rifle.
Good Luck
Dr B

No one will argue that a 243 will kill a moose,but why not choose a more reasonable caliber.Grizzlies can be taken with a 30/30 but it's not a very good choice.I just don't understand the reasoning in chooseing a 243 for moose!In my opinion Hunting moose with a 243 is like hunting mule deer with a 22 long rifle,it can be done but WHY.
If recoli is a concern --grab a 30/06 and go moose hunting.

A .243 is not my choice for any game because of past experiences with either pencil like pass throughs or surface blow ups using older, non premium bullets. but it would likely work given proper shot placement and proper bullet choice. The big question is will she turn down a poor shot angle. I would not recommend a head or neck shot either as too many of these will miss vital organs or bone and cause a serious but not immediately fatal wound.

As for small stuff on moose my grandfather once shot a moose with his 25-20. It was not a hunt but rather a way of harvesting some free meat out of the back yard durring the depression. He drove it into a deep snow bank then shot a knee out so he could get up close for a head shot muchlike a steer in a barn. Being a cow the skull is not nearly as tough as a bull's.

I like a 30-06 but would suggest a 308 with 165 gr for a lady.

This thread is a good example, of the Old " Use Enough Gun" is strictly an North American Hangup....

Before Advertising told you what you needed ( that keeps getting bigger, to sell more )... plenty of old timers shoot Moose and Elk with calibers that had a lot less energy than a 243.....

If an Arrow can take a Moose, then how big do you need in a rifle??????

Like Oscar above and some of the More rational people from Down Under... I tend to work on shot placement, more than worrying if my caliber is big enough....

of course the analogy above of 'what 22 RimFire for deer?' etc.... is ridiculous....But the big bore nuts always like to act like they are being funny when they use it...

If an animal is legally able to be hunted with a bow, then a 243 will kill anything aa arrow can!

Here is a good load for moose with the 243 Win.

First cut off the neck and shoulder of the case. Brush the inside of the case to rough it up and fill it with molten linotype. Now load it in a 470 Capstick. Work up the load carefully and sight it in 1" high at 100 yds.

For the advanced craftsman I suggest Lapua brass and depleted uranium for a fill. Also load the bullet rim out so that you can read the 243 headstamp.

Having had a fair bit of experience with moose,I do have to chuckle when I read posts where people think that you need .338" or .375" bullets to kill them.I have found that although the moose is a large animal,it is also the biggest wimp in the deer family.After being shot they may not drop,but they rarely run far.They usually just stand until they drop,or walk a very short distance to lie down and die.I find that elk although smaller are much tougher.I know of several moose that have been killed with 243s and 25-06s and many people use the 270win for moose hunting.That being said,I would not use a 243 myself since I have several rifles in more suitable chamberings.My own choice for moose is cartridges using 7mm and up bullets,but if I had only a 243,I would use the barnes tsx and wait for a broadside shot at close range. .

I find it hilarious how people who are not confident in their own shooting abiliites are always putting down people who can shoot.

Being as I dont live in Moose country, I would choose a bigger caliber for moose. If my only choice was a 243 and the TSX or partition etc. I would be moose hunting.

For those of you who cant shoot stay home and quit whining.