.308 for Moose

[darryl]

I am going on a moose hunt in Anvik and need some advice. How do you all feel about using a .308 for moose? I am hoping to get some input from some of you that have shot moose before. Also what bullet do you use? I have lots of choices for rifles, just cant leave the .308 at home! I will be reloading thanks darryl

 

[AlleninAlaska]

308 will work if you keep your shots under 250 yards. Use a 180 grain premium bullet or at least a good 165 like the Swift A-Frame as the minnimum weight. Run either one of those bullet weights right through the lungs and the moose will never know the difference between the 308 or the 30-06.

 

[Matt]

Your 308 will do just fine. I've never used anything bigger than a 300 Win. Mag./300 WSM to kill my moose, even though I do have and hunt with larger calibers.

 

[grizz106]

.308 on moose

.308 on moose

the .308 with 165 or 180 is some rifle for moose. I generally load up 180grn. for shots under 150yds. and if I know I am in some serious brush where there is plenty of bear sign and hard to figure how big they are I tend to load up some 200grn. partitions. I prefer to use .30 calibres as it use on moose is quite effecient and effective.

 

[Grizzly1]

Performance in a small package, that's how I view the 308W and it should serve you well on you moose hunt. I would use the 180gr for moose.

 

[Rufus]

308 is good

308 is good

I have enjoyed using this caliber on moose and caribou and black bear. Use a well constructed 180 grain bullet for consistent accuracy. You may have to experiment on different brands of ammo to achieve this with the rifle.

 

[KatzMO]

308 for moose

308 for moose

.308 should be fine for moose. I would recommend keeping your shots to 200 yards are less.

I have experience shooting moose and I have found the Swift A-Frame bullet to be the best for penetration and weight retention.

If you hit a moose in the lungs he is going to die, but you might have a trailing job on your hands.

Recommend high neck or head shot, if you have it, to bring the moose down.

Whatever you do, if he doesn't go down on the 1st shot keep on shooting. Unload your firearm into the animal if you have too. And reload if you have the chance and fire some more if you have the chance.

Moose are big critters.

Good Hunting

KatzMO

 

[AlleninAlaska]

If you hit a moose in the lungs he is going to die, but you might have a trailing job on your hands.

One of these days I'm going to have to find me one of these Moose that go off for hundreds of yards after being hit solidly in the lungs. I have taken 19 Moose and have never had a one go more then 10 yards. Most just stood there and took more lead.

 

[Float Pilot]

Lots of moose have fallen to a 30-30, a bunch around here to the 300 Savage since a lot of the old homesteaders had Savage M-99s.
I used a 7 x57 Mauser for years on everything up here except Buffalo.

I agree with Allen, usually they just stand there and then eventually slump over. Or they wander around in a circle...

 

[shooter338]

IMO the 308 with a standard bullet should be plenty adequate for moose. Due to its moderate velocity, expansion and penetration would not requrie a bullet like the Swift A-Fram. Its a great bullet if you have the velocity, but not necessary with the 308 for moose. If you have the need for more speed, Federal makes a 180 Nosler partition H.E.(high energy)load that is 2,700+. Can't go wrong with 308 and partition. Good hunting!!

 

[George]

308 moose

308 moose

The 308 will do fine for moose. Really an excellent cartridge. Most decent big game bullets 150-180 gr. will do fine. Heart-lung area is best. Not recommend head or neck shots.

 

[RMiller]

I used a 308 with a 165 barnes x boatail on a moose a few years ago.

It did the job. I would reload a premium 165 or use any 180 grain bullet..

 

[35gibber]

A .308 is absolutely adequate for a Moose. I know several guys who have used them for large Canadian bulls. I have often used a .270 with 150 corelokt round noses and almost always get through and through penetration with these apparently inferior bullets on heart/lung shots out to 200yds, although I think that partitions would possibly be better. Guys who think that you can pick up a moose and throw it across the state line with an extra 200fps can't have seen much game shot.
Now, if you are worried about other beasts with teeth bothering you whilst dressing your moose.......then a bigger caliber, not necessarily more velocity is what you need.

Cheers

 

[Rick P]

I'm in agreement with all I've read here with 2 exceptions. Head or neck shot at 200 yards no way! Whenever possible in the boiler room will do just fine(hart lung) and presents a much larger target. May not seem important now but when your sighted in on a nice bull and shaking like a leaf, I garentee you will be especailly on your first one, it will greatly improve your chances of a clean kill. I also have never had a moose move more than 10-30 yards typically ya hit them they, take a short trot, and lay down.

One none caliber related sugjestion. Get in shape. Start doing hike's in your local area with the pack on you intend to use and put some weight in it. Incress that wieght from time to time. Moose are big criters about the size of a Tennese Walker, ya know the horse.(Fish and game lists areavge boned out moose at 990lbs of meat)

 

[Paul H]

The .308 is a 30-06 with at most 50 yds less range. It'll kill the biggest moose plenty dead, just use a decent bullet and place it properly.

 

[beartooth]

Have a Sako 308 and it is a great gun boy is it accurate . The 308 is a good cartridge but it is not a 30-06 with "just" 50yds less trajectory. Friend of mine and I were hunting russian bore down in the Pearl River swamp. He shot a 350 pound bore and it charged him and He emptied his 308 180gr partition (four rounds) I had to finish it. two days later I shot 382 pound bore coming right at us in a dead run at 40yds and dropped him with one 200gr round out of a 30-06. I have seen both cartridges over the last 34 years of serious hunting and a 308 is not a 30-06 and never will be no matter how you try to max the handloads. Is the 308 more accruate if all things are equal YES! Is the 308 a better killer than the 30-06 if all things equal NO! Will it kill a moose of course it will so will a 30-30. The 308 is not the all around 30 cal. that the 30-06 is and never will be. By the way with my new Kimber 30-06 today at the range I shot a .389inch group with 165gr bullet and a 200gr load .875 inch group. 2926-2951fps with the 165 and 2598-2632fps with the 200gr.load. Powder for both was IMR4350

 

[Paul H]

The .308 and 30-06 shoot the same bullets with about 150 fps difference in velocity. There will be stark differences in how different bullets perform and to how each and every animal reacts to a shot.

I'd venture to say you could have substituted the -06 and .308 and bullets for those two pigs and the results would have been the same.

 

[beartooth]

Possibly, but if I did not have more hunting examples I could begin to agree with you except for the physics involved or if nothing else such as hunting examples of those of us who have used them both in many similar situations says different and physical laws don't change. The 308 does not hit has hard nor has as many options when it comes to bullets especially the heavier ones so that alone limits what is practical for the 308 as opposed to the 30-06. But I am sure there are many debates and directions we are anyone could take this topic of discussion.

 

[beartooth]

Oh, by the way, I was there when those two hog charged and I would not have traded my 30-06 for Tom's 308!

 

[shooter338]

Hi Beartooth, just too tempting not to respond to you statement, "a 308 is not a 30-06 and never will be no matter how you try to max the handloads". IMO the 30-06 is one of, if not the finest all around cases around (another topic, lol).
With that said, take this example: A 180 gr.nosler bullet out of a 308 federal HE will have more velocity and energy, from muzzel, to 500, than a 180 gr. nosler out of a 30-06 (not HE). Ex. taken from Petersen's 2007 Hunting Annual ballistics tables. 308 with federal HE 180 nosler, muzzle velocity 2740, muzzle energy 3000. 30-06 with federal (not HE) 180 nosler, muzzle velocity 2700, muzzle energy 2915. After leaving the muzzel, the stats for the 30-06 do not narrow the gap at any point for the 30-06.
The bullet doesn't know the difference, and as good as the 30-06 case is, its just a case.
Good shooting!