Moose vs. 7MM Mag
Question:
Last fall in Maine my mom took a big cow moose with a Thompson Encore in 7mm08 shooting a 140 grain nosler partition. The moose never knew what hit her, three steps and she was down. It was a 100 yard shot quartering away. Complete penetration. So, the 7 Mag is plenty with any of the premium bullets from 140 on up. As usual, a cannon is not needed, but being a good shot sure helps. Poor marksmanship cannot be made up for with a bigger gun! Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
>Use 175 grain of heavier bullet. A-Frame or Nosler partition bullet. >’Ordinary’ bullets just won’t cut it with moose….Moose is really tough. >They look some 11 feet tall through a scope…. it looked like >a bulldozer to me…
While moose are large animals, they are not armour plated, nor are they immortal. A great many of the moose killed here in Alaska are taken with ‘ordinary’ bullets, and they die just fine. OTOH, I too would recommend the use of premium bullets in the smaller calibers expecially. Bullets from 160-175 grains in FailSafe, X-Bullet, Partition, or one of the smaller premium makes will give the hunter a slight edge on some shots. But that said, a CoreLokt or PowerPoint will work fine too, particularly if the 175-weight is chosen. I prefer a .338, but I’ve seen several one-shot kills with a .270 Winchester. Jay T Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
Use 175 grain of heavier bullet. A-Frame or Nosler partition bullet. ‘Ordinary’ bullets just won’t cut it with moose. Next time try to borrow a 338. Moose is really tough. They look some 11 feet tall through a scope. Beware of buck fever. I have killed some large elk, but the first moose left me in awe. I accicentally stumbled on a very large one with near a 55" rack, and it looked like a bulldozer to me, even though I had hunted for 40 years. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – >I am going to Quebec for moose in Sept.. A good friend >has loaned me his 7 MM Remington Magnum for the hunt. I >have no experience with moose and want to get accustomed to >the >rifle over the next several weeks. >What factory load / bullet do you recommend to bring down >my moose? >Thanks, >Bill >Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: > http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
I’ve hunted moose for 20 years in Alaska. I use a with a 338 but it’s for the bear I might run into, not the moose. My hunting buddy uses a 270 and has never had a problem, never lost a moose. But he will wait for the right shot and can hit what he wants. Personally I prefer a heart/lungs shot to conserve meat. I am still amazed at how long those animals can act like nothing has happened. Several times I’ve convinced myself that I’d missed, took a shoulder shot to put him down only to find I’ve made a dead center lung shot. I have a 7mm also and I would use it on moose. I am no ballistics expert but my only concern would be taking a shoulder shot. I’m not sure that shot with a 7mm would drop a moose in his tracks. The last thing you want is a 1200+ pound moose running out into the middle of a swamp to die. Here is a quote from the Alaska fish and game on moose hunting: "Moose, although large and powerfully built, are not particularly hard to kill with a well-placed, well-constructed bullet. Shot Placement – I always recommend a lung shot. By aiming toward the rear of the shoulder about 1/3 of the way up from the bottom of the chest, you will hit the lungs on a moose standing broadside. A high shot may hit the spine and a low shot may hit the heart. The lungs are the largest lethal target on a moose, reducing the potential for wounding loss. Also, a moose hit through both lungs will bleed out all of the muscles through the damaged lung tissue as the moose dies. You don’t need to shoot again if your first shot into the lungs is true. Often times a lung shot moose hit only once will calmly go back to eating and will sag to the ground after a minute or two. Hunters who advocate head, neck, spine or heart shots are kidding themselves. The targets (brain, spinal column, heart) are small and hidden from view. The potential for wounding loss is much higher than for the lung shot. Also, all blood will remain in the blood vessels and the meat, increasing the chances of spoilage. Heart-shot moose also can run a long way before going down, and not leave much of a blood trail." Hope that helps. Good luck
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Use 175 grain of heavier bullet. A-Frame or Nosler partition bullet. > ‘Ordinary’ bullets just won’t cut it with moose. > Next time try to borrow a 338. Moose is really tough. They look some > 11 feet tall through a scope. Beware of buck fever. I have killed some > large elk, but the first moose left me in awe. I accicentally > stumbled on a very large one with near a 55" rack, and it looked like > a bulldozer to me, even though I had hunted for 40 years. >I am going to Quebec for moose in Sept.. A good friend >has loaned me his 7 MM Remington Magnum for the hunt. I >have no experience with moose and want to get accustomed to >the >rifle over the next several weeks. >What factory load / bullet do you recommend to bring down >my moose? >Thanks, >Bill >Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: > http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/ > Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: > http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
I’m responding to you as a lover of the 7MM Rem Mag and not a moose hunter so please bear with me. I’ve taken both bear and elk with the caliber and has worked quite well. I’ve heard of many moose being taken down with the the 7 Mag. so I wouldn’t hesitate to use it. You’d probably be better off with the 175 gr. load, although the 165’s shot a little tighter groups with my model 700. As far as brands, I stick with Remington. Although there are many,many other brands that are respectable. I understand that in their Safari grade line, Remington makes a 160 grain with it’s Swift-A frame bullet. I guess this would be my choice as you’re getting both great velocity and expansion. I’ve heard moose are similar to elk as easy to kill just tough going down. Anyway, best of luck to you on your upcoming hunt. Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
Response:
I am going to Quebec for moose in Sept.. A good friend has loaned me his 7 MM Remington Magnum for the hunt. I have no experience with moose and want to get accustomed to the rifle over the next several weeks. What factory load / bullet do you recommend to bring down my moose? Thanks, Bill Visit the rec.hunting and rec.hunting.dogs FAQ Home Page at: http://sportsmansweb.com/hunting/
