Help Please

[turkeydude]

Hi
I'm from New Hampshire I got picked this year for a Moose permit in J1
Has anybody hunted that area before and could help where I might start
Scouting also is a 308 150gr bullet to small for moose
Thanks for everybodys time
Steve

[dave-t.]

I'd look for a 165 or 180grn load if it were me.

[Bushman]

Steve, there is some pretty good info in that 7mm RM for moose thread. I've never shot a moose, but my buddy from MN. has used his .308 on a couple of them and he said that it worked okay. The guys here tell us that a moose is not that hard to kill and that you just need to give them some time to bleed out. I would make sure that the shot was relatively close and only broadside. A normal 150 grain bullet will often stop inside a deer, so I would sure be looking at a 180 grain bullet if I was going moose hunting with a .308. Personally I would use a premium bullet for that too. If it were me, I would look for a Federal Light Magnum loading shooting a 180 grain Trophy Bonded Bear Claw bullet. Don't use them in a semi-auto though.

[GF.]

I'd be less concerned about the 'light mag' loading than getting the right bullet in the first place. At .308 velocities, I'd think that just about any 180 grain cup & core bullet would perform beautifully - provided that you can get inside of a couple hundred yards and hit a 10-ring the size of a small pizza. :D Most 180s are built with the understanding that they'll be used in .30-06s and larger, so 'toughness' really shouldn't be an issue...

If your rifle won't shoot a 180-garin bullet for squat, then try 165 grains in a premium or super-premium bullet designed specifically to hold together and penetrate (this means RUN LIKE HELL if anyone offers you a box of Ballistic Tips!!!)

Just take your time and don't try to shoot through too much good meat. If the only shot you're offered is a crappy shot, then go home with clean hands and a clean conscience and try again next time.

[alan]

Where is J!? I shot my NH moose next to Me. border with 30/06 180 grain Hornady light magnum. One shot and he was down within 20 yards. I would choose a heavier bullet with your .308 but otherwise the .308 should be fine.

[Smokey]

I think everyone gave you the proper info. The bigger bullet such as 180 would be a better choice than 150. Getting close in to your benefit and also the moose. The closer the better shot placement normally. They really are not that difficult to get close to.

Do not shoot if they are close to water.

[Silvertip]

I agree with the previous posters in that the 180 gr or bigger is a wiser choice than the 150gr for Moose. I have taken two Moose with my .303 British rifle using 180 gr bullets with no problem.
If a moose is just standing there after you have taken a carefully aimed shot it doesn't necessarily mean you have missed him.It takes them somtimes a few seconds to realize what happened so be careful not to fill him full of holes.One well placed shot from a decent caliber and bullet is all it takes really to kill one.

cheers --Silvertip

[Hi Ball]

Dude.......Moose are not near as hard to bring down as elk but they still are a much bigger animal and they do have bigger bones that a bullet might have to contend with upon entry of the body.

Many here have given you solid advice in using a premium bullet and staying with a 180 grain bullet weight. Shoot the critter 1/3 up from the bottom of his belly or brisket and right behind the shoulder and you will be eating a lot of moose steaks ok.:D

[Rich]

turkeydude,

Welcome to the forum. I hope you learn a lot from the folks here.

I will be the first to tell you a 150 grainer is fine as long as it is a Barnes TSX. Also, if the only shot presented is the south end of a north pointed moose I would shoot for the base of the tail. After it is on the ground, you may have to run to put one in the neck or head or boiler room. I learned that shot from Bob Hagel. So far I have only used it one time. The horns are still on the all and the meat was great.:D

To me letting a tag go to waist is not ethical. The state expects to reduce so many animals form the heard each year. Do your part. You can mount the horns on the wall and enjoy them for years. You also can eat the steaks for about a year.:)

[Chuck S]

Shoot the 150 gn accurately and all is well. Shoot a 180 gn inaccurately and well:rolleyes: The lung/heart region shot is deadly and large.

A thought though, since if water is near, and it usually is, make the second shot one to stop the moose, and anchor it if at all possible to avoid a wet and miserable retreive!:eek:

[alan]

Hi
I got picked this year for a Moose permit in J1
Has anybody hunted that area before
Steve
Steve; If J1 is where I hunted I'd be happy to let you in on the area I am familiar with. Al

[Rock Chuck]

Between my partner & I, we've shot 3 moose with 30-06's & 180 gr bullets. There isn't much difference between that & a 308. All worked just fine. Like the others have said, just don't try shooting across a canyon. Keep the range reasonable.

[Herne]

Well it rather depends which 180g you are talking about.

Personally Id use a 150TSX. I'd get a much heavier more energetic projectile IN THE ANIMAL, (where it matters) than a cup and draw 180, and a better trajectory to boot.

Gents, everyone comes out with these "old fashined" stats about bullets, and bullet designs have moved on. The monolithic solid is king, and in development terms cup and draw is a museum piece.

Just think about it, in terms of impact velocity and retained weight, a 150 308 is going to outperform a 300 Winnie using conventional bullets.

Likewise SD now has a new meaning. Tis important to note these points when one is talking of using a calibre towards the larger end of its performance.

[GF.]

Or did I just hear Herne mention 'energy' as an asset??? :eek:

Does that mean that all this heat is because Hell is freezing over and they're venting the heat through New Jersey? :D :rolleyes:

OK, so the point is well taken, provided that one does use a monolithic, limited-expansion 150, because 95% of a 150 is worth 80% of a 180, and there probably aren't a lot of cup & core 180s that won't drop 20% right on impact. Bonded & fused cores excepted, of course, but a 150 TSX has got to be a better round on a moose than a 180-grain Partition, especially at shorter range....

So you have your choice of a bigger, cheaper bullet that will spray bits of lead through whatever meat you hit, or a lighter, more costly round that will drill two smaller holes connected by a pipe clean through the chest cavity (because you are going to shoot this beast in the front end, right?). And your rifle will kick you less and you'll probably shoot better and the flatter trajectory would be helpful if you find yourself shooting through holes in the brush.

If you're gonna go cheap, you'd better go big....

But hold on a damn minute here.... It's 'unethical' to let a tag 'go to waste' ?:eek:?:eek:?:eek:?

That's got to be the lamest, most self-serving carload o' schitt I have ever heard.... and I've been listening to the freight trains go by for a whole lotta years now....:mad:

This is a by-draw hunt. Tags are issued assuming that success rates for hunters will run to X% of tags. If success typically runs 15% and the state wants to take 15 moose, then there will be 100 tags issued. At that rate, if success goes up by one, tags issued will go down by 6 or 7, and that many fewer hunters will have a chance to get out there at all in a given year. And you compound the effect when an animal is wounded and lost.

Long & short writ short:
1) A game hog is a game hog.
2) Taking an ill-advised shot is stupid.
3) An unethical shot is an unethical shot whether you're hunting a once-in-a-lifetime lottery tag or thinning out whitetails in an overrun suburban woodlot.
4) All of hunting is better off without those who can rationalize unethical behavior in any form.

[Herne]

Matt, sure energy has never been something that bothers me in the general run of things, because with deer we have more than enough available. And, you don't need very much if your shot is a proper shot - in and out in front of the 10th rib.

But I'm sure all would agree, when you start getting to very big animals, then you have to give it a little thought. Bones are heavier, and the sheer distance to be travelled longer.

As always, its not about killing, but about an exit and a blood trail.

[Hi Ball]

Herne!!! Bloody Hell mate!:( Now lets not go falling off the porch again!!!:rolleyes:

Now just so you know that I know, there is NO WAY a .308 caliber is going to out perform my .300 Win mag model 70 Winchester period. :rolleyes: Not unless I forget to put the bullets in the friggin magazine savvy.:p

Enough of this Barnes TSX flag waving BS crap.:rolleyes: :eek:

My premium bullets used are Nosler Partition, Swift A Frames and Trophy Bonded Bear Claws. Now don't forget to say your prayers to make sure those so called Barnes bullets upon up on contact.:rolleyes::p:p