270 wsm for moose

[j_22250]

i don't plan on ever going moose hunting. a friend of mine is going and swears by his .338mag. we were having a talk the other day and i made a comment that if i ever went i would probably jst take my 270wsm loaded with some 140 or 150 partitions or barnes tsx. this guy thought that i was way undergunned and swore by using the biggest heaviest bullets......but i know if i can get a bullet that will penetrate deep enough i can get one in the pumper or take out a lung or two. so am i wrong?? 270 wsm aint no slouch either and even tho there's no fair comparison between the two the 270wsm has about the same or more energy as a 338 win mag. litterally a ton out to 400 yrds. i know the larger dia. of the 338 will cause more trauma and larger hole for the animal to bleed out. but......... if a barnes expands to 3 times it size then thats huge. + the 150 gr. bullet has more of a potention to penetrate farther. can it be done? sure, i think so. would i even try? yeah, why buy a new gun when i got one that will work. how many people buy a new car to go on vacation? probalby alot, but again i'm not planning on going, i'm jst saying. one of the biggest advantages i see w/ the 338 is being able to get away with using regular sp bullets where a premium bullet is definatly a must in the 270. i do however agree on the stopping potential of using big bullets. if they didn't stop big game they wouldn't use them in africa. i'd simly jst like to hear others comments on whether or not you think i'm wrong.

jst for thoughts: i read some where that guides laugh at guys who take cannons on their hunt and that a 30-06 or 308 will do the trick. so if thats true then why not a 270wsm.

i swear that i'm not in any way related to the late jack o' conner or affiliated in any way. i also do not have the urge to try and fullfile his legacy.

 

[benjamin199]

Well, in Europe they have been taking moose for many many years with the 6.5x55 SW, I have a couple friends up in Canada who use a 308 and have taken their share of moose. A 270 wsm will work just fine, choose the right bullet and put it where it needs to go.

 

[CJ6]

My thoughts are that you would do just fine.Use a Hvy bonded,Swift A-Frame, TBBC, Woodliegh Weldcore,or Barnes) etc.In my experiance the Partition has had a few failures when used in High Vel. Cart.at close range,although it's great at the longer ranges).Don't worry about a tipped bullet you're not going to need high B.C.s for a point blank shot

 

[1000yardstare]

Most non-resident moose hunters in Northern Ontario are way over-gunned. I don`t have any experience with the really big moose in Alaska so can`t comment on that situation. But I would say that most locals in Ontario use a .308 with the .30-06 a close second. And the advantage of those two cartridges is that many backwoods stores will have that ammo if you lose/forget/run out of ammo. Don`t laugh. I have seen southern moose hunters knock their ammo bag out of a boat into 100 feet of water, realize that their ammo bag is locked in the trunk of their car at the airport where they boarded the float plane for the flight into the hunt camp, and one genius used up all his ammo at the hunt camp trying to sight in a new rifle that should have been sighted in at his gun club in Ohio before he ever crossed the Canadian border.

In the 1970`s the pump and auto Remingtons and the Winchester 88 and 100 were very popular moose rifles for Ontario hunters with the Winchesters in .308 and the Remingtons tending to .30-06 at least in my experience. Bolt actions were a split between .308 and .30-06 with the occasional .270 Win.

In the 1980`s, the belted magnums started to appear in hunt camps. Guides soon figured out that the nut behind the butt was more afraid of his rifle than any survival experience that the northern woods could throw at him. What is the point of shooting a cannon if you can`t hit anything with it? Plus all that high-vel stuff has started a whole new industry in 'premium' bullets that can withstand the larger impact pressure of an on-flesh hit. And at a much higher ammo cost.

My current moose load is the 200 gr Speer and RX22 in a bolt .30-06 chronod at 2510 fps. Prints a 3 shot 3/4 inch group at 100 metres.

I might add that one of the most experienced and successful Ontario moose hunters that I know uses a 7mm-08 and 150 gr bullets. Anyway, thanks for letting me say my two cents worth.

 

[j_22250]

thanks for everyones input on the subject i thought it would be a good topic. a guy that used to guide in new mexico told me that he has seen more elk go down in one shot and drop in their tracks with a 308 or 30-06 over any of the magnums; and if they ran off they didn't have to track them as far either.

 

[Akbushape]

I've hunted moose in Alaska for over 50 yrs and have seen them
dropped with everything from a 22 short to a 378 weatherby.
I have nothing against the magnums in general but two I don't
much care for is the 7mm rem mag and the 338 win mag, unless you're making your own loads with a good bullet that won't disentigrate,sp) on impact, but that kind of goes with all the magnums. Like 'long stare ' said above the 30-06, 308, and 270 are all suitable for moose. I used a 300 savage for a lot of years and it worked well. Shot placement is important. If you hit just behind the shoulder all these will get into the heart/lung cavity and damage very little meat in the process.
In areas where brown bear are a problem the bigger magnums are a good choice especially if hunting alone.

 

[j_22250]

if i was smart or maybe a dumb kind of smart, i would move to alaska and start bootleggin. i saw on tv how a short pint of wisky can go as much as $200 and cheap stuff at that! i think your right a .30 cal would proly be ideal. i proly won't ever get a chance to go moose hunting, but if i do i'll feel good about shooting them with my .270wsm or .308.

 

[wapiti25]

Ive killed two, DON'T go alone there a lot to handle after you get them on the ground. practice, practice, practice with your loads and rifle.

 

[SS427]

One good reason for a honking big magnum isn't about moose. It is about grizzly bears. I think a 270 WSM would take a moose, but personally I'd rather use something in the range of a 300 Win mag w/ 200 grain bullets. I'd rather down the animal right away than risk him running off into the water.