Hunting moose with .280 ?

[AckleymanII]

If you like to play with different loads, then try a 338 WM with a 160g tipped tripple shock at 3200 fps, very accurate....slaughter house load!

 

[Rick in Oregon]

Reading all this give me a bit of a smile. I grew up on a hunting lodge/ranch in central B.C.. My granddad was the owner of the outfit and my dad and his four brothers were all wranglers, guides and outfitters. The moose over the fireplace in the lodge was a decent 73 incher...nice by any standards. The rifle mounted under the moose mount was my granddad's old Winchester 1894 in .30WCF, which appropriately enough, was used to take the moose.

That rifle and the motley collection of British SMLE Enfield's in .303 on the ranch accounted for all the moose, bear, deer and elk taken in the 40 years the ranch operated. Now I read that if you don't have the latest wizzbang magnum with a scope to match and the latest bullet technology, moose are pretty much bulletproof nowadays. No disrespect intended, but it sure shows how times have changed in the rifle/hunting world. As far as I know though, the moose are pretty much the same as they were in 1955......jus' sayin'.......

(Spot, stalk, shoot. Nuthin' really complicated here...... )

 

[hogpatrol]

If you lived in some parts of Pennsy and hunted deer with something other than a 94 in 30-30 they looked at you and chuckled. Then back in the '70s the whitetails in that state got super tough and 7mmRMs were the rifle du jour. Then I chuckled.

 

[Dusty Stevens]

When i first asked my guide what everybody used for moose he said a 303 british was what they prefer. Sometimes you end up shooting them at extended ranges when the time starts running out on your hunt. Happens to us every time. You dont want the old 303 then

 

[dryhumor]

I have a 280 that likes IMR 4831 and 162 Amax. Somewhere around 48.5 gr IIRC.

 

[Alex Wheeler]

We are not starving anymore,hopefully we all share the goal of a fast kill.

 

[drover]

I have spent a fair amount of time in the Yukon and in my observation and conversations about moose cartridges used by locals was the 270 Win or a SMLE in 303 British. Yukon moose are big but not the brightest animals on earth, even with the best placed shot from any cartridge it takes them a while to realize that they are dead, and quite often it seems they end up in a bog or river when they do decide they are dead.

Yes a 280 will handle them just fine, my good friend in the Yukon does all of his killing with the 7X57, and that includes a few grizzlies.

drover

 

[Drop Port]

We are not starving anymore,hopefully we all share the goal of a fast kill.

That is so simply put It can probably be completely misunderstood.

I agree completely, but see it as................

The largest cal for the job isn't always the best, sometimes it's much better to shoot what you shoot well, some can't handle the mid or large cal. rifles. I would rather see an adequate cartridge shot well like a 30-06 than a flinching shot with a 375 H&H.

You have to understand your choice of cartridge and bullet and shoot within its ability. I don't enjoy recoil and have limited most of my hunting to lighter cartridges 6br, 6.5x47 300WSM. I know my rifles and bullets and know when to pass on a shot and accept it. If I'm not willing to pass on a shot then I suck it up and shoot what will penetrate from any angle that presents itself.

 

[allen529]

I dont have a dog in this fight but I am a fan of the .280 AI. According to Hodgdon's website using Retumbo powder max load of 60.3 grn yields a velocity of ~2743 out of a 24" barrel with 175grn bullets. A 7 Rem mag using the same Retumbo powder uses a max load of 68 grn to yield ~2800 fps with the same 175 grn bullets. I dont see 57 fps making a huge difference.

So a .280 AI is comparable to a 7 Rem mag and saves you 8 grn of powder per bullet. Seems to me you get +/- 14 more rounds per pound of powder too.

 

[B Nettesheim]

John Nosler devolped the partition after his bout with a stubborn moose maybe try those and good luck with your hunt

 

[msinc]

When i first asked my guide what everybody used for moose he said a 303 british was what they prefer. Sometimes you end up shooting them at extended ranges when the time starts running out on your hunt. Happens to us every time. You dont want the old 303 then

Yeah, I mean, you could probably kill anything with a 22LR if you hit it in the brain pan.....and you can drive your car with your feet if you want to, but that don't make it a good f'n idea!!!!!

 

[wboggs]

Or the hair on the back of the moose neck. This was the second picture I took. She came after me. It wasn't until later I figured out why. First picture everything was normal, second picture about 18" of her mane standing straight up. I didn't realize my camera was flashing her. She was persistent and it took me several minutes to evade her. She was just protecting her calf.

View attachment 1058617

Use the 280 with nosler 175's or heavy Barnes ttsx's. You give up very little to a 7mm mag and everyone likes that for elk. Shot placement and moderate range are the keys to success.
Good hunting
Bill

 

[tstowater]

When you go moose hunting, are you likely to run into something that you may want a bigger gun to kill before it starts chewing on you? I remember reading an article about sheep hunting in Alaska where many of the hunters were using 338WM, not to kill the sheep, but for the grizzly or other critter that might show up unexpectedly. The 280 will kill the moose, but the 35 Whelen may do a nicer job of otherwise protecting you. Just a thought.

 

[wboggs]

When you go moose hunting, are you likely to run into something that you may want a bigger gun to kill before it starts chewing on you? I remember reading an article about sheep hunting in Alaska where many of the hunters were using 338WM, not to kill the sheep, but for the grizzly or other critter that might show up unexpectedly. The 280 will kill the moose, but the 35 Whelen may do a nicer job of otherwise protecting you. Just a thought.

The .338 is one of the all time great cartridges. I have used one or another .338 cal since 1960. However, he has a .280 and asked about that. If he was getting a new rifle a .338 would be first choice. No question about that.
Bill

 

[tstowater]

The .338 is one of the all time great cartridges. I have used one or another .338 cal since 1960. However, he has a .280 and asked about that. If he was getting a new rifle a .338 would be first choice. No question about that.
Bill

Not advocating buying a 338WM as that wasn't the question. When I read the OP, poster was looking at rebarreling a 25-06 to hunt moose. The issue I posed is whether OP should consider a bigger bore (35 caliber) using the same platform of a 30-06. The 280 will kill the moose and it is one of my favorite calibers as I have had one for close to 35 years. A bigger bore might just do a better job on univited guests, without the impact of the magnums that OP wasn't interested in acquiring.

 

[wboggs]

I was under the impression that the OP said he was going to change our his .25-06 for a .280. I don't remember him asking which .30-06 based cartridge he should use. That is another question and my answer to that would be similar to yours, use a larger caliber.
Bill

 

[JRS]

The OP will be just fine with the 280. Bullet selection and shot placement is the key to success.

 

[wboggs]

The OP will be just fine with the 280. Bullet selection and shot placement is the key to success.

My sentiments exactly.
Bill

 

[Terry_M]

I've seen a moose killed with a 22 long rifle. I've eaten moose killed with a 22-250. A 280 will be plenty of gun if you place the shot where it will be lethal.


Do your due diligence and make sure you can hit what you aim at and all will be well. Ultimately the ethical kill to end your hunt is in your hands.

 

[BRGUY]

I know several guys that have killed moose with the 280, as well as the 280 Ackley Improved. Everyone's favorite bullet has always been Sierra's 160 gr. B.T. - H.P. Game King because it offers deep penetration and positive bullet expansion of that large of an animal.