Best Bullet Weight for Moose

by Mike Barnard
(Nova Scotia)

I have an older .308 caliber Remington semi-automatic and I was wondering what the best bullet weight ammunition would be when hunting for moose?



Mike,
My personal choice for the .308 Winchester caliber is a 150 grain bullet.

You can easily use a 180 grain bullet as well but to do so you sacrifice a lot in velocity and therefore there is quite a bit more bullet drop.

The best bullet weight for moose hunting in a standard .308 caliber rifle is going to be in the 150 to 168 grain range. The 150 will offer the best trajectory (not too much drop) and will be highly accurate.

The 150 grain bullet from a premium bullet manufacturer, such as Barnes or Nosler will give awesome weight retention too.

The military uses for the most part in the 7.62 a 155 grain bullet. The reason... accuracy!

Most bullet manufacturers do not offer the 155 as a hunting bullet (target point only).

You can read more on the moose hunting ammunition page.

I hope this helps you pick the best bullet weight for moose hunting.
Good luck on your moose hunt this fall!

Mark

Comments for Best Bullet Weight for Moose

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Moose
by: Mike

292 yd shot at bull moose, one shot kill , savage 99 winchester 150 grain bullet, many a moose taken with this set up in northern Newfoundland, Canada over the years....
neck shots
by: northern hunter

It really bothers me when I hear people say that they like neck shots.

The bone on the neck is only so big, maybe 4 inches.

You miss this and you end up with a wounded animal. The heart, lung area on the other hand is much bigger. An animal hit in this area will not go far and many of them will drop in their tracks.

I'm comfortable shooting up to 250 yards freehand, but most of my moose have been well under 100 yards.

I still go for the heart lung area and have never lost an animal.I have harvested many moose in this way.

I tell anyone who hunts with me to shoot for the heart lung area and to date we have not lost any animal. Also, choose the proper bullet for the game that you are hunting.

I have used 30-30, 308, 30-06, 270, 300mag, 300wsm, 7mm-08, 7mm rem mag, 280, 303brit.

The furthest that I had a moose run was maybe 40 yards before he fell.
I have always used a 180 in my .308.
by: Charlie Smith

I have shot quite a few moose with my pet .308, (BLR) "Staghammer" shot them all in the neck, dropped them in their tacks, as if hey were electric and you pulled the plug.
A 150 grain bullet might lack penetration, a moose is a big solid animal with tough bones.
I worked in a gun shop and a guy came in wanting a knew rifle, I knew he was a walker, so I recommended the Browning lever.
"Does it come in heavier calibers?" he asked.
I told him it did but then it was not as nice and compact.
"What happens to a moose when you shoot it with a .308?" he asked.
I fell in a heap on the floor. "I am serious!" he said.
"Me too! How dead do you want to kill them?"
Congratulations Mike
by: Mark - The Mooseman

Mike, I am glad to hear that you got yourself a moose. How about sharing the story and a picture or two to go with it?
Moose Hunting Stories
Moose Hunting
by: Mike Barnard

Thanks for the reply's. I ended up getting an 18 pointer with a 180 gain and fortunately it was about 100 yards. Thanks again
Mike
.308 in 165 grain
by: Curt R.

I have two Savage 99C lever actions with a 4 round removable magazine (and spare mag's of course) that I hunt with. One I keep in the truck as a spare just in case.

When I first bought this rifle I opted for 165 grain bullets because they hit harder than a 150 but give better distance/trajectory than the 180's. I was kind of "splitting the difference" so to speak....lol

I sight in dead on at 250 yards and if my target is between 50 yards and 300 yards, the difference is +/- 3" or so. Which is to say, if the target is at 50 yards, the bullet will hit about 3" above where I put the aim, and at 300 yards about 3" or so below. So if the animal I'm hunting is between 50 and 300 yards, I don't have to worry at all about figuring hold over/under....I just point and shoot.

I've taken 1 Bull Moose, two Elk, and numerous deer with this rifle in the past 6 seasons. The Bull Moose was at 225 yards, the last Elk (this past Nov) was at 300 yards.
Spelling
by: Mike Barnard

opps feel!
Bullet weight
by: Mike Barnard

Thanks for the comment that makes me fell a lot better. I will be using 180 gran.
Mike
.308 for moose
by: Dave Kelso

I took my first moose with a .308 in 1982. To date that same rifle has accounted for 4 other moose from people who have borrowed it.

I shoot a 165 gr. Nosler Partition made under the Federal Premium Lable. From my Model 88 Winchester it is extremly accurate. I personally would not have a problem shooting out to 300 yards with this load and gun. At normal hunting distances for moose, 100 yards or less it is deadly with minimum recoil.

The bullet has never failed to make complete penetration leaving a gaping hole for a blood trail to follow. My prefered shot on a moose is the neck and this bullet has always broken the neck and completed pass through for all of my hunters that have used this load.

Good Luck,
Dave Kelso

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