What caliber to buy/use for both moose & deer...looking at the Sako A7 SS

[sgb]

308, or 6.5 x 55. Both will do the trick!

[SongDog]

I am amazed at all the ought six replies. Don't get it myself, given a choice between a .308 and an 30-06 the .308 always gets the nod. I don't see where gaining 100-150 fps is worth the added recoil, heavier firearm, shorter barrel life (not that it matters for hunting purposes) and longer bolt pull. The only benefit to the ought six is there are a few more bullet weights available. For me it does not matter though, I'd be feeding it 180grn for whatever the sights are on.

Really you are right. Not much of a difference, One guy in our camp uses an old Rem 740 .308. He shot bull and twin calves 3 years ago and cow and bull the next year. All one shot kills.


My doggin gun is a 742 .308 carbine for deer and moose. Use a Tikka .300winmag for moose and The Sako A7 .308 for deer.

[baby123]

we have shot lots of moose over the years..the farthest one was probably 100 yds...
I personally have shot moose and deer with my 30-06..and 270...but weight wise I perfer the 270 for carrying in the bush..

[Kilo Charlie]

500+ yards is a big demand. I'd go .300 Win Mag or .338 Win Mag. I limit my shots to 300 yards due to my personal shooting limitations. The .280 Remington does everything I require; a .7mm-08, a .308 Win or .30-06 would be good too.

[FISH-ON]

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen...so the 2nd part to this question. Has anyone shot at/killed a moose over the 400+ yard range, and what caliber were you using?

[jaycee]

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen...so the 2nd part to this question. Has anyone shot at/killed a moose over the 400+ yard range, and what caliber were you using?

At that range, the chance of just wounding a moose increases too much , why take the risk of doing so .
Of the 30 plus moose I have killed , the longest shot I have ever taken was on or about 200 yards .

[Bluebulldog]

Thanks for all the replies gentlemen...so the 2nd part to this question. Has anyone shot at/killed a moose over the 400+ yard range, and what caliber were you using?

I'd recommend the .308, .270, or the 30-06. All are standard calibers, with decent bullets, and they will hit decently at those ranges.

Let's get into ranges for a second. There are a lot of very good shooters out there, but shooting effectively out past 300M becomes a different animal. Errors under 300 are compounded 2-4x out past that mark. If you want a rifle that gets out the the 4-500 range, that's one thing, most rifles will. It's not the rifle, but the shooter that makes it happen. I've been in this game for 20+ years, I even have some shooting trophies for my troubles, but I don't know if I'd be looking to take game out that far, unless I was hunting the open country out West.

[SongDog]

My first moose I shot was 370+ yards. (We ranged it, Can't remember exact #)


A bull and two cows came running out into the large cut I was watching. They ran at least half the cut and I wasn't going to shoot unless they stopped completely and were broadside.

Well after making the loudest cow call I could the bull finally stopped and so did the two cows behind him. 300 winmag 180g, First shot made her wobbly and she started to move so I fired twice more. Turns out only the first shot connected, She was quartering away and got her threw liver, one lung and out the opposite front shoulder. I think it went 20 feet? I was laying prone on a large rock with the gun resting on a fallen log.

You can see the exit hole just below the gun. Tikka 300 win mag.

[Exo200]

Need more than 1 gun ?
.300 win mag ABolt my clear cut gun
.308 BLR 200 yarder ? / deer gun
.260 rem mod 7 slight overlap with with 308 but a fun cartridge
.44 mag ruger semi 100 and under deer gun , love this little shooter
So I'd start with a 300 and build the collection.

[Hunter John]

Great shot Songdog