New moose rifle? .300 WM vs .338 WM

[Highcountrybulls]

I too have a m77 in .338 and don’t find it all that unpleasant to shoot. Accuracy is fantastic with 225 gr ttsx’s. I did put a better trigger and spring in to help in that regard. It’s not a rifle that is a pleasure to spend a lot of time at the bench sending rounds at paper but in the woods it is a great piece of gear.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

There really isn’t a wrong choice of the calibers mentioned, they will all get the job done, it’s a matter of personal preference. I’ve shot moose with my Ruger m77 in .338 and they died, but nowadays when I go moose hunting my Kimber Talkeetna in .375 is the gun I take. I prefer the .375 as every moose I’ve shot with it has gone less than 10 steps from where it was first hit saving me from having to cut them up or pack them out from somewhere worse than where I shot them.

Same, 375 all the way for moose from here on out. I know a guy that uses a 6.5creedmoore and swears it’s great for moose but I’ll pass on that.

 

[AkRyan]

Short barrel, 7mm or bigger, 1800ftlbs energy. Moose don't run and big guns hurt

 

[Myronman3]

I shoot a 5lb 11oz 416 ruger. Owned a 6.2lb 416 rem and a 9.5lb 416 rem. Shot sub 7lb 375’s and 10lb 375’s. I’ve had 14 year old kids shoot my 5lb 416. What Ive come up with is this.
Mathematical recoil is one thing. Felt recoil is something different. Barrel length, weight caliber don’t mean as much as stock design. Don’t let numbers on paper scare you off from a gun. Two identical guns with different stocks will shoot totally different.

^ this.

i had a ruger m77 270. it hit pretty hard on both ends.

ended up with a 300wsm x bolt that i didnt want (long story that i wont go into) and put it in the closet for about 3 years. brother was going on an elk hunt, and i told him he could take the 300wsm. so i ended up putting a scope on, and loading up some ammo for it. sight in day came, and he wouldnt shoot it first, as it was my rifle. i shot the first round, and didnt believe what i just experienced. i didnt say anything, but he could tell something was off. i told him to shoot it next without hinting at anything. he fired it, and had a puzzled look when he stood up.
we both concured that it recoiled less than our 270’s.
figured the velocity was lacking. out comes the chrono...and the loads were making what they were supposed to.

it was the design difference in rifles that makes a 300 wsm’s recoil seem less than a 270 winchester’s felt recoil.

 

[ppwack02]

I've got a browning X-bolt 300 WM that was gifted to me from my dad for Christmas awhile ago. I love it for Alaska hunting. With the exception of two black bears everything has dropped like a sack of crap.

 

[PA Hunter]

My vote is for a .300 RUM as I reload for six different ones and I love the ,200 GR Accubond for moose and elk. Brought back nine moose and a 500 lb black bear two years ago in my trailer all falling to this round with great penetration and weight retention. I also like the .338 as another option.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

My vote is for a .300 RUM as I reload for six different ones and I love the ,200 GR Accubond for moose and elk. Brought back nine moose and a 500 lb black bear two years ago in my trailer all falling to this round with great penetration and weight retention. I also like the .338 as another option.

9 moose?

 

[Squincher]

I would go with the largest caliber I could shoot well for a dedicated moose rifle. If I found myself in the fortunate position of having legitimate use for a dedicated moose rifle, it would be a .375 H&H.

 

[CAElkhunter]

I have both a 300 WM, 338WM. I love the 338 WM on Moose because of the hitting power and use in timber warfare. I love my 300 WM for Elk and Deer. Shot a British Columbia Moose with my 338 and he dropped in
his tracks.

 

[stevers75]

.338WM is just too perfect for Moose, we've taken 3 with ours and none of them took a single step afterwards. Plus theres a wide range of bullets/ammo.

 

[outandabout90]

I've been going through the same process for an upcoming moose hunt. I'm leaning towards the 300 win in case I want to use it for deer also.

 

[z987k]

My vote is for a .300 RUM as I reload for six different ones and I love the ,200 GR Accubond for moose and elk. Brought back nine moose and a 500 lb black bear two years ago in my trailer all falling to this round with great penetration and weight retention. I also like the .338 as another option.

Where did you find and shoot 9 legal moose?

 

[AkRyan]

Where did you find and shoot 9 legal moose?

Great observation

 

[PA Hunter]

Where did you find and shoot 9 legal moose?

I got one my friends got the rest Newfoundland.

 

[MtnW]

With your two choices both being good. I would go with the .338 WinMag and shoot 210Grain Nosler Patitions. I like putting a big hole in the Bull and the .338 with the 210 grain Partition going 2950 FPS is pretty close to the perfect moose round.