.338 Win Mag for Moose

[Oldtrader3]

Nice setup and the Conquest scope should be a winner for that rifle. I just bought one myself because several models are being discontinued. THey are a really good scope.

 

[SJB358]

That is a great looking set up! That rifle is all business! Can't wait to hear how it shoots.

 

[sask boy]

That is a excellent set up and I am sure you will have great success on anything you hunt in North America. The 338 win mag is a hammer :wink:

Blessings,
Dan

 

[Thebear_78]

I'm loading the 250gr AccuBond for my buddies 338 win mag. So far its been very effective on caribou but still waiting for a test on moose. The 250gr Partition has always worked flawlessly.

 

[JD338]

BBH,

Nice looking rig.

JD338

 

[bbearhntr]

Well the plans are starting to shape up! We have secured a bush pilot and will be hunting in unit 20 west of Delta Junction. This will be a drop camp for 10-14 days. Looking at the first two weeks of Sept. I can not wait! Lots of preparation ahead of me in the next few months. If anyone has any words of advice or tips they would like to pass on please feel free to post here! :grin: :grin: :grin:

 

[35 Whelen]

Having shot dozens of Moose with a .338 WM , I can tell you that you couldnt have picked a finer caliber to get this job done and done right. Of course many calibers also will accomplish this feat, the 338 is the number one selling caliber in Alaska and for good reason. IT WORKS. Of course we all know so and so that shot one with a .22 and numerous pistol calibers and that makes great conversation at the coffee shop, but when the chips are down and the moose is exiting the arena and it DID NOT give you the perfect shot you had hoped for the extra power of the .338 really comes to attention and will drive the big slugs it shoots right up through the Moose like a smaller caliber just cant do. The recoil is alot for some people but if you can get past that part it will never let you down on anything in North America. Good Luck on your adventure and I hope you get an old smasher! The rifle looks super!

 

[Oldtrader3]

I am not a moose hunter, living in Washington but I have killed several elk and a deer with the .338 WM. No issues, no fouls, no fly balls!

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

When you can find them, the 200gr BT's are great. With either H4831, or H4350 it's easy to get them to shoot sub moa. 200-225gr AB's are also a great choice.

With a 200gr bullet you can keep your velocity just above 3k. That big wide fast moving bullet has a devistating effect on elk/moose sized game.

 

[bbearhntr]

Earle that is one FINE looking moose! I hope I can find one that nice in Alaska. We will be flying into the bush Sept 5 and flying out Sept 14. I am really keeping my fingers crossed for good weather!
I bought a few boxes of Nosler Trophy Grade 250g AB to try out. They shot right around an inch and a half @ 100 yds. My first attempt a finding a good handload will come next week. I will be trying 225g AB over IMR 4350. If this attempt fails I will probably try some 210g PT next.

 

[Antelope_Sniper]

Here's one of the loads my Winchester likes:

225gr NAB
71gr H4350 (IMR will work just as well)
Win Brass
Winchester Mag primers

26" barrel, 80 degree day,
Average velocity 2878 fps
SD 6.55

I don't belive that is a max load, but check you manual and work up.

 

[35 Whelen]

bbearhntr,
Do you already know the area you are hunting??? If I have hunted there before there might be some ideas we could share with you as we have hunted moose all over SW Alaska over the years.
Like all hunting you dont want to shoot the first one you see usually. Is this guiding or freelance hunt??? Has the area been scouted before you get there or cold turkey??? A few hours flying ahead of a hunt in the evenings just before dark is worth a thousand miles of walking or hundreds of hours of glassing in the wrong place........................ the .338 is the perfect moose gun and on longish shots we used to just use the 210 Noslers but down in the timber I always sled in some 250gr bullets and have watched lots of them take it hard from the .338WM , on broadside shots hit in the hump right over the shoulder will flatten them everytime without as much as a wiggle sometimes. Very clean got the "right gun for the animal" caliber...................you wont be sorry you are packin the "Alaskan" caliber.
Wishing you the best of luck for a nice one. e

 

[SJB358]

Here's one of the loads my Winchester likes:

225gr NAB
71gr H4350 (IMR will work just as well)
Win Brass
Winchester Mag primers

26" barrel, 80 degree day,
Average velocity 2878 fps
SD 6.55

I don't belive that is a max load, but check you manual and work up.

AS, that sounds like a screamer of a load. Never tried too much of the 4350's with the 225's, but did have decent luck with the 210's and IMR4350, so it might get a try if/when I ever try out some 225's. I was going to try them this year, but it seems like SPS hasn't had much lately, but I would like to give them a whirl.

 

[bbearhntr]

bbearhntr,
Do you already know the area you are hunting??? If I have hunted there before there might be some ideas we could share with you as we have hunted moose all over SW Alaska over the years.
Like all hunting you dont want to shoot the first one you see usually. Is this guiding or freelance hunt??? Has the area been scouted before you get there or cold turkey??? A few hours flying ahead of a hunt in the evenings just before dark is worth a thousand miles of walking or hundreds of hours of glassing in the wrong place........................ the .338 is the perfect moose gun and on longish shots we used to just use the 210 Noslers but down in the timber I always sled in some 250gr bullets and have watched lots of them take it hard from the .338WM , on broadside shots hit in the hump right over the shoulder will flatten them everytime without as much as a wiggle sometimes. Very clean got the "right gun for the animal" caliber...................you wont be sorry you are packin the "Alaskan" caliber.
Wishing you the best of luck for a nice one. e

Earle that is another stellar looking moose!
We will be hunting in unit 20A about 30miles west of Delta Junction. This will be an UNGUIDED hunt. I am going with two of my uncles and one of their friends. I have never hunted moose before but have ALWAYS dreamed of it. My two uncles were up there in a different area about 6 years ago and never saw a moose. They hiked in off the road somewhere northeast of Fairbanks. We chose to hire a bush pilot for our upcoming trip and I hope we are able to see a few specimens from the air before we make camp. Our pilot hunted the same area last year with four other friends of his and they went 5/5. I think if we go 2/4 we will be doing good. I am trying to have reasonable expectations. I welcome any and all of your ideas and experiences, please feel free to share.

 

[Alaska]

I have harvested my first 9 bulls with the 338 Win Mag. Here in Alaska my 338 Win is my go to rifle. I prefer 225/230 gr bullets with either IMR 4350 or RL 19.

20B is where I prefer to hunt any bull area.

 

[35 Whelen]

Gosh revived after 5 years! What ever happened on this hunt??? Hummm sure hope this didn't go south ??
Anyone?
E

 

[salmonchaser]

I too was curious. Logistics can make these hunts tough, I like to learn what did and did not work.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Alaska]

I live in the heart of moose country Fairbanks AK.
Save your money don't hire a guide, bring your ATV and pickup and trailer. Put a small freezer in the back big enough for a quartered moose. Bring your camping gear and get on the Alaskan Highway. Easy hunt plenty of trails around Fairbanks. Way cheaper.

 

[salmonchaser]

I lived on the Base when I was a kid, moved there in 1959. Actually was Ladd Air Force Base then. Good lord there were a lot of moose in that country then. Good to hear the hunting is holding up.
Dad liked to get on the train with our camp, signal the conductor to stop the train, get off and set up camp.
I recall one trip where one of dads buddies killed a bull as we waited for the train to pick us up. The train stops, dad explains, conductor grabs about 20 people off the train. By the time Freddie has the bull gutted the crew arrived. A couple of long poles and that bull was skidded to the train and loaded on a flat car in nothing flat.
Alaska was pretty cool back then. Still is.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Alaska]

That is a cool story you go way back in history of Fairbanks