Moose misery...big guns getting it done.

[ShadeTree]

Congratulations! Can't imagine the work on such a big animal. Never killed a moose, never seen a moose, but it would be at the top of my hunting bucket list. Huge, majestic creatures they are, no doubt.

 

[Guy Miner]

Nice...

 

[Elkman]

great story hodge, as much as I love mucking around with animals in the dark, your story solidifies why I do not Moose hunt. Again great write up and adventure.

 

[Guy Miner]

great story hodge, as much as I love mucking around with animals in the dark, your story solidifies why I do not Moose hunt. Again great write up and adventure.

I keep applying for a once-in-a-lifetime Washington moose tag... No luck so far...

I'm thinking either my 30-06 with 200 gr Partitions, or the 375 Ruger Number One with a 260 or 270 gr bullet.

And some strong young fellows to help me get it all back to camp! :mrgreen:

Guy

 

[SJB358]

great story hodge, as much as I love mucking around with animals in the dark, your story solidifies why I do not Moose hunt. Again great write up and adventure.

We’d figure it out and get it done! I think we might need a moose hunt or something buddy!

 

[preacher]

I wonder why you didn't build a big fire as close to you as possible? Seems like you could warm up now and then, or was it just not worth the time it would take? Just curious as I've worked on drilling barges all night in water up to my waste (inland bay near Galveston) in wintertime and I was miserable! Ha

 

[Anonymous]

I wonder why you didn't build a big fire as close to you as possible?

The surrounding terrain is all alpine tundra and bog...nothing bigger than dwarf willow and alders growing up there and none of that will burn worth bothering about. I'd have loved to had a bit of firewood to set alight!

 

[preacher]

Next year put a compact propane (lantern) heater in your pack!

 

[mcseal2]

My buddy and I both got our moose on longer than average shots this year. I got a nice bull on a 300 yard broadside shot. I saw mine shredding a tree and with it being my first moose and his sheer size, tine length, and length of paddles I got excited. I rested over my optics tripod with an Outdoorsmans head and shooting rest kneeling and my crosshairs were doing a 10" circle over his vitals. I took a deep breath, shrank that to 3", and sent the shot on it's way. I He gave no reaction to the first hit other than to turn. He was then facing straight away from me with his front end slightly uphill. I could have tried a spine shot but it would have traveled through guts before hitting anything vital in front of them. I held off for what seemed like forever and probably wasn't. I had all the thoughts of airlines knocking my scope off, that sort of thing running through my head. I shoot a lot and that wasn't a shot I should have missed, but the moose wasn't showing a reaction. Finally I thought he staggered sideways a bit and he turned broadside the opposite direction as he was the first shot. I sent another 180gr E tip from my 300 WM on it's way and he was gone when I came off recoil. He ended up having traveled less than 30 yards from my first shot and both bullets exited.

My buddies bull was a smaller one, similar in size to a really big elk, and he took it at 500 yards. We were moving from one location to another and saw his late in the hunt. He got rested up and took the shot with his 300 WM and the same ammo. His bull went over backwards and was done.

I'm no expert, but after our results I would give my stamp of approval to the Nosler factory 180gr E tip ammo from the 300 win mag. Getting field data for my turret I shot 1 round each from 4 different boxes of ammo into a 3.5" group at 600 yards. I shot several boxes in that process that all shot the same, no noticeable difference between lots.

 

[Europe]

My buddy and I both got our moose on longer than average shots this year. I got a nice bull on a 300 yard broadside shot. I saw mine shredding a tree and with it being my first moose and his sheer size, tine length, and length of paddles I got excited. I rested over my optics tripod with an Outdoorsmans head and shooting rest kneeling and my crosshairs were doing a 10" circle over his vitals. I took a deep breath, shrank that to 3", and sent the shot on it's way. I He gave no reaction to the first hit other than to turn. He was then facing straight away from me with his front end slightly uphill. I could have tried a spine shot but it would have traveled through guts before hitting anything vital in front of them. I held off for what seemed like forever and probably wasn't. I had all the thoughts of airlines knocking my scope off, that sort of thing running through my head. I shoot a lot and that wasn't a shot I should have missed, but the moose wasn't showing a reaction. Finally I thought he staggered sideways a bit and he turned broadside the opposite direction as he was the first shot. I sent another 180gr E tip from my 300 WM on it's way and he was gone when I came off recoil. He ended up having traveled less than 30 yards from my first shot and both bullets exited.

My buddies bull was a smaller one, similar in size to a really big elk, and he took it at 500 yards. We were moving from one location to another and saw his late in the hunt. He got rested up and took the shot with his 300 WM and the same ammo. His bull went over backwards and was done.

I'm no expert, but after our results I would give my stamp of approval to the Nosler factory 180gr E tip ammo from the 300 win mag. Getting field data for my turret I shot 1 round each from 4 different boxes of ammo into a 3.5" group at 600 yards. I shot several boxes in that process that all shot the same, no noticeable difference between lots.

congratulations to you both. long shots but you were up to the task, well done.

Hodgeman, again --congrats and thanks for the story and follow up info

 

[DrMike]

My buddy and I both got our moose on longer than average shots this year. I got a nice bull on a 300 yard broadside shot. I saw mine shredding a tree and with it being my first moose and his sheer size, tine length, and length of paddles I got excited. I rested over my optics tripod with an Outdoorsmans head and shooting rest kneeling and my crosshairs were doing a 10" circle over his vitals. I took a deep breath, shrank that to 3", and sent the shot on it's way. I He gave no reaction to the first hit other than to turn. He was then facing straight away from me with his front end slightly uphill. I could have tried a spine shot but it would have traveled through guts before hitting anything vital in front of them. I held off for what seemed like forever and probably wasn't. I had all the thoughts of airlines knocking my scope off, that sort of thing running through my head. I shoot a lot and that wasn't a shot I should have missed, but the moose wasn't showing a reaction. Finally I thought he staggered sideways a bit and he turned broadside the opposite direction as he was the first shot. I sent another 180gr E tip from my 300 WM on it's way and he was gone when I came off recoil. He ended up having traveled less than 30 yards from my first shot and both bullets exited.

My buddies bull was a smaller one, similar in size to a really big elk, and he took it at 500 yards. We were moving from one location to another and saw his late in the hunt. He got rested up and took the shot with his 300 WM and the same ammo. His bull went over backwards and was done.

I'm no expert, but after our results I would give my stamp of approval to the Nosler factory 180gr E tip ammo from the 300 win mag. Getting field data for my turret I shot 1 round each from 4 different boxes of ammo into a 3.5" group at 600 yards. I shot several boxes in that process that all shot the same, no noticeable difference between lots.

Excellent account of moose hunting. Yeah, they can absorb an astonishing amount of punishment on occasion. They are dead and just don't know it. I do like the E-Tip. It is my "go to" bullet in several cartridges. I've taken multiple moose and elk (and deer) with the 130 grain E-Tip in my 270WSM.

 

[hunternyny]

I hope someday to be able to hunt them

congrats to all

 

[Charlie-NY]

I took two bull moose with a 250gr AccuBond from a 338RUM. The only complaints about bullet performance came from the bulls. One and done!

 

[SJB358]

Great accounts on the moose hunt Keith! Very darned cool! Ain't nothing a 300 Win can't handle with good bullets!