My Moose Hunt Ended Abruptly

[DrMike]

Well, I don't know about the 338 Federal. The new Trophy Copper bullet doesn't work well at all. I shot my moose, and it ran for at least forty yards before it toppled and died! :mrgreen: Moose hunting is ruined for the remainder of this season for me. I'm going back out with Gil this evening after doing some laundry and I'll be headed back out with Kurt on Saturday. We saw the first moose at about 4:50 this morning, but we couldn't get oriented quickly enough to look it over before it darted into the bush. However, we were shortly in a new logging block. There, standing majestically in the centre of the block was a fine looking two and a half year old bull. He was facing me, just slightly quartered to my left. I waited for him to move just a bit before I pulled the trigger on the 200 grain Trophy Copper. I hit him just behind the left shoulder and the bullet passed through both lungs. He did run about forty yards and I hied across the uneven ground until I could clearly see him again. He wasn't moving very fast, so I was reasonably certain that he was hit hard. I gained a bit of ground on him when he turned. At this point, I was approaching him from behind a brush pile when I noted that he was wobbling. As I raised the rifle for a second shot, he collapsed in front of me, and the hunt was over. He was a fine looking young bull, which is what my wife ordered.

Now, the work would begin. However, it was made somewhat easier by the use of a quad and a tow strap.

We towed him out of the bush and began the work of skinning and gutting. I pulled the trigger at 5:16, and we delivered him to the butcher at 9:00. Then, it was off to breakfast. The boys soaked me for the meal, but there will be another day, and the next time it will be on them.

Heinz, the butcher I frequently use, had shot his moose at 5 this morning. He already had two in the cooler, and mine was the third. Two more were coming in from across the river. He had seen five bulls this morning and at least as many cows. The population looks strong and the animals look to be quite healthy. In all, it was a successful hunt. Now, to get the other fellows a moose later this week.

 

[Too Tall]

Looks like good eating, Dr Mike. Glad to see you had plenty of help. The meal was worth it.

 

[DrMike]

Buying breakfast was cheap. The fellows were great. Gil is like a son to me, and Kurt is a special friend. They took good care of me, that's for sure. I was a little concerned as I broke two toes on Sunday evening. I can walk, but it is tender, nevertheless. Good boots help immensely, but there is still some pain.

 

[Guy Miner]

Congratulations! Seems like the moose season up your way is starting out great!

Don't you know that the .338 Federal is too short to be an effective moose cartridge? 8)

Guy

 

[DrMike]

Of course, you are correct, Guy. I was way undergunned. Fortunately, the moose was unaware what I was shooting, or I could have been in serious trouble. :shock: I was impressed upon necropsy with the performance of the Trophy Copper, which I take to be very similar to the E-Tip. Assuming that it is similar, if not virtually identical, that would be two moose and two elk taken with the E-Tip in either 270 calibre or in 338 calibre. I haven't had an animal walk away yet, and all seemed to expire. I had well over three feet of penetration in this instance. Admittedly, when I pulled the trigger, the moose was only about eighty yards away. He ran about sixty yards before dropping, but it was obvious from the get-go that he was a hurting unit.

 

[JD338]

Mike,

Congratulations! Way to go buddy on a nice young bull.

JD338

 

[DrMike]

Thanks, Jim. He's just perfect for delectable dining.

 

[FOTIS]

The new Trophy Copper bullet

????????????????????????????

 

[DrMike]

Fotis,

I cannot tell a lie, I hunted with factory ammunition (something I've not done for at least twelve years). This is the bullet Federal ammunition chose to replace the TSX. Here is there write-up: "Federal Premium's Trophy® line has proven itself on paper and in the field. Our newest extension, Trophy® Copper is an all-copper, polymer tipped bullet that's available in a variety of popular big game calibers. Trophy Copper is extremely accurate and provides devastating downrange performance, achieving up to 99% weight retention-even after the deepest and most aggressive penetration." It appears to be an E-Tip.

 

[FOTIS]

Sweet did not know. Congrats.

 

[JD338]

Fotis,

Its an E-Tip with pressure cuts, like the TX bullets. Federal is doing the cutting.

JD338

 

[Kodiak]

Many times I am surprised at the choice of bullets the ammo. factory chooses to load in an otherwise acceptable new cartridge. There has been other fine bullets around they could have used, in my opinion.

Of course, I have always liked the .338/06 round .... and the .35 Whelan, also.


Jim

 

[Tnhunter]

WOO-HOO! What a great story and thanks for sharing it! I love the .338F and I am pretty sure, it's here to stay. Of course, your saga might be one of the reasons people see that a .338 opening at the muzzle, that still recoils like an '06 has great potential for anyone looking. Thank you again for both the story and the testimonial for that great cartridge.

 

[russ808]

Good for you Mike. Congrats. Nothing like a filled freezer.
Russ

 

[Oldtrader3]

That is a nice eating, young moose DrMike. Congratulations on your success and your wife should be very happy about that young bull after last year?

 

[bullet]

Awesome my friend, outstanding indeed. It might be combination of bullet and 338fed velocities not being that stout. Did you recover the bullet? Once again, very good Mike very good indeed. :mrgreen:

 

[Mortis]

Nice bull Doc...... Congrats..!!!!

 

[REDGREEN]

Congrats Mike. Fine eating there.

 

[gerry]

Nice moose DrMike that bull is going to taste great. I know you are aware of how good you have it over in the Peace when it comes to hunting. Now you will just have to console yourself with some black bear, mule deer, whitetail deer, and elk hunting

 

[DrMike]

Thank you, gentlemen. He will, indeed, be good eating. My wife puts in an order for a two year old each fall. Most of this meat goes to a few families in need. Yeah, Gerry, and I threaten to drive up the highway for caribou this fall. I just got in (it is 10:50) and we're headed back out tomorrow to see if we can tag a moose for Gil. We saw eight today. He debated on one until it headed back into the bush. I told him it was obvious that he didn't really want it. I didn't see any bears, but temperatures were rising in the afternoon. It was 3 C this morning, and 24 C when we went back out at 4. It has dropped to 14 C again, so it should be a cool night sleeping. My butcher reported seven moose in his cooler by ten; he had shot one of them (at 5:05) and had seen another four bulls before he could get back. The population is very good this year. We saw a very nice muley buck coming home. He absolutely was not alarmed at our presence.