Best Moose Cartridges: For Bringing Down Bullwinkle

Finding the best moose cartridge is a lot like finding a wife. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

Every moose hunter is convinced their preferred rifle and cartridge are the best moose-killing combo in the woods.

Because there are so many great opinions, finding the best moose cartridge to meet your hunting needs isn’t always an easy task.

In this article, we look at some of the most popular cartridges (plus a few wild cards) available to modern moose hunters. As we dive into the advantages and disadvantages of each, we should help you narrow down the choices and find the cartridge that best suits your hunting needs.

Choosing the Best Cartridge for Moose Hunting

Because bull moose are the heaviest-bodied members of the Cervidae family, many inexperienced moose hunters believe they need a big bore cartridge. Although moose are definitely large, they aren’t inordinately tough. In most situations, the rifle/cartridge combo you use for whitetail deer hunting will probably suffice.

However, if your moose hunting adventures take place in Alaska, where the moose are larger and share habitat with brown bears, which will kill you if they are in a bad mood, and which will kill you if they are in a good mood, too, you’ll probably want a cartridge with enough power to take down both.

Here are a few of our favorite options for bringing down Bullwinkle.

.30-06 Springfield

First introduced in 1906, the .30-06 Springfield has an impressive military pedigree. Not only has this cartridge won plenty of battlefield fame, but it is also responsible for putting tons of venison in family freezers.

The .30-06 is one of the most versatile hunting cartridges on the planet. If you want one rifle capable of ethically harvesting every big game animal in North America, this is it. In addition to its fair share of whitetails, the 30-06 has been responsible for the demise of many a moose.

Today’s .30-06 bullets leave the muzzle around 200 fps faster than what our grandfathers were once accustomed to. That extra velocity gives the .30-06 a ballistic edge and a bit more terminal energy, which are both nice when hunting big-bodied bulls at distance.

One of the major perks to moose hunting with the .30-06 is that there is no shortage of either ammo or rifles to choose from. Moose hunters can find suitable bolt-action or semi-auto .30-06 rifles no problem.

.308 Winchester

The .308 Winchester is another popular deer hunting cartridge that works well on moose. It doesn’t have quite the speed or terminal energy as the .30-06 Springfield, but modern powders and bullet designs have helped close the performance gap between these two popular cartridges.

One advantage the .308 Winchester has over the .30-06 is its recoil. With significantly less felt recoil than the hard-hitting .30-06, hunters can make faster, more accurate follow-up shots with the .308 Win. That can be a major advantage when you are pursuing an injured moose through thick woods.

Rifles chambered in .308 have one other advantage for moose hunters. Because the .308 Win is a short-action cartridge, rifles chambered for it tend to be lighter, more compact, and easier to tote through the backcountry.

.300 Winchester Magnum

Although the .30-06, .308 Win, and .300 Win Mag are all .30 caliber cartridges, the .300 Winchester Magnum delivers more power and better ballistic performance. Think of the .300 Winchester Magnum as a .30 cal cartridge on steroids.

The .300 Win Mag has a storied military background and is widely used as a sniper round and for long-range marksmanship competitions. This is one flat-shooting cartridge.

Not only does this cartridge shine ballistically, but its velocity also pushes a 180 grain bullet from the muzzle with a whopping 3917 foot-pounds of energy.

If you really want to milk the power advantage of the .300 Win Mag, choose loads with even heavier bullets.

That terminal energy comes at a price: hefty recoil. While most hunters should find the 300 WM's recoil manageable, it doesn’t exactly make for a fun day at the range. If you are recoil averse, this definitely isn’t the cartridge for you.

Rifles chambered for .300 Win Mag tend to be heavy, long, and somewhat cumbersome. The ammo is notoriously tough on rifle barrels, too, which necessitates frequent replacement if your shoot often.

You shouldn’t have trouble finding plenty of .300 Win Mag ammo, but be prepared to spend a few extra cents per round. .300 Win Mag loads aren’t as cheap as most other .30 cal rounds.

6.5mm Creedmoor

A relative newcomer to the big game hunting scene, the 6.5mm Creedmoor has earned a large and dedicated fan base.

The cartridge was first developed for long-range Precision Rifle Series competition. Topped with aerodynamically efficient bullets, the 6.5 Creedmoor is a ballistic superstar. Its bullets clear muzzle fast and hold onto that speed well downrange.

The 6.5 CM's high ballistic coefficient (BC) bullets do a fine job of bucking the wind, making it one of the most inherently accurate loads available to modern big game hunters.

A good number of big game hunters consider the 6.5 Creedmoor to be a bit meager for large moose. However, Scandinavian moose regularly fall to the Creedmoor’s ballistic twin, the 6.5x55mm Swedish.

You definitely don’t want to take a 6.5 Creedmoor moose rifle into grizzly bear country.

Pick big game loads that feature heavier bullets with a bonded construction, like the Nosler AccuBond. This will help you achieve the penetration necessary to reach a moose’s deep-set vital organs.

The 6.5 Creedmoor is currently experiencing surging popularity, so you can find plenty of ammo to feed your moose rifle.

Speaking of moose rifles, the 6.5 Creedmoor is widely available in most major models, which means you can choose everything from a traditional bolt-action to a modern AR-10.

6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum

If you want the high ballistic coefficient of a 6.5mm bullet but with a little more speed and power, the 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum delivers.

Although this cartridge hasn’t quite hit the mainstream, it is the fastest 6.5mm factory cartridge in current production. The cartridge is based on a full-length .300 Weatherby Magnum case necked down to receive the smaller 6.5mm projectile.

While off-the-shelf hunting loads are still hard to come by, handloading opens a whole new world of moose-stopping potential.

The 6.5-300 Weatherby Magnum beats the Creedmoor by a blistering 600 fps. That extra speed also increases energy transfer, which means 140 grain bullets leave the muzzle of a 6.5-300 moose rifle carrying 3384 ft-lbs of knockdown power. And because these are high BC 6.5mm bullets, they are still hauling 1764 foot-pounds of energy at 500 yards. If you want to hunt moose at extended ranges, this cartridge makes it possible.

Few moose hunters have the marksmanship skills to allow the 6.5-300 to reach its full potential. However, if you’ve got the goods, this cartridge has some serious long-range chops.

.270 Winchester

First introduced in 1925, the .270 Winchester has become one of the best-selling big game cartridges of all time.

This cartridge delivers blistering muzzle velocities and shoots flat out past 300 yards. It also carries enough power to handle any North American game animal, including massive bull moose. If you want a do-it-all rifle that can easily transition from whitetails to antelope to caribou, you want one chambered for .270 Winchester.

As far as big game cartridges go, the .270 Win has pretty mild recoil. All but the most recoil-sensitive shooters should be able to handle it without batting an eyelash.

Most .270 rifles tip the scales at around the 6-½ pound mark, which makes them ideal for slogging through Canada’s vast backcountry.

7mm Remington Magnum

The 7mm Remington Magnum was the first commercially available magnum cartridge to hit the big game scene. It remains an American staple.

This cartridge has been around the block a time or two, which says something for its abilities. New cartridges die almost as often as they are born. For one to endure for as long as the 7mm Rem Mag has, there has to be a reason. That reason is simple: it works!

The 7mm Rem Mag sits in a sweet spot between the big bullets of the .30 cals and the high BC performance of the smaller (and insanely popular) 6.5mm Creedmoor. That means it nearly matches the ballistics and long-range capabilities of the 6.5mm Creedmoor, but hits with energy closer to the .30-06 Springfield. It also manages to provide all that incredible moose-dropping performance while producing fairly manageable recoil.

Thanks to the 7mm Rem Mag’s enduring popularity, both rifles and moose-worthy ammo aren’t at all difficult to find.

.338 Winchester Magnum

The rimless, bottlenecked .338 Winchester Magnum was first unveiled in 1958. It is basically a shortened, blown-out .357 H&H cartridge.

It packs a pretty powerful punch. Although it is a bit too much for whitetails, it works well for moose hunting – especially in areas where you might encounter dangerous game. This cartridge is a favorite among many Alaskan outfitters for that reason.

The .338 Win Mag shoots a hefty 225 grain bullet with 3817 foot-pounds of energy and a muzzle velocity of 2800 fps. If you’re hunting in brown bear country, go a little heavier and choose ammo loaded with heavier 250 grain bonded bullets.

The .338 Win Mag carries a ton of energy downrange, making it a lethal option out to at least 400 yards (with proper shot placement). However, this cartridge can be pretty abusive to your shoulder. If you aren’t a huge fan of recoil, you aren’t going to have a fun time firing this one.

.375 H&H Magnum

Developed in 1912 by London gunmakers Holland & Holland, the .357 H&H Magnum is one of the most reliable dangerous game cartridges currently in production.

Although the .375 H&H Magnum is probably overpowered for hunting moose in the Lower 48, it is hugely popular with Alaskan moose hunters. It is also powerful enough to drop large African game animals like elephants and Cape buffalo.

The .375 H&H can propel massive 300 grain projectiles to a muzzle velocity of 2530 fps. Right out of the gate, that bullet is carrying an impressive 4263 foot-pounds of hard-hitting energy. It still packs enough energy to drop a moose well beyond 300 yards.

However, the .375 H&H isn’t a long-range performer. Although it carries enough energy to fill your moose tag beyond the 300-yard mark, its trajectory drops off sharply beyond that point.

While the .375 H&H delivers some serious terminal energy, it also delivers some pretty harsh recoil. That 300 grain bullet fired from a sturdy 9 pound rifle is going to hit your shoulder with a cruel 37 ft-lbs of recoil energy. It takes some serious muscle to tame so much recoil.

.375 Ruger

The .375 Ruger hit the market in 2007. It was designed as a joint effort between Hornady and Ruger. The duo’s main goal was to engineer a cartridge that would outperform the .375 H&H. The cartridge is slightly shorter than the H&H, so it fits in a standard-length action.

Whether it succeeds at outperforming the .375 H&H is largely a matter of opinion. The two cartridges produce fairly similar in-flight ballistics. The Ruger does have a slight power edge over the H&H, but it isn’t enough to kill a moose any deader.

The .375 Ruger’s case holds about 5% more powder, which produces slightly higher velocities. The faster velocity doesn’t necessarily improve its effectiveness for killing game. What it does, however, is allow hunters to have the same power as the H&H, but in a lighter, shorter-barreled rifle.

.45-70 Government

The .45-70 Government first hit the scene back in 1873. It began as a black powder cartridge for the breech-loading Springfield Model 1873 (also known as the “Trapdoor Springfield”).

As one of the cartridges that helped tame the American West, the .45-70 was a popular chambering for cowboy-style lever-action rifles. It still serves well in the moose woods in a lever action, which makes a sturdy brush gun for chasing bulls in the Lower 48.

Since the .45-70 is a straight-walled cartridge, it is legal to use in states that enforce straight-walled restrictions.

Despite its large caliber bullets, the .45-70 is fairly mild-mannered and surprisingly easy to shoot.

The .45-70’s ballistics aren’t exactly impressive, especially when compared to more modern cartridges. Muzzle velocity tends to be pokey, usually just over 2000 fps. However, the heavyweight projectiles hit with a wallop.

When it comes to velocity and energy, the .45-70's .45 cal projectiles shed faster than a golden retriever on a black carpet. That's why you’ll want to keep your shots inside of 150 yards.

If you’re toting a lever action with a tubular magazine, you’ll want to steer clear of loads featuring spire point bullets. As they line up end to end in the magazine, the point of one could potentially cause an accidental discharge with catastrophic consequences. Stick with simple soft points like Remington Core-Lokt.

If you want the advantage of a more aerodynamic bullet, try Hornady’s LEVERevolution. These loads are designed to function safely in tubular magazines.

Final Thoughts

As you can tell, there are a slew of moose-worthy cartridges on the market for big game hunters to choose from. Any of the options on this list are plenty capable of ethically harvesting big bull moose. Ultimately, the best moose cartridge is one you can use confidently and proficiently.