What’s the smallest caliber/cartridge you’ve hunted big game with?

[Bustercluck]

My son drew a moose tag this fall, so he’ll be hunting with his 6mm creed and I just picked up 2 boxes of 100 grain partitions that I plan on putting behind some h4350. I’m not worried about wounding anything because I’ll be there as a backup, but I think he won’t have any problems if he makes a good shot. It got me thinking this might be a good idea for a topic as long as people are honest and nobody is too judgy about one guys version of ethics compared to another, so we’ll see how it goes.

As the title says. What’s your experience with smaller cartridges on big game and by big game I mean bear, moose, elk, caribou etc. If you know, what kind of bullet and cartridge were you using? Shot placement? Results?

I did run into a native fellow recently who claims he’s taken several moose throughout different times of the year with a 22lr, but he didn’t say how many got away or how many shots it took, or if they were calves, cows or bulls. Lol.

[Gun Dog]

I used 25-06 Nosler partition (115 grain) for several years. Did the job on deer - one shot, no drama.

[hawk-i]

I've cleanly taken moose with a 100 gr partition from a 243 in the past.

[wallz]

Used to carry a 243 while growing up. I believe 95 grain projectiles. Used to take many deer, bear, and carried on elk and moose hunts. Did not get to shoot at any elk or moose with it, but, like anything the shot placement is more the magic with a good bullet. If you know you have a good clean shot in, let the animal lay down and expire before running up to it too quickly. Had to learn this the hard way unfortunately. Amazing how a wounded animal will get a 2nd wind, and haul ass for a long time.

[ACE]

Mule deer and many Black-tailed deer . . . . .250-3000 Savage. 87g Speer.

[Salmon Belly]

6mm Creed, 95gr LRX and RL26. Very accurate and lethal on good size boar I shot this spring. One shot kill didn’t go 10 yards.

Don’t let anyone talk you or son out of 6mm Creed, with disciplined shot it’s golden. Such low recoil , perfect for youth hunters.

SB

[chilko]

Congrats on the moose draw and good luck on the hunt.

Perhaps it's just your writing style but you don't seem 100 % confident of your son making a good shot ? I have read dozens of threads about youth hunting cartridges and the emphasis is always on low recoil because we don't want to scare our kids away from hunting. The emphasis , it seems to me , should be a quick clean kill not a long drawn out tracking job or an animal in obvious distress...those things could actually turn off a kid from hunting.

By the way , I'm not saying the smaller cartridges can't work ( although they did invent larger cartridges for a reason ) .

[Bustercluck]

Congrats on the moose draw and good luck on the hunt.

Perhaps it's just your writing style but you don't seem 100 % confident of your son making a good shot ? I have read dozens of threads about youth hunting cartridges and the emphasis is always on low recoil because we don't want to scare our kids away from hunting. The emphasis , it seems to me , should be a quick clean kill not a long drawn out tracking job or an animal in obvious distress...those things could actually turn off a kid from hunting.

By the way , I'm not saying the smaller cartridges can't work ( although they did invent larger cartridges for a reason ) .
No, I’m very confident in his shooting abilities as long as he doesn’t get the old buck fever. He comes out to the range with me quite often and shoots out past 500metres with my 6.5 creedmoor. He definitely understands trajectory and seems to be quite a natural at shooting in general. He’s been shooting .22 and pellet guns since he was 5 or six, but this will be his first trip carrying a rifle after his own game.

I personally think a double lung shot or head with a 100 grain 6mm partition or Barnes ttsx will do just fine. As long as he waits for the right shot everything should go off without a hitch. So that means I have to do my job too and get it in close enough and broadside.

[BCHUNTER21]

plenty of people use a 223 for big game

[Bustercluck]

6mm Creed, 95gr LRX and RL26. Very accurate and lethal on good size boar I shot this spring. One shot kill didn’t go 10 yards.

Don’t let anyone talk you or son out of 6mm Creed, with disciplined shot it’s golden. Such low recoil , perfect for youth hunters.

SB
We’re both loving this rifle. It’s a browning xbolt youth model, so it comes with a coupon for 50% off of a full size stock when he’s ready. My only complaint is it’s pretty loud, it has short barrel with a brake and a Tupperware stock. The stock seems to direct the noise right up your cheek bone for some reason. I’ll probably get him shooting without the brake when we’re doing load development.

[Gateholio]

223 53gr TSX and 62gr TTSX

Deer and bear.

[chilko]

No, I’m very confident in his shooting abilities as long as he doesn’t get the old buck fever. He comes out to the range with me quite often and shoots out past 500metres with my 6.5 creedmoor. He definitely understands trajectory and seems to be quite a natural at shooting in general. He’s been shooting .22 and pellet guns since he was 5 or six, but this will be his first trip carrying a rifle after his own game.

I personally think a double lung shot or head with a 100 grain 6mm partition or Barnes ttsx will do just fine. As long as he waits for the right shot everything should go off without a hitch. So that means I have to do my job too and get it in close enough and broadside.


Awesome , good to hear .

[swampthing]

Moose are very easy to kill. My son has taken I think 3 with his 243 using the 80gr ttsx. I think the furthest one made it was 75 yards and the other two pretty tipped over on the spot.

[KodiakHntr]

223/223AI personally and first hand for a lot of deer and black bears, 45/50/53/62 tsx/ttsx/gmx, and 75 Amax. Deer/black bears/elk/moose personally and first hand with 243/6mm Rem/243AI, 80gr TTSX, 100gr psp and 105 Amax.

Good bullets in good places do good things.

[Bigdoggdon]

Whenever my Dad or I get a mulie doe draw its head shots only with a .223 or .22 hornet.

I've also got an old safe queen that I'm looking to dust off and try out on a deer soon. It's a 6x45, gonna load it with 85g Nosler partitions once I get my hands on the dies.

[Fallkniven]

Shot the biggest WT I have ever got with a .223...did the job (neck shot)

[Downtown]

Congrats on the moose draw and good luck on the hunt.

Perhaps it's just your writing style but you don't seem 100 % confident of your son making a good shot ? I have read dozens of threads about youth hunting cartridges and the emphasis is always on low recoil because we don't want to scare our kids away from hunting. The emphasis , it seems to me , should be a quick clean kill not a long drawn out tracking job or an animal in obvious distress...those things could actually turn off a kid from hunting.

By the way , I'm not saying the smaller cartridges can't work ( although they did invent larger cartridges for a reason ) .


Well said and exactly as I feel !

Cheers

[blackhawk19]

Are you on the draw ?

[Brew]

I shot a 45” moose with a 6mm rem and factory blue box ammo and it dropped in one step. I was 10 at the time

[pappy]

I hunted island deer unsuccessfully with a 250 savage. Never got a shot at one when I was younger. I have used a 25-06 on whitetail with 100 gr etips.

[IronNoggin]

Arctic Hunting:

Many Caribou with a BLR 222. Lung them and they never go far whatsoever in the deep freeze.

Hunting Dall Sheep one time, I had both a 22 Mag and my 270 Win in scabbards on either side of my snow machine's seat. Rounded a corner of the mountain, and a ram standing right there at 30 yards. Pulled the rifle on the right (fastest). 22 Mag. Dammit! Lined up under his chin, and dirt nap in situ. Wasn't planned at all, but worked.

Island Hunting:

Both 222 and 223 / 5.56 on Island Blacktails. Function fine when you place them properly.

Cheers,
Nog

[BRrooster]

The Moose I harvested last year had a bullet embedded in his nose, that was all healed over from a previous wound . Someone shot him in the nose. Can't tell what caliber it was. Also will never know why he was shot in the nose, and how long ago it happened or any of the other circumstances. He was a mature bull , double tri-palm , 8x10. The shot messed up the interior of his nasal passages and there was shrapnel all the way to his eye socket. He might even have been blind in that eye.
Just saying, maybe a larger caliber, might have had a different result.

[Bustercluck]

The Moose I harvested last year had a bullet embedded in his nose, that was all healed over from a previous wound . Someone shot him in the nose. Can't tell what caliber it was. Also will never know why he was shot in the nose, and how long ago it happened or any of the other circumstances. He was a mature bull , double tri-palm , 8x10. The shot messed up the interior of his nasal passages and there was shrapnel all the way to his eye socket. He might even have been blind in that eye.
Just saying, maybe a larger caliber, might have had a different result.
I was wondering about a bull I shot a few years ago. I hit him right in the forehead, head on. I think it may have ricocheted off his skull, because he didn’t have the regular eyeballs popped out or anything else like I’ve seen with deer and no bullet recovery. I wasn’t that interested at the time it happened, but I’m wishing I would’ve investigated more at the time.

[Foxton Gundogs]

Moose die much easier than elk, I have hunted moose successfully from 1959 to 2012 when I left the Northern Lands. I also guided for them in the late 60s/early 70s I have seen moose go down from everything from a 460 Wby th a 22-250. Ny personal opinion a 6.5 or 25 cal caliber although that is not to say a smaller caliber would not do in a pinch. There has been more moose(Euro Elk) killed with the 6.5x55 140 gr bullet than just about any other caliber. Jmho

[Keta1969]

The Moose I harvested last year had a bullet embedded in his nose, that was all healed over from a previous wound . Someone shot him in the nose. Can't tell what caliber it was. Also will never know why he was shot in the nose, and how long ago it happened or any of the other circumstances. He was a mature bull , double tri-palm , 8x10. The shot messed up the interior of his nasal passages and there was shrapnel all the way to his eye socket. He might even have been blind in that eye.
Just saying, maybe a larger caliber, might have had a different result.

I personally don't like reading all the tales of what went "right" with shooting large game with a small caliber. Congrats to those that have been successful. My personal experience from deer to elk and moose is give me a bigger bullet. Yes, PERFECT shots kill no doubt about it but if you're off a little bit the bigger bullet will do more damage. 6 mm for moose if you and your son are extremely disciplined and are sure of shot placement you will kill a moose, if he pulls the shot you will be chasing a wounded moose. I love partitions for big game but wouldn't consider a 100 grain for moose. Deer no problem.

[Bustercluck]

I don’t know. Things can go wrong anywhere. I watched my brother shoot a big bull completely broadside double lung with a 180 grain out of his 300 win mag at 75 yards ( I think it was a Berger) and the moose ran 100 yards into the bush and still needed to be put down when he caught up to it. There’s all kinds of variables, that’s why I’ll be there to back him up just in case. It’s the best option rather than telling him he has to wait another year or stick him behind a gun he’s not comfortable with. I didn’t really want this thread to be about my choices, just discussion about others successes.

FYI I hunt moose with a 338 win mag for the same reasons.

[250 sav]

Shot several moose 250 savage 100 grain Silvertip

[igojuone]

Congrats on the moose draw and good luck on the hunt.

Perhaps it's just your writing style but you don't seem 100 % confident of your son making a good shot ? I have read dozens of threads about youth hunting cartridges and the emphasis is always on low recoil because we don't want to scare our kids away from hunting. The emphasis , it seems to me , should be a quick clean kill not a long drawn out tracking job or an animal in obvious distress...those things could actually turn off a kid from hunting.

By the way , I'm not saying the smaller cartridges can't work ( although they did invent larger cartridges for a reason ) .

They did invent larger cartridges for a reason, people that are poor shots.

[Keta1969]

They did invent larger cartridges for a reason, people that are poor shots.

Hunting is hunting and shooting is shooting. I consider myself a good shot and have taken probably around 100 animals in my time. Most were bang flop but not all. Hurried shots, poor distance judgement,wind, nerves, brush and unfamiliar shooting position are just some of the things that can affect a shot in the field. Sounds like the OP recognizes this as he will be there with a 338 for backup. I hope they have a good time and the young fellow gets his moose.

[blackbart]

One sector seems to really like .22s for moose.... This is of course illegal for most on the forum.

My son uses a .308 with the hornaday light loads. Has worked great on deer. He is ready for full loads now. Nice to be able to just change loads as he gets bigger and not a whole new set up for him.

BB

[bearheart]

The Moose I harvested last year had a bullet embedded in his nose, that was all healed over from a previous wound . Someone shot him in the nose. Can't tell what caliber it was. Also will never know why he was shot in the nose, and how long ago it happened or any of the other circumstances. He was a mature bull , double tri-palm , 8x10. The shot messed up the interior of his nasal passages and there was shrapnel all the way to his eye socket. He might even have been blind in that eye.
Just saying, maybe a larger caliber, might have had a different result.

thank you for your comment.
I am sure this has been hashed out ad nauseum ,but some one advocating or admitting taking a headshot at big game always makes me very sad. Headshots are for war, hunting is not war.

[Bustercluck]

thank you for your comment.
I am sure this has been hashed out ad nauseum ,but some one advocating or admitting taking a headshot at big game always makes me very sad. Headshots are for war, hunting is not war.
Some of us are capable of a headshot and others aren’t. We should all stick to what we’re good at.

[pgpapa]

ive shot deer and black bear in southern Oregon when i was a kid with a savage 340 222 with plain jane 50 gr bullets and never had a problem. I have two 222s now and would hunt deer and black bears but with a nosler partition. I mostly hunt with a 270 or 338 now.
Larry

[REMINGTON JIM]

whitetail deer - 22-250 Rem with Hornady 53 gr HP bullets - They Worked Well with Lung shots ! RJ

[walks with deer]

Some of us are capable of a headshot and others aren’t. We should all stick to what we’re good at.


I average a head shot a season....

Nothing wrong with it..espeacially if i have a big gun and its a close deer or bear..

Lot better than blowing the front shoulders and backstraps off.

[Bustercluck]

I average a head shot a season....

Nothing wrong with it..espeacially if i have a big gun and its a close deer or bear..

Lot better than blowing the front shoulders and backstraps off.
Honestly, I go for double lung whenever possible on big game, but if a headshot is what presents itself and I can’t go double lung, than it’s getting one in the pumpkin.

[Hugh Mann]

Mule deer with 6mm creedmoor. Using the eld-x, the bullet exploded on impact and made a mess of the internals, including the stomach. Saw a big black bear drop instantly from I believe it was a 90 grain gmx. Though that was a lucky shot through the spine. I’ve seen or heard of a couple bears walk away from perfect shots with 6.5 creedmoor.

conclusion. 6mm creedmoor will suffice for deer as long as you use a good bullet, but wouldn’t recommend it for anything bigger.

[warnniklz]

22-250... Only because I've never owned a centerfires rifle any smaller than that.

[MichelD]

My dad's 22 Hornet though I never got anything with it.

He shot many deer on the Island with that gun.

[Foxton Gundogs]

223 and 22-250

[todbartell]

100gr 6mm Nosler Partition placed into the vitals, will work just fine. I've seen it

https://i.imgur.com/lE4SqPP.jpg

[Blacktail1]

22-250 is lightning bolt on deer drops em !!!

[Bustercluck]

100gr 6mm Nosler Partition placed into the vitals, will work just fine. I've seen it

https://i.imgur.com/lE4SqPP.jpg

Nice work! Was there any drama or over pretty quick?

[xlcc]

I shot a few deer with a .222 and a moose with 22-250 right in the eye.
A trapper friend of mine shot a moose with a .22 mag.2 quick shots in the ribs then it lay down and died.

[todbartell]

Nice work! Was there any drama or over pretty quick?

Nothing unusual. A 75 yard death sprint and it was piled up

[Livewire322]

Black bear with a .243 - 100 grain Winchester soft point.

family friend hunted and killed moose for years with a BLR in .243

A bullet in the right place is lethal, regardless of size. Bigger only gives you more margin for error, which can be good, sometimes.

[RobTurbo]

I grew up shooting a 6mm and it was a fantastic caliber to learn on (after my .22 & .410). That gun took many deer down and I may just have the chance to use it again this Nov for whitetail.

[Browning 3\d]

But they don`t tell you how many got away.

[xlcc]

There are a lot of guys packing magnums around that can't shoot them well and would do much better with a rifle they enjoy shooting.

[BRrooster]

There are a lot of guys packing magnums around that can't shoot them well and would do much better with a rifle they enjoy shooting.

You go ahead and pack your 22-250 and hunt for Moose and Elk where we do; just let us know were you are so we can come find you and bury your bones! We see a couple of Grizz every year there.
I'll pack one of my magnums , thank you very much. lol.

[BRrooster]

I've shot a few deer with a .243, and the smallest rifle I used on BIG game ( Elk/Moose) would be a .270.

[Camp Cook]

Multiple Sitka blacktail deer with a 22-250 loaded with 55gr Sierra Varminter bullets at 3660fps shot everyone of them in the neck = 1/4" hole in 2" hole out and only the hide holding the head on.

Next smallest for deer is my 6.8SPC rifles = 95gr TTSX @ 2900fps and 110gr Acubonds @ 2750fps I'm very impressed with how well this tiny little cartridge takes deer.