Moose with a 20G sabot?

[Tripplebeards]

Encore barrels are really cheap in 7 Remington and 300 Winchester magnum. Few want to shoot them just for recreation. Load them down to a little over 30-06 velocities and you save $100 on the bbl.

Good idea but the problem that I alway run into is the the twist dose not match the slower velocities and accuracy always ends up suffering imo.

[richhodg66]

Almost every gun enthusiast has an extra .30-06 or similar sitting around. If I were your neighbor, I'd loan you one for as long as you needed it to get ready and have a successful hunt. Surely someone you know close would do the same and with a .30-06 or bigger, it would remove any doubt about capability of the weapon.

[Petander]

I couldn't afford to practise enough with factory shotgun sabots.

[megasupermagnum]

Inside of 100 yards, I would have no problem using a 20 gauge slug on a moose. I won't get into the whole conundrum of the "what if" shot. Nobody can predict the future, but I don't see 100 yards as being much of a handicap. Provided they shoot good, I would actually lean towards the Federal 3" truball as the ammo for big game in 20 gauge. I would shy away from the Federal trophy copper. I've only seen them used in 12 gauge, but results are less than stellar, no expansion. They did kill the deer, though the pinhole entrance and exits were not impressive. I wouldn't limit yourself to only 3" hulls either, as 2 3/4" can shoot just as well. The Hornady SST would be a good choice, and do not overlook the Federal Power Shok sabot slug. The latter of those two would actually be a very good option. The 1450 fps muzzle velocity doesn't impress most people, but remember it is a 382 grain chunk of lead. Expansion is mild, and they penetrate well. Even if they don't expand, they have a nice flat point to them.

I never gave them much thought, but Lightfield has some boomers as well that penetrate well.

[dk17hmr]

Most 300 win mag barrels for the encore are 1:10.....my bolt action 26" 308 has a 1:10 twist and shoots 178gr at 2775fps very well. It's probably not a twist rate issue.

[richhodg66]

This would be the perfect excuse to buy another rifle. I would be hearing a .35 Whelen calling my name.

[CLAYPOOL]

ITHACA Are you near Central Southern Illinois. I be-leave you sometimes just HAVE To trust people. If you are near....I have some guns. They are scratched, used, work great,....Let me know...I will never get to go other wise....30-06 and beyond...............

[markX]

Ithaca, Where are you located?

[John McCorkle]

Hey OP, we'll have to work out the logistics for shipping but I have a rem700 ADL in '06 in my safe you are welcome to borrow...I live in Texas and have no idea how to loan out a rifle or do the shipping but I'd love to know my rifle has taken a moose too!

Just promise to send it back and everyone here is my witness and I'll get on finding out how to send it to you

Sent from my Moto G Play using Tapatalk

[Petander]

This thread is going to a true hunter's direction.

Great.

[Discus420]

The projectile itself is a hollow point lead-free slug called Raptor. The manufacturer has been experimenting with different weights, but right now only 239 grain projectiles are available with a muzzle velocity of 2150 fps. The pack of ten rounds has a price of $45.

[Shawlerbrook]

It will work, but you drew a once or twice in a lifetime tag, so I would beg, borrow or steal a rifle. My dad shot his Maine moose at 175 yards in 2013 with a 35 Whelen.

[tinhorn97062]

Keep in mind folks, that long before all the magnums and various bottleneck cartridges, it was a round ball over a dose of black powder that got the job done. Nobody seemed to starve back then. Fast forward, the .45 cal rifles and .50 cal rifles were dropping every animal in sight...while moving at a pretty sedate speed.

OP’s 20ga with a slug will certainly get the job done at any kind of a reasonable and shootable distance. Sure, a .338 Mag would be great to have- but OP has a 20ga shotgun. Which again, is more than sufficient to take care of what he’s got on his plate.

[Petander]

Keep in mind folks, that long before all the magnums and various bottleneck cartridges, it was a round ball over a dose of black powder that got the job done. Nobody seemed to starve back then.

And before that there were spears,even better!

[missionary5155]

Good morning
The spears were used by "group hunters" who also ""pushed and herded" animals over cliffs or into blind canyons to be dispatched.

I would not hesitate to use a .60 - .62 round ball from a rifled barrel. I may have to slink around a bit and close the distance to be in my personal "sure shot" distance but hey a once in a life time hunt is for the hunt not the slaughter.
Mike in Peru

[Petander]

Here in Finland we have this moving target shooting test,a natural size moose target is going trotting speed @ 100 meters. It is going over a 45 meter distance in five seconds. It was compulsory for decades for every moose hunter to get three hits in three passes for both moving and standing target. The test is a bit different now but we practise the old way a lot. Otherwise people won't get the leade.

To hit the lungs "10" with a 308 you have to aim at the beard.

Hitting killing zone with a shotgun slug is something that's out of most folks ability,your leade is almost double and there's nothing to aim at except background.

It should be a hunt,not a stunt.

[richhodg66]

"It should be a hunt,not a stunt."

Not that it would be a stunt, exactly, but this holds true. If it was white tail deer, which I will get lots of chances at every year for the rest of my life, no problem, but this is a once in a lifetime.

By the way, the "the old timers used so and so" argument is bravo sierra. They did it because that was what they had, they didn't have the constraints of having seasons, bag limits, tag draws, etc., and if there was a way to check, I bet a LOT of wounded game didn't get recovered in the day.

Find a rifle, enough said. Doesn't take a particularly expensive or elaborate one, a bolt action .30-06 (which practically everybody has) will do it.

[Shawlerbrook]

What he ^^^^ said !

[megasupermagnum]

"It should be a hunt,not a stunt."

Not that it would be a stunt, exactly, but this holds true. If it was white tail deer, which I will get lots of chances at every year for the rest of my life, no problem, but this is a once in a lifetime.

By the way, the "the old timers used so and so" argument is bravo sierra. They did it because that was what they had, they didn't have the constraints of having seasons, bag limits, tag draws, etc., and if there was a way to check, I bet a LOT of wounded game didn't get recovered in the day.

Find a rifle, enough said. Doesn't take a particularly expensive or elaborate one, a bolt action .30-06 (which practically everybody has) will do it.

Inside of 100 yards, a 20 gauge slug gun will stomp a 30-06. Extra range might come in handy with a rifle, but calling a slug gun a stunt is taking it too far. Tens of thousands of people still hunt with bows and arrows. Thousands hunt with handguns. Muzzleloader hunting is as popular as ever.

[Hogtamer]

I have killed 10 animals with my savage 220 in the last 2 years, 3 deer and 7 hogs but the biggest was only 150 lbs. In fact the first shot was a "twofer" passing through the hog I was shooting at a little high and hitting a small hog behind it in the throat severing the jugular. All home rolled stuff. But an 800 lb animal is in another league. I'm confident that inside of 50 yds it would be lethal. At 100 yds I can shoot it accurately but you've lost a lot of energy from a ballistically challenged projectile starting out at 1700 fps. There would certainly be no exit and a one-lunger would be a real possibility. An '06 with a 180 gr soft point would be my first choice. Borrow one well in advance of your hunt and get real familiar with it! Good luck. You're gonna need a bigger freezer!
PS: don't know anything avout store bought sabots but would be leery of them too.