277 AM First call to duty

[srhaggerty]

My wife put in back in April for a cow moose hunt in Eastern Idaho. Well we found out earlier this week that she drew it!! She is very excited since this will be her first animal she will kill. I just hope the stork doesn't have other plans.. I am trying to decide what bullet will best be suited for this challenge. Shots will be 200 and less. Any thoughts?

Sean

 

[Fiftydriver]

Sean,

Get ahold of Richard when he gets back from his bear hunting trip and see what he recommend for a bullet. At the velocity of the 277 AM I would say the new 185 gr ULD RBBT would work but he may recommend a heavy bonded core for that range of shooting at a critter that size.

Something like his 170 gr FB Bonded Core would certainly do the job. If he could make you up some 180 gr that would be even better in my opinion for that close range shooting.

He will tell you what works best though.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[srhaggerty]

I will drop jim an email and see what he suggests. I was thining of the bonded cores as well at that distance. I had given thought to the Barnes 150 TSX as well.

 

[royinidaho]

Sean,

Here's what a 277, 130gr Sierra @ 3200 MV did to a Moose's heart @ 65 yds. Complete penetration and right where I wanted it. However, it didn't phase him one iota. He just walked off about 40 yds. I was so dumbfounded I didn't shoot again.

Then after standing, headed away from me, for quite awhile he toppled and rolled back to the point of the first shot. Then, I'll be ****'d if he didn't get up again.

Next shot went through both shoulder blades. Again complete penetration. However, I guess he was dead with the first shot, but neither he nor I knew it.

He wasn't a large fella either. Antlers like Bullwinkle. The 4 quarters hanging in the butcher shop were right at 400#s.

Of course this was back in 1970 and I didn't know much. Still don't, but I do have a 270 AM on the assembly line. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Would expect much more from the AM.......AND a HEAVIER bullet of the WC variety. Might want to break some bones to keep it from expiring at the bottom of a draw or thicket. Would save a lot of work....

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[srhaggerty]

Roy that is kind of my intentions. Depending on the terrain I may have her take the shoulders out.

That is just amazing at how tough that animal is. That is a lot to go thru and still get up.

Would be kind of interesting getting a 180 grain bonded @ 3200 MV. Wonder what it might do to the cow?

 

[Fiftydriver]

Kill it with no recovered bullet to look at I would predict /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif!!!

The 150 gr TSX should also work but thats kind of like putting pump gas in an F1 race car!!! It would work well I suspect though. The TSX generally shoot very well in the Lilja barrels.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[srhaggerty]

LOL pump gas eh? I think you are right. I guess I didn't have you build a gun in that cartridge and not use it's full potential.. I think those 180 BC ought to do the trick. Wonder what the sectional density of that bullet is?

 

[NorthernSniper]

shaggy I have killed about 20 Moose in my time with everything from a 30-30 on up, fact of the matter is Moose are the easiest of any big game animal to kill. The standard for years in most moose country is 180gr bullets in any factory load, Winchester super X or Winchester supreme will be more than sufficient. Good Luck! Ken

 

[davewilson]

i'm with sniper, moose are easy to kill.i've only killed about half as many as he but i've watched several others get shot.if you shoot them in the ribs they won't fall down for most of a minute.many make the mistake of shooting them over and over.won't make much difference in "fall down time" just shoot them in the head or top of the neck.it's the size of a small deer.as far as bullets go,the speed a 150 would be traveling would impart more killing shock on an animal inside 200 yards.now if you were shooting over 500 where the 277 really starts to shine,i'd say don't go with the "pumped gas"

 

[THOMAST]

Is your wife a regular shooter, or will this be her first time? Was just thinking that she might develop an adverse reaction to hunting/shooting if the rifle thumps her a bit.

 

[Fiftydriver]

Thomast,

Recoil will certainly not be an issue, that rifle recoils about like a 25-06 at very most with a 169.5 gr ULD RBBT loaded to +3400 fps. She will easily be able to shoot it accurately.

Without a brake it recoils like any 300 RUM loaded with a 180 class bullet but with the brake she is a ***** cat. 25-06 levels of recoil are probably more then this rifle produces to be honest.

Kirby Allen(50)

 

[THOMAST]

Ah! did'nt know about the brake. Thanks Kirby. What type of brake is installed?

 

[srhaggerty]

Thomast

It is a Holland QD. Kirby it right on with the recoil. It is so nice to shoot.

 

[muledeer270]

I shot my first moose with a nosler 130 grain partition, and it was not very far away, 35-40yds, I had complete faith in that load because it had worked well on elk and deer, if she is recoil shy this would be the bullet that I would use, Jack O'connor shot two moose in Alaska, at 600 yds with this same load, they did not go over 40 yds before they dropped, this was done with a 4x weaver scope 6 inch dot and a model 70, his favorite rifle.