.303 British for Moose Hunting? Best Ammo (Round, Load, Cartridge) for a Successful Moose Hunt
- Hunting Calibers
- 04 Apr, 2020
Is the .303 British a viable caliber/load/round/cartridge for moose hunting? The accurate answer is “it depends”. However, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether the .303 British is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest moose.
As with anything, the devil is in the details. To answer the question completely, we would need to evaluate the downrange distance to the moose, the bullet type, the grain weight of the bullet, the physical condition of the firearm, the size of the moose in question, the shot placement, the local wind conditions, the expected accuracy of the shooter, the ethics of the ideal maximum number of shots – the list goes on.
What we can do is provide a framework to understand what average conditions might look like, and whether those are reasonably viable for a shot from the average shooter to harvest a moose in the fewest number of shots possible, i.e., ethically.
Let’s dive right in. In the question of “Is the .303 British within the ideal range of suitable calibers for moose hunting?” our answer is:
No, the .303 British is UNDERKILL for moose hunting, under average conditions, from a mid-range distance, with a medium grain expanding bullet, and with correct shot placement.
Let’s look at those assumptions a bit closer in the following table.
| Assumption | Value |
|---|---|
| Caliber | .303 British |
| Animal Species | Moose |
| Muzzle Energy | 2410 foot-pounds |
| Animal Weight | 1200 lbs |
| Shot Distance | 200 yards |
What is the average muzzle energy for a .303 British? In this case, we have assumed the average muzzle energy for a .303 British round is approximately 2410 foot-pounds.
What is the average weight of an adult male moose? Here we have leaned conservative by taking the average weight of a male individual of the species, since females generally weigh less and require less stopping power. In this case, the average weight of an adult male moose is approximately 1200 lbs.
What is the distance this species is typically hunted from? Distance, of course, plays an important role in the viability of a given caliber in moose hunting. The kinetic energy of the projectile drops dramatically the further downrange it travels primarily due to energy lost in the form of heat generated by friction against the air itself. This phenonemon is known as drag or air resistance. Thus, a caliber that is effective from 50 yards may not have enough stopping power from 200 yards. With that said, we have assumed the average hunting distance for moose to be approximately 200 yards.
What about the other assumptions? We have three other primary assumptions being made here. First, the average bullet weight is encapsulated in the average muzzle energy for the .303 British. The second important assumption is ‘slightly-suboptimal’ to ‘optimal’ shot placement. That is to say, we assume the moose being harvested is shot directly or nearly directly in the vitals (heart and/or lungs). The third assumption is that a projectile with appropriate terminal ballistics is being used, which for hunting usually means an expanding bullet.
Various calibers
A common thread you may encounter in online forums is anecdote after anecdote of large animals being brought down by small caliber bullets, or small animals surviving large caliber bullets. Of course those stories exist, and they are not disputed here. A 22LR cartridge can fell a bull elephant under the right conditions, and a newborn squirrel can survive a 50 BMG round under other specific conditions.
Again, the goal of this article is simply to address the question of whether .303 British is within the ideal range of suitable calibers to harvest moose - and to this question, the response again is no, the .303 British is UNDERKILL for moose hunting.
This article does not serve as the final say, but simply as a starting point for beginner hunters, as well as a venue for further discussion. Please feel free to agree, disagree, and share stories from your own experience in the comments section below.
Disclaimer: the information above is purely for illustrative purposes and should not be taken as permission to use a particular caliber, a statement of the legality or safety of using certain calibers, or legal advice in any way. You must read and understand your own local laws before hunting moose to know whether your caliber of choice is a legal option.
Foundry Outdoors is your trusted home for buying archery, camping, fishing, hunting, shooting sports, and outdoor gear online.
We offer cheap ammo and bulk ammo deals on the most popular ammo calibers. We have a variety of deals on Rifle Ammo, Handgun Ammo, Shotgun Ammo & Rimfire Ammo, as well as ammo for target practice, plinking, hunting, or shooting competitions. Our website lists special deals on 9mm Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 45-70 Ammo, 6.5 Creedmoor ammo, 300 Blackout Ammo, 10mm Ammo, 5.56 Ammo, Underwood Ammo, Buffalo Bore Ammo and more special deals on bulk ammo.
We offer a 100% Authenticity Guarantee on all products sold on our website. Please email us if you have questions about any of our product listings.
8 Comments
I dont know where you hunt moose, but calling 200 yards an “average” distance is inaccurate IMO. Having watched around a dozen moose go down I’ve seen only one shot at 200 yards. In the areas I hunt even being able to make a 100 yard shot is pretty rare, the furthest shot I’ve ever had to make on a moose was a little over 100 yards, the closest was about 15 and I’d call 60 yards about average. I believe if you do your research you will find that the current world record moose was killed at about 40 yards… with a .303.
I’ve been hunting with a .303 British (a sporterized Lee Enfield surplus rifle) since I was 16, and I’m now 54. I have harvested my share of Moose over the years using Remington Core Lokt 180 gr ammunition. I rarely shoot out to 100 yards, average shot if I had to guess is withing 50 yards. However I just wanted to mention that Canada’s Arctic Rangers have used the ,303 British chambered Lee Enfields since the group was established. A few years ago (2019) the Government of Canada replaced their rifles and gave them an upgrade to the .308 Win chambered Tikka t3 Arctic. These guys face everything from Wolves and Polar Bears to criminals (also armed) and they feel the .308 is sufficient. What’s funny is that far more than half of the serving Rangers still have the .303 as their main rifle with the Tikka T3 .308’s as a back-up. I’m not saying that your system of measurement is incorrect, just that your effective distance may be slightly exaggerated.
Took my first bull with an Excalibur Crossbow mini 340 using 150 bolt cutter and it went clean through on a broadside shot at 28 yards. Blood poured out of his lungs like a wide open garden hose. He trotted in off the dirt road and folded like a cheap suit. NS Canada.
Enfields are littered everywhere around Canada and the .303 is a super reliable round. As mentioned before, it holds the record in Canada as the preferred round for moose hunting here. I know many hunters and watch many hunting programs and I would say even life-long hunters would very rarely take a 200 yard shot with a .303 and doing so would be borderline irresponsible. Aiming for the lungs (killzone) on a moose at 200 yards with no wind or branches or shrubs in combination with a dead-still breath and a un-wavering aim would still be incredibly difficult at best (and therefore a shot you should not take). Also, if a moose is at 200 yards, you could easily call the animal over or stalk the animal for a safer and more responsible shot. Even at 100 yards most hunters would be breaking a sweat trying to rationalize a shot at that distance. 50-60 yards is a much more realistic “approximate” distance to be shooting a moose.
The 303 is good enough to kill a moose well for me anyways don’t underestimate the 303
Hand loading the 303 is just as good as the 308 in the 300 yard range and will take down moose.
Hand loading the 303 is just as good as the 308 in the 300 yard range and will take down moose.
This article should be titled “How to say you haven’t done much moose hunting up north without doing much moose hunting up north… or anywhere else”.
The .303 British isn’t my preferred moose caliber up here where there aren’t the smaller Shiras species. That choice is the 35 Whelen – but I wouldn’t lose any sleep if I was told I could only use a surplus Lee Enfield in good condition chambered in .303 British. Every moose I have shot so far would still be in the freezer – and I shot the first two as a kid using my gradfather’s 1895 Winchester chambered in 30 U.S. (30/40 Krag to you young folks).
People up here – including the natives who are the Canadian Rangers – have been putting moose (and elk, and caribou, and deer, etc) in the freezer since surplus Lee Enfields poured into the north after WWI. And it was always a favored caliber up here in the Winchester 1895 lever action rifle and Savage 99.
You would think the world had ended when Dominion’s 215 grain KKSP round for the .303 British was discontinued, listening to the hunters up here. Telling them “go buy a MORE ‘ideal’ chambering” would not have gone over well.
The .303 British may not be the IDEAL moose round – but you could also say the 30/06 is also not the IDEAL moose round and then have exactly the same fight over that equally ridiculous fight.
For the vast percentage of moose hunting at the vast majority of hunting distances, the .303 British loaded with the right bullet will reliably kill any moose shot in the vital zone.
For your next piece, tell the Scandinavian countries that their 6.5×55 cartridge simply isn’t an ideal moose hunting cartridge. Let me get some popcorn first…
Now I’m feeling like I was trolled with that silly claim just to get more posts and traffic on this website…