The 11 best cartridges for downing Canada’s big game animals

MOOSE

All moose are not created equal, so you need a round capable of handling the big boys found in the Yukon, N.W.T. and northern B.C. and Alberta, as well as their smaller-bodied cousins to the south. Shooting ranges tend to be inside 250 metres across Canada, sometimes considerably less, meaning you need a cartridge that provides plenty of punch at close quarters, yet is capable of handling long shots on these immense animals. I struggled more with this choice than any other, but I’m going with the .338 Win. Mag. I realize many consider it too much gun, and it probably is for many situations. But if you have to poke a 1,500-pound bull across a river valley, you’ll be thankful for the extra energy—moose that don’t go down quickly tend to die in the worst possible places.