Moose Hunting Sweden

[Lars Blomqvist]

At Monday the 8th of October the Moose huntingseason is starting all over Sweden. Some 90 000 Moose's is expected to bee shot from the start date of 8th October to the end of January next year. This first week is av very large event in the Swedish hunting world, specially in the Northen part where school's and smaller industrie's is closed, "all grown up" persons is out hunting. The Moosehunting in Sweden, Norway and Finland is not like hunting in the rest of the world, You do not have any guide locking over your shoulder, you have to walk quit and fast to Your hunting stand, it can be a hunting tower or just on the ground, if You like You can make a smal fire, the Moose is not reacting at the smoke. There is just one thing that matter more than anything else and that is, You must be absolutly quiet, the ear's of the Moose is extremly well hearing, 700 meter's is no problem for a Moose to locate any sound, plus these animals has a extremly good nose.
Do not make any sound and do not smell anything !
Leblom

 

[Pheroze]

Sound like a season to look forward to! Moose season here in Ontario Canada opens in Oct 13. The annual pilgramage north for many a man. Absentee rates go up I am sure but schools and businesses dont close. Clearly Sweden is the better country Good luck to you!

 

[Shootist43]

Lars, will you be hunting moose this year? If so, what caliber rifle will you be using? What would you guess is the average weight of a moose taken where you hunt?

 

[Lars Blomqvist]

Lars, will you be hunting moose this year? If so, what caliber rifle will you be using? What would you guess is the average weight of a moose taken where you hunt?

Shootist43, Yes I have just start packing for my trip to the hunting area, it is a trip by car at 350 kilometers up North. My favorit caliber is 300 WinMag, but I started my hunting career with 6,5X55, around half part of all Moosehunter is using that caliber, it was the former Swedish army caliber but I even do have a TIKKA 308 and a doublerifle in cal H&H 375. In Sweden we do have a classification system for calibers, class 1 is for hunting all kind of animals there is, it start with cal 6,5X55, 150 grains soft point bullet, there is no upper limit, all ammo in the class 1 must have softpoint .
The Moose in Scandinavia is of a diffrent family, they are some smaller than Moose in US, Canada and Siberia, the max wheight I do know of, was around 450 kilos that is 900 pounds, the average Moose is around 250 kilos. The weight of the Moose is increasing up norht, Sweden is some 2500 kilometers from souht to the north tip. The moose is some smaller in the south and bigger up north. In the south of Sweden there is smaller forests and more agricultural fields , up north it is very much like nothern US and Canada.

 

[Shootist43]

Lars, thank you for answering my questions. There is no limit on the number of rifles a person can own in the U. S. so I have a goodly number of them. Everything from 17 HMR to 416 Rigby. No fancy rifles mind you but very solid working rifles. My go to caliber is the 6.5 x 55 Swedish Mauser. A monster deer where I live is 150 kgs. Most are much smaller than that. I love that caliber so much that I bought one for each of my grandchildren. Only a few are still in their original military configuration. Most of them have had their barrels cut down to 22" and have sporterized stocks, either plastic or wood. I handload and because of that am able to shoot a 140 gr. bullet at 2775 FPS. Our deer hunting season begins tomorrow. But from then to Nov. 15th it is Archery Season bows or crossbows only. Rifle season is from Nov 15th to the end of the month. I too must travel several hours North for good hunting. I've thought of hunting moose and or elk but I can actually hunt Africa cheaper. Have you ever given any thought to hunting in Africa?

 

[WAB]

Best of luck Lars! I grew up in Canada, we are much the same, simply hunting, no guides. In fact I did not hunt with a guide until I went to Africa where it was mandatory.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Good luck.

 

[Lars Blomqvist]

Shootist 43, I lived in Africa 6 years in the beginning of the 1960:s, my plan was to stay in southern Africa, but it ended aabruptly, I got Malaria, somebody put me on an aeroplane who landed in Copenhagen and an ambulance taked me to a hospital, where I was for one month. I was sent home to Sweden where I was under control of a local doctor at one month more, after that I was declared free from Malariaand I had never had any backlash.I was not to Africa for very many years but nowdays Ido not care, I go to Africa when I do like to. Last time was in Namibia, a country I do like very much, specially their climate in June and July, the lawn is frosen whit in the morning and at the afternoon the temp is +30 C. And best of all there is some 150 diffrent spicies to hunt.

About the "Swedish Mauser" You must be very carefull, the lockingsystem ts EXTREMY WEAK, I have seen twice blowing up in the shooters face, all was homeloaded ammo, Please be very carefull, when You reload this ammo, the recommended max speed is 2400 FPS. The Mauser gun is constructed 1896, the ammo in those days was very soft loaded.
Best regards // Lars B

 

[Shootist43]

Lars, do you know which of the 6.5 x 55 actions blew up? Although some of the earlier rifles using that caliber were weak the 1896 version was supposedly proof tested at around 65,000 psi. I have seen other articles one in particular where the head of Norma's ballistic Dept. stated that their test barrel was proofed at 81,000 psi and that it was fastened to and fired by an 1896 Swedish Mauser Action. After you get back from your moose hunt, I'd like discuss this issue further.

 

[JPbowhunter]

I'd love to hunt moose someday, are international hunters able to hunt without a guide?

You need to get over to Australia one day, some great hunting here!

 

[7x57Joe]

Lars, be sure to post pictures of your moose.

 

[Peter Larsson]

Lars, do you know which of the 6.5 x 55 actions blew up? Although some of the earlier rifles using that caliber were weak the 1896 version was supposedly proof tested at around 65,000 psi. I have seen other articles one in particular where the head of Norma's ballistic Dept. stated that their test barrel was proofed at 81,000 psi and that it was fastened to and fired by an 1896 Swedish Mauser Action. After you get back from your moose hunt, I'd like discuss this issue further.

I think it was a Stiga rifle in 30-06 that blev up.
They made cheap rifles of m96 actions.
My brother have a HVA m96 (M38) in 9,3x62 that work ok.