25-06 for elk?

If you plan to use a 25-06 for elk you may want to work up
a load with 120 barnes x bullet or 120 nos partition. You will want every bit of penetration possible. On broadside shots placed in the vitals the 25-06 should work fine.
And I will throw in my two bits if you don't mind, even though you have probably heard all this before.
Elk really are tough, I have seen them go amazing distances with serious wounds from poorly placed rifle shots. Elk can go a long ways if you only get one lung, or miss the vitals. The tough part is having to pass up marginal shots which with a larger caliber would be reasonable, it's easy to think you will not take marginal shots with the 25-06 but once you are in the situation very tough to do.
 
if you feel comfortable with the 25 take it, my dad has shot a ton of african animals with his and they are tuff freaking animals. kudus(just as big as a elk) gemsbok, waterbuck,red lechwe, all of these animals are big and he took them with his 25.just make sure you are using the right bullet and put it where it counts.
 
I used a 25-06 ruger #1 last year and killed an 400lb cow at 350 yards used a barnes X 115grn.I don't rember the load near max with IMR-4350. the Barnes realy fouled the bore so I will be switching to Nosler 120 partition. Also some people have accuracy problems with the Barnes I did not but some do.I had no bullet performance problems nearly complete penetration after hitting shoulder bone.
 
Sorry guys, I just have to put in my two cents worth. I own two 25-06's. I LOVE the caliber! I also am an avid elk hunter and have killed my share of bull elk. With those two thngs being stated up front, here comes my preaching. The 25-06 is not an ethical choice for elk. If every situation were perfect (broadside standing still 100 yard shots) I would feel differently. However, as anyone who has ever hunted elk should know, every situation is not perfect. If you try to break down the front end of a running 800 lb animal with a 25-06, not only are you probably going to lose your trophy but the elk is going to die a needlessly miserable death------eventually. I don't care what velocity you load ANY bullet to, the quarterbore just ain't enough to reliably take down an elk. I have been in similar discussions on different forums and I know what the response to this is going to be. Your either going to wholeheartedly agree with me or think that I am the most ignorant jerk in the world. I don't say this to offend anyone who chooses to shoot at elk with a 25-06, I just wanted to speak my mind. Opt for the 300, you'll be glad you did.

Smoke
 
.25-06 for elk? LOL you better shoot it in the head or pray that you make a perfect shot b/c if you are off the slightest bit that elk will be in the next county. You better take your friends gun.
 
I disagree, I think a 25.06 would smoke an elk no problem. It still has good energy for a medium sized caliber. You guys are all saying that if it is a poor shot, or a poor shooting situation. I don't care it you are shooting a 338, you hit it poorly it won't matter. And i would not take a running shot at an elk unless it were already wounded. I know lots of people that have killed elk with a 243 and 25.06 both. Not to mention the 270. I would not prefer a 25.06 for elk, but i certainly would not hesitate to use one.
 
WVU69JOSH,
Are there many elk in West Virginia? I am aware that there is a herd in PA that is big enough to hunt. How about WV?
 
If I had a choice I would go with the 300 ultra. I also beleive that if you have to ask if the gun is big enough That it is probely to small.

So is the 25-06 to small. Well I think that it is on the lower end of guns that I would use. I think that a 120 gr barnsx will do a good job as long as you don't go for that 300 to 400 yard shot. Personaly I would keep it under 200.

I have a friend that uses the 270 with 100 grs. And he hunts every thing from cats up to elk with it. This year he baged a real nice bull with it at 200 yards.

If you are a good shot with that gun and trust that gun I would use it. You know what they say about a man with one gun. I would hate to see you take a gun that you where unfimilar with and screw up a hunt because of it. Just know your limits!!!!!!!!!

I used to be a frim beleiver in the bigger is better. You still need a gun big enough to do the job. But putting that shot where it counts and what you are comfortable with are just as important as the size of the gun that you are shooting.

well thats just my .02
 
Bent Barrel,

There are no elk in WV but there has been talk of a "stocking" program. I personally think that there is great habitat for them here. I hear that the Penn. herd is doing very well.
 
I fully agree with SMOKE. 30 cal at least gets you into some good bonded bullets that will hold together. You'd be better off using a .338
 
Way to small, even if everything was perfect that animal would probably still run. The absolute minimum I would use would be a .270, I would personally go with 30-06 or bigger. No question on this one, take the .300.
 
If it was me, I'd go to a larger caliber for elk. From a hunters perspective, you owe it to the animal for a swift, clean kill. I hate the thought of an animal running around the woods suffering from a poor shot or a bullet that didn't put it down on the spot. Just my 2 cents.
 
I am a huge fan of the 25-06 and have shot every kind of deer incuding elk with it.(except moose). The sectional Denisity of it with the right bullet is higher than alot of other larger calibers. However, most hunters are poor shots and need the extra energy alotted with heavier calibers. I do agree that longer shots with the 25, more than 300 yds, is probably about the maximum effective range. This being said, and the fact that I am a long range shooter, I would rather have a .300 win.,or 300 wsm. As a Primary Elk Caliber.
 
I scratch my head wondering why anyone would limit themselves to hunt an animal such as an elk, which are tough, with such a small caliber. Of course, shot placement is the main key, but that's ALL you got going for you. If that little bullet doesn't hit where it needs to go, say goodbye to your wounded elk! Mt. Lion, or worse, coyote dinner in a few days. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif I say grab your friends rifle, take it to the range a few times, get "use" to it, and take that gun.
 
All of you who say it is unethical to hunt elk with a 25-06 are full of it. This always seems to be a BS discusion of a perfect shot or the animal might suffer/The bigger the better and all that crap. Will the animal suffer less if hit with a larger caliber in the guts than an animal hit with a small caliber no, if anything the small caliber when misplaced Might lean to a cleaner hole and a greater likely hood of the animal recovering from the poor shot. Furthermore my experience has shown that people who consistantly shoot a small rifle have better shot placement. This is for several reasons: 1. It is believed that a larger gun is more forgiving, while it might be all this does is give the hunter the idea that a not so perfect shot is ok. Second the larger the caliber typically the less you shoot it and the less you practice with it. The best practice is to find the caliber/rifle that you can use in all or the most likely hunting situation. In this case a 25-06 6mm or 270 type rifle is ideal. You can load down for varmits up for big game. I look at this year for example... I took 2 elk, one with bow(no caliber requirements there as the animal stumbled 30 yards and fell. 2nd a 330 pound cow at 130 yards with a 130 grain hornady out of the 270, she went 4 feet. My father, 1 cow shot with a 240 grain or something ridiculous like that, from a 375 H+H mag. Result the cow was shot once more in the loin with gun. We chased her for 6 hours. I finally finished her with a 55 grain V-Max from my 22-250 at 338 paces as dark fell. Having hunted Elk successfully and guided a time or 2 it is not the size of the gun that matters it is the person pulling the trigger. You can keep your larger calibers.
 
elks,

I plan on keeping my larger calibers, thanks! That's all I own, really. Nice post, but I don't agree with you. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif
 
coyotebuster, I dissagree with the 270 or larger. I don't know enough about the 25-06 but I know a 260 is ok for elk. With that said I use my 260 as a backup firearm to my 300 win mag.
 


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