Looking for a caliber for antelope, deer, bear and elk

rnream

rnream

New member
I am looking for a good cal rifle to use for all the above. My 13 year old is not very big and says his mom's 7mm08 kicks so i want something else. I know lots of people who kill elk with a 243 and it all depends on shot placement, but i have shot cows and hit perfect with a 300mag and they ran 50 yds and a drop of blood on the ground so a 243 scares me. I was thinking of a 25.06, never shot one so not sure about its kick and how it will do on elk. I know it is flat. Any sugestions?
 
recoil in a 25-06 is moderate same case as a 30-06 just necked down. 6mm's are great cartridges I would have no problem using them on elk, but if you want something less recoil than the 25-06 and still drop elk how about a 260? you can get bigger grain bullets than the 25 and recoil in a short action would be a tad less than that of the 25-06, plus is a great long range caliber.
 
Another round that I started hunting with at his age was a 257 Roberts. Great little round and loaded with 120-122 granin bullets I wouldn't hesitate shooting an elk. It would be perfect on the deer and goats too. I still shoot a 257, just an AI now. I would not go any smaller than a .25 if you have elk or bear in the plans. Might also look at a 6.5x55. My hunting bud's 8yr old daughter is whacking deer with a 257AI and 7x57.
 
I'd opt for at least a .30-06. You could get an autoloader or have a muzzle brake put on to deal with the recoil. It's not that big a deal to pop ear plugs in real quick before the shot.

A .270 WSM might be a good choice with a brake also.

As mentioned before a .260 might be worth looking in to, but in my opinion it's too light for elk, especially for someone inexperienced who might be a tad excited.

Any deer rifle will work on black bears. Elk is where I would be concerned.

I would consider whether you feel you are increasing the likelihood of a bad experience for the youngster by using a substandard caliber. Does it give less room for error on a marginally hit animal? It would be a bad start to elk hunting to wound and lose an animal.......

Just something to think about. Hope it helps.
smile.gif
 
I would think the 25-06 with a break would make him a nice all around rig that he could use for both big game and predators.

Of courst there is no right answer and any mentioned would work very well, good luck and keep us posted on your decision.
 
do you reload?

Hodgdon lists youth loads for the 7-08 with H4895 that are very mild. Basically you start with 60% of the max listed charge. You could have him practice with youth loads and use full power loads to hunt with. A 13 yr old isn't gonna notice the kick when he's got his x-hairs on an animal.
 
Originally Posted By: bownutdo you reload?

Hodgdon lists youth loads for the 7-08 with H4895 that are very mild. Basically you start with 60% of the max listed charge. You could have him practice with youth loads and use full power loads to hunt with. A 13 yr old isn't gonna notice the kick when he's got his x-hairs on an animal.

Bingo on that one. Problem with what your trying is that some recoil is not necessarily caliber specific but can be rifle specific. Some of the calibers that have been mentioned might not kick enough less for him to notice the difference and you have gone from the frying pan into the fire. If you dont have one on there, try a Limbsaver Recoil pad. I have had more than one rifle that was tamed significantly by a good pad. Muzzle breaks and milder practice loads are also good suggestions. He has a rifle in the 7mm-08 that certainly is cable of taking anything in North America. Might also look into a different stock. Straight comb rifles always seem to hit harder if his 7mm-08 is straight combed.
 
+1 on that one!
A 25-06 doesn't kick any less than a 7-08.
I like the idea of loading down the 7-08 for him to practice with. Then slip in some killin' loads for the hunt...
 
I have loaded down 7mm/08 for two girls under 11 years old for two years now and they have taken upteen deer with a 120gr Sierra loaded to 2100fps all have been pass thru and none have run more that 50yds or so. Very low recoil!!
 
Sounds like a lot of good advice in the last few posts. I certainly had not considered reduced recoil loads in an already adequate cartridge.

Good stuff!
 
I started my 12 year old sons out on a Rem 7400 in 308. The gun gives of very little felt recoil. The down side is it's a little heavy, but that also helps with the recoil. They were also sitting in stands and not walking miles upon miles, so the weight wasn't much of a issue. My sons say it kicks like a 243. Just something to think about.
 
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25-06 would be a great rifle for an all around with little recoil and great performance. I say go for it!!

I've used them since I was 12 on all sorts of critters in Oregon. Only thing I haven't seen shot with it is sheep,mt goat, and cougar. Everythign else has fallen to the 25 without hesitation.

Got into the long range thing when I was about 14-15 and it was my primary rifle. Loaded with 115g NBT's at 3200fps, I took coyotes, whitetail, muleys, and black bear out to 600 yards with no problems.

Personally, it was never my "elk rifle" though. I knew it would work in a pinch, but I always toted a 7mm or 300 mag of some sort for elk. However, 1 year my sister needed a rifle to use so I set her up with my 25-06 and some 100g NP's at 3200fps (modest load) and I watched as she shot her cow elk at about 250 yards through the shoulder once and behind the shoulder for the 2nd and it was done for. The little 100g NP's did quite well, they didn't exit, but they still went a good 3/4 of the way through. Damage was massive. I believe if I would have set her up with some 115g or 120g partitions, they would have went to the far side, if not fully exiting. I just didn't wanna buy any since I had the 100s on my bench and knew they would work, shot placement is still the key factor, while using a good quality bullet for elk.

I also know a couple guys who use the 25-06 and one of them killed a raghorn bull with the 110g AB at around 525 yards. Bull didn't go much more then 10 yards, and fell over dead.

All in all, I believe the 25-06 is a truly great dual purpose rifle. You have 75-85's for varmints, 100's for antelope, and 115-120's for deer, bear, and elk. Load up the correct weight and type of bullet for the task at hand and have fun killing stuff. THey dont kick much at all, they are always accurate, and they kill very very good at a modest range for there size.
 
I quit changing 30-06 loads as hunting season changed. I got tired of constantly re sighting my scope from 130 up through 180 grains. Too many seasons walk on each other. I dropped a deer a couple years ago with my 180gr "elk" loads at about 300 yards. Swift scirocco's going as fast as I could push them. I pulled the shot a few inches forward of where I wanted. Punched right through both shoulder joints, had a .30 cal hole going in and a .30 cal hole going out, no visible expansion. Dropped him like a brick but destroyed both front 1/4's in the process. They felt like jello wrapped in fur.

Now I use a good 165gr that will do everything I need from goat to moose and I don't have to adjust.

A 270/7mm-08 is about what I consider the minimum caliber for elk sized game. I know people use .243, but I like to have a little more room for error if I pull a shot at longer range. For what you've got he might just need a little more range time to be comfortable.
 
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Why not go with the .270 or .30-06? You can use the low recoil loads from Remington and he will be able to grow into the and not have to buy another one once he's 16 or older.
 
25-06 or 260 is plenty for an Elk IMO. Just large deer is all they are. Using a good bullet is key. I had a freind take down a 300lb bear with a 110 accu bond and if it will drop a fat old bear in it's tracks it will have little problem on Elk hide and bone. Accu bonds are terrific long range bullets for the 25-06.
 
I also agree with the .260Rem; if you load it with a premium bullet when hunting elk. Something like a BarnesTSX,
or Nosler Partition. The sectional density on the 6.5mm bullets really penetrate and kill all out of proportion to their paper ballistics. The 260's kissin' cousin, the 6.5x55mm Swede, has accounted for more Scandanavian moose then all other cartridges combined, and it too can be downloaded to youth levels; I actually prefer it to the 260REM as you can seat longer bullets in it then the 260's short action will allow, making it a rifle that your son can really grow into. Thats all my hunting partner has been shooting for the last 20 years.

good luck,
johnny
 
+1 on the 'Bob'! 257 Roberts is a great cartridge, light recoil, and will take prcatically any non-dangerous North American game.

260 rem would be my close 2nd choice.
 
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