25-06 Capability

[dts686]

While looking at available 25-06 ammo I came across a review that said:

"during this years bear season I took down a 500+ pound bear from 50 ft. the round went through the right side into the heart through both lungs and exited out of the left side."

I was wondering if anyone has taken a moose with a 25-06 rifle?

It's looking like the 25-06 may be able to take any game in the lower 48 states. At least I'm trying to find out. Thanks for your help!

[PawPaw]

That question is a double-edged sword. The .25-06 is one of my favorite calibers and I use 117-120 grain bullets in mine. It's devastating on whitetail deer and some folks say that with a premium bullet it's entirely capable of taking elk. That might be, but if I were going after elk, I think I'd be tempted to carry my .30-06. Or my .308. No, it would be the -06.

Moose is a whole 'nuther proposition. While I'm sure that you could kill a moose with a .25-06, I think I'd carry a larger caliber (again, I'd grab my .30-06) out of respect for the animal and the hunt.

Just my opinion and I"m sure that someone who's actually taken moose will be along shortly.

[taylorce1]

I'm with Paw Paw on this one. The .25-06 is awesome on deer, pronghorn and coyotes. If it was the only rifle I owned I wouldn't hesitate to elk hunt with it, but there are far better chamberings for hunting elk and larger. I wouldn't consider it for moose even with premium bullets.

From my limited experience with bears is that black bears aren't that tough to kill. Their bone structure isn't terribly heavy and nearly any cartridge good enough for deer will get the job done. Another thing I've come to realize most 500 lb bears are actually more like 250 lbs when they are dead unless they are a fall bear.

[Buzzcook]

I was wondering if anyone has taken a moose with a 25-06 rifle?

Without doubt several someones have. I'm not one of those someones.

[Colorado Redneck]

Uses factory ammo=Rem Core-lokt 120 gr. He has a brother that likewise uses a 25-06 for elk.

[jgcoastie]

No moose with a .25/06, but I did take a cow elk at 420yds with a Browning A-Bolt in .25/06. One shot to the neck, from directly behind; snapped the vertebra clean in two, blew out the arteries: DRT...

[FrankenMauser]

Moose and very tough animals.

Bear are very fragile animals.

There really is no reason to associate the two in the discussion of ballistics.. ;)

[mdd]

I love my 25-06's and have no qualms with saying it is my hands-down favorite caliber/cartridge. Could you end a moose with one? Probably, but why try? If this is a hypothetical in which you are simply exploring the perceived limits of the cartridge then ok. If you're seriously considering trying this, I don't think its a very good idea.

[natman]

Is it possible to kill a moose with a 25-06? Sure it is.

But I'd rather use a 30-06 with a 180 grain premium bullet that weighs half again as much and has half again as much frontal area than a 25-06's 120 grain.

[phil mcwilliam]

I knew a guy that hunted European moose in Finland with the executives of Sako. He was provided with a 25/06 specifically for the moose hunt & had no problem dropping them.

[GeauxTide]

Let's see, a 120gr 25 @ 3000fps versus a 180gr 30 @ 2800fps. 30 it is, albeit with premium bullets.

[Lloyd Smale]

I agree with the bigger may be better but ive seen a 1000 lb cow bufflao taken with a 2506 using 115 partitions and it did a fine job. Buff took two steps and fell dead. So if i was on say a whitetail hunt with my 2506 and the outfitter majicaly told me i could now shoot a moose if i wanted i sure wouldnt pass the shot to go running for another gun. Killing game is 80 percent bullet placement and 20 percent ballistic performance.

[natman]

I agree with the bigger may be better but ive seen a 1000 lb cow bufflao taken with a 2506 using 115 partitions and it did a fine job. Buff took two steps and fell dead. So if i was on say a whitetail hunt with my 2506 and the outfitter majicaly told me i could now shoot a moose if i wanted i sure wouldnt pass the shot to go running for another gun. Killing game is 80 percent bullet placement and 20 percent ballistic performance.

I agree it would be pretty magical to get to shoot a moose of opportunity while on a whitetail hunt. These days in most of the real world you have to get a tag and you know exactly what you can and can't shoot beforehand. I wouldn't turn down that theoretical shot either, but if I were choosing a rifle for moose, I'd want something with a bigger and heavier bullet than a 25-06.

[Old Grump]

Until 3 years ago a friend of mine was taking Moose with a 6.5 Swede, my uncle took his moose with a .270 and a 130 gr bullet. Will it work? Yup you betcha but both of those men were good shots and experienced hunters who knew exactly where to put their shot and were skilled enough to do so. I consider myself a pretty good shot but I never shot at a moose so I think if the opportunity came up I'd be looking at one of my bigger guns to be in my hands, but that's just me.

[homesick]

I have shot p dogs, jack rabbits, fox, yotes, pronghorn, deer, black bear, elk and a friend used his on a moose, never had a critter get away nor died a slow painful death. Is it the best caliber ever probably not but for most uses it does a fine job. I've used 120 Hornady HP, 117 Sierra's, 115 Nosler BT, didn't seem to make much difference. It's the best caliber for mid sized game I've used. It' not the best elk, bear or moose caliber by any means but it will work as I can attest to that.
I feel if you can afford to hunt elk, moose or larger game then you can afford the proper equipment which to me is 7MMs and up.

[Eghad]

If a .270 can be used on North American game. a .25-06 could do the same.

[Discern]

American Rifleman had an article earlier this year on the 250 Savage. The article said the 250 Savage is what many people in the arctic use for problem polar bears. Not what I would use or suggest, but it is what they use. As with anything, the proper bullet selection and shot placement are key.

[kraigwy]

I use a 257 Roberts for my deer/antelope hunting. The 25-06 is a souped up 257R. I've seen lots of elk hunters using the 25-06 (I use a 270 for Elk)

Now about Moose. I've killed several. Moose are not as tough as Elk, not by a long shot.

I've killed about 8 moose with 150 Grn LSWCs out of a 4 inch Model 28 in 357. Granted they were close but still, the 25-06 hits a lot harder then the 357.

I might hesitate to hunt elk with a 25-06, but wouldn't when hunting moose.

[.300 Weatherby Mag]

I view the 25 caliber cartridges as some of the premier rounds for both deer and pronghorn... For Elk, personally, I want to deliver a bigger and heavier round (30-06 and up).. That's my thinking... I'm not condemning anyone for using a 25-06 on an Elk but I wont do it...

[radom]

Dont see why they wont work well on Elk having killed them with a 25-35. Dead is dead.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup radon there was a time when 3840s and 4440s were the guns used on them and you can still read articles from back in the day when people raved on the new and very powerful 3030 and how well it did on elk. Way to much store is put in what it takes to kill an animal these days. To many people preach what they learn on the internet and not many preach from actuall killing experince in the field. Dont get me wrong you will see me hunt deer with mag rifles too. Do i feel there needed? Nope. but i just would get bored using the same gun all the time. If this was 1900 and the 2506 was just invented gun writers and hunters would be singing its praises from the hignest mountain. I can still remember when roy weatherby took his 257 all over the world kiling about every animal on the planet cleanly with it and today we have nos partitions and barnes x bullets with clearly put guns like that in a differnt league then they were in with the old bullets he used. Personaly i think anyone who tells you a 2506 wont kill an elk cleanly is blowing smoke or just isnt a good enough rifleman to put a bullet where it belongs.

[IDAHO83501]

A 25-06 with 115-120 gr. premuim bullet will do just fine on a moose as long as you are within 150 yards or so. The hide on a moose is not as hard as you might think. Yes they are large,,,very large,,, but their hides are closer to the thickness of a deer than an elk. That being said, personally I would stick with my 7mm Rem. mag or my 300 Win . mag.,,,but by no means do you need a huge caliber to down a moose at a reasonable distance.

[natman]

yup radon there was a time when 3840s and 4440s were the guns used on them and you can still read articles from back in the day when people raved on the new and very powerful 3030 and how well it did on elk. Way to much store is put in what it takes to kill an animal these days. To many people preach what they learn on the internet and not many preach from actuall killing experince in the field. Dont get me wrong you will see me hunt deer with mag rifles too. Do i feel there needed? Nope. but i just would get bored using the same gun all the time. If this was 1900 and the 2506 was just invented gun writers and hunters would be singing its praises from the hignest mountain.

Guess what? It's not 1900. Do you still drive a Model T? Still hand cranking to start?

Once again, the 25-06 can do it. It's just that there are better choices available.

Personaly i think anyone who tells you a 2506 wont kill an elk cleanly is blowing smoke

Who exactly has said the 25-06 won't do it? No one in this thread. It's just that there are better choices available. There are lots of things that you can't control when hunting. The weather. The game. The wind. But there is one thing you have complete control of - the rifle and ammunition you use.


or just isnt a good enough rifleman to put a bullet where it belongs.

Nothing promotes adult discussion like insulting everyone who doesn't agree with you.

[Old Grump]

Guess what? It's not 1900. Do you still drive a Model T? Still hand cranking to start?

Once again, the 25-06 can do it. It's just that there are better choices available. Guess what, the 25-06 will do it, and dead is dead whether you shoot the critter with a round from 1865, 1958 or hot off the assembly line yesterday. There would not be so many choices if everybody had the same taste and only judged the worth of a firearm and it's ammunition by ballistic tables and FBI reports.

I enjoy shooting my 25-20 and my .348 and my great grandfathers old 12 gauge as much as I enjoy shooting my NM 1911A!.

Okay the 12 gauge not so much, that straight stock single shot gun knocks the sinuses clean and is not fun to shoot but it has nostalgia value.

Everybody sure does get all excited, my goodness. I thought the whole idea was to have fun. If it wasn't we should trade our guns in for medication and just sit in a happy place getting mellow. :D

[FrankenMauser]

Know the rifle.
Know the prey.
Know the load.

That's all that matters.

If you know your cartridge/bullet/rifle combination is appropriate for your prey, what does some one else's opinion matter?

I am one of "those" people that wish the .25-06 would vanish from the face of the Earth, but I don't call people idiots for buying one. It's their choice. It's their money. It's their rifle.

Why am I one of "those" people? It's not really the cartridge's fault. It's these ridiculous discussions. Nothing brings out the emotional responses from owners and 'haters', like the .25-06.

I'm even a fan of the quarter bore: .257 Roberts is on my top ten cartridge wish list.

But, if you want to see a heated discussion... Just bring up the .25-06.

Arguing that, "my cartridge is bigger than your cartridge," only had any real merit when Black Powder was the sole propellant. With smokeless powder, it's all about component selection -- choose the right bullet for the job, and let the cartridge work its magic.

[taylorce1]

.270 discussions bring out a lot of emotions as well. I'll still state there are better choices for game larger than deer than the .25-06. You can use it and it will more than likely get the job done but IMO it isn't the right tool for the job.

[jmr40]

Wouldn't be my first choice, but with the modern bullets available today I'd think it will do just fine as long as range is kept reasonable.

[raktrak]

Jeeze guys I like the Swift for hogs and Deer--------I consider my 25-06 a heavy hitter but not like my 300 Winny. Place the shot and clean the animal. If I could have only 1 rifle it woud be the 30-06, or the 35 Whelen.:)

[Jason_G]

I don't shoot the caliber, but I'm sure it's capable. I don't think it would be ideal though. I know a lot of folks that are totally enamored with the .25-06, but I just think "barrel burner" every time I hear the cartridge mentioned. Maybe that's unfounded criticism on my part, but it just seems like it would be a very throat-eroding round.

Jason

[sc928porsche]

I suppose that if you hunt elk with a 243, then the 25-06 is ok for moose. Still, I wouldn"t recommend doing either. I have taken elk with a 25-06, but those shots were fairly close and the animals provided me with a good broadside.

[Mike / Tx]

WOW for a minute there I thought I was reading one of the .223 for deer threads...

This said, from my perspective, if the hunter is capable with the firearm, and uses a proper weight for caliber and of decent construction for the job, there are a LOT of calibers capable of take a moose cleanly. I believe that what a person shoots "best", is better than what someone else thinks they should use.

I see a LOT of folks at the ranges with rifles that are simply WAY too much for their abilities to shoot properly. Even at 100yards they flinch, and pull shots off to one side or the other, all the while jerking the trigger anticipating the recoil. All this, and most aren't even shooting magnum calibers, just what the friend, or fellow at the gun shop, or the latest magazine said was "the best thing going". For some a .270 is more than they should be shooting but this doesn't mean they aren't capable shots, or that they shouldn't be hunting, simply they either need to shoot more, or get something with a bit less oomph, that they can shoot more accurately.

I have, and shoot a number of calibers, one being a 25-06AI, I had the standard version but gave it to my daughter. Of them all that particular rifle was simply a walking death stick for anything I chose to put it to task on. The main reasons are it is accurate, has little recoil, and plenty of energy with most weight bullets to get the job done. With most of the 115 through 120gr bullets, it has plenty of power to easily disrupt the internal workings of even the biggest critters roaming around the woods and prairies of N. America.

Yes there are bigger calibers, and they drive bigger bullets, and make bigger holes in stuff. And if I were hunting something that might hunt back I would be inclined to look into them pretty hard.

Bottom line is being comfortable shooting what ever caliber you choose, being accurate with it, and confident enough to put it where it needs to go when the time arises. It does neither the person behind the trigger nor the game in the scope, any better to shoot a large caliber heavy bullet into a non vital area, and it won't kill things any quicker than a properly placed shot through the vitals from something a bit smaller and possibly faster. The key is and always will be putting the shot where it needs to go.

[Lloyd Smale]

looks to me like your the one with pantys in a knot. I never accused anyone here of anything. My point was simple. Way to much bs is spread about how much power you need to bring down a given animal. Im not an expert on elk or moose. Ive shot them but not alot. I have though shot truck loads of deer with the 2506. I do crop damage shooting and betwee two of us take up to a 100 deer a year. a good amount of them with 2506s so i do know a bit about the ability of the round. Kind of curious where your opinion comes from. How many animals have you killed with it? Or do you do your killing with a keyboard. Quote:
yup radon there was a time when 3840s and 4440s were the guns used on them and you can still read articles from back in the day when people raved on the new and very powerful 3030 and how well it did on elk. Way to much store is put in what it takes to kill an animal these days. To many people preach what they learn on the internet and not many preach from actuall killing experince in the field. Dont get me wrong you will see me hunt deer with mag rifles too. Do i feel there needed? Nope. but i just would get bored using the same gun all the time. If this was 1900 and the 2506 was just invented gun writers and hunters would be singing its praises from the hignest mountain.

Guess what? It's not 1900. Do you still drive a Model T? Still hand cranking to start?

Once again, the 25-06 can do it. It's just that there are better choices available.

Quote:
Personaly i think anyone who tells you a 2506 wont kill an elk cleanly is blowing smoke

Who exactly has said the 25-06 won't do it? No one in this thread. It's just that there are better choices available. There are lots of things that you can't control when hunting. The weather. The game. The wind. But there is one thing you have complete control of - the rifle and ammunition you use.


Quote:
or just isnt a good enough rifleman to put a bullet where it belongs.

Nothing promotes adult discussion like insulting everyone who doesn't agree with you.

[Art Eatman]

I take off a few days to do a smidgen of dove hunting and come back to a food fight in the day care center? Yuck.