I'll start by saying it was interesting to say the least to read the answers.

Now I would like to see where the thoughts are coming from and based on what experiences they came from. So please chime in and we'll all read and listen and be entertained.

So please answer the following..

*have you hunted elk, and if so how many years
*how many elk have you taken
*guided and or unguided
*used and or personally seen (been there when it happened)a 25/06 used

I just want to see how the answers go, call ma a curious one.

I'll start off.

*Yep I've hunted elk

*Been hunting elk every year since 1979 and have taken if my count is right 32 elk and have been in on the taking of right around 3x that

*unguided for me although some of the elk taken I've been around I was doing the guiding on

*I have personally used and seen the 25/06 used to 300 yds and beyond and have no problem whatsoever with the idea. I've personally seen what it'll do to the lungs of a bull and it will take them out and IMO and IME very effectively.

Now fellas I know Brad has been there and done this in multiple situations being as I know him but what about you all?

Would the following please chime in at your convenience.

Ramrod-was a no
Stubble-yes
duikerman-ok
bartsche-no
FredJ338-maybe if under 200
Tex21-ok
MRO-yes
Don Fisher-no
mrlexma-no
2ndtimer-no
Thomas Jones-yes
Jay Johnson-yes
paulf/nz-yes
kensco-no (certainly not at 300 unless you don't care about the animal)
ElDegullo-yes
SouthpawDU-yes
BigNate-yes
Fireform-not a good idea, maybe 200 yds
MTM-? I think he meant no as he mentioned it being a good crow gun
loudnboomer-no
Chrushere-yes
Taylouce-didn't say yes/no-mentioned doing a 338/06 instead
Brad-yes
Mike/Tx-yes

thanks for your time fellas and look forward to reading more about the why's and the why nots based on your personal thoughts and experiences.

Make it your best day

Mark D

Mark Dobrenski ----- I am not one of the original responders, but I respect your posts and opinions, therefore I shall respond here. --- 1. I have hunted Elk for some years with three hunts to New Mexico and Colorado prior 1992, yearly since too Colorado. ---2. Total 17, all
Bulls except one cow. --- 3. All hunts unguided. --- 4. I have never used or seen anyone use a 25-06 for Elk. ------ I shoot a .257 Wby extensively and have for years. While I beleave it would kill an Elk I will always choose better Elk medicine from my collection. I consider the .257 Wby superior to the 25-06. I have taken Elk with .300 Winny, .340 Wby, .338 Lapua and .358 STA. All of these I consider far superior to the 25-06 for Elk. When I hunt larger than Deer sized animals I want a big bullet going fast, it is as simple as that. Thanks for a good question and the right approach to getting answers. Good shooting.

Hello Mark, as I said I certainly didn't mean to offend anyone. My answer is no. I've got relatively little Elk hunting experience, hunted Elk 5-6 yrs in a row. Seemed to always be the last to shoot one so spent much of my time packing others meat out. Always hunted unguided. My answer has a lot to do with the fact that for me Elk hunting is a big undertakeing. Travelling 1000 miles, being dropped 4-5 hours up the Musqua by river boat. My Elk were called in to less than 200 yds. but I want to have enough gun along to take any reasonable shot that is presented. If you are lucky enough to live in good Elk country and have lots of time to hunt them you may be comfortable with a lot less gun. As I said our boat drivewr killed his every year with his 2506. His camp was on a good crossing and he typically was in the bush up there for a month or more at a time. I personally just like bigger guns but have no problem with people useing whatever they like. I might add that I've killed quite a few Moose and many, many Deer with most standard and magnum calibers.

Pat-you old/young dog good to hear from you, as always your thoughts are appreciated and respected. I know you've been there and got it done.

MTM-thanks for chiming in.

I am more than anything here gang curious as to what drives peoples reasons for saying yes and or no here.

Thx

Mark D

One elk, many years ago. Used a 264 Winchester
magnum. Would not do it again. 25-06 = NO!

What we have here, whether the combatants realize it or not is the old tired debate
about velocity vs bullet weight. One school
derives killing power by mathematics and velocity rules. The other group is the Elmer Keith school which prefers bore diameter and bullet weight to obtain the numbers.

Both schools have good points, and some not so
good points. Therefore, I have in my lifetime
of choosing, elected for MEDIUM. Medium
bores at less than maximum velocities and bullets with slightly more weight than most.

An example would be a 280 Remington. 160 grain
bullets of medium construction like the Hornady interlock at less than maximum velocities. It
will kill anything on this continent!

I believe one key word is OPTIMUM. When viewed
under the light of "diminishing returns", I simply don't get most of the heated debate?

Why do we find it necessary to live at MAXIMUMS?
I for one would rather have a 280 than try to
overachieve with my 7mm-08. I would prefer a
7 mag rather than trying to overachieve with my 280. And rather than push the 7 mag past sensible limits, I'd get a 7mm STW.

This might explain why the ole 7X57 is such a great little round used around the world. Even on elephants, I hear.

This same philosophy is used when choosing a
caliber and bullet weights! Theoretically I
could kill an elk with a sewing needle at the
right velocity. Maybe 10,000 fps?

With so much to choose from, I simply don't get
all the arguements? Hell, if I remember correctly, Craiig Boddington used a 375 H&H on
everything for a while? Yep, deer too!

As you wish Mark-
I personaly have hunted Montana since 1976 and have chased big game hard since 1977 with few exceptions. I guess the fever hit when my best bud filled his moose permit with the venerable 30-06. Bang, splash, then the work started!
Over the years I've seen about every calibre under the sun used on deer and antelope, but not so with elk. I like, own, and use the 338 Win, 7m/m Rem, and 30-06 and much prefere these calibres to all others. Like you, I have grown to love the 338 family of cartridges. I guess my opinion of bigger is better was cemented long ago by reading Elmer Keith.
I could only guess as to how many antelope and deer I've shot, but I can tag the number of elk at 12 (plus two more taken by friends in last years late season) Almost without exception the 300 Winchester has been the number one choice of my friends with the 30-06 and 338 Winchester right up there.
I've never hired a guided hunt, but have hunted on occasion with guide friends on working hunts. I don't do much of that anymore as time doesn't allow, but the "want" is still there.
As for my experience with the 25-06, it isn't much. I've loaded many rounds for it and the 270, but view them as definitive antelope and sheep cartridges. Freinds swear by their long range effectiveness, but seldom use them for elk, and if and when they do it's as back up because horses have been known to break things.
I'm an avid rifle looney that shoots many hundred rounds a year thru dozens of guns. I met you at the old MRSA range over a decade ago, and know you're a skilled rifleman as am I, but my opinion on the 300 yard shot remains unchanged. I believe hunters owe game a clean kill, and posessing marginal bullet weight and moderate sectional density, I'd not use the 25-06 on elk.
Moreover, heavy for calibre bullets like 160s for the 6.5 aren't available for the 25, or 27 calibres. If they were it would take them out of the high velocity/flat trajectory category upon which their reputations were built. Even tho all are based on the same parent case, none will beat the 30-06 with equal weight bullets given the larger expansion ratio of the thirty, thus they would loose all reason for existence: their reputation for flat trajectories. The way I see it, they are, and will forever remain, long distance antelope, sheep, and deer cartridges par excelence.

P.S. I forgot to mention that almost everybody I know loads Nosler''s partition, or buys premium ammo with said bullet.
P.S.S. Having owned and shot a 270 WBY hasn't changed my mind about 27 calibre either, except when using 160s. With this bullet weight it is the equal of the 7 Rem mag.

Been elk hunting since 1990,and have taken 15 elk myself,three with outfitters and 12 on my own.I have taken one elk with the 257wby,the rest with the 7mmstw,8mmremmag and 300ultramag.I have witnessed elk being taken with the 6mm rem,25-06,270,30-06 and 7mmremmag.

So please answer the following..

*have you hunted elk, and if so how many years Yes since 1974
*how many elk have you taken
Only six myself but the party I've hunted with have taken more than twenty
*guided and or unguided
Both
*used and or personally seen (been there when it happened)a 25/06 used
I've used a 25-06 fow two of my elk and of the hunting buddies that go we have a 6MM Remington fan, a 257 Roberts fan and another shooter of the 25-06

I still prefer the 280 Rem over the 25-06 but have seen it in action and in competent hands it works well.

In incompetent hands nothing works well.

quote:

Originally posted by Mark Dobrenski:
*have you hunted elk,yes and if so how many yearsseriously about 5. Could have shot Elk while hunting mule deer but didn't
*how many elk have you takenI have killed perhaps 5
*guided and or unguided We just got on our horses went up and got our meat.
*used and or personally seen (been there when it happened)a 25/06 Had a 6mmx.270 made up by fred Barnes to use his 115 grain bullet on Elk. I screwed up and wounded some Elk cause I was using the wrong bullet. Real downer. Had bad experiece with the 25-06 on mule deer and would not use it on Elk.
I just want to see how the answers go, call ma a curious one.

Mark D

Started hunting Elk when I moved to Grand Junction in 1966. Haven't shot any big game since 94.Some day I would like to shoot a pig. roger

Mark I think you better reread my post I’m in the definite NO column.

I’ve hunted Elk since 1973 in Idaho, Washington and Wyoming. When I first started my battery of one rifle was a Remington 7MM Magnum. I used it with great success for years. I loaded that gun with several bullets over those years and they all accounted for Elk. Noslers, Hornady Interlocks, Sierra Gamekings. All the Elk I harvested were your idea shot form the side in the Boiler works as my Uncle used to say with the exception of one at 150 yards. No I haven’t had any of those 200 or 300 plus yard shots. I’ve stocked in close in all but one case.

Over my years of hunting mostly in Western Washington I seen a lot of Elk shot. The ones shot with the larger caliber guns for the most part were bang flops or in some cases did do the Author Murray two-step. Almost all of the runners have been from the smaller calibers with bullets 140 gr. and under. Seems lots of those took from 3 to 5 shots. All the animals I saw lost to other hunters came from the same cause too little a gun bullet combination.

Personally I have collected several large bulls and cows with 160 Gr. bullets. But the one that influenced me was when I shot a five point at 50 feet expecting when he went right off his feet he was going to stay there. He jumped so fast it was unbelievable. Later checking the damage the bullet had done it had severed all the Arteries cleanly from the heart.

The following year I made the switch to 300 Weatherby Magnum. I used the Sierra Gamekings in 200 gr. with a heavy load of IMR 7828. The load gets a MV of over 3000 fps. A running quartering Elk at 150 yards I spoke about above. The animal managed two steps went on its nose flipped and never moved after that. The animal had a full head of adrenalin and if it was going to run that would have been the animal to do it. That sold me for sure on the larger gun is better.

The next year my Elk gun was an 8MM Remington Magnum using the Sierra Gameking in 220 gr. and RL25 MV 3008 fps for my hunting load. I had faster loads but the accuracy left something to desire and this gun was purchase because of what I felt was a long range advantage. It surpassed the 338 Win Mag at 300 yards in both trajectory and foot pounds. The 300 Weatherby never has the foot pounds advantage on this rifle but finally wins the trajectory battle at 500 yards by a half and inch. The 8MM however still holds the foot pounds battle by 300 pounds.

The 8MM has not been in service that many years and I can’t tell you truthfully that I would have harvested less Elk if I had stayed the course with my 7MM. But it has my confidence. It’s a killing Machine.

All taken into consideration if you have the classical side shot you may get away with the smaller guns. But that’s where real life comes into play along with Murphy’s Law.

Hunting is and has been a lot of fun for me and is still in retirement a part of my life I enjoy. I’m not going to give up all the efforts of my hunt to someone else over using too small a rifle or shooting an animal to see it get up and run off suffering.

Will I ever get that really long shot? Who knows but if I do the rifle I’m using for Elk will deliver the goods.

Oh I’ve gotten a dozen Elk they have all been on non guided hunts

I'm a "No"
Hunted elk 4 times - Killed 4 elk, all unguided
(Used .54 caliber ML, 308, 308 and 30.06)
Never saw a 25.06 on an elk hunt

It's curious that this post string is in the medium bore forum since the 25 is a small bore.

Mark, I've been on elk hunts 10 years now. No, never seen one taken w/ a .25-06 (smallest caliber was 7remmag). My answer was yes, under certain circumstances. I hunt as a nonres. so I am not willing to wait for the perfect shot that I believe you need for smaller calibers on elk (that doesn't mean I shoot them in the ass). Notice how mnay posts about the guys that do hunt elk w/ smaller calibers, they are many stories of neck shots.
I've seen the effects of my buddies & my rounds/bullets on various elk & come away w/ a min. of the .270/.280 w/ good bullets. Your mileage may vary but you don't have to hunt w/ a certain caliber to have an opinion based on your experience w/ other calibers. If I was long tracking or loosing elk w/ good shots from an 06, I doubt I would feel confident telling someone to bring along their .25-06 for an unguided elk hunt. Remember, the original question was would you hunt w/ a 25-06, so he is asking for an opinion.

quote:

*have you hunted elk, and if so how many years
*how many elk have you taken
*guided and or unguided
*used and or personally seen (been there when it happened)a 25/06 used

1) Yes - 22 of the last 27 years
2) 17 as best as I can remember, plus 5 elk-sized african critters
3) Unguided
4) I have not seen a .25-06 used on elk

Don't get me wrong, as I like the .25 calibers. One of my favorite antelope rounds is the .25-06 and I bought a .257 Roberts for my daughter's first rifle. I did not say another person is wrong to use a .25-06 if they use good bullets, and can shoot the gun well. I just think that there are better choices for elk.

I've shot a lot more deer and hogs than elk, but I've killed 6 elk over my 30 odd year hunting career and seen a few more killed by others. I've often thought it would be nice to have a guide, but could never afford one.

I would never make the argument that the .25-06 can't kill elk, and I think that's how this discussion often is misconstrued. It will, especially in expert hands. If someone wants and all around deer-antelope-elk rifle and they're a good shot, then I say fine, especially if they're willing to track the animals they shoot. However, that doesn't make it an optimal choice for me.

My experience with elk is with Roosevelts in thick Oregon cover. If you don't stop them immediately they always seem to wind up in the bottom of some brush-choked ravine, leaving you the task of getting them up and out. If you're on a Montana cattle ranch it may not matter to you whether the elk drops in 10 yards or 50-100 yards, but in other places it can make the difference between a very good day and a major headache. In a brushy scenario, I feel better served by a bigger bore. That doesn't mean that the smaller bore won't kill the elk almost as fast, but I can afford more than one rifle.

I've also had quite a bit of experience shooting large hogs with the .260 Rem. Large hogs are considerably tougher than deer and may be roughly comparable to elk. Many people consider little rifles like the .243, 257 and so on to be fine for hogs, and they certainly will kill them, but I've never seen one anchored by such a rifle. Usually they will run a hundred yards or so before collapsing even when shot right through the boiler room. I've dressed out two different hogs and found .243 bullets that broke up on impact encysted under their hides. I saw one hog shot with a .257 and an 85 grain ballistic tip where the bullet shattered on entry against a rib--the hog eventually collapsed due to massive liver trauma, but it ran a long way first. Facing a large male elk or hog on foot, especially if it sees you before the shot, you could find yourself with your hands a little too full if you can't anchor the animal.

Again, this is only my preference. If someone else wants to kill their elk with a .243, I wish them well.

I have hunted elk since the early 1970's, I have no idea how many I've killed and seen killed. I've used a 243, 6.5-06, 7x57, 280 Rem. 7mm Rem mag and a 308 win. I've never been on a guided hunt. I've hunted elk only in Montana and Oregon.

I would never use a 243 again unless absolutely necessarry. Like the 25-06, it will certainly kill an elk and do so quickly, but you had better deliver your best shot and carefully choose the impact point. The 25-06 is for whatever reason awlays comming up in elk disscussions. Sometime the 250 Savage, Bob Milick liked it.

One thing that I have come to believe over the years is that hunting should not be about seeing how big an animal you can kill quickly nor how small abullet you can do it with. Many people have been very successful with vevy small cartridges AND they want the whole world to know. Next thing you know is guys have heard that the 25-06 doesn't recoil much and kills elk like lighting, so they get one. Next thing is they think that now because they have the poison in their hands, they are good to go at 400 yds. If they fail and likely most do, they blame it on the bullet. So, we've all read that the 100 and 115 gr TSX works very well on elk. That's their next step. What the reason for failing all along was was that they not only don't shoot well, they really don't know how to place shots well with what they are using.

Disscussions such as this only muddy the water for those who don't know and we are to blame for that because we don't give athough to what we are condoning. Yet we blame them for taking our advice on to small a cartridge and not learning to ues it well. As "Fireform" said: "If someone else wants to kill their elk with a 243, I wish them well.". I believe we are better off discouraging them. There's a lot of things accomplished on these key boards that have to make you wonder.

Will a 25-06 kill an elk, absolutely. Would I encourage it, absolutely not. There are far better choices and the cost of a better choice is the same as for the 25-06.

By the way, I am on my 3rd 25-06. I'll use a larger caliber cartridge for elk this year, again.

Hey guyz,just got in from work and saw all the resonses.

Thx much for hurmoring me.

It is quite cool to see all the experience here.

We're getting a lot more info here than we did on the other yes/no post.

I am just a curious sort and always like to know why folk say yes or no to things.

Keep em coming we still have a few more to hear from.

Thx

Mark D

quote:

*have you hunted elk, and if so how many years
*how many elk have you taken
*guided and or unguided
*used and or personally seen (been there when it happened)a 25/06 used

Yes to the question of a 300yd shot I said no. Would I take a broadside at 150 yes. My wife uses a 7X57. She has shot 3 1 shot kills. She is comfortable out to 200yds and you could not force her to take a 300yds. It could be the next world record and she would pass. To her a clean quick kill is the most important.

Let's see yes I have hunted elk.

First time in 1977 or 78.

Counting the 3 I stood next to my wife while she shot the total it 24.

Both guided and unguided hunts. One of the guides would not allow a 25cal. I've seen one elk taken at 250+/- with a 25-06 and it went about 150 yards before dropping. Then again I saw one walk away from my buddies 264 140gr at 40yds. Very little blood trailed for several miles and he went on private land and we could not follow.

Main reason I said no is I used my 25-06 on a large muledeer. Range with range finder was right at 375. Hit him in the chest. He jumped and walked away. Took the rest of that day and part of the next to find him. He was still warm so he had not been dead long it was below freezing that night. The bullet had not expanded and put a pin hole in the middle of one lung and the bottom of the next. There was very little blood. To me it is not worth that risk on an Elk. Probably not fair to a deer either. To me the 25-06 at long range on big animals will kill but leaves very little room for error.

I've take a lot of game with the 25-06. I just wouldn't use it for elk and even if I'm hunting deer and long range I step up in bullet size.

Since I didn't say yes or no the first time I'll say this I've only taken two elk neither with a .25-06. The two that I've take one was at 25 yds with a .30-06 shot between the shoulder blades dropped like a rock. The second was taken at 250 yds, classic broadside behind the shoulders with a .270 Win. Both elk were taken on a private ranch during a 3rd season ranching for wildlife unguided hunt here in CO. The ranch requires a minimum of .270 for center fire rifles be used.

I had to borrow a the .30-06 from my brother in-law because the first time I hunted this property I didn't have a center fire that met caliber restrictions set by the ranch. I only owned a .223 and .243 at the time. Now my .243 is perfectly legal in Colorado to hunt elk with but it wouldn't be my first choice.

I'm sure that the .25-06 is a perfectly capable round for taking elk at 300yds if the right shot presents itself. I like to shoot my game behind the shoulders or quartering toward me that is just my preference. I've never been a big fan of head or neck shots but it kills just the same. I like my .270 but when I hunted that ranch a lot of hunters there told me that it was too small for elk, the elk didn't think so.

This year I hope to take my third and fourth elk plus a bear during rifle season. I will be using a .338-06 as my primary rifle with a .35 Whelen back up. I'm not using the .270 because it wont do the job but because these rifles have been purchase over the last two years and never been anywhere but the range. I think that there are better choices to take elk than the .25-06 but it is a plenty capable rifle in the hands of a skilled hunter.

Fireform:

If I remember correctly, you PM'ed me once and told me you were from over in Rogue River originally....

If you ever plan on coming home for an Elk hunt, how bout dropping me a PM....

cheers
seafire

The original question posed was, "Would you take a shot at an elk (within 300 yards) with the .25-06 loaded with a premium bullet?"

My answer was yes. Within 300 yards, using a premium bullet, of 115 - 120grs.

Have I hunted elk yes, once. Did I get on no.

Have I seen any taken no. Hunt was unguided, and also hunted Mule deer. Got the deer, saw no elk.

Does this qualfy my answer, to some possibly not.

Have I taken many head of game in my years of hunting yes, and with various calibers.

Do I feel that there are better available rounds for an elk yes.

In my years of hunting I have taken WT deer, Mule Deer, Feral hogs and numerous other critters along the way. Big or small, they all have one thing in common, they have to be properly hit in order for any of them to drop quickly. I have always used the medium to heavy bullets for caliber on most all of my hunting loads. Most of my hunting has been with a 243 or a 25/06. Neither allow a great margin for error, without sometimes involving a tracking job.

Personally I detest having to look for any animal that ha been hit even if it is a good hit. However, this is part of it sometimes. In all my years, I have seen perfectly hit deer slammed to the ground, only to recover and be hours in the finding. I have also seen animals hit that made you wonder why they even hit the ground in the first place. The 25/06 is not one of the rounds which will let you take a shot at game which isn't giving you the best angle, however, I repeatedly read of thse same type shot being made with the bigger 338's. This is the same as the long range thing in that if you don't have the best shot, don't take it.

With a 115 - 120 gr bullet in the 25, it is fully capable of delivering a deadly shot on an elk, as the recoil is not going to be to a point that some newer shooter will possibly be flinching when they pull the trigger. It will allow better placement of the shot which should allow for a quick and humane end to a hunt. This to me is way more important than the biggest rifle one can afford, in that if you do not practice with it, due to the recoil then you cannot be confident in your or the rifles abilities.

I would personally recommend something which would be easier to shoot and be more affordable to shoot than something that would be shot a half dozen times and be said to ready to hunt. In my eyes, the same theroy that some apply to seeing the smaller calibers recommended and folks thinking they can use them is the same as the bigger calibers being recommended and folks thinking they cannot go wrong. THe bigger calibers, will not do any better if the person behind the trigger doesn't practice with it faithfully, and with the bigger calibers this to some just doesn't happen.

quote:

Originally posted by seafire/B17G:
Fireform:

If I remember correctly, you PM'ed me once and told me you were from over in Rogue River originally....

If you ever plan on coming home for an Elk hunt, how bout dropping me a PM....

cheers
seafire

You do remember correctly, and I thank you for the invite! I still own a few acres of my native sod and have friends in the area that need to be visited, so it's not beyond the realm of the possible.

Firform:

I'm late getting back to the .25-06 thing.

Yes I've been hunting elk off and on as drawing tags has allowed since mid 80's.

I've not taken a single elk with my .25-06, although I have not hesitated to try for a shot at one while carrying it.

I have been in on a wide range of kills from as small as a .243W, which was not a pretty sight, to a .375 H&H, which was as you would expect.

My opinion is based on seeing the damage different round / bullets do. The .25-06 isn't too different in performance than the .270W. I'm not quick to recommend the .270W to novices either.

I like to recommend big holes to beginners. Nate

Mark,

I did not respond to your first post but I did read it.

I lived on a small ranch in the mountains in northwest Colorado for 23 years. I hunted elk every year with great success. Because we had a cow-calf operation we were able to get depredation tags to deal with the damage done by the elk to our haystacks and winter feeding of our stock. As a result, over the years I killed somewhere around 75 to 80 elk, the large majority being cows. From 1976 through 1981, I used a 25-06 exclusively. Let me back up and add something from the past.

When I started hunting I lived in central Texas and I used a 30-30 Winchester. Of course I was hunting white tails which are not large. Very shortly I switched to a 22-250 bolt gun. I learned quickly that even on whitetails, shot placement is the key to harvesting your game. The first year that I moved to Colorado I went elk hunting. With the experience and knowledge from hunting whitetails with a light caliber, I knew that shot placement on an elk was crucial. Consequently, I would never take a shot at an elk if I was not confident of putting the shot in the vitals. I never shot an elk in the neck, primarily because I had seen elk wounded by others that tried neck shots and were slightly off on hitting the spine. I have killed elk in the 300 yard range but all conditions had to be perfect before I would consider it. And I can't remember ever making a shot that was not supported by a rest. In those early years of elk hunting we lived in a mobile home and then in a one bedroom house so I didn't have the space to reload. Therefore, I used new manufacture Winchester 120 gr. PSP ammo. I found it to work great - in my Husqvarna it was extremely accurate, it had adequate penetration and it usually created a very significant entry wound which allowed a rapid bleed out with a blood trail if by chance the animal didn't stay down.

I did a little bit of free guiding for friends over the years and I have seen many different shooters and an extreme variety of calibers. I watched one hunter shoot an elk with a 375 H&H and because of a subconscious anticipation of the recoil, he flinched and gut shot the elk. He fired 3 more rounds at a standing wounded elk and missed all three times. I ended up having to put it down. With experience and well developed skills, a 25-06 works fine. However, today, with the experience that I have, I would recommend a heavier caliber.

The second rifle that I used was a 308 Win bolt gun and I found it to be absolutely great on elk. Of course, you should always use an expanding bullet that transfers energy well and has good penetration. Various other calibers that I used over the years were 7MM Mag, 270 Win, 300 Win Mag, Ruger 44 Carbine, 444 Marlin, 45-70, a 50 Cal CVA muzzle loader and a S&W Model 29 44 Mag. They all worked fine with good shot placement.

When my two children reached the legal hunting age, I started both of them off with Rem 700's in 25-06. On both of their rifles I cut the stocks down so that the rifles would fit their smaller bodies and I put Packmayer Decellerator pads on so that recoil was of no concern. We also spent lots of time on the range practicing before hunting season. Both of my kids killed antelope and deer prior to making the elk hunt, thus we were able to work through the buck fever issue quickly. Both of the kids killed an elk on their first hunt. We live in South Dakota now on a ranch and even today as adults, both kids come home to deer hunt. Alas, we don't have any elk where we live. The daughter still shoots a 25-06 and to this day, every time she has pulled the trigger, her animal has gone down. The son has now changed to a 308 but he still has his 25-06. I suspicion that someday they will start their kids with those same 25-06 rifles.

Sorry for being so long winded. Thanks for listening.

Dayle

I think so much has to do with your experience, proximity to the game, time you can devote, distances travelled etc.

I do a lot of roe stalking in the UK. When I started out I used a 6.5x55 and a 7x57 to increase my chances of recovering game. As I got more local hunting ground and did more and more hunting I saw more and more deer and started to pass on the riskier shots happy in the knowledge I'd get them next time. Around this time I started to use a 243 more often until now it's the only rifle I use for roe.

Conversely I've been hunting for a good woodland red stag since 2000. It's a long way away, they're pretty scarce, they can be bloody big and I haven't shot one in that time. I will be toting an 06 with 165gr partitions and will shoot anywhere to get to the vitals but up the ass. I now understand why people use a rifle that seems to many locals to be bigger than required (but I draw the line at magnums!)

When I have taken that shot at last light and here thrashing I want to be safe in the knowledge that there will be blood on the ground. Back home I'd likely tip my hat and wait for another day.

I'll jump in here. I've hunted elk every year since '74. I killed #45 last week, with a bow. All unguided. I also guided for close to 20 years. Never took one, or seen one taken with a 25-06, but did see one taken with an old 25-35 and a neck shot. I would not hesitate to use a 25-06 with heavy premium bullets, using discretion on which shots I took.

quote:

Originally posted by SD Shooter:
Mark,

I did not respond to your first post but I did read it.

I suspicion that someday they will start their kids with those same 25-06 rifles.

Sorry for being so long winded. Thanks for listening.Dayle

Dayle! I totally enjoyed you posting. How close to Rangely did you live? roger

Hi Roger,

Northwest of Steamboat. Only got to Rangely a couple of times. I worked for the Sheriff's Office and had to go out there to do a couple of investigations. There is some great hunting in that area, more so for antelope and mule deer than for Elk. The Peance Creek Basin is still known for some monster bucks. Douglas Mountain is in Moffat Co which is a ways north of Rangely but it has also been a great area for big bulls. Most of my hunting was within ten miles of Steamboat.

The main thing I miss about Colorado is the hunting.

Dayle