OK booked Texas deer hunt for 08. Have two rifles 25/06 and 300 WSM. Both are great shooters. Question is which rifle is best suited for this Texas hunt. Typical shots could be anywhere from 50-300 yds.

Thanks.

Either would work fine but I would lean to the 25/06 for the job. A 300 Mag is a fine weapon, but they always seemed a bit big for deer to me.
Also depends on what configuration each rifle is in and what type of hunting you'll do so that the style of rifle suits the situation.

The 25/06 has been my "GO TO" rifle for Texas hunting since before it was commercially available. With the right bullets, carry it with confidence.

Good Luck!!

I like the 25/06. The 300Mag will work, but it's more than you need.

shoot whichever one you feel most comfortable with . . . I've never subscribed to the "overkill" notion in regards to any caliber (I shot my muley with a 9,3x62 this year), but the 25-06 is plenty for Texas deer.

Troy

25.06

You'll do just fine with the 25/06. I used a 6mm for many seasons. Wifey found out how easy it was to shoot so now she has it. I wouldn't be afraid to use it. I haven't seen a deer yet in Texas that a 25-06 wouldn't put down.

As always use the one you shoot best and have the most confidence in. Whitetails are not hard to kill ( with proper shot placement ) but in some places very hard to follow, thick S.TX brush, thick cedar brakes in the Hill Country.
So as usual shot placement is the key.

Where will you be hunting in Texas. In the brush country I would go with the .300 WSM. The 25-06 is a fine cartridge and will get the job done but doesn't always exit. I like a good blood trail to follow.

As the computer on Star Trek would reply, "Sorry, insufficient data to compute".

Where will you be hunting in Texas, and for which species of deer (whitetail or mule deer)? What hunting method will you be using? How are the two guns in question configured?

Tell us a little more if you really want some useful feedback, otherwise you'll just get responses telling you which is the more favored caliber by a particular respondent. (I suspect both calibers are fully capable of ending the life of a deer of either species.)

I have killed whitetail deer in Texas with a variety of calibers. 25-06 should be plenty, but 300 WSM is not too much. Of the choices, I would lean toward the 300 WSM with 150 gr ammo.

i would figure this would be a perfect set up for Tx hunting...

quote:

shoot whichever one you feel most comfortable with . . . I've never subscribed to the "overkill" notion in regards to any caliber (I shot my muley with a 9,3x62 this year), but the 25-06 is plenty for Texas deer.

+1

Good Luck

Reloader

Whichever one you feel like! These 100lb whitetails aren't bulletproof

quote:

These 100lb whitetails aren't bulletproof

Speak for yourself. We have shot two this year that have field dressed over 200. One this weekend that had been rutting for two weeks or so. Live weight on these two were around 240. So not all whitetail in Texas are runts.

The buck I killed near San Angelo a couple weeks ago was far from huge, but the gutted weight was still 107. And he probably ran off 10 or so pounds rutting as a quick field autopsy indicated he certainly hadn't been eating regularly. I'd consider his body size close to average.

A bruiser 10-pt taken by an acquaintence near Roosevelt last week field dressed 193, so like M16 said, they aren't all jackrabbit-sized in Texas.

A lot of times in Texas, we have had pigs, big pigs, on the agenda for hunting after taking your deer. These rascals can be hard to put down, and a 25-06 is definitely borderline, I saw my partner put 4 into a hog in San Angelo once, and it just kept getting back up and running away. It ran off not to be found after round 4!

I used a 300 WSM on the piggies, and it was awesome--it accounted for my two does as well, way more than needed for them, but capbale on the piggies and other nefarious critters you might encounter.....

premium 25 cal bullets will do just fine at 25 06 speed or the 300 there are no degrees of dead I personaly lean for the 25 in this case.

quote:

Originally posted by M16:

quote:

These 100lb whitetails aren't bulletproof

Speak for yourself. We have shot two this year that have field dressed over 200. One this weekend that had been rutting for two weeks or so. Live weight on these two were around 240. So not all whitetail in Texas are runts.

You'd better go with the 300. I doubt the 25-06 will bring a 200 pounder down...

quote:

You'd better go with the 300. I doubt the 25-06 will bring a 200 pounder down...

Thanks for the smartazz response. I don't think I said that the 25-06 won't kill a Texas whitetail or any other whitetail for that matter. I kill around 25 a year with a 22-250. If you can hit the neck on a consistant basis go for it.

But if you lung shoot it's best to use a bullet with sufficient penetration to leave a blood trail. You can kill them with damn near anything. But finding them can be a problem if they don't leak.

take what ever you shoot best,practice out to 350,check point of aim in texas,have a great hunt and post some pictures

Go with the .300 WSM. That's what I shoot and believe me, it's not too much for deer. I'd say it's certainly enough, but not too much. The best part about it is that you'll always have an exit, as long as your taking broadside shots. The first buck I ever shot with my .300 back in 2003 was a perfect shot at 175 yards that cut off the top of the buck's heart. He still ran 60 yards through some nasty brush, but I had a beautiful blood trail that Stevie Wonder could have followed. It looked like someone had splashed a can of red paint on the ground for 60 yards.

I used to shoot a .250 Savage and I NEVER had an exit wound on a Whitetail. However, since I started using the .300 WSM I've ALWAYS had a nice exit wound. My opinion is always go with a sure thing, if you have the option.

given those two choices, i'd lean toward the .25/06 with a heavy-for-caliber bullet for insurance re: penetration, but it would be personal preference only. etiher should work very well.

Whichever one you shoot best.... or just flip a coin.

I have killed white tails in Texas with calibers ranging from 22 Hornet to 458 Win Mag.

I concur with the folks about using the gun you feel most comfortable with.

Personally, I would go with the 30 cal., but there really aren't any flies on the 25-06 and with proper bullet placement either will work. JMO.

+1 with the "use the one you are most comfortable with" bunch........

Good Hunting,

Bob

Didn't get a chance to hunt too much this year, but I did get a doe with my .300 WSM. It was a HUGE doe for this area, (maybe in the 140-150 pound class). In any case, when I shot the doe at around 90 yards, I thought I saw blood come out the back of the deer, but then it ran like it wasn't even hit! It made it to a thicket before I could get another shot into her, and the 3 deer she was with stood there looking at me. I only had 1 doe tag with me, so I let them go, knowing I couldn't have missed. When I walked up to where the deer was, I couldn't believe a deer could lose that much blood and still run! The blood trail was a good 18" thick, and was pretty steady until I found her 60 yards later. When I gutted her, I found out I put the bullet right through her heart, I'm still surprised she made it that far. Long story, but I wanted to brag! Haha, I'd use the .300, but I really like my rifle, and feel good shooting it, so pick whichever one you like best, and you'll be very well off in deer season!

Load the 25-06 with 120gr bullet at 3000 FPS, or LESS, and have a ball

Dusky-

I am not sure how far you are traveling from to get to Texas. But, if I am traveling to go on a hunt, it's not a bad idea to pack two rifles in the unfortunate event that one of rifles has something go wrong with it.

While I certainly suscribe to the school of thought of, hunt with the one your most comfortable with. With the cost of hunts these days, I think I would be inclined to pack both my rifles. Just a thought.

I've killed over 100 with a 257 Roberts and not lost a one. Last week I killed 4 with a 223 loaded with the 70gr TSX, all bang flops.

Perry

A second or "backup" gun is always a good idea when a long trip is being planned. I had a 5-hour drive to my last hunt, and I took 2 guns: A Contender with a 20" 7mm Bullberry barrel and another Contender with a 26" 6.5 Bullberry IMP (aka 6.5x30-30 Imp). I started hunting with the 6.5 and finished -- successfully, I might add -- with the 7mm Bullberry.

Both are barn-burning powerhouses....

The 7mm Bullberry does 2480 fps with a 140 grain Nosler Solid Base spitzer. The 6.5 BB Imp. does 2600 fps with a 140 grain Sierra GameKing.

Both are extremely effective on deer-sized game as far as I care to shoot.

The key is confidence -- and putting the correct bullet where it belongs. Either caliber you have mentioned would do just fine for your hunt.

Good luck, by the way.

25ottttt 6 will rule that sendero bess get that frying pan hot.
regards

Thanks for all your replies. I have decided that taking two rifles (Murphy's law) will be my best bet. Maybe I'll get one with each rifle! LOL