What success have you guys had shooting big game (mule deer and bigger) with a 25-06?

Some good some bad.Found out early on that on mule deer bullet construction especially under say 100 yards can be critical. With the right combination of factors it is deadly. roger

I've used a 25-06 for many years on all kinds of deer but nothing bigger.

It just plain works.....I liked the 120 grain bullets in the 25-06 however.

Today I'm using the 6.5 caliber but still using the 120 grain bullets in a bonded core!

I've shot a good number of deer with the 25-06 but only with the 117gr Hornady. Never a problem! I believe that I'd have had the same results with a 250-3000 or 257 Roberts and the same bullet. Not a fan of 100gr bullets.

quote:

Originally posted by just-a-hunter:
My Ruger #1 25 oughty has acounted for Many deer, (white-tail and mullies) a couple antelope and 2 cow elk. Like bartsche stated, bullet construction is critical on the bigger animals. When I'm hunting out west it's a 120 gr swift A-frame in front of 52.5 grains of IMR-4831, chrono'd about 3250 fps. Both elk where 1 shot kills right behind the front shoulder.

Todd

Note: I think I got lucky on the elk. The 25-06 isn't an Ideal elk gun.

Todd

Here we go again. How many times does it have to be said "Bullet Placement" is the key.

quote:

Some good some bad.Found out early on that on mule deer bullet construction especially under say 100 yards can be critical. With the right combination of factors it is deadly.

I used one for years and had the same problem. really only Noslers and Grand Slams worked for me. Anything lighter in construction was a bomb! I had fist size holes going in and football sizes going out if it made it that far!

just a hunter,

You said you get 3250fps, cronographed, from your 25-06 with a 120 gr bullet. How long a barrel you have?

I use a 100 grain Barnes XBT, which they don't make anymore, and I have it going at 3100fps. I shot one mule deer at about 150 yards and it blew the lungs out of it. The deer just had time to turn around and fall down. Of course, shot placement is always important. The people at Barnes say that they are confident that the same load will work on elk out to 600 yards. What do you think?

quote:

The people at Barnes say that they are confident that the same load will work on elk out to 600 yards. What do you think?

I would'nt take a 600 yard shot at any animal with the 25-06. It just doesn't carry enough energy out that far.

I've shot four mulies with mine. I use a 110 grain Accubond and 115 grain BT at 3150fps. The ballistic tips give a 2.5" entrance hole and a .257" exit hole at close range. The bullet comes apart and only a small portion of the bases exited on shots through the ribs at 25 to 50 yards. They all dropped right away with one shot kills though. The accubond worked much better at close range.

On whitetails and antelope It's been very effective. I've had shoots from 50 yards to about 200. They all exited and were one shot kills. Animals went between five feet and fifty yards being dropping.

I wouldn't consider it for elk unless you can keep the range short and have a stationary elk that is not fired up or full of adrenaline. I've seen 180 grain bullets from an '06 that did not penetrate both lungs when shot at 250-300 yards. The 120 grain bullets from a 25-06 don't look promising for elk. Take the advice from some of the other posters if you decide to use it and get a premium bullet. I know a few people who've shot elk with the 25-06 and even the 243. Some were one shot kills, some were 10 shots. An elk can run a long way with only one lung working. Make sure you can get a bullet through both lungs before taking a shot.

There is a hunter here locally that hunts elk in Idaho/Montana etc and uses a 25-06 and well built 100gr bullets. Course he`s a benchrest shooter too but he fills his freezers. He likes the light recoil and accuracy. NOTE: Any group I have shot at his range he has done better with MY rifle! Enough to almost P--s a guy off.

Aloha, Mark

My only experience is with whitetails, but my .25-06 is a death ray. I feed it 115-gr Ballistic silvertips. Not the strongest bullet, but held together for a 60-yd shot this season on a doe. Heart soup, and animal didn't move a foot before dropping.

I would second others opinion on elk, it COULD work with something along the lines of a Swift A-frame or Partition.

I did some testing with the 100-gr nosler BT and was not happy with performance at closer ranges. In WI the normal shot ranges from 30-250 yards. They blow up quite readily even at only 3000 fps.

Personally, even if I was going to use my .25, I would use it as an excuse to get another, bigger gun. Maybe my logic is twisted, but it works for me.... :~)

It "could work" ? It does work, maybe not the ultimate elk rifle but it is as good as the guy using it.

I like the 115gr and up bullets, and am using 115gr Barnes XLC's right now. The 120gr HP's from both Hornady and Sierra work well on deer, and with a 120 Partition or Swift, or a Northfork if they have the caliber would be as effective as a .270W is for elk. I personally like a bigger hole in an animal that size, but wouldn't pass up an oppritunity because of my rifle if I was hunting with the .25-06.

It a very effective round, and I like it almost as much as my .257 Roberts! Nate

Elkhunter wrote:

"...and have a stationary elk that is not fired up or full of adrenaline."

Amen to that. That is very wise advice. Never really thought about it before but when a person is relaxed the muscles and tissues are like jelly but when a person is tensed up the tissue becomes very solid. If an Elk is grazing in a field and you can pop him under 200 yards I wouldn't have a problem with a 25/06. If you can place that bullet behind the shoulder and hit the vitals, it will kill that animal. However, Elkhunter's post was a revelation to me, if he is reved up, his muscles are going to be much harder to penetrate and you best have a great bullet and perfect broadside shot.

God Bless,

Corey

Its not my recommendation but I know three Elk Hunters here in SW Montana that use the 25/06 to great success's!
They simply slip a 25 caliber bullet into the heart/lung area and go clean their Elk!
Like I say when I head out for Elk (after all the Deer and Antelope Hunting is done for the year) I go with my tried and true 7mm Remington Magnum and Nosler 160 gr. Partitions!
I had to kill a nice 6x6 Bull this year with my 270 Winchester and 130 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips and like someone above so simply said (commanded!) shot placement is everything.
Yeah I have seen the 25/06 cleanly and humanely harvest Bull Elk but there are other calibers that give a Hunter more of an edge!
I used to use a 25/06 (one of the first Remington 700's to come out in that caliber) to Hunt Deer and Antelope with.
For no detrimental reason I just moved on to other calibers.
With todays excellent Hunting bullets the 25/06 is an excellent Mule Deer cartridge!
Black Bears I would choose something else.
Caribou I would choose something else.
Elk I would choose something else.
Any Deer on the North American continent though will sucuumb quickly and humanely with a properly placed bullet to the heart/lung area - period!
Long live the 25/06!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy

My 257 AI with a 100 grn NP, was used by my brother to get his bull moose. I advised against him using it, thinking no way in hell but it worked. His buddy backing him up was ready with a 375 H&H, it was not needed. He couldn't believe, as he put it "the little baby crack", was that capable. It's my rifle but I still will not try to duplicate the feat. My 300 WSM & 9.3x64 are more than capable.

quote:

Its not my recommendation but I know three Elk Hunters here in SW Montana that use the 25/06 to great success's!
They simply slip a 25 caliber bullet into the heart/lung area and go clean their Elk!
Like I say when I head out for Elk (after all the Deer and Antelope Hunting is done for the year) I go with my tried and true 7mm Remington Magnum and Nosler 160 gr. Partitions!
I had to kill a nice 6x6 Bull this year with my 270 Winchester and 130 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips and like someone above so simply said (commanded!) shot placement is everything.
Yeah I have seen the 25/06 cleanly and humanely harvest Bull Elk but there are other calibers that give a Hunter more of an edge!

quote:

My 257 AI with a 100 grn NP, was used by my brother to get his bull moose. I advised against him using it, thinking no way in hell but it worked. His buddy backing him up was ready with a 375 H&H, it was not needed. He couldn't believe, as he put it "the little baby crack", was that capable.

Bullet placement is always far far more critical than caliber and power and with the 25-06, owners are more likely to be varmint shooters and as such prone to better sight-in and shooting technique and bullet placement is likely the result.

I've always believed the value of such guns as the 243, 257 Rob, 6mm, 25-06 etc was for this reason. Not necessarily because of their immense power!

Bullet placement, good bullets,and your fine. This isn't directed at anyone one here so don't misunderstand me. Hunter's would be a lot better off if they would get out to the range and become proficent with what they have. There's a lot of hunters out there that just plain can't shoot. If you miss the target with a .25-06 you miss the target with a .300 mag.

quote:

Originally posted by usmc1980:
Bullet placement, good bullets,and your fine. This isn't directed at anyone one here so don't misunderstand me. Hunter's would be a lot better off if they would get out to the range and become proficent with what they have. There's a lot of hunters out there that just plain can't shoot. If you miss the target with a .25-06 you miss the target with a .300 mag.

Well said and to the point with few words. roger Semper Fi

Thanks Roger. Semper Fi to you.

Yep them Darn ole bullets just bounce off pitiful.

quote:

Originally posted by usmc1980:
Bullet placement, good bullets,and your fine. This isn't directed at anyone one here so don't misunderstand me. Hunter's would be a lot better off if they would get out to the range and become proficent with what they have. There's a lot of hunters out there that just plain can't shoot. If you miss the target with a .25-06 you miss the target with a .300 mag.

Amen to that, short and to the point.

quote:

Originally posted by vapodog:

quote:

Its not my recommendation but I know three Elk Hunters here in SW Montana that use the 25/06 to great success's!
They simply slip a 25 caliber bullet into the heart/lung area and go clean their Elk!
Like I say when I head out for Elk (after all the Deer and Antelope Hunting is done for the year) I go with my tried and true 7mm Remington Magnum and Nosler 160 gr. Partitions!
I had to kill a nice 6x6 Bull this year with my 270 Winchester and 130 gr. Nosler Ballistic Tips and like someone above so simply said (commanded!) shot placement is everything.
Yeah I have seen the 25/06 cleanly and humanely harvest Bull Elk but there are other calibers that give a Hunter more of an edge!

quote:

My 257 AI with a 100 grn NP, was used by my brother to get his bull moose. I advised against him using it, thinking no way in hell but it worked. His buddy backing him up was ready with a 375 H&H, it was not needed. He couldn't believe, as he put it "the little baby crack", was that capable.

Bullet placement is always far far more critical than caliber and power and with the 25-06, owners are more likely to be varmint shooters and as such prone to better sight-in and shooting technique and bullet placement is likely the result.

I've always believed the value of such guns as the 243, 257 Rob, 6mm, 25-06 etc was for this reason. Not necessarily because of their immense power!

Thanks for the support. I do spend a lot more time shooting at pint sized game than I do at big ones.