sir_springer
Regular
- Location
- East Kootenays
Yes! As a caliber for deer, it just does not get any better.
25-06 Big Game.
- Thread starter WildNature
- Start date
Yes! As a caliber for deer, it just does not get any better.
I hunt deer with a .280AI and 140gr ABs.I also have a 25-06AI that shoots 100gr TTSX into small holes,and I wouldn't hesitate to use it for mulies or whitetails.I have other rifles that I prefer to use for elk and moose but have no doubt whatsoever that a properly placed premium .25 cal bullet would put down an elk.I prefer to use heavier rifles and bullet weights to give me an edge on shots that require more penetration through heavy muscle and bone(facing quarter on, etc.)Not every animal is going to offer that perfect broadside shot. Mur
2506
I have been hunting with a 2506 for 31 years I have taken White tail, mule deer antelope and moose with it all died fast. I stopped counting numbers a long time ago.
If you do enough reading you will find that hornady designed the 117 btsp for the 2506 This bullet as well as remington 120 grain core lokt(no longer availiable) and nosler partion all meet your requirements.
The 120 grain 25 cal bullets have a very high sectional density in the .257 .258 range they penetrate as well as any bullet made. I have shot through a 300 plus pound white tail from stem to stern so to speak (ahem yes it had big horns and ran fast)
Buy a 2506 with a 24 inch barrel and a can of imr 7828 and load your own. By the way I carry a 270 a lot as well. Elk are very tough and even
the 270 with 150 grains will not nock them down. Actually I have not seen one knocked down with one shot from cannons like the 7mag or 300 mag .
25-06 for ungulates (ie. Mule Deer, White Tail Deer, Elk)?,
I first started hunting using .270 win... at the time I love it... now... not so much
I recently began shooting the 25-06 and fell in love with the flat, fast, round...BUT... is the 117-120gr bullet carry enough "umph" to the target?
any ideas?
I have been hunting with a 2506 for 31 years I have taken White tail, mule deer antelope and moose with it all died fast. I stopped counting numbers a long time ago.
If you do enough reading you will find that hornady designed the 117 btsp for the 2506 This bullet as well as remington 120 grain core lokt(no longer availiable) and nosler partion all meet your requirements.
The 120 grain 25 cal bullets have a very high sectional density in the .257 .258 range they penetrate as well as any bullet made. I have shot through a 300 plus pound white tail from stem to stern so to speak (ahem yes it had big horns and ran fast)
Buy a 2506 with a 24 inch barrel and a can of imr 7828 and load your own. By the way I carry a 270 a lot as well. Elk are very tough and even
the 270 with 150 grains will not nock them down. Actually I have not seen one knocked down with one shot from cannons like the 7mag or 300 mag .
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Try comparing a 200 grain TSX to the 130 TSX,that'll be more accurate. Also, your shot placement will have a lot to do with the animals reaction, which was different in your examples.
In my experience, a lighter bullet will never outpenetrate a heavy one given identical construction and similar paths through bone,etc.
Sierra GameKing's are terrible bullets,IMO, and shouldn't even be in the same sentence as Barnes TSX. I've had 180's come apart out of a 30-06.
Jordan Smith
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
A shoulder-fired rifle (perhaps the .50 BMG??) does not have the energy to physically knock an elk to the ground. The .25-06 with 100gr TSX/TTSX has produced more DRT reactions than anything else I've seen, short of my 7Mag with 160gr TSX bullets. I've literally had the 100gr TSX penetrate over 3' of deer and exit. That same bullet shot length-wise through a large (450lbs bear) and exited, twice. I've carried the .25-06 while elk hunting several times, but was unable to connect. My confidence in the cartridge, however, is evident.
Myself and my hunting partner have taken both elk and moose with his 25-06,and my 257wby,when the primary goal of our hunts was deer.However,when our primary goal is elk or moose,we choose to carry larger caliber rifles,usually shooting .284" or larger bullets.A well constructed .257" bullet will do the job,but a little larger bullet adds a little insurance factor,for raking shots on larger game.
sir_springer
Regular
- Location
- East Kootenays
Bearkilr...
As I said, wasn't a lot of evidence to work with. But I was amazed with the destruction of lungs by the 130 TTSX; it was total throughout! I mean reduced to pretty much mush! There was a clean roughly 1" hole entering the rib cage, and another where it exited on the other side of the rib cage. Damage to meat was insignificant.
Definitely heavy for caliber bullets work, and work well...but that doesn't mean they are absolutely necessary.
I've read similar criticisms of Sierra Gamekings. No, they're not the kind of bullet that's going to retain weight and hold together.
However, I've killed a lot of deer with 'em. And some did come apart...but the deer didn't seem to notice, they dropped dead just the same.
For bigger game, particularly of the potentially nasty variety, certainly is another matter entirely.
What Gamekings are, seemingly regardless of caliber, is exceptionally and consistently accurate. As factory ammo goes, my rifles group with these better and time after time than just about anything else.
I will note that in any rifle so far that I've tried them, including 300 WSMs, Fusion ammo also tends to be particularly accurate. And they do hold together quite well. Darn good value for the relatively inexpensive price. My 25.06 seems to love the 120 gr version of these!
As I said, wasn't a lot of evidence to work with. But I was amazed with the destruction of lungs by the 130 TTSX; it was total throughout! I mean reduced to pretty much mush! There was a clean roughly 1" hole entering the rib cage, and another where it exited on the other side of the rib cage. Damage to meat was insignificant.
Definitely heavy for caliber bullets work, and work well...but that doesn't mean they are absolutely necessary.
I've read similar criticisms of Sierra Gamekings. No, they're not the kind of bullet that's going to retain weight and hold together.
However, I've killed a lot of deer with 'em. And some did come apart...but the deer didn't seem to notice, they dropped dead just the same.
For bigger game, particularly of the potentially nasty variety, certainly is another matter entirely.
What Gamekings are, seemingly regardless of caliber, is exceptionally and consistently accurate. As factory ammo goes, my rifles group with these better and time after time than just about anything else.
I will note that in any rifle so far that I've tried them, including 300 WSMs, Fusion ammo also tends to be particularly accurate. And they do hold together quite well. Darn good value for the relatively inexpensive price. My 25.06 seems to love the 120 gr version of these!
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Very true, the TSX/TTSX line is IMO the best bullet available. They have all virtues that makes a great performing bullet, penetration and damage which is not unnecessarily destructive to meat.
I've never tried Fusions as I pretty much handload only, but have heard good stories about them, especially for the price.
My main concern has always been poor quality, light for caliber bullets. Lots of wounded game.
In a nutshell, if the 25-06 is all I had and I was going elk/moose hunting, the TSX/TTSX would be my choice. However, since most people including myself have other choices, I'd pick a bigger caliber/bullet, preferably a Barnes as well.
It would depend on geographic location as well. Here in MB, I would never be hunting deer with a chance at elk or moose. In BC, I suppose the seasons overlap.
If a hunter doesn't have the riflemen/hunting skills to kill a elk/moose with a 25-05 and a TTSX then they likely wouldn't get it done with a .300/.338mag either...
A 25-06 wouldn't be my first choice for elk/moose but it certainly would be (has been) if it was my only choice.
A 25-06 wouldn't be my first choice for elk/moose but it certainly would be (has been) if it was my only choice.
- Location
- Haliburton County, Central Ontario
It would appear that the question, then, is not what caliber, but what bullet. Caliber is almost rendered irrelevant by the Barnes TSX, TTSX, and the various iterations of the partition design. Varying degrees of dead aside...
My hunting partner just knocked down an 18 point bull moose last weekend using MY .25-06 Rem rifle (Ruger mk 1 tang safety with painted 22" barrel, and laminate stock, plus my burris FF2 3-9x40) at 350 yards (give or take , its hard to tell fully on frozen , snow covered lakes). We were out looking for wolves most of the morning, and while we headed along a lakeshore, he spotted the moose at the end of the lake , hoofing it towards shore. He borrowed my .25 that morning cause his dog knocked his over the night before and , of course the scope hit the floor hard, so he didn't trust it.)
We both stopped the snow machines. And I got off the first shot, which missed wide behind it. He shot about 8 seconds later, and hit the moose just behind the front shoulder. It made it about 100' or so, and layed down in the trees just off the lake and expired.
I had loaded 100 gr X bullets , moly coated. It was a pass through, and it killed him dead enough. I've gotten similar results with my .303 British, any .30-30, or other lower or mid powered hunting rifles. The .25-06 rem is a decent all around gun, as it does have the power to anchor a big moose if needed, but we were out hunting wolves. And I think that a wolf or deer was certainly what was in mind when this caliber was invented. The difference being that we have much better bullets these days. I am fully confident carrying mine, and I'm sure I lose a bit of velocity too with the 22" barrel. But I still use my .270 win, or my .338 win rugers first if I have a choice. It just makes sense. I believe in using enough gun. I also believe using more than enough gun is OK too. Nothing wrong with brutally knocking down an animal, versus the little 50 or 100 yard dash I see with smaller caliber or weight bullets. Thats just my opinion. Its certainly able, but I always have better BIG game choices in the locker. I keep it for small game like wolves and wolverines primarily. It is shockingly effective for the above.
We both stopped the snow machines. And I got off the first shot, which missed wide behind it. He shot about 8 seconds later, and hit the moose just behind the front shoulder. It made it about 100' or so, and layed down in the trees just off the lake and expired.
I had loaded 100 gr X bullets , moly coated. It was a pass through, and it killed him dead enough. I've gotten similar results with my .303 British, any .30-30, or other lower or mid powered hunting rifles. The .25-06 rem is a decent all around gun, as it does have the power to anchor a big moose if needed, but we were out hunting wolves. And I think that a wolf or deer was certainly what was in mind when this caliber was invented. The difference being that we have much better bullets these days. I am fully confident carrying mine, and I'm sure I lose a bit of velocity too with the 22" barrel. But I still use my .270 win, or my .338 win rugers first if I have a choice. It just makes sense. I believe in using enough gun. I also believe using more than enough gun is OK too. Nothing wrong with brutally knocking down an animal, versus the little 50 or 100 yard dash I see with smaller caliber or weight bullets. Thats just my opinion. Its certainly able, but I always have better BIG game choices in the locker. I keep it for small game like wolves and wolverines primarily. It is shockingly effective for the above.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
You still have a moose season and the bulls have antlers? Wow, that's late.
25-06 for ungulates (ie. Mule Deer, White Tail Deer, Elk)?,
I first started hunting using .270 win... at the time I love it... now... not so much
I recently began shooting the 25-06 and fell in love with the flat, fast, round...BUT... is the 117-120gr bullet carry enough "umph" to the target?
any ideas?
It is the ideal deer cartridge. I have taken a couple of Moose and my wife has killed two Bull Elk and a cow with it.
For large animals like Elk, good controlled expansion bullets in the heavier weights are the best choice. We limit the shots to a max of 250. Beyond that is asking a lot out of the cartridge in my opinion. I like 120 partitions and 115 barnes for this type of hunting.
The nice part is the lack of recoil makes placing a bullet with a surgeon's precision quite easy with a little practice.
I've had my 25-06 quite awhile and its never failed me. Once i worked up my load ive never looked back, but i think ill stick with my 7mm mag for large game like elk and moose. but if a decent legal bull presented itself i wouldn't hesitate with my 25-06
Our moose season Starts Sept 1 and ends Jan 31. Yes, things are slower up here to happen. LOTS of country and a sparse moose population contribute to the long season. Not popular to eat up here traditionally. Most of the "Residents" around here can't be convinced of otherwise, with all the caribou they ate over the years.
bearkilr
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Nowhere, ......just past the middle
Maybe don't try too hard to convince the "residents" or your population will surely become more sparse.
