I have used the 25-06 with tsx 100gr for moose for several years with great success. My wife now has my 25-06 finnlite and I now shoot the same 100gr out of my 257wby mag, also with great success...2 moose and 1 caribou all 1 shot. All over 200 yrds and 1 at 440 yds.
.25-06 and moose
- Thread starter lackeyse
- Start date
- Location
- Saskatchewan
In the 25-06 I would tend to choose a bullet that penetrates well and hangs together without fragmenting. That is far more important than accuracy in moose bullets. The heaviest all copper bullets or 120 grain partitions or bonded core bullets with conventional lead tips would be my choice. But all in all I'd prefer something from 7mm and up.
x2. You helped eat some and they sure seemed dead to me ... that is funny. I chuckled at that.
.25-06 is a very underrated caliber. Moose aren't bulletproof.
my 12 year old son shot his first moose last fall with a .25wssm ( virtually the same balistics as the 25-06) with a barnes tsx 115gr i believe. Moose was at 200 -250 yards. Bullet double lunged it, and exited. Quite tasty!! It will kill moose with good shot placement. That said i hunt with a .300wm. It works too.
BC Bigbore
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- BC's Peace Country
I personally prefer something a bit heavier for moose, but the .25-06 works too. I know a very experienced local fellow who's hunted the northern Rockies with a .25-06 since the seventies and he takes an elk and a moose every year. Can't argue with his track record.
I know for a fact that a moose can be killed with a 25-06 about 5 years ago while I was driving into Sawaqua off the Coquihalla Hwy I came around a tight bend in the road with a cliff up on the left and a cliff down on the right.
In the middle of the road was a beautiful bull moose very good size for the area laying there dead.
I was able to contact on my cell the CO's that came in and did an investigation they found a couple of 25-06 casings laying on the ground.
I cannot say on this forum how pissed off I was at the low life that killed a moose in an area where firstly there wasn't an open season and then just left it.
In the middle of the road was a beautiful bull moose very good size for the area laying there dead.
I was able to contact on my cell the CO's that came in and did an investigation they found a couple of 25-06 casings laying on the ground.
I cannot say on this forum how pissed off I was at the low life that killed a moose in an area where firstly there wasn't an open season and then just left it.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
Same here and I said something similar earlier on. For an experienced hunter or especially one willing to carefully pick the right shot, the .25-06 will work too. If an individual using an archery set up and picking the right shot can take down a Moose I see no reason why a .25-06 used under similar parameters couldn't accomplish the same.
Something that has turned me off use of some of the smaller calibers on Moose is the 'experiences', twice by a local guy who has been up Moose hunting where I normally go. Again, twice, over the span of a few years he shot, hit but failed to drop the Moose.
He is a pretty experienced hunter and a number of years back I located a decent 30-06 for him and that 'seems' to have rectified the problem.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
I know for a fact that a moose can be killed with a 25-06 about 5 years ago while I was driving into Sawaqua off the Coquihalla Hwy I came around a tight bend in the road with a cliff up on the left and a cliff down on the right.
In the middle of the road was a beautiful bull moose very good size for the area laying there dead.
I was able to contact on my cell the CO's that came in and did an investigation they found a couple of 25-06 casings laying on the ground.
I cannot say on this forum how pissed off I was at the low life that killed a moose in an area where firstly there wasn't an open season and then just left it.
You're right and it's sad when we see something along that line
but there is the odd a**hole out there that pulls stupid stunts like that which 'tends' to paint us all with the same brush in the eye of the public. Another Coquihalla story on the other side of the coin
, my buddy and his son, both avid hunters, were travelling a section of the road when they spotted a cow and calf and the calf was tangled in the page wire fence. My buddy managed to scare the young cow off a short ways while his son cut the calf free. The calf wasn't injured, joined up with Mum and took off.Which reminds me, a couple of years ago on the connector at the brake check/truck stop as you start heading down towards Kelowna, on the other side of the fence I saw one of the bigger Bull Moose I've seen in years
. 
Sorry, didn't mean to high jack the thread but 'it all' just seemed to fit.I don't think that is the question. No one has said that the .25-06 will not kill a moose. Anyone who did so should be ignored.
There is a strong opinion, however, that the .25-06 is not a "good" moose gun. The OP asked for our opinions on its suitability for moose. It is not unsuitable; but my opinion is that it is marginal. I would not suggest to anyone who is starting moose hunting that a rifle in that chambering is a good choice.
The fact that something can be done, does not make it a good idea.
A see your point. The fact here is that not only can it be done with a .25-06 - it can be done well. I would have no problem suggesting the .25-06 as a moose gun - especially in Saskatchewan where you are not carrying a certain gun for protection at the same time. The .25-06 has no issues with moose - especially with good bullets and it enables many people who are smaller in stature or even big thugs who just don't like recoil, to concentrate on accuracy. On the prairies, I would easily suggest the .25-06 to someone who wants to be a one rifle hunter.
Johnn Peterson
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Chemainus B.C.
I neglected to mention the caliber the guy I was talking about used. 250-3000.
Good post.
My daughter has hunted with a 25WSSM pushing a 100gr TSX at 3,050 fps for 2 seasons now (she turned 12 in April this year).
Game taken with this round and number of shots for said game is as follows:
- 1, 2 point mule deer, 1 shot @ 80 yds
- 1, 4 point mule deer, 1 shot @ 255 yds
- 1, 6 point elk, 1 shot @ 40 yds
- 1, 7 foot black bear, 1 shot @ 116 yds
You would think (as she does) that this rifle is perfect for any critter under the sun. She is coming north with me this year for NWT caribou (I get to hunt a sheep) and northern BC for moose and goat. I bought her a 7mm -08 for the hunts this fall. I believe the 25 would do it but I think the 7mm is a better tool for the job. She is using 140gr tsx @ 2,850.
My daughter has hunted with a 25WSSM pushing a 100gr TSX at 3,050 fps for 2 seasons now (she turned 12 in April this year).
Game taken with this round and number of shots for said game is as follows:
- 1, 2 point mule deer, 1 shot @ 80 yds
- 1, 4 point mule deer, 1 shot @ 255 yds
- 1, 6 point elk, 1 shot @ 40 yds
- 1, 7 foot black bear, 1 shot @ 116 yds
You would think (as she does) that this rifle is perfect for any critter under the sun. She is coming north with me this year for NWT caribou (I get to hunt a sheep) and northern BC for moose and goat. I bought her a 7mm -08 for the hunts this fall. I believe the 25 would do it but I think the 7mm is a better tool for the job. She is using 140gr tsx @ 2,850.
