After owning my Stevens 200 for almost 2 years I finally take a shot at something other than paper. I got a big bodied 4x3 whitetail at 175 yards. The 117g SSt entered through the for leg, rib, turned the lungs to jelly and out through the other front leg. The bullet was just under the hide and weighed 69g. The buck did a nose dive and never moved again. I have shot many Deer with a .45-70, .30-30, 8x57 mauser, .50 and .54 muzzleloaders but I have never seen meat damage like this. I know I was a bit off with my shot. I should have taken more time and turned the scope up to 9x to get a better sight picture, but he wasn't giving me much time. For those with experience shooting the .25-06, can I expect this type of damage using better bullets like the Barns TSX? I have some of them in 100g and some Sierra 117g and 100g BTSP. I am wondering if I should go back to a .30-30.
.25-06 finally scores
- Thread starter snowshoe
- Start date
You shot through both front shoulders (although you say "legs") and pulped up the chest cavity and the buck died in his tracks.
What's not to like about that?
Next time put it behind the front shoulders and watch him drop in his tracks.
BigUglyMan
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- New Scotland
I agree about the SSTs. Not tough enough for 25-06 speeds. Try Accubonds (if you do then tell me your experiences as I'm intersted) or NPT, Interbonds, Interlocks or even Gamekings.
Certainly all three factors: hitting heavy bone, impact velocity and bullet type (especially bullet type given impact velocity are factors).
My experience is not particularly great, but what I do have comes from both dressing out and butchering a number of big game animals of various sizes shot with: 00 buck, .243, 6.5x55, .308, .30-06 and .358W (and arrows).
Between this limited personal experience and thoughts from others, I figure that the point at which meat damage really starts going up is around 2500 fps. This is part of the reason why I seem to be gravitating more towards my .358 than my .30-06 as my go-to hunting rifle. I'd be interested anybody can corroborate my 2500 fps number or suggest suggest a different one.
RG
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My experience is not particularly great, but what I do have comes from both dressing out and butchering a number of big game animals of various sizes shot with: 00 buck, .243, 6.5x55, .308, .30-06 and .358W (and arrows).
Between this limited personal experience and thoughts from others, I figure that the point at which meat damage really starts going up is around 2500 fps. This is part of the reason why I seem to be gravitating more towards my .358 than my .30-06 as my go-to hunting rifle. I'd be interested anybody can corroborate my 2500 fps number or suggest suggest a different one.
RG
<><
Bullet selection is everything. Those ballistic tip type bullets are a problem when it comes to meat damage unless you go for a neck shot or put it right behind the shoulders so it's only going through ribs.
From what I've seen that 2500 fps number only makes it worse too--- I've seen the effect of 180 gr Nosler BT bullets going 3300 fps on game. A friend of mine swears by them because he only shoots for necks and heads. The last deer she shot was completely decapitated at 50 yards!
I've gone to a bullet that expands more slowly, but still expands well and even at 3100 fps meat damage is about half of a BT.
From what I've seen that 2500 fps number only makes it worse too--- I've seen the effect of 180 gr Nosler BT bullets going 3300 fps on game. A friend of mine swears by them because he only shoots for necks and heads. The last deer she shot was completely decapitated at 50 yards!
I've gone to a bullet that expands more slowly, but still expands well and even at 3100 fps meat damage is about half of a BT.
So have I.I used the 180gr Ballistic tip out of my 300RUM at 3340fps to take eight elk and two moose,and it did a good job.Most bullets were pass throughs,but I did recover one bullet that still weighed 110gr after passing through both shoulders of a mature elk.Contrary to what some people believe,since Nosler thickened the jackets considerably about eight or nine years ago,the 180gr-308" ballistic tip actually holds together quite impressively for a non bonded cup and core bullet.
I have also had very good luck with the 140gr-.284: ballistic tip having taken approximately thirty head of deer,pronghorn and bighorn launching the 140gr bullet at 3500fps out of my 7mmstws.It isn't as tough as the 180gr-308" ballistic tip,but it works fine on deer sized game.
Seriously?! It didn't demolish the meat on the shoulders after hitting the bones? My friend shoots the 180 gr combined technology BTs and they open up like crazy.
He shot a doe once straight on, in the chest (right between the shoulders) and it worked beautifully there as the vitals were instantly pulverized and reduced to what looked like something that went through a blender, but on a head shot another time the deer's face was opened up to resemble a sunflower-sized bloody mess.
Don't get me wrong, the bullets work very well from what I've seen when it comes to killing power... can't argue with your results though as you've taken more animals with it than I have.
Jordan Smith
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Calgary, AB
I just shot a big WT doe on Friday, as she was facing me at 45 yards straight-on, with my .25-06 and 100gr GK. The bullet smacked the front of her chest, just barely off to the side of the center-line. The bullet blew off the top of the heart, minced the lungs, destroyed a part of the one shoulder blade, and never made it passed the diaphragm. Essentially the bullet got into the chest and grenaded. If I had been using the TSX, the bullet would have penetrated the entire length of the deer and exited, and I probably would have lost less meat (the one shoulder is completely destroyed). Ask me how I know 
heavyBullet
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Just off the island of MTL
I never understand when someone tells me they do shoulder shots because it stops a deer dead in its tracks. Makes me think the guy is hunting just for the kill, and not for the meat.
heavyBullet
CGN Ultra frequent flyer
- Location
- Just off the island of MTL
Agreed. Sometimes we are not presented with the best shot, but I was talking about people who did the shoulder shot even when presented with better options, just to make sure the deer would not move another inch from where it was shot.
M12shooter
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- East St. Paul, mb
Hitting any larger animal through heavy bone will result in a real mess with any high velocity centre fire calibre. Next time punch the deer through the ribs a bit up from the brisket and a bit back of the front leg if broad side. Minimal meat loss that way. You will hear a distinct "Whock" and the deer never make it more than 50 yards before piling up. I have shot a Sako 25-06 for 26 seasons and took my 53rd and 54th whiterail with the same last November. 115 grain Barnes TSX for big deer, Hornady 120 grain HP for eaters. Also I never shoot running deer as my method is to sit and snipe.
Some of you make it sound as if you never missed your mark, even by a few inches. I did not intentionly shoot the buck through the shoulders a lung shot was planned, but sh-t happens, and I am not perfect. I have shot Deer for almost 40 years, and some years several of them. I have at least 2 or 3 times over the years hit a shoulder but never intentionaly, and have never seen damage like this.
Exactly. So you need a bullet that will hold together and penetrate without causing excessive superficial damage.
AFAIC, that narrows it down to the Barnes Triple Shock or Nosler Partition.
