25/06 for moose

My hunting buddy used the 25-06 120gr Partition for moose hunting until he shot an Alaska/Yukon sized bull broadside. We found the bullets just inside the vitals.

If you had to use the 25-06 I would suggest the Barnes TSX and would treat a long raking shot as out of the question.
Or perhaps you could target the head or base of neck.

Not saying it wont work, but there are far better choices.
 
CJ-Jim said:
200 Yards NO WAY in the areas I,ve hunted , its very very hard to get an open area as long as 200 yards and even then the 25-06 is a little light in the bullet wieght too start ploughing through bush with !!
I,ll stick with my 30-06 x 180 g. Silver Tip thank you - I wonder how far those animals shot with 25-06 traveled after being hit ? I,ve had moose travel 50 yards after 4 hits with a 30-06 X 180 and ALL shots were kill shots / NO heart or Lungs Left !!
JUST My 2 Cents --CJ-Jim
Click to expand...

Nothing plows through brush...
 
Moose just stand and take when hit properly.I've shot many with a 6.5x55 and 160gr handloads my favorite moose round.Never lost a moose yet, never found a bullet................. all exited Harold
 
Just don't agree with it. Moose deserve better. Sure, they're not all that tough, but like bear hunting you ought to pack for the BIGGEST one in the country and in the case of a moose or a bear that can be damned big. Gun writers, as self-serving as they tend to be, can't seem to agree if even a big 7 is enough for moose. I say it is because of the peculiar way a 7 hits - for only 7 thou of diameter over a .270 it sure smacks them as much bigger. For moose a good .30 really is a sensible minimum, and as much as .25-06 shooters like theirs it just ain't enough IMHO. Too marginal....but then I have no use for quarter bores period. I just don't see any holes between my 6mm's and my 7's. Lots of moose have been killed with 30-30's and .243's too but that doesn't make them a terrific choice either.
 
It is on the light side,but with perfect shot placement on a braodside hit,it will work.Not sure I see the point unless it was my only rifle and I hunt moose once a decade.If a person was going to hunt moose on a regular basis I would step it up abit.
 
I guess the Swedes been doing it all wrong using the too small for moose 6.5x55 all these years.Live and learn...........................Harold
 
Ruffed Grouse said:
...so what if things go a little wrong. Say you have a slight quartering away shot, and you place it a little far forward and hit the shoulder. I guess the most likely situation is that the shoulder gets broken. But are the chances of deflection starting to go up as you go to smaller bores?

I haven't seen that many moose shot - only one myself and helped out a couple of other guys. Certainly I've seen a shoulder smashed by a 308 coming in straight from the side. I have no doubt that a 25-06 would do the same coming right from the side too but I'd wonder about shots on a bit of an angle.

RG

<><
Click to expand...

The 300yd DRT was exactly that, likely 45degrees quartering, the 100gr. Nosler Partition entered the moose just forward of the diaphram on the near side, took out the lower 50% of the near side lung, went through the center to front half of the off side lung broke the far side shoulder and the slug was found under the hide on the off side. 65% weight retention.

Some people just cant wrap their head around how speed gets it done versus how mass gets it done.

Both ideologies are sound, just some people cant open their minds to the other groups point of view.
 
A .25 caliber bullet with an impact velocity in excess of 2000 fps is a reasonable minimum for North American big game, meaning that a .25/06 is useful well beyond the range at which big game is typically shot. Having said that, bullet choice for high velocity small bores is far more critical than it is for larger bore rifles with less velocity and heavier bullets. At one time I would have said that the 120 gr bullet should be the minimum for big game with a .25, in that the .25/06 performs much like a .270; but the 100 gr TSX requires that statement to be reconsidered. At the risk of sounding inconsistent (I don't like the 100 gr .243 for big game) the .25/06 is ahead in terms of velocity and there is no .243/100 gr TSX. Therefore I believe the .25/06 with a premium big game bullet meets the requirement of having a reasonable expectation of killing a big game animal with a single shot from any angle within the range limitations of cartridge and shooter.

I believe we should get as much versatility as we can from our rifles. If moose, elk, or big bears were to be the normal targets for this rifle I would step up to a 6.5, a .270 or a .30/06 and load heavy bullets, but if deer, caribou, black bear, or sheep were the usual targets, and moose were only hunted occasionally; the .25/06 would remain a fine choice.
 
The Finn's conducted a hunter survey of the various calibers used during moose season how far the animal travelled after hit and where they were hit.The conclusion was moose didn't die any quicker with the big magnums than the .308 win.No surpises there...........Harold
 
mbogo3 said:
I guess the Swedes been doing it all wrong using the too small for moose 6.5x55 all these years.Live and learn...........................Harold
Click to expand...

Harold, I agree that the 6.5x55 is a great round, but AFAIC they aren't comparable when it comes to moose sized game....How many swedes and fins choose the .25-06 over the 6.5x55?
I would take a 140gr or 160gr 6.5 round any day over the .25-06..

Triton, I'd keep that .280 you have for sale and skip the .25-06...;)
 
Last edited:
Charlie38 said:
Not much difference between a 25-06 120gr and a 270 130gr.
Click to expand...

Yeah, there is. Paper ballistics are one thing but the difference is substantial in the real world. The 7 thou between the .270 and a 7mm is not much, but the killing power is apparent. Not to say the .270 isn't a fine choice for lots of stuff...hell, it's one of the greatest ever invented and I love the caliber, but the difference between the .25-06 and the .270 is much more noticeable than the difference between the .270 and any decent 7mm. The right .25 bullet might have the BC to carry speed very well and the SD to do in whitetails and antelope at pretty long hunting range, but the lack of sheer mass and frontal area still makes it great for those situations and those animals only. Yeah, it'll work just fine for broadside open shots on moose within reasonable range and with the proper bullet construction, but it was never designed or recommended by anybody in their right mind for anything the size of a bull moose. Where we hunt moose they can hit over a half ton easy on the hoof and I'm nowhere near the Yukon or NE BC.
 
Ideal? no

Capable? absolutely


Id feel ok loaded with 120 gr Partitions or 100-115 gr TSX. That being said I would rather have a 270 Win or 7mm Mag or 308 or 30-06+
 
todbartell said:
Ideal? no

Capable? absolutely
Click to expand...

That's about what I'd say, not my cup of tea but not an unrealistic idea. A friend nearby shoots a big Rosevelt elk or two every year. (He's first nations so does a little better on getting a tag than me ;) , plus they get an animal or two for ceremonies and he's one of the go to guys). Anyways, he's just got one rifle and you guessed it its a 25 ot six. Works real good he tells me. ..
 
brenden270 said:
I watched the #2 Shiras moose in Canada fold from one 130 grain partition from a .270......
Click to expand...

There is no comparison between a Shiras Moose and an Alaska/Yukon bull....That is like comparing a whitetail spike buck to a Bull elk....

FYI .257 Partitions don't come in 130grains unless they are fired from something like a 270?

The 6.5's the Swedes use will hands down out penetrate any .257 ever made.
Also as opposed to the vast majority of Canadian hunters the Swedes can actually shoot....Something they are proud of.

From What Bartel says most hunters he sees fire at least 1/2 a box per year......Wow! We must be born good!

NOT!
 
I'd rather have my .338 in my hands loaded with 250 grain Sierra's when moose hunting but if the shot is right I would never hesitate to use a 120 grain 25 caliber. JMHO considering how many I've seen brought down with 30-30's and .303's over the years.

Heck compared to a 30-30 170 grain Imperial the 25-06 is like a bolt of forked lightning.:dancingbanana:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom