25-06 for Moose

Short answer is yes.
However, using a lighter rifle on moose means choosing your shot placement a bit more carefully.
It also means using a quality bullet to be sure of proper penetration.
Regards, Eagleye.
 
Broadside shots with good strong and heavy bullets well placed = a quickly dead moose. Quartering away, 100 grain cup and core bullets, more likely a long messy tracking job, and maybe a lost and wasted moose suffering many hours. It's up to you and your hunting and shooting skills. Know both your and the rifles limits, and stay within them. The rifle can do the job.
 
Yes... use a good bullet on the heavy end... don't push YOUR effective range or take marginal shots (through brush or in low light etc...) and be absolutely sure of your shot... broadside lungs is best... do you not have a 7mm ot .30 cal???
 
hoytcanon said:
Yes... use a good bullet on the heavy end... don't push YOUR effective range or take marginal shots (through brush or in low light etc...) and be absolutely sure of your shot... broadside lungs is best... do you not have a 7mm ot .30 cal???
Click to expand...

i do but the rifle in the 25-06 is a nice carry and want to try it this fall
 
6.5x55 is a popular moose killer. The bullet you're pushing is 0.009" smaller in diameter (which is not very much!). You have to use premium, or heavy/long bullets to get the most out of the cal. But it'll be the same as if you are using a .338, it's going to be the shot placement that will kill, not the size of the bullet that missed.
 
I took a spike fork with a 257 roberts imp with a 100 grain sierra game king , two shots , one wasnt needed as both were double lung shots . He went 50 feet and expired (on the road YAA).I usually take a 30 cal or up for moose but I was in my favorite white tale spot when he walked by. Yes a quarter bore will do the job.
 
Everyone is saying "Yes", and I agree. Everyone is saying "but be careful and don't ask it for more than it can do", and I agree.

You say you have better tools for the job, but want to use the less appropriate tool because you like it. I think, if you have more bullet weight available, you should use it for moose. If you had nothing else to work with, then you would be fine with the .25 if you can live within the "limitations" everyone is trying to remind you are prudent. Nice rifles are very nice; bullets, however, actually do the job that must be done. I would use more bullet if I had it.
 
A good friend that has now left us, used a 25-06 with partitions for moose, elk and deer for many many years until he tried my 7mm STW. Partitions were his bullet of choice and it worked quite well even at long range. Myself, I would opt for something with a bit more bullet.
 
A pal of mine is a real .25-06 advocate and says with a good bullet it will do anything that is reasonably expected of a general purpose big game cartridge. I'm less enthusiastic myself, preferring to class cartridges from 6.5 to .375 in the general purpose category, but he says that on moose the terminal performance of the .25/06 with 100 gr TSXs is equal to the terminal performance of his 7X57 when loaded with 140 gr TTSXs. Modern bullet designs have changed the game somewhat, and I'm probably behind the times.
 
Shot placement like always. My older friend I hunt with was telling me his deceased uncle used to use a 25-06 out West to take moose. Said he would always pop them in the back of the head, eyes would bulge or pop right out. Finished. Again, shot placement.
Matt
 
Matt74 said:
Shot placement like always. My older friend I hunt with was telling me his deceased uncle used to use a 25-06 out West to take moose. Said he would always pop them in the back of the head, eyes would bulge or pop right out. Finished. Again, shot placement.
Matt
Click to expand...

I wish I had a "ten spot" for every wounded animal I've had to track where the hunter attempted a head shot... I'd be retired. Head shots sound like a good idea, they are not... there are too many things that can go wrong... animals move their heads alot, swinging, dipping and bobbing... even if the bullet hits, if there is any kind of tilt angle to the skull, the bullet oftens glances away... many times the animal will drop from the concussion, only to jump up moments later and run off into the bush... few of these are recoverable... this might come off as preachy, but the more people shooting at the boiler room, the more successful single shot kills there will be.
 
Don't even get me started on the virtue of head shots.
I'm with hoytcanon on this one.
Head shots are really low percentage shots, and are best avoided.
Eagleye.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom