I have seen a moose dropped cleanly by a friend at over 500 yds with his 25-06 and a 100gr X bullet. My one moose with my 25-06 was using a 117gr regular Hornady interlock. It just wobbled for a few seconds and fell over. The quarter bore is under rated in my opinion. The big limitation with 30-30 is your sight picture. If you plan on a 75-100 yard shot you will rarely get it unless in a treestand or blind. I think the 3030 has enough for 200 yds but can you accurately hit at 100+ yds with open sites. If yes, then a 30 cal is rarely a bad choice.
25-06 or 30-30 for moose
- Thread starter imarco
- Start date
barry1974w
Regular
- Location
- Central B.C.
I have some doubts about that……
Its believable...might have some competition from the good old 303 brit..but lots of old timers only used one or the other and moose was a staple for farmers back in the day up here
i would say both will do the job depending on bullet selection and shot placement as usual. depending on the area your hunting. open country go with the 25/06 should be good out to 250 yds. If your in thick brush with shots being under 150yds grab the 30-30.
last moose i had an opportunity at was standing at 50yrds and it was so thick we couldn't see him. 30-30 would have been perfect if he stepped just a little closer.
few days later we finally got our moose and buddy shot it at 200yds with a 7mm/08.
know a guy who shot one of the biggest moose ever recorded in ontario and it was taken with a .270
of course theirs always the guys who think you need a 300win mag minimum or a 500 nitro express to put a moose down.
last moose i had an opportunity at was standing at 50yrds and it was so thick we couldn't see him. 30-30 would have been perfect if he stepped just a little closer.
few days later we finally got our moose and buddy shot it at 200yds with a 7mm/08.
know a guy who shot one of the biggest moose ever recorded in ontario and it was taken with a .270
of course theirs always the guys who think you need a 300win mag minimum or a 500 nitro express to put a moose down.
Who here wouldn’t shoot a moose with a 270 Win and a 130 grain? A 25-06 can show with just ten grains less bullet and the same case. Its a rare moose thats going to weigh the bullet 
Use a Partition if it makes you feel better.
I’ve got a .257 Weatherby here with 2 moose to its credit. 117 factory loads, which are boring as hell Hornadys for those that don’t know. If it doesn’t blow them up a ‘06 isn’t.
I’d rather use a muzzleloader than 30-30. My daughter did that when she was 13
Moose are wimps. Land a decent lung shot and get the truck.
Use a Partition if it makes you feel better.I’ve got a .257 Weatherby here with 2 moose to its credit. 117 factory loads, which are boring as hell Hornadys for those that don’t know. If it doesn’t blow them up a ‘06 isn’t.
I’d rather use a muzzleloader than 30-30. My daughter did that when she was 13
Moose are wimps. Land a decent lung shot and get the truck.
billbmcleod
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- Back very close to Bruce County
Probably true but the .303 BR would be close.
You can plan not to shoot past 100 yds and maybe the terrain where you will hunt will enforce that, but will you really hold fast when you see that big moose at 150, 200 or 250 yds and not try a "Hail Mary" with the 30-30? Maybe.
Maybe in North America (maybe), but moose live in Europe too and many are taken by 6.5 mm calibers there.
I'd pick the 25-06 with a heavy for caliber bullet. The moose is not known to be tough to kill if they're hit where it counts.
I went to a new camp last year and I was told all shots would be under 100 yards so I went equipped for that. Sure enough I found moose across a valley in open timber at 180 yards. Since I practice a lot and know how my guns shoot I was able to fill the meat pole with what I had. If I go next year I will have one of my other moose guns.
I would take both with a preference for the 25-06. I found threading bullets through timber benefits from a flat shooting round.
I would take both with a preference for the 25-06. I found threading bullets through timber benefits from a flat shooting round.
I heard in Sweden that folks tend to hunt in groups and the 6.5 Swede is often used. One thing that needs mentioning is if you re hunting with a partner or 2 and you are all armed you can of course get by with a less powerful caliber knowing you will be backed up if needed. There are some very skilled marksman and experienced hunters that have killed every game on earth with calibers like the 6.5 Swede or 7 by 57. But how many folks out hunting are really that good or experienced. If you shoot a few times a year and your 2 week fall hunt is all you get, you may want to step up to a caliber that is more forgiving to bad shot placement. A moose is a large animal and I have had to track one once shot through the lungs with a .35 Whelen with 250 grain noslers for 300 yards through thick bush. Fortunately I had a good blood trail because of the big caliber entry wound. I bet it would have been a lot more difficult with a 25-06.
.50 bmg minimum lol
I've used both, no issues with either, used partitions in the 25-06, killed as quickly as anything bigger I've used. I think I used old school silvertips in the 30-30, worked good. Shot a couple bulls with 7.63x39 and small bull with a 357 mag within 100 yes, none went further than 50yds.
While not my first choice personally id choose the 2506. I have not shot a moose but ive taken deer and bear with my 2506. Placed thru the lungs i have no doubt it will drop the biggest bull. Its also likely wearing an optic which will help in lower light of morning and evening in the bush
- Location
- West Central Alberta
Well an upcoming moose hunt is reason enough to go out and buy another rifle so go buy that rifle that you have been thinking about and get it in .300wm.
I have shot and seen shot more big bull moose than I can remember over the past 50 years. No small number have been with the 358 Winchester and the 358 Norma Mag using 250 gr bullets. That is definitely not typical reaction for a moose after receiving a double lung hit with any caliber using any expanding bullet, let alone a Partition.
I wonder if perhaps the bullet hit enough brush that it had already expanded before hitting the moose? That would explain the large entry wound and poor penetration.
Moose are generally not at all hard to kill.
Ted
