25-06...up to what size animal to shoot?

canadian hunter312

canadian hunter312

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im looking to buy a rifle that i could use in my area for coyotes and the odd groundhog but also use it in the fall for black bear and moose.

is the 25-06 too small for bear and moose say under 200 yards?

south of an invisible line in ontario we cant use anything larger than a .270.

i have a 870 with rifled barrel i could use for moose but i dont think its legal to use the rifled barrel with sabots in this area for coyotes all year. also have a 303 but i still need a scope mounting bracket to see how accurate it really is so i figured it would be easier to buy a new gun....plus you can never have too many guns ;)
 
If you want to use the rifled barrel and slugs why not. I have never seen anything that said you cannot hunt small game with slugs in southern Ontario. I picked up a 6.5x55mm swedish from Shooters as just the type of rifle you are talking about, I want to start reloading in the summer but wow 140 gr corlok bullets really mess up a groudhog at 20 yards.
 
the regs says you cant use a rifle of larger caliber than .275 so i assumed that i couldnt use the sabots because they are larger than .275. but, i guess you are correct because it states rifle.

lol and to think i have passed on quite a few coyotes because they were too far for my 17hmr (over 80 yards) and i could have nailed them with a sabot. think i got lucky cuz my 870 express super mag with rifled barrel shoots 3" groups at 125 yards with copper solids ;) i dont think id hesitate to take a coyote out to 200 yards with it.
 
For 'yotes and white tails the .25-06 will work fine well past 200yd. For mulies inside 200 it'll work if you can place your shot precisely. without exception.

For bears and moose, I'd say it's not the right choice at any range. The risk of a non-fatal wound is too high for my tastes.

YMMV
 
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The .25-06 is one of my favorite cartridges and I have killed about a half dozen moose with it and about the same number of elk and black bear, but it is not what I would recommend for moose. I took those shots when I was hunting deer and had a tag in my pocket when opportunity knocked. If you will regularly hunt moose I would get the .270 as a good 150 grain bullet in the .270 would be better for moose than the 120 grain in the .25-06.

If you handload and want to stick to the .25-06 then you have the option of using the heavier bullets produced by Wildcat Bullets in Alberta. Richard Graves produces bonded 130 grain .257 bullets. they will do the job but I would still restrict myself to the quartering away and broadside shots to be sure of a swift kill.
 
guess i better give more info then. i will be using the gun for critters in sw ontario most of the time. might go moose hunting once in 3 or 4 years cuz i guess its hard to get a tag? i plan on going bear hunting this year and every year after that.

so lets say coyotes/groundhogs 75% of the time
bear 20%
moose 5%

something like that anyways

also, i dont reload so how eays is it to find 25-06 ammo in sw ontario? ive never looked for it at any stores around here because ive had no reason to.
 
I phoned Hornady some time ago trying to find info on their hollow point 120 grain bullet, because a friend was told it was a big game bullet, but I was not sure just how tough it was.
Mr. Hornady told me that they actually designed it specificaly for the 25/06 for hunting ELK!!
I loaded 200 for my friend and he has been happily slaying moose with it since in a Ruger no.1.
Cat
 
I think you've got the perfect scenario to be looking to get 2 rifles, 1 for varmints and since you plan on bear hunting every year get something dedicated to that type of hunting.

may take a bit longer to save up but there isn't much you can't do with say a 223 and a 30-06 or similar cartridges. Also if you don't reload sticking to military cartridges will give you access to cheaper ammo so you can practice more.

I just realized that you have a 303, so you may have the larger caliber covered or you can always keep the 303 as back up if you decide to get something else.

If you want to stick to one gun I'd look into the 264 (6.5 caliber) lots of guns and well made bullets in that caliber and with well made bullets i'd use mine on moose and bear.
 
I think you'll be fine, especially considering the 5% moose hunting thing. Use premium bullets and hit them behind the shoulder. You'll have be eating moose steak if you do your part. My dad shot his first moose with a 25-06 and factory Winchester 120gr PEP.

Moose aren't that hard to kill, and with a 115gr X or 120 Partition you will have enough penetration to cleanly take moose on a broadside or 1/4-ing away shot at the distances you mention.
 
they work well on anything from wolf to caribou.
i got a few buddys that like useing em but i dont like anything less then a .30 cal for hunting things bigger then deer.
ttyal
Riley
 
I turned a buddy on to the 25 06 and he sold his 7mm magnum shortly thereafter. He has named it his 25 0 death. He has taken moose and elk with it and is very happy with it. I handload 120 grain speer hot cores for him and they work well. By the way, the mule that is hanging on my wall was taken at 650 yards with a 25 06 and a 120 grain speer.
 
Well a .257 bullet of the proper construction in a 110 or 120 grain is certainly enough for black bears and Moose. And the fact that you need to hit them right with any bullet or caliber should be obvious to everyone!
I have been in your dillema and hunted in your areas.... I found that a .270 cal was the perfect solution. And I still use a .270 cal to hunt coyotes and groundhogs... why not?:confused:
My current solution is a .270WSM I use 90 grain Seirras for groundhogs and140 grain accubonds for everything else. The 140 accubond is plenty of bullet for moose and bear and even a good coyote bullet as it has tremendous long range accuracy/energy and is pelt friendly!:)
 
Why not just get a .270? I'd rather have too much rifle for a ground hog than to run the risk of having too little on bear or moose. You'll also find that .270 ammunition is a lot more readily available than .25-06.
 
I had a nice Tikka whitetail in .25-06, bought it new at Accuracy Plus, I loved that gun and it broke my heart to sell it. I replaced it with a BLR in .270WSM and it was the best move I ever made. The .270WSM is a better caliber for big game, I dropped a big cow moose with it last fall with one shot, it never got off the ground again. The 25-06 still has a place in my heart, and I am thinking about buying another, but the .25WSSM is still buzzing around in my head as well. If it was me, I would take BIDREDD's advice and get yourself a .270WSM, it will give you alot more options.
 
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