Best Rifle Choice for Fall Caribou??

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Lex

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Looks like I'm getting a golden opportunity to hunt barren ground caribou in northern Manitoba this fall. I have an excellent Model 70 in 30-06 but have recently acquired a Stainless Stalker in 25-06 that I really like.

Is a 25-06 enough poop for caribou or should I stick with the 30-06 for the job at hand??

Anybody??
 
depends really

I have shot caribou with my 30 30 cause i have been in the middle of them.
Other times I wished I had a 270 0r 280 or something as they were a distance.

I would take the 30 06, because any further you can do with the 25 06 over the 30 06, you don't want be using a 25 06 for,..

keep it within range and the 25 06 will be fine though

My oppinion
 
sealhunter said:
depends really

I have shot caribou with my 30 30 cause i have been in the middle of them.
Other times I wished I had a 270 0r 280 or something as they were a distance.

I would take the 30 06, because any further you can do with the 25 06 over the 30 06, you don't want be using a 25 06 for,..

keep it within range and the 25 06 will be fine though

My oppinion
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Yeah,what he said............:wave:
 
There are a limited number of caribou licenses available in Manitoba on a first-come-first-served basis. Any resident of Manitoba can buy a "first license" ($44.58) and, if they wish, a "second caribou license" ($99.07) while they last. No draw is involved.

There are apparently 8 of us going and I don't even know the name of the outfitter nor the exact cost or location yet as the guy who invited me to join in is making the arrangements.
 
I'd opt for the 30-06 in a 165 gr bullet. But if opportunity presents itself a 270 WSM wouldn't be a bad idea. They can push a 150 gr bullet pretty good, and up there its all distance shooting.
 
25-06 should be excellent. I would shoot a 100 gr TSX or a 110 gr Nosler Accubond. Inside 400 yards it should be as good as anything you can shoot. A friend of mine shot a nice bull a few years ago with his 25-06, I handloaded his ammo with Barnes 100 gr TSX @ 3280 fps. Two quick shots at 200 yards and it was done.
 
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I was up on the barrens a few years ago on a free fly in. A friend works for a camp, and if he flies up at seasons end and boards up the camp and closes it down for the remainder of the year, he can take 3 buddies up for a week to hunt. It only took half a day to close the camp down with 4 guys. So we combed the lakes on 2 aluminum boats and ran into a herd of about 125 caribou. I had a .300 win mag, my friends had a .300 wsm, a 7mm rem mag and of course one guy had to have the 25-06. He couldn't shoot a magnum like the rest of us:)
anyhow, he jumped from the boat first and took off in a flat out sprint for about 200 yards or so (leaving us WAY behind) and got up behind a bluff of glacier deposited rocks. He let off 4 shots and when we got up to him there was 3 caribou down and a fourth one was falling around and staggering.
I took my rangefinder out of my bag and the closest one was 540 yards.
My friend is a pure sharpshooter and all, but that 25-06 really flew fast and flat and killed all 4. I took the next volley of shots with my .300 and with 3 shots only hit 1. Anyhow, I dont see anything wrong with the .25. He used federal 117 grain soft point factory rounds in a Remington 700 stainless. If you put it in the breadbasket at half that range you will drop them. They arent that tough, I have killed 20 or more in the last 7 years. (we used to have a bag limit of 5 - no draw. just buy the tags over the counter for $10. now its down to 2 male only tags per resident
 
A friend's wife used a .25-06 for her caribou hunting. 6 shots, six caribou.
A .30-06 will work just fine. I've shot them with .303, .308, .243.
Caribou aren't fussy, don't read hunting magazines, most any decent hunting rifle will be fine.
If you are in the Barrens, range estimation can be tricky, a flat shooting rifle is an asset.
If caribou haven't been chased, collecting caribou can be more of a shopping trip than hunting.
 
tiriaq said:
A friend's wife used a .25-06 for her caribou hunting. 6 shots, six caribou.
A .30-06 will work just fine. I've shot them with .303, .308, .243.
Caribou aren't fussy, don't read hunting magazines, most any decent hunting rifle will be fine.
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Right from one of the best sources ... who lives "up there" ! :D
 
.223 is more than sufficient to shoot a bloody tuktu(caribou)! However, since it's your 1st time and all ... use your 30-06 and shoot it in the neck or head as to not ruin the rest of the meat on a beauty of an animal to eat. I've shot tuktu at 60-80 yards with .223 LOTS as they're stupid animals and don't run far ... even after you've shot and missed(if you miss, I don't) ... and I've shot tuktu at 300 yards with a .308 so if you're gonna use a 30-06 I say giv'er beans partner and go for a head/neck shot ... ;)

Otokiak
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA
 
As far as bullets go and what Ive seen (and ate) the 150 gr. .308 hornady sp holds together pretty well on Boo's (not recovered) 30.06 would be fine. I would pick the rifle that you are most comfortable shooting over longer distances for Caribou.
 
Pick the rifle you feel the most comfortable with as either cartridge will do fine. Or bring them both ;) I'd take the Rifleman's Rifle (Model 70) if I had to choose between the two.
 
Caribou are not huge animals and are not hard to kill with a well placed shot from any reasonable chambering from a 6mm up. I have shot a few, and did not feel that it was a tough task. Regards, Eagleye.
 
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