Winter barren ground caribou calibre requirements

[M12shooter]

This winter I will take part in a hunt I have never experienced before, that being barren ground caribou. Looking for feedback by those who hunt or have hunted these before as to minimum calibre suggestions.

I hunt 90 percent of my big game with a Sako 25-06. I have been told barren ground caribou are not hard to kill and I would like to use my pet 25-06 for the aforementioned species...or would it be recommended to move up to one of my 30 calibres?

 

[bearkilr]

Your 25-06 will work fine for caribou, they're pretty soft. Since it's strictly a meat hunt, I'd choose a Barnes TSX in 100 or 115 grain to minimize damage and put it right behind the shoulder.

 

[mbogo3]

Inuit use .22 CF's and .22 magnum for caribou.........Harold

 

[Eagleye]

Anything that will work well on deer, will be fine for Caribou.
Your 25-06 will work just fine.
Eagleye.

 

[stuckon308]

416 Rigby minimum.

Those suckers have been getting bigger and badder with every year that goes by.

 

[medvedqc]

your 25-06 will work perfectly.

bring some knives with you : winter fur is thick and you ll get a short time to gut it.

 

[AbLonewolf]

These things are a tad bigger that a mature mule deer buck...25-06 is just fine....cheers and good luck.

 

[Thinking]

Used to hunt with a guy who only ever used a 22-250 on them, he shot an awful lot of them and they were all DRT. So they aren't an overly challenging creature to put down.

 

[hiredgun]

I agree with everyone that your 25/06 will be fine. A few years back, I went on the Quebec winter caribou hunt. My buddy's 270 killed them just as dead as my 35 Whelen.

 

[Otokiak]

25-06 is fine ... we use alot of 223 up here. Happy hunting!

Otokiak
Rankin Inlet, NU
CANADA

 

[c-fbmi]

I've lost count how many BGC I've shot and I can assure you your 25-06 is more than capable, in fact almost perfect for the task. I shot my first one with a 257 Wby and this fall I have decided to use my 50 BMG and take 1 or 2 at over 1000 mtrs, should be interesting and fun.
Good luck on your first one and shoot a B&C bull, they're just as good eating as a small bull or cow.

 

[Boomer]

Around here its common to take caribou with rifles chambered from .22 centerfires on up. Your .25/06 is a better choice not so much because it shoots flatter and kills better, which it does, but also because it behaves better in the wind.

 

[M12shooter]

Thanks for the information guys...and as I thought my 25-06 should be more than adequate. Further, my go to load of 53.0 grains of IMR4350 pushing a Barnes 100TSX Boattail at just under 3400fps will be the load of choice.