Does anybody hunt larger game with a 25-06?

JDMickTX · Mar 3, 2018

I just recently fell headfirst into deer hunting this past season. After a lot of research and opinions from friends, I went with a Tikka T3X 25-06 as my first deer rifle. The recoil suits me fine, I love the flat trajectory, and it dead-dropped my first deer while felling my second and third within 50 feet of wonderful blood trails.

A 2019 elk hunt is high on my list of priorities, and here in Texas there's a reasonable chance to hunt exotic nilgai as well. I know Randy says "the best elk gun is the one you've got." I'm sure that a well-placed 115 grain Nosler Partition will do the job within probably 200 yards, but I want to have confidence that I can drop an elk within about 400 yards if needed, or shoot a 450 pound nilgai. I'll probably acquire a .308 in the near future, but I've noticed a lack of 25-06 discussion on this site and was curious if anyone here has used it for anything larger than mule deer.

Dougfirtree · Mar 3, 2018

I've never owned one, but lots of elk have fallen to that cartridge. I would think a 100 grain Barnes TTSX would be a great choice. Or, maybe that 115 partition. They make a 120, too.

ccc23454 · Mar 3, 2018

Its not a 25-06 but 120 partition out of a 257 wby works

rammac · Mar 3, 2018

Not a good choice for elk, it's marginal at best when you use a good controlled expansion bullet at the proper velocity and place it in the right spot. You don't need a cannon but you really do need to look at bullets in the 150 to 178 grain range as the minimum weights for an ethical kill on an elk. The secret is to ensure that the bullet you are using will expand properly at the distance that you expect to shoot your animal at. When you use a bullet that weighs around 150 grains or so the laws of physics require that you have a certain amount of powder in order to make it move at the velocity required to get it to expand at the ranges that you might hit an animal at. A 25-06 is a good cartridge but it's hard to find bullets over 120 grains or so for it so I'm not a fan of it. Theoretically a 120 grain expanding bullet can be pushed to have enough energy at 400 yards but it's really at the extreme limit of the rifle/bullet capability under perfect circumstances but we all know that perfect hunting circumstances are pretty rare in the field. I'd recommend the .308 and even then my preferred limit is 300 yards with 400 being my absolute max range but only if I've got a good rested position and the elk isn't moving.

VikingsGuy · Mar 3, 2018

rammac said:
but you really do need to look at bullets in the 150 to 178 grain range as the minimum weights for an ethical kill on an elk.

From what I understand many elk are ethically taken with 130 grain TSX bullets out of a .270 and 140 grain accubond out of a 7mm08Rem, but I agree that a 25-06 at 400 yards seems a stretch.

belly-deep · Mar 3, 2018

Don’t listen to rammac

Lots of elk tags filled here in MT and all across the West with a 25-06. Just use a good bullet and you’ll be fine.

Can’t say about the Nilgai. Never hunted them.

LuketheDog · Mar 3, 2018

That cartridge can kill elk, just research the dynamics of the load you choose to use and shoot within its limits. Sounds like you killed your deer just fine, put the bullet in the right place and the elk will go down...

DSMeyer · Mar 3, 2018

I love my quarter bore 257 WBY and the 25-06 is only 100-125 FPS slower. Now the only problem with the .257 bullets is their B.C. is that of a barn. Sure it’s a flat shooter but after 300 yards it literally hemorrhage’s speed and energy especially with 100gr bullets. With the 120’s it’s a bit better but even with those they’ll be at the very very very minimum energy levels for elk at 400 yards. Now with all small calibers shot placement becomes even more critical and you must absolutely get that perfect shot off or just let it go.

WapitiBob · Mar 3, 2018

I shot an Antelope at maybe 75 yards broadside with a 25-06. He went down in a heap then started to get up so I shot him again.
The initial shot hit a rib behind the shoulder, followed the rib down to the sternum, across the sternum and up the rib on the other side of the body, never going below the surface of the ribs. It just cut an ever shrinking channel between the hide and ribs. I took a dime size piece of copper maybe .010 thick from under the hide on that off side.
That will be my one and only 25-06 experience.

Elkish · Mar 3, 2018

If I were to use that cartridge on elk, I would limit myself to a distance that I would be 100% confident that I could put my shot within a golf ball. Tracking skills can also become imperative on tough animals in situations you will most likely not get a pass through. I have not seen many good blood trails on elk shot with rifles and haven't seen many passthrough shots, even with magnum cartridges.

shootbrownelk · Mar 3, 2018

A Nosler partition in your 25.06 is all you need for elk.

mthillrunner · Mar 3, 2018

First bull elk I ever shot was with a 25-06. I’ve shot most of my elk with a tiny 130gr bullet out of my 270. Make a good shot & you will be just fine

BuzzH · Mar 4, 2018

Anyone that says the 25/06 and a 115-120 grain partition, accubond, or other decent bullet wont work just fine on elk...is just flat wrong.

I wouldn't bother buying another rifle, just spend time shooting the one you have and use a good bullet. My family has always had good luck with the 120 partition being pushed in that 3000 fps range.

BuzzH · Mar 4, 2018

Elkish said:
If I were to use that cartridge on elk, I would limit myself to a distance that I would be 100% confident that I could put my shot within a golf ball. Tracking skills can also become imperative on tough animals in situations you will most likely not get a pass through. I have not seen many good blood trails on elk shot with rifles and haven't seen many passthrough shots, even with magnum cartridges.

Wow! Just when I think I've heard it all...

Sask hunter · Mar 4, 2018

25-06 with good bullets will kill an elk. Trying at 400 yards would be asking for trouble IMO. This elk hunt is a reason to buy another gun take adavantage of it

Coop · Mar 4, 2018

I have a Tikka T3 in 25-06 that I use for everything. With elk, this rifle isn't going to knock em down like a 7mm or a 300, but it will get the job done. I have killed elk with mine just using Remington core-loct factory loads, but even with hand loads, I would try to stay within 300 yards with this round. at 400 you might be losing too much energy for an ethical kill.

JDMickTX · Mar 4, 2018

Sask hunter said:
25-06 with good bullets will kill an elk. Trying at 400 yards would be asking for trouble IMO. This elk hunt is a reason to buy another gun take adavantage of it

That's sort of how I'm looking at it. I'm a "gun for a purpose" kind of guy so I'll never have a dozen bolt rifles in my safe, but I can already see a use for something like a .308.

Thank you guys for the replies, it's about what I expected. I'm confident in my 25-06 handling the task within a certain range, but I won't be able to travel for elk very often. If I get one shot at an elk in a three-year period, and that shot is 380 yards away and the terrain makes it infeasible to get closer, I want to have a bit more confidence that my round will reach it with the energy needed for an ethical kill. If that means I own two scoped rifles instead of one, that's just a bonus.

Don Fischer · Mar 4, 2018

You could kill an elk with a 22 RF. Doesn't make it a elk cartridge. I have a 25-06 and if it was all I had for elk, I would use it. But I have better choices, 6.5's and 308. I've killed two elk with my 6.5x06 and a 140gr bullet and one more with my 30-06 and a 180gr bullet. But I don't shoot a game animals beyond 300yds either, in fact I've only done it one time to say I did. If I only had my 25-06, I shoot 117gr bullet's in it, I would still limit myself to 300yds but I would make an extra effort to get closer. A 117gr 25 cat bullet is no match for a larger cal bullet, 6.5 140gr or 308 180gr. Will a 25-06 work? sure! But there are better cartridges in my opinion. Guy that hunt's brown bear with a 243 and actually kills one will never know the error of his way's until he fails to stop one!

The Hedgehog · Mar 4, 2018

Here’s one shot with one bullet to the front of the chest with a 25-06.

6mm Remington · Mar 4, 2018

I shot a spike bull at 350 yards with my 25-06 using 120 gr. Partitions. He went maybe 30 yards and went down.

Let a young man use the same rifle and load and he shot his first elk which was a nice cow at 250 yards. One shot and she went 50 yards and down.

Does anybody hunt larger game with a 25-06?

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