25-06 Capability

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dts686

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While looking at available 25-06 ammo I came across a review that said:

"during this years bear season I took down a 500+ pound bear from 50 ft. the round went through the right side into the heart through both lungs and exited out of the left side."

I was wondering if anyone has taken a moose with a 25-06 rifle?

It's looking like the 25-06 may be able to take any game in the lower 48 states. At least I'm trying to find out. Thanks for your help!
 
That question is a double-edged sword. The .25-06 is one of my favorite calibers and I use 117-120 grain bullets in mine. It's devastating on whitetail deer and some folks say that with a premium bullet it's entirely capable of taking elk. That might be, but if I were going after elk, I think I'd be tempted to carry my .30-06. Or my .308. No, it would be the -06.

Moose is a whole 'nuther proposition. While I'm sure that you could kill a moose with a .25-06, I think I'd carry a larger caliber (again, I'd grab my .30-06) out of respect for the animal and the hunt.

Just my opinion and I"m sure that someone who's actually taken moose will be along shortly.
 
I'm with Paw Paw on this one. The .25-06 is awesome on deer, pronghorn and coyotes. If it was the only rifle I owned I wouldn't hesitate to elk hunt with it, but there are far better chamberings for hunting elk and larger. I wouldn't consider it for moose even with premium bullets.

From my limited experience with bears is that black bears aren't that tough to kill. Their bone structure isn't terribly heavy and nearly any cartridge good enough for deer will get the job done. Another thing I've come to realize most 500 lb bears are actually more like 250 lbs when they are dead unless they are a fall bear.
 
No moose with a .25/06, but I did take a cow elk at 420yds with a Browning A-Bolt in .25/06. One shot to the neck, from directly behind; snapped the vertebra clean in two, blew out the arteries: DRT...
 
Moose and very tough animals.

Bear are very fragile animals.

There really is no reason to associate the two in the discussion of ballistics.. ;)
 
I love my 25-06's and have no qualms with saying it is my hands-down favorite caliber/cartridge. Could you end a moose with one? Probably, but why try? If this is a hypothetical in which you are simply exploring the perceived limits of the cartridge then ok. If you're seriously considering trying this, I don't think its a very good idea.
 
Is it possible to kill a moose with a 25-06? Sure it is.

But I'd rather use a 30-06 with a 180 grain premium bullet that weighs half again as much and has half again as much frontal area than a 25-06's 120 grain.
 
I knew a guy that hunted European moose in Finland with the executives of Sako. He was provided with a 25/06 specifically for the moose hunt & had no problem dropping them.
 
I agree with the bigger may be better but ive seen a 1000 lb cow bufflao taken with a 2506 using 115 partitions and it did a fine job. Buff took two steps and fell dead. So if i was on say a whitetail hunt with my 2506 and the outfitter majicaly told me i could now shoot a moose if i wanted i sure wouldnt pass the shot to go running for another gun. Killing game is 80 percent bullet placement and 20 percent ballistic performance.
 
I agree with the bigger may be better but ive seen a 1000 lb cow bufflao taken with a 2506 using 115 partitions and it did a fine job. Buff took two steps and fell dead. So if i was on say a whitetail hunt with my 2506 and the outfitter majicaly told me i could now shoot a moose if i wanted i sure wouldnt pass the shot to go running for another gun. Killing game is 80 percent bullet placement and 20 percent ballistic performance.
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I agree it would be pretty magical to get to shoot a moose of opportunity while on a whitetail hunt. These days in most of the real world you have to get a tag and you know exactly what you can and can't shoot beforehand. I wouldn't turn down that theoretical shot either, but if I were choosing a rifle for moose, I'd want something with a bigger and heavier bullet than a 25-06.
 
Until 3 years ago a friend of mine was taking Moose with a 6.5 Swede, my uncle took his moose with a .270 and a 130 gr bullet. Will it work? Yup you betcha but both of those men were good shots and experienced hunters who knew exactly where to put their shot and were skilled enough to do so. I consider myself a pretty good shot but I never shot at a moose so I think if the opportunity came up I'd be looking at one of my bigger guns to be in my hands, but that's just me.
 
I have shot p dogs, jack rabbits, fox, yotes, pronghorn, deer, black bear, elk and a friend used his on a moose, never had a critter get away nor died a slow painful death. Is it the best caliber ever probably not but for most uses it does a fine job. I've used 120 Hornady HP, 117 Sierra's, 115 Nosler BT, didn't seem to make much difference. It's the best caliber for mid sized game I've used. It' not the best elk, bear or moose caliber by any means but it will work as I can attest to that.
I feel if you can afford to hunt elk, moose or larger game then you can afford the proper equipment which to me is 7MMs and up.
 
American Rifleman had an article earlier this year on the 250 Savage. The article said the 250 Savage is what many people in the arctic use for problem polar bears. Not what I would use or suggest, but it is what they use. As with anything, the proper bullet selection and shot placement are key.
 
I use a 257 Roberts for my deer/antelope hunting. The 25-06 is a souped up 257R. I've seen lots of elk hunters using the 25-06 (I use a 270 for Elk)

Now about Moose. I've killed several. Moose are not as tough as Elk, not by a long shot.

I've killed about 8 moose with 150 Grn LSWCs out of a 4 inch Model 28 in 357. Granted they were close but still, the 25-06 hits a lot harder then the 357.

I might hesitate to hunt elk with a 25-06, but wouldn't when hunting moose.
 
I view the 25 caliber cartridges as some of the premier rounds for both deer and pronghorn... For Elk, personally, I want to deliver a bigger and heavier round (30-06 and up).. That's my thinking... I'm not condemning anyone for using a 25-06 on an Elk but I wont do it...
 
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