Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Long Range Hunting 25-06 & deer

dubya-didn't you post yesterday on the 338 win mag thread that you wouldn't be shooting at big game past 300-350?


Dober

Maybe he doesn't consider deer big game.

well there is that, who knows with the fella...

Dober

25-06 with 115gr Berger. It will get the job done if you can do your part as mentioned by other respondents. This is my go to caliber/bullet combo for Muley's, Whitetail and Coues at the distances you are talking about.

I guess my experience with the .25-06 is not as favorable as other..I love the caliber and the rifle I have at present..but when shooting at game at more than 300 yards, personally, I want more bullet wt..

a 30-30 will work at 300yds

is that better bullet weight you're talking about? confused?

my friend just dropped his 3rd or more whitetail at 650yds plus with a 6mmbr! ideal, no
work fine ,yes,all 3 traveled no more than 40yds.

a 25-05 at 300yds is venison in the freezer! easy!!!

We have shot lots of deer and antelope with 24's and 25's that died quickly ..but also enough that kept on their feet too long for my tastes..the longer the range the more often the problem occured..others have had great success with these rounds..We have also, but there have also been too many less than satisfactory results..Just my experience,,

Is needimg to shoot an antelope three times normal for a .308? That's what the last one my son-in-law killed required. All three when right though the lungs. It was a long drawn out kill. Shoot. Go toward the antelope. It got up so he shot again. Go toward the antelope. It got up so he shot again. Go toward the antelope. It stayed down but was still breathing so he cut its throat. This took about half an hour.

That's it... I'll never shoot an antelope with my .308 now...

Or maybe try punching some bone so it CAN'T get it up....?

25-06 is called a bean field rifle for that reason. I have harvested deer a 400 plus yards, make sure 24 or 26 inch barrel. With good handloads the caliber is remarkable

Agreed. Have taken several deer over the years at ranges out to 500 yards (most were from 200 to 400 yards), with a 25-06 and a 100gr bullet. Lots of previous practice on woodchucks at similar distances (same rifle, same load), helped make that possible.

Even at that longer distance, a 100gr Btip will take the lungs out of a mature whitetail.

I have been using a 25-06 for 80% of my deer hunting for the past 20 years and have had great success out to 450 yards. I believe the caliber is capable at longer range, but haven't pushed it further do to my ability more so than the rifle's. I ran 100 gr Sierra and Nosler BT for the first 15 years, but have change to Barnes TSX/TTSX the last 5 years and have been extremely pleased with the results.

What Mule Deer said is right, either will do just fine. I love 25's of all sizes. You can eat right up to the hole,very little blood shot meat.. Get a good scope and shoot, shoot and shoot! You cant shoot enough,but that goes with any cal. Most of all have fun with it , wind flags is a good idea! good luck semper fi Ozzie

What projectile and what distance?

I don't know why your 30-06 would not have worked at 517 yards, except you quite properly refused a shot you were not at that time prepared to take, assuming the rifle itself is shooting near MOA or less groups. A good 1,000 yard rangefinder, practice out to those expected ranges, a good grasp of the ballistic and windage variances for the particular load used, and your .30 is good to go.

Pre-ranging landmarks or planting flags at known ranges aren't as good as lazers, but can do in a pinch, or hurry-up shot.

That said about your .30, I'm still getting bruises on my butt from self-kicking for having sold many years ago my Ruger 77V in .25-06, with which I took a couple dozen caribou, mostly at ranges from 300 yards out, in pre-rangefinder days (i.e. - they had yet to be affordably invented and marketed). Factory standard, The Ruger was zeroed 5.5 inches high at 100, MOA with 120 gr Speer bullet handloads.

The farthest caribou I ever killed with that combo was standing broadside, head up and turned toward me. I saw where the first bullet kicked up snow on the hillside below her. With the crosshairs just over her upright ears, the second took her through the center of both shoulder blades, with the bullet's very base barely lodged in the far blade after penetration. DRT You guess the range.... Nice mushroom, too.

As to eating "right up to the hole", that has not been my experience with fast-moving bullets at ranges under 300 yards. My .25-06 handloads were hot, and did considerably blood-shot damage most of the time.

Not against it, but just saying - higher velocity tends to increase blood-shot. Tho much of "bloodshot" is usually actually in the membranes between muscle mass and can be trimmed out in butchering.

All in all, I'd say you "need" a new rifle!