24hourcampfire.com
24hourcampfire.com
Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Hop To
Page 4 of 5 1 2 3 4 5
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 28,277
Campfire Ranger
Offline
Campfire Ranger
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 28,277
Quote
Mark, I'm sorry but if your statement is true (many in Montana use the 25-06 for everything including elk - my abbreviation of what I believe you said) something is wrong with the crowd you hang out with In MONTANA. Everyone I know from Montana is more sane. Are you simply a rabble rouser? Or are you and your friends having a nice trip? Vic/



Abolutely nothing wrong with the crowd I hang out with, they tend to be folks who have been there and done that and bought the T shirt. Lots of folk out here have a 22/250 or a 223 and a 25/06 and that is about it. Many of these old boys have shot many more elk than most of the world of these forums have ever dreamed of.

If you've done things with the 25/06 I'm all ears and would love to hear about it. And I am talking about the topic at hand which of course happens to be elk.

So when you get a chance tell us a story or two about your use of a 25/06 on elk.

Mark D

Oh and by the way I am not what one would call a rabble rouser but I do happen to know a fair bit about this stuff. And usually can tell pretty quick if people have actual experience or book experience. Also if I see bullsnot being written I am not opposed to taking it to conversation.


"True respect starts with the way you treat others, and it is earned over a lifetime of demonstrating kindness, honor and dignity"....Tony Dungy
BP-B2

Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,716
H
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
H
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 1,716
Mark, maby I'm wrong but to me the difference between you and your friends and someone coming from out of state is that you live in the area. You know it well and have so many advantages over the guy that spends a months pay and two weeks vacation to go on an elk hunt. In my mind that's alot to risk and personally I would rather have a 30-06 or bigger.


The unarmed man is not only defenseless, he is also contemptible.
Niccolo Machiavelli
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,451
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,451
A MONTH'S pay?? You guys make alot more than I do. Aren't USA guided hunts $5000+?

Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 397
S
Campfire Member
Offline
Campfire Member
S
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 397
Sounds like you need a better job <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jeff


In the land of the blind the one eyed man is king.
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 482
L
Campfire Member
Offline
Campfire Member
L
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 482
Last year, I was out deer hunting with a fellow who also had a cow elk permit. We ran across a herd of elk and he decided to take a shot. Range was in the neighborhood of 300 yards. He sat down, aimed, and shot. The elk ran off through the trees. We found his cow maybe seventy-five or eighty yards from where it was hit. Perfect, clean kill.

His rifle?

A Ruger bolt action chambered for .243 Winnie. Premium ammo with Nosler Partition bullets. Quartering away shot. Personally, I wouldn't be scared to use a .25-06 on elk.

However, with that said, my elk rifle is a .35 Whelen. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

IC B2

Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,451
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,451
Quote
Sounds like you need a better job <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Jeff


There's no DOUBT I need abetter job.

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,708
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,708
I just bought my first 25-06 a month ago so have no hunting experience with it yet.
The last moose I shot with a .270 was hit 4 times in the chest with 150 Nosler Ptns. If I hadn't heard the last shot strike the animal I would have thought they were all misses. The bull walked off as though unhurt. When found he had only gone about 10 or 15 yards.
I've killed a number of moose with the .270 and up close this caliber works fine. At extended range it starts to poop out. Now I shoot a .338 WM for the "just in case" shots.
I'm not an elk hunter but I would not recommend a 25-06 for someone not living/working close to the hunting area. Just my opinion for whatever its worth.

Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,708
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 3,708
I forgot to add that the avove mentioned moose was shot at 300 yards.

Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,757
P
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
P
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 3,757
Ditto

Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 32
N
Campfire Greenhorn
Offline
Campfire Greenhorn
N
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 32
FWIW, Colorado regs say a minimum of .24 caliber (6mm) for elk, 85gr bullet or larger. Anyone know how/why they came up with that?

(Even so, I've used 7mm, .300 Weatherby, and this year will probably be a 30/06.)

Nerf


Nerf
IC B3

Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,052
A
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
A
Joined: Apr 2003
Posts: 3,052
Personally, I wouldn't hunt elk with a 25-06 for any reason.

To be sure, lots of elk have been taken with 25-06s and the like, but then years ago Vern O'Brian used to build rifles in 17 Mach IV, hunt and kill Alaskan brown bear with them, then write articles about his experiences. Eskimos have hunted polar bears with 222s, W.D.M. Bell used to hunt elephants with a 7mm Mauser, older timers used to hunt grizzlies with 44-40s, etc.

You can find plenty of stories of small calibers being used to kill truckloads of big game -- enough such stories to prove just about any point you'd care to make -- much like BULL-istic arguments that guys come up with to build a case for any cartridge you can think of. Tweek the numbers enough, and you can surely prove your point, whatever it might be!

I don't like hunting big, tough animals such as elk with what I call "cocktail time" cartridges. I like to use cartridges that work well under the worst of conditions, not just under the best of conditions. What works for Texas whitetails and varmints is generally NOT well-suited for elk under all conditions, and after many, many elk seasons, I have yet to find a cooperative elk or a predictable set of elk hunting circumstances. So I like to hit 'em with plenty of gun and plenty of well-constructed bullet.

My personal threshold elk cartridge is the 270 Win. with tough 150 gr. bullets, and I think the 30-06 with strong 180s is a more sensible minimum still. And as you go upt from there, performance gets better yet, assuming good shot placement.

Read J.Y. Jones' great book, "Ask the Elk Guides" for further discussion...........

AD


"The placing of the bullet is everything. The most powerful weapon made will not make up for lack of skill in marksmanship."

Colonel Townsend Whelen
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,867
CRS Offline
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 5,867
Yes they will work, No I won't use one unless it is all I had.

I have witnessed/killed elk with 243, 270, 7mmRM, 30-06, 300WM, 338-06, 338WM, 375 H&H. I personally shoot a 338-06. There is no substitute for bullet diameter.

The elk I have witnessed with 338 and up calibers left no doubt that they were hit.
The smaller calibers worked, but I prefer the bigger calibers.

Sorry, no personal experience with the 25's.


Arcus Venator
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,428
3
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
3
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 2,428
FOR ELK,I VASTLY prefer the over thirty caliber cartridges throwing at least a 225 grs and I prefer the 250-270 grain weights in the 338-358 and 375 calibers launched at a minimum of 2300fps. thats a preferance gained after watching close to a hundred dead ELK dressed out over 35 plus years in several states and having hunted in several larger ELK camps (lets say IM an OBSESSED ELK HUNTER)and having looked at the internal damaged carefully. now that being said and having hunted with guys over the years carrying 25/06 and 257 wby rifles on several occasions and having one guys dad carry a 257 roberts for many years I can honestly tell you that the guy BEHIND the rifle has a great deal to do with what works well!
will a 257 roberts, or 25/06 , KILL ELK? HELL YES!, in the hands of an excellent shot its fully up to the task under most conditions if premium bullets are used. and the range is not excessive. but it does not have the same effect on impact, it doesn,t penetrate as deeply from less than ideal angles, and it won,t leave the same wound path thru an ELK.
now why would you put yourself under a handicap, that will limit your range, limit your potential choice of shot angles , when a differant sellection that won,t have those potential problems, is available. like the others Id suggest a 270 win as a more reasonable minimum
I started out with a 30/06, it killed ELK just fine but it had no where near the instant effect on impact the 338-358-375 calibers had, nor did it tend to leave exit wounds on raking angles

Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,477
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 1,477
I love reading these types of threads but I have a hard time chiming in because I feel that it's pretty hard to draw the line for someone else. There is no doubt that a .257 will kill an elk; just put a well-constructed bullet in the right place and the animal will die. The problem lies in the nature of the hunter himself. How good a shot are you? What are your personal limits on shots that you'd take/pass up? One of my sons is very fussy, and refuses to shoot at animals unless they are within 200 yards and standing broadside. Second, the kid (well, he's 21 now) is a helluva shot, even offhand. With him, I know I'd feel comfortable seeing him shoot at an elk with just about anything greater than a .22 LR. He prefers to use his .270 and sometimes he uses one of our .308's, and they are more than enough for the task, given his abilities and preferences.

Everyone has to draw the line somewhere, and they should base that decision on a knowledge of the terrain they'll hunt and their abilities/habits - and also what makes them feel confident. You've had some input here from some very experienced hunters who have shot a lot more elk than I have (allen, Brad, Mark, etc.) and they have given you some different answers. The thing is, they're all correct!

For my personal use, I draw the line at .27 caliber. I'm an OK shot but nothing special. My limit is 300 yards, and then the rest has to be solid. I'll take a quartering (45 degree) shot but that's the sharpest angle I'll attempt. I'd shoot an elk with a 6mm, .25, or a 6.5 if the opportunity arose, but I wouldn't intentionally choose those calibers if I was heading out after an elk. I prefer to use the .30-06, as that seems to suit me just fine, and I have never had an elk go very far after being hit with one.

Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,451
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,451
I've noticed for the past couple years that you capitalize ELK all the time.

Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,630
Campfire Outfitter
Offline
Campfire Outfitter
Joined: Dec 2005
Posts: 12,630
You know guy's the old record book polor bear was killed with a 270 Win and a factory 130 gr broze point.I wouldn't pick a 25 cal myself but with proper shot placement and bullet construction it will work.Just won't have the knock-down power as a larger diameter bullet.The bigger the bullet the more energy is deposited.

Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 362
Campfire Member
Offline
Campfire Member
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 362
Yes, and to lend further insult the 130 bronze- point was fired from a Rem. M760 pump. Now that's my idea of a real polar bear rilfe.

I think the chap's name was Tom Bolack, then govenor of N.Mexico. Proably a Democrat. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Love those old Outdoor Lifes! Pedro

Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,936
Campfire Tracker
Offline
Campfire Tracker
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 3,936
That's it, I'm putting my 25-06AI up for sale, along with the Roy....................

Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,451
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,451
Quote
You know guy's the old record book polor bear was killed with a 270 Win and a factory 130 gr broze point.I wouldn't pick a 25 cal myself but with proper shot placement and bullet construction it will work.Just won't have the knock-down power as a larger diameter bullet.The bigger the bullet the more energy is deposited.


A gun that was "too small" with a bullet that was "not only standard, but fast expanding-not deep penetrating"


Maybe shot placement DOES work after all.

Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 958
M
Campfire Regular
Offline
Campfire Regular
M
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 958
The smallest cartrdge I have ever killed elk with was the 270WSM but it was only 50 yards away and a bang flop neck shot with 140 grain Failsafe which penciled through the neck. It was a smallish cow too. I had about 3 seconds to get off the shot. My brother shot a larger cow with same cartridge and we had to track it for several miles even though it was terminally wounded in the vitals. The next year (this year) we traded those rifles in for 30-06's. And we will be shooting 180 grain Nosler Partitions, or possibly 168 TXS. I agree that bullet diameter is meaningfull. Personally, I now put my minium at 30-06. But I have absolutely nothing against those that select smaller, less capable cartridges as thats a personal choice we are all entitled to. I feel that it best to be equipped with something that will perform with less than ideal shot positioning with bone breaking capacity. Ideally, my personal favorite is the 338 WM for elk. Every one I have shot with it went nowhere fast. The shock that cartridge provides is devastating even compared to the 30-06. Right now my philosophy is that I only have time to get real competent with one rifle, so I've elected the 30-06 for both deer and elk and anything else I will hunt. I believe in developing intimacy with your rifle no matter what cartridge you select. I will say that in my elk hunting life I have had very few shots like on TV where they wait and wait for just the right moment for that easy broadside shot right behind the shoulder. My experience is that the window of opportunity has always closed very fast and one needs to be prepared for fast decision making and knowing where to place shots at different angles......and having a gun and shooter that can pull it off without a hitch. The only shots I have ever passed on were either too far away (rare) or not enough time in the clear, or lastly elk going straight away with only butt showing

Page 4 of 5 1 2 3 4 5

Moderated by  RickBin 

Link Copied to Clipboard
YB23

Who's Online Now
573 members (219 Wasp, 007FJ, 160user, 10gaugeman, 17CalFan, 1Longbow, 54 invisible), 2,377 guests, and 1,107 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Forum Statistics
Forums81
Topics1,187,597
Posts18,398,217
Members73,815
Most Online11,491
Jul 7th, 2023


 







Fish & Game Departments | Solunar Tables | Mission Statement | Privacy Policy | Contact Us | DMCA
Hunting | Fishing | Camping | Backpacking | Reloading | Campfire Forums | Gear Shop
Copyright © 2000-2024 24hourcampfire.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5
(Release build 20201027)
Responsive Width:

PHP: 7.3.33 Page Time: 0.114s Queries: 14 (0.003s) Memory: 0.8947 MB (Peak: 1.0491 MB) Data Comp: Zlib Server Time: 2024-03-28 12:48:02 UTC
Valid HTML 5 and Valid CSS