an age old dilemna

[elkslayer308]

Hey everybody, the question i have for the knowledgable talking heads is this-270 with 130 or 25-06 with 120? I have a nice remington 700 in 25-06 and load it with 120 gr partitions. I have seen two elk killed with it on loan but never killed one myself. I have been in the market for a similar 270 Winchester simply because i would prefer the same flat shooting characteristics with a heavier bullet. I have heard that the 130 partiotn is dynamite on elk. I dont like to have anything make tracks after i shoot it the first time so these stories of elk running off 60-100 yards is not my favorite ballgame. So should i go 270 for its bullet weight or load up my 25-06 with 120's and call it square?

 

[JD338]

There really isn't enough of a difference between the two. Both the 25-06 and the 270 Win are on the low end for elk.
Yes, they will kill elk way out there but you need to consider bullet weight.
The heavier weights from 7mm up will give you the penetration needed for breaking heavy bones and quarting shots.
If you want serious killing power, look at the 300 and 338 caliber magnums.

JD338

 

[furn7r]

if you hit elk i the right spot with the 25-06 they don't run far at all seen 3 killed by my son and a big 6x6 bull killed with one with a 110 grain bullet the gun is good on them up to 300 yards shot placement is the key i have shot elk with my 300 win mag and have had to shoot them 2 times in the shoulder . here is a story that i personaly did shot a cow elk with a 7mm mag she went down me and my uncle went out cut her throat laid my gun on her side went out in the fiel farther out to help 2 others find there elk come back to mine and she got up and started to run off had to shoot her one more time so with elk i say they die when they want to with what ever you shoot them with eather that or she was a possessed elk lol my uncle said he had never seen that eather whe she got up and ran he looked at me and said i thought you cut her throat and he seen when i shot her again in the head i had

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

I dont know how many times I've said this, but I'm in the same dilema right now. I would like to take an elk with my 25-06. Its about the only animal in oregon I have not taken. I have a lot of respect for this cartridge, it kills better then it should. I know it would work for elk out to at least 400 yards, maybe 500. You have to be careful about your shots. The 120g Partition is not really meant for the 25-06, it is more meant for the 257 Weatherby. I have shot the 120's into newspaper and they did not impress me as far as expansion. THe 115g Partition I think is the way to go. With that said, I have 100g partitions and 110g AB's and if I remember correctly bob milek and a couple other older gunwriters used a 25-06 with 100g hornadys to take elk and never lost one. I will only be using it on spikes, no big bulls. I'm pretty confident in my shooting ability to put the bullet where I want it. Bottom line is to put that bullet in the elks chest, with a good shot and he'll more then likely go no farther then 50-75 yards at most. My favorite cartridge for western hunting is the 25-06 for everythign except elk right now. Maybe when I pop an elk at 400 yards or so, that might change my mind, but I love my 300 RUM for the raw power it delivers as far as I can hit an elk.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

seen your from eastern oregon, where from?? Also, the .270 with a 130g offers nothing more then the 25-06 with 115g or 120g. The .270 with a 130g Partition is hardly what I would consider "dynamite" on elk. My dad shot several elk with a 270 win adn 130g bullets and they all took at least 2 shots. The first would knock them off there feet, but they would get right back up. A better bullet for elk out of the .270 would be the 140g AB, Partition, or better yet the 150g bullets, those bullets would be superior to anything the 25-06 coudl do. I have both and am experimenting right now with the 150g gamekings for long range deer hunting out to 700 yards. Bigger bullets are the way to go for insurance reasons. They hit harder and insure penetration, with less wind drift.

 

[JD338]

Rem Man,

Consider this scenario.
Last hour of the last day of 2006 elk season and you have hunted hard.
Cold front is moving in and it starting to snow. Could see a foot or more by morning.
Finally, there is your bull. Lasered 407yds quartering towards you. You only have time to dial up and make a quick adjustment for wind and shoot because he is going to disappear over the mountain.
The cross hairs of the Mark 4 are locked on the point of the shoulder. You release the safty and "send it".

The 115 gr PT from your 25-06 "should" do the job BUT the 200 gr AB from your 300 RUM will poleax him where he stands. You also have a better chance of an exit would should you have to do any tracking.
Like engines, there is no replacement for displacement. Go with the bigger gun. :wink:

JD338

 

[big rifle man]

JD338, You are absolutely correct. There's a reason I either carry a .338 Ultramag or a .30 caliber Mag on an Elk Hunt. There are too many times when the shot is less than ideal. I've seen too many instances when lightweight bullets fail completely. It's bad enough chasing a wounded deer over hill and dale let alone an Elk. The heavier bullet has a far better chance of passing into the animal and doing its job That's the exact reason I've been using partitons.

 

[JD338]

big rifle man,

I have a 338 RUM had took a bull elk at 350 yds using the 210 gr PT.
The bull dropped and than I heard the WACK. A sight to behold my friend.

JD338

 

[Eagleye]

I have been privileged to hunt the majestic Wapiti [Elk] all my hunting life. I have shot them with everything from the 257 Roberts up. Those who caution to use a bit more gun for Elk are wise. My favorite Elk medicine is my 30-338 with the 200 Partition or AccuBond at 3000 fps. or for hunting where shots are a bit closer up and personal, my 35 Whelen with a good 250 grainer at 2650. These drop Elk with authority. Purposely trying to see how far out one can kill an Elk with a 25 cal slug is irresponsible IMHO. I have killed elk with 25's, but never took a shot on the far side of 200 yards, simply because I felt that it is too easy for those little projectiles to fail to do the job quickly and humanely at long range. I have shot several Elk with the 264 Win Mag out to 400 or so, but that 140 Partition at 3250+ is pretty effective medicine, and really penetrates well due to great sectional density. Still like a bit bigger slug for Elk, particularly a big Bull. If you are shooting yearling cows or calves, then any gun that kills big muleys will suffice. However, I have seen older cow elk that dressed over 440 lbs, so one might want to keep that in mind when choosing your elk rifle. Regards, Eagleye.

 

[Greg Nolan]

Someone is going to hate me but to say a light bullet from a 25-06 or .270 is plenty of power but a .300 mag is woefully lacking is hard to understand unless something is wrong in bullet selection or shot placement. Basic physics says the bigger the bullet the more reliable shock and penetration will be. My 22-250 is deadly on 90 lb. Ca. blacktails with the right bullet & placement but not for big whitetails or mule deer. Elmer Keith was right "Use enough gun". Your ability to shoot the gun accurately and handle the recoil should be your limiting factor, especially on elk.
Good Hunting!

 

[big rifle man]

Amen Greg, I think 99 Percent of us are on the right channel.

 

[FOTIS]

Elk hunts mean too much to me to mess around with 25-06's and 270's.
There are so many better suited tools for the job at hand.
300 rum for me with 200 AB