The 25-06 Is it really enough for mule deer?

[Oldtrader3]

Fotis, the 210 Partition was the bullet back in the 1960's for elk hunting and that is what I used.

 

[FOTIS]

I meant the 7mm bullet failure.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Sorry Fotis, I misunderstood. It was a 175 grain, 7mm, Coreloct Magnum that hit the near shoulder and went no further. I thought that I missed until I caught a glimpse of blood on the near side shoulder as he cut a trail up the canyon and unto the brush. It did not break the shoulder, shown by the way he was running. I have not used anything less than .30 caliber on elk since.

 

[remingtonman_25_06]

How far was he when you shot him?

Core lokts suck out of magnum rifles at closer range, there like varmint bullets...

If you were using a Partition like ya do in your 338 that would have never happened...Not the 7mms fault

 

[Oldtrader3]

The elk was in a power line clear cut on a hillside and was about 100 yards away across a small draw which he went down, then up after being hit into the thick stuff. I have never used Corelocts for game since, just Partitions.

I am running about 40 deer in a row DRT with one shot kills from Partitions in my .270 Model 70. That plus several elk killed by 210 or 225 gr, .338 Partitions tells me what I need to know about this subject!

 

[jmad_81]

I have killed a lot of deer, mostly with one shot. Elk are totally a different set of circumstances and I lost my first elk to a 175 gr bullet faiure with a 7mm Mag. I went out and bought a .338 Win Mag, High Power, Browning and never looked back

Funny, I ended up with a 338 WM because I used a 270 win for my first elk. She died, but I didn't even know I hit her on the first shot till I was skinning her out. Every elk I have hit with my 338 WM, no mistaking the sound of a hit.

I'm also a huge proponent of the shoot till the knife is bloody theory. I had to give that lesson a few times this last week. A gal got her first elk on the ground, we all thought it was dead. She emptied her gun (I didn't know about that until to late), and we walked up to her bull and it got up and started to run off. I may have paniced and grabbed her rifle and a shell from my pocket and put one through its heart. Later it turns out she was handing me the rifle to kill it when it got up. I felt really bad about doing that until she told me she wanted me to.

Elk are tough, small bullets will work (not as good as big ones though), but above all, it's about shot placement.

 

[Wincheringen]

While I haven't had that happen, I've heard from plenty of people that have. Bowhunters always give game a little time to expire and I do to, 30-45 minutes before I start getting excited.

 

[onesonek]

Having owned a .25-06 for several years and having killed several deer with it, I have some thoughts about using this caliber for elk. I do not consider the .25-06 ideal for elk under a lot of circumstances, because of bullet weight. The only .25-06 bullet that I would consider for elk would be the 120 gr Partition.

First I would like to say, I know more muledeer guides using a .25-06 for their personal deer rifle than any other.
But to Charlie's point on elk which I agree,,,,,
One of my mentors, Bob Milek had used the .25-06 on elk himself, a number of times. He really didn't like promoting it as an elk round however. He kept the range to under 150 yds or so, and said that was about the max distance he would use it on elk and with 120 NPT. But was one of his favorites for such use. Like always, he mentioned placement is everything. He new the elk well, and how to get in that range. Speed and flat trajectory, don't make up for displacement. As the diameter goes down, so must the range. Raw energy isn't everything.
Over the years, I believe many hunters and people in the writing industry have taken to the writings/reflections of Col. Whelen, that a 1000 ft/lbs. for deer, and 1500 ft/lbs for elk. Hunter's tend to cross that over to many other rounds, but iirc, he was refering mainly to the new (at the time period) .30-06. Again, much can be said for displacement, even if when when we are talk .025". A 1000 ft/lbs with a good bullet out a .45 will kill an elk every time if the hunter does his or her part.
With that said, I could do well with a .25-06, .30-06, and .35 Whelen being the only 3 big game rifles in my cabinet.
Just my 2 cents worth.

 

[Oldtrader3]

I don't have a lot of rifles, aside from varmit and small game. I have a .257 Roberts, .270 Win, 7mm Rem Mag, .30.06, .338 Federal and a 9.3x74R. I kind of have them grouped for deer, elk and larger stuff, with a back-up rifle for each catagory. Each one is carefully matched with a scope that maximises the rifle's usefulness to me. Without the backups, I could get by with (3) I suppose, but why even try?

All of the mule deer guides that I know in the Rocky Mountains use a .300 Win Mag but who's counting.

 

[onesonek]

Likwise Charlie, I quit trying years ago. And again, I agree on the matching up. Which is why when I get something, it is loaded with a pretty much a specific load/bullet weight, for a rather specific use in mind. And while I personally don't have a .25 at this time, nor the .35 Whelen, I have other's to fill those use's. But's that's the great part,,,,,,we have so many choice's to fill our individual wants and needs. I also don't think there is a bad choice, when used within the limitations of individual chamberings.

 

[Oldtrader3]

No, I don't think there are any bad choices. It comes down to what you what you want and how you see your choices filling that need. I mean, nobody needs a 9.3x74R!

 

[Guy Miner]

"I could do well with a .25-06, .30-06, and .35 Whelen being the only 3 big game rifles in my cabinet. Just my 2 cents worth."

I think that's some mighty fine advice, for 2 cents! :grin:

 

[FOTIS]

"I could do well with a .25-06, .30-06, and .35 Whelen being the only 3 big game rifles in my cabinet. Just my 2 cents worth."

I think that's some mighty fine advice, for 2 cents! :grin:

To say the least Guy.

Very astute observation.

 

[Oldtrader3]

Absolutely!

 

[Guy Miner]

Credit onesonek with that one, I just latched onto it.

Could easily see adding a great .22 rimfire to the list, and maybe a varmint rifle, thus being well armed for pretty much anything outside of African Dangerous Game.

Of course my Dad would ask why the .25-06 or the .35 Whelen are necessary. That man has incredible faith in his .30-06 1903 Springfield. Heck, he's been shooting it about 60 years. If he doesn't shoot a .22 rimfire or his .22-250 varminter, he just grabs the .30-06, after a 10 year fling with the .308 for hogs some time ago.

Guy

 

[SJB358]

"I could do well with a .25-06, .30-06, and .35 Whelen being the only 3 big game rifles in my cabinet. Just my 2 cents worth."

I think that's some mighty fine advice, for 2 cents! :grin:

Same here! I could do alot of damage with my 264 and 338 too though.. Too many cool combos.

 

[onesonek]

"I could do alot of damage with my 264 and 338 too though.. Too many cool combos."

Indeed!