Shot placement is, indeed, #1. It aint everything, though.

A Geo Metro can get you around perfectly well. It can carry 3 of your friends, or maybe 300 or 400 pounds of cargo and none of your friends. It's got air conditioning, a radio, reclining seats... But how many Geo Metros do you see on a construction site? You need to match your tools to the job at hand.

Elk camps arepopulated withguyswho spend 7 to 14 days of precious vacation time, $3,000 to over $10,000 of their kids' college funds,not to mention the priceless goodwill of their spouses. How many .25-06 rifles does one see in elk camp? Not many. Given what's at stake, it only makes sense to bring a cartridge with a history of success harvesting the quarry you seek.

There's no doubt that the .25-06 is a great cartridge. It's perfectly at-home in a deer camp. But there aren't many folks willing to stake their elk hunts on them.

As for shooting at 600 yards... Just make sure you're practicing at 600 yards. It would also help to practice at the same altitude at which you'll be hunting, and in the same terrain, and with similar weather/wind conditions. Remember, the wind drift at 600 yards is farmore of an unkownthan the bullet drop. I'd plan onmany, many hundreds of rounds of practice before embarking on such a hunt.

FWIW, my guide outfitter in BC said they shoot far more elk in "self defense" than they do at > 200 yards. I took mine at 65 yards, and had one called-in within 10 yards. With the hunt, tips, airfare, shuttles, hotel rooms, and taxidermy fees, I'll be in for nearly $10,000. Accordingly, I used a .30-'06 with 165 grain Hornady Interbonds.

FC