Not too many people like the 25-06 more than I do. And I'm a Ruger nut, too. That being said, I'd find a different cartridge to hunt elk with.

I don't even really like the idea of using a 270, either, as I don't see it as being *that* much different than a 25-06. And a .308 has heavier bullets, but not all that much 'oomph', IMO. If you like the .308 case, I'd use that as an excuse to go out and get something in the new 338 Federal.

For what it's worth, I'd start my elk cartridge list at 7 mag and go up from there (300 mag, 338 win mag, etc), although the 30-06 has taken tons of elk, too. Some of the bigger 30-06 based cartridges (338-06, 35 Whelan) are supposed to be excellent elk rounds, also.


Well said. Reminds me of watching poker - the most brilliant moves are the ones where the player lays down a monster hand because he knows it's just not good enough.

I love my 25-06, and I know, sure, it will kill elk at 200 yards fairly easily with a good marksman. But...I also know that I have a 7mm Rem. Mag that will do more damage and have bullets built for that kind of job (plus bullets less than .26 are illegal in NE for elk). I would suggest at least a280 (7mm-06 basically) for a good elk rifle. All the better, I'm a fan of the 7mm Rem Mag, and even a 300 Win mag would be nice for elk. They're tough critters and can go a long ways if you haven't fully disabled them.

With good shot placement and more important, good judgment, the 25-06 is adequate for elk. However its not the equal of the 270 and 280 even if it does use the same case. The Elk of a lifetime still does not justify taking iffy shots because more often than not a guy wounds the animal and does not recover it. Any quarry deserves better from the hunter. I would keep the 25-06 for deer where it excells and move up a notch or two for elk. The 7MM-08, 7X57, 260,270, 280, 308, 30-06 or 300 Win Mag would do a better job on elk.

Thank you James! Pretty well sums it up .Shoot as far away as you are competant and not at bad angles.Any gun is a good gun if you shoot straight.The elk in my deep freeze didn't read the ballistic charts either and a 25-06 put him to sleep.No qualms about smacking moose with this as well.With lungs the size of a beachball and staying away from the shoulder blade dead is dead.Killed a black bear with same load this spring with chest to tail lengthways penetration.At what point of the animal,s death did the25-06 fail? Harold

Ok huge .25 fan and a bigger ruger fan in fact my .25 is a ruger. I am a huge fan of the smaller calibers. because when its all said and done the only thing that is gonna tell the tale is bullet placement! that being said if you are and "average " hunter/shooter then perhaps the best choice is a larger caliber, (no slams intended) but if you know your capibilites and are confident you can do the job with a .25 I say go for it. as for me never having done any elk hunting I would grab my 338 min mag ....lol

25/06 is a great rifle for about anything. But if I were you, I would get a CZ 550 American in a 6.5x55 swedish mauser or in a .260 rem. The 6.5 even has more penetration than a .300 win. mag on an elk. But your right NO .270s. lol

hope i have helped you

My sentiments exactly. I find it humorous when people say that you must shoot a cannon at any game animal. There are people that think you must shoot a 300 RUM on whitetail. Gotta blow a big hole in that sucker!

You can gutshoot a whitetail with a 454 NITRO and still lose the animal.

It's all about shot placement on any animal with any caliber.

If you feel comfortable shooting an elk at whatever distance with the 25-06, let her rip.I promise with a well placed shot the animal won't know that you were shooting a smaller caliber.

Good call on the 270; however, elk at 500 to 600 yards.... 25-06? .... sonny, you are heading in the wrong direction.

For elk at any range use a tool proportionate to the job for predictable results with leeway for the human factor.
For elk at 500/600 yards IMHO you need to significantly up your level of play, start at a 300WinMag and move up from there.... this ain't tiddly winks.

BTW, a 22LR "put in the right spot" will do the job.... that ain't the point.

BTW did you get any of those elk this year?
Are you sure you are trained and competent at 600 yards?

1st...A 280 with a 150 gr bullet only has 400 more ft lbs of energy at 200 yards than a 25-06 with 120 gr bullet, and the velocity at 200 yards is almost exactly the same...and most people on this thread have said that the 280 is a good elk caliber. So what makes a 280 Remmore "ideal" for elk than a 25-06? Heavier bullet options? Energy? Trajectory?

2nd...I don't care what caliber you are shooting...600 yards...well.... is 600 yards. Every Caliber will be dropping like a rock at that distance. The 280 Rem with140 gr bullets drops 43" at 500 yards. The 25-06 with 120 gr bullets drop 43.5" or so. Add another 100 yards to that and both calibers are falling quickly!

I'm not saying anybody is wrong on this thread...we all have our preferrences. But my original point is you can't get any deader than dead. A dead elk cares not of the ballistics of the bullet that killed him.

I didnt get one. there were 10 hunters on the trip and only 1 connected with a 318 yard shot. that was the closest anyone got. 2 hunters shot a combined 20 times at one at 400-500 yds. the shots i took on that trip were further than any i have ever attempted and i was not comfrotable shooting at that distance espically with a short barreled .308. the guide said to shoot so I did. it was the best hunting experience ive ever had even though i didnt kill anything.