Is 25-06 big enough for elk?

I shoot a 25-06 for elk here in Wyoming. I shoot a 117 grain bullet at max powder load and have never had a problem yet. As lock as I can put it where it needs to be I have nothing to worry about.
 
A new Cooper 25-06 should be here in a few days. Don't doubt the 25's credentials, but as a nu-bee elk hunter I think I'll take my 280 Remington this fall.

Axis deer in TX may be the first 25-06 target.
 
if you got the time to wait for the shot thats just rite sure
if however you are on a week or 10 day hunt or have a shot that is less than perfect get a bigger cal,.,, mass matters
 
with the country elk live in you want it to dump in its tracks or it will run to the nastiest spot on the mountain making the pack much harder.
i have went to the 300 mag for that reason.
with that said i also hunt them with a bow when i draw my elk here but its different country and can generally get the truck or four wheeler to them.
down in encampment its so rugged you want them drt.
the point is some places you need the big guns
 
shepherd0610 said:
I have killed 4 cow elk and 2 bull elk with a .25-06 either in neck or double lung. from ranges or 50 yards to 300 plus.
I think it is a perfect rifle for elk.
my wife uses a .243 for elk and has taken 3 cows with it.

we use Nosler Partitions and do wonders on lungs and don't even twitch when shot in neck.
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Thousands of multi-year elk hunters agree with you, including those of decades past who harvested cows and the biggest bulls with 87 grain partitions from the then new 25-3000 calibre Savage lever actions. Some areas in the Rocky Mountain states & Canuck provinces didn't take an new elk hunter seriously unless a fella had one of these new 25 calibre Savages in the crok of his arm. Then Remington made the wildcat 25-06 an official cartridge, and it was even better than Savages 25-3000.

Look up the noted Texan Sportsman - Russell Thornberry, and his vast successful hunting prowess with his beloved 25-06 for a strong endorsement of using 115 grain Nosler Partitions and the clean shot pass-throughs he experienced consistently with this great hunting cartridge.

And, and, note the super nice mild recoil and distinctive 'pufff' report of this efficient bullet.

As one of Mr. Thornberry's hunting articles is head-lined "In Praise of the 25-06"!

Cheers Pilgrims..!!!
 
with a properly placed shot at the right distance yes, you can kill an elk with 25-06. elk are tough as nails had a friend shoot one with a 30-06, less than perfect shot. we trailed that cow to the top of the mountain and all we found was a gut bag. A fellow on the ridge finished her off. I've killed several with a crossbow @ about 55yds. Personally I always hunted with something bigger like a .338 Win Mag however, I hunted griz country and wanted enough gun for the griz. I'd probably choose a .300 Win Mag, I don't like tracking or loosing one. Here's an article for you to read. Elk Cartridges
 
ConfusedCoyote said:
I'm going to get a 25-06. And I need a little advise on whether the 25-06 is big enough to do the job on a elk. I'm getting the 25-06 for pronghorn and shoot a few coyote's. I'm saving my points for a good elk hunt and pronghorn but that's going to take 6 more years at least to have enough points. I'm also thinking about getting a Ar-15 or Ar-10 and worry about the elk and pronghorn later. The ar would be a fun gun and they might be impossible to get real soon. It probably looks like I'm confused and I might be but if anybody has any input that would be great.
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First think you need to figure out is are you good enough. The 25-06 will hold up it's end depending on how you use it. That is where you come in big time! Myself I wouldn't recommend anything smaller than a 6.5 for the heavier bullets available. That alone will give you different shot choice's. I do have a 25-06 and have shot a lot of deer with it but when the animal get's bigger, I get bigger, better bullet's in my opinion!
 
Never understood while anyone wants to choose the smallest caliber available to shoot something. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve head shot some deer with a .22 and stoned them, but it’s not what I’d choose to hunt with. I prefer to overkill vs under gun.

With that said, the caliber of choice for my uncles in NM that hunt elk…the almighty .243, lol.
 
Spurchaser said:
Never understood while anyone wants to choose the smallest caliber available to shoot something. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve head shot some deer with a .22 and stoned them, but it’s not what I’d choose to hunt with. I prefer to overkill vs under gun.

With that said, the caliber of choice for my uncles in NM that hunt elk…the almighty .243, lol.
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I wouldn't take my 25-06 elk hunting for no reason than I believe I have better choices. But if the 25-06 was all I had, I'd take it and not look back! as for using smaller cartridges, I'm not fond of recoil and tend to wind down to something I don't mind shooting as long as I also believe it's adequate.
 
I don't hunt elk but have killed a good-sized deer with my 25-204, 100gr Partition at 2850 fps.

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I have no doubt a 25-06 with the big 120gr ? Partition would work fine.
 
Stick a 100gr Barnes TTSX or TSX in that 25-06, and go kill an elk.

In my experience, using a Barnes makes it seem like you are using a larger caliber.
 
TC_WY said:
I shoot a 25-06 for elk here in Wyoming. I shoot a 117 grain bullet at max powder load and have never had a problem yet. As lock as I can put it where it needs to be I have nothing to worry about.
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And there's the catch. "as long as I can put it where it needs to be>>>>" That is the catch with every cartridge and bullet. I shot a 7mm Rem Mag years ago and shot a bunch of 115gr bullet's just for kicks. But if I had to kill something with it and that bullet, no sweat! "Long as I can put it where it needs to be".
 
"And there's the catch. "as long as I can put it where it needs to be>>>>" That is the catch with every cartridge and bullet. "

Isn't that the truth?

Poor shot placement saved President Trump! Thank God!

In addition to putting it where it needs to be, a bullet has to perform when it gets there, and that is based on bullet construction. Use a properly constructed bullet for the game you are after.
 
K22-hornet said:
"And there's the catch. "as long as I can put it where it needs to be>>>>" That is the catch with every cartridge and bullet. "

Isn't that the truth?

Poor shot placement saved President Trump! Thank God!

In addition to putting it where it needs to be, a bullet has to perform when it gets there, and that is based on bullet construction. Use a properly constructed bullet for the game you are after.
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Yes it does, part of the whole scheme, is the user needs to use the bullet how it was intended to be used. It seems sometimes people buy cartridges and bullets to make up for their own short comings, doesn't generally work very well.

Something to keep in mind, two things penetrate, velocity and weight!
 
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