What is the max range of my elk hunting load?

[bigngreen]

I would sure rather have a guy show up to kill elk with a deer rifle he's been killing deer with than an "elk" rifle that he hasn't killed anything with!!! I used to deal with that crap every season and it got old taking guys out that were hopped up on RUM or Weatherby juice then trying to get them back into position to finish of the elk they just blew bits of, the most infuriating part was almost to the man they would refuse to believe they wounded an elk because they were shooting an "elk" rifle and if they hit it the internet guys guaranteed it would drop them.

I love whackn elk with a 338 as much as the next guy but I dang sure don't need it to kill elk consistently and I sure don't need to shoot an elk in any position no matter how big it is I'll wait for the shot I know will do the job, if I don't get the shot I'm looking for he wins that day and I don't ram a bullet up his poop shoot or shoot him in the hind end and break him down I watch and enjoy playing in the mountains against such a great opponent!!!!

It's simply elk hunting, they aren't cape buffalo or rhino!!!!!

mtntrapper1, Sarge rings a bell but I'm not sure. The last game warden in my area to retire that I knew well was Mark Anderson.

 

[Silverdoctor]

I would rather a guy show up with an elk rifle he has practiced with and is experienced with than a whitetail hunter with his deer rifle... I think we all agree on one thing... use the appropriate rifle caliber and amo for the job, practice and become confident in what your ability is, and don't shoot at an animal unless it is a solid shot you can make. I have passed on as many elk over the years and have no regrets.... that is called experience.

 

[angus-5024]

A 25-06 isnt an elk gun... but it is totally capable of killing an elk, and responsiblly too. Set a range limit and stay within it. If all I had as a young man was a .243, win I would take it. I would probably limit myself to 150 yards or less, but I would still hunt.

With a 25-06 I would probably limit myself to 300 yards. But I would still go. Elk/moose rifles absolutley start at .30 cal and go from there, but you dont need an elk rifle to hunt elk.

 

[Quasimodo]

Assuming it is "my" elk hunting load", and I'm holding the rifle, that 115 grainer will need less than 200 yards on a "mature Colorado bull". Guess we perhaps should be willing to extrapolate from ballistic data in a context that includes some common sense regarding the creature we are hunting and the limitations of the hunter.

 

[elkaholic]

Hard to believe some of the posts on this subject. Please, teach young hunters that to hunt in an ethical manner you should always use a rifle and ammunition that is appropriate for the game you are hunting and you should never take a shot that is beyond the range you have practiced at and are confident. I am not impressed by people bragging about how they have killed elk at long range with a small caliber rifle... that is just plain stupid. Many professional guides will not even take you out unless you have a large caliber rifle and a 180 grain bullet. And for good reason... they don't want you to wound and lose a fine animal. Try replacing your ego with some common sense. A 25-06 is too small for elk. The largest good bullet available is only 120 grains and even at high velocity (like a Superformance SST) it is just not enough to consistently kill a large animal like a bull elk... even at as little as 100 yards. It is a ridiculous premise.

I guess the 25 + bulls that I've killed with a .264, and yes, a couple with a 25, didn't realize they were dead? Not many here are suggesting that a 25-06 is a "go to" elk rifle and yes, it should be used with some common sense, but your statement is just plain wrong! The reason guides insist on larger rifles is because half of the people they guide have more $$$$ than brains when it comes to elk hunting and don't have a clue! I can tell that your expertise is based on something other than experience. Have you ever shot anything with a 25-06 with a Nosler partition? Have you ever killed an elk?? Give the kid a break and let him hunt!......Rich

 

[Silverdoctor]

Well Rich, I have been hunting for over 50 years and 21 of those years as a professional guide... A 25-06 is not an appropriate elk rifle... at any range for a kid or anyone else. I have taken trophy elk all over the West including a trophy 8 by 8 in Idaho in 2007... People who take shots with a rifle that is too small caliber or at distances that are better taken at paper on a range than at a live animal just have an ego that is larger than their brain... Ethical hunting begins with good judgement, and using some common sense when it comes to using the appropriate firearms for the game they are hunting. I don't care how many elk someone has taken with a small caliber rifle... it is not what you should encourage young hunters to try. They should be encouraged to be responsible and ethical hunters and doing otherwise is not in the best interest of anyone.

 

[elkaholic]

Well Rich, I have been hunting for over 50 years and 21 of those years as a professional guide... A 25-06 is not an appropriate elk rifle... at any range for a kid or anyone else. I have taken trophy elk all over the West including a trophy 8 by 8 in Idaho in 2007... People who take shots with a rifle that is too small caliber or at distances that are better taken at paper on a range than at a live animal just have an ego that is larger than their brain... Ethical hunting begins with good judgement, and using some common sense when it comes to using the appropriate firearms for the game they are hunting. I don't care how many elk someone has taken with a small caliber rifle... it is not what you should encourage young hunters to try. They should be encouraged to be responsible and ethical hunters and doing otherwise is not in the best interest of anyone.

If what you say is true, and I am assuming it is, then you should know better! Stating facts is not bragging! I have killed approx. thirty bulls with a .264 (.007" larger than a 25), and lost one that I tried to shoot too far with the wrong bullet (MY BAD)! I would be willing to bet that anyone on this forum that has killed 30 bulls with a .338 has lost AT LEAST one! I now use a 30 because I am consistently shooting longer ranges. In order for a kid to be an "ethical hunter" he has to be a hunter. He has plainly stated that this is what he has and he has gotten a lot of good advice and some bad. READ THIS AGAIN! A well placed shot with a well constructed bullet from a 25-06 at a reasonable range is a dead elk. I'm sure he will get what you recommend when he has the $$$$$$.......Rich

 

[bigngreen]

Riddle me this, why won't a 25-06 work for elk at any range, do you have facts or feeling!!!

 

[ADMIN]

Please talk about performance and not ethics.

Ethics discussions are divisive and not instructive.

 

[Sauer 150]

Please talk about performance and not ethics.

Ethics discussions are divisive and not instructive.

Since I'm new to the forum - I have a question.

From your answer in this tread ethics discussions are not welcome on this forum? If so I do believe you are making the wrong call.

When pushing the envelope as much as is done by some here on live game ethics discussions should be one of the very basis of their dicisions to let go of such a shot.

Without ethical discussion whether a caliber is being big enough, if the shot was to long we are just putting the knowledge of LR shooting in the hands of anyone out there - that might more than possibly be in need of some serious correction on some of their decisions. Youtube is full of morons buying into the LR craze without having a second thought about these are living creatures and not steel gongs.

Hunting is not war and a cripple should not be tolerated.

Be gagging ethics discussions one thereby invite the "morons" to the party and by doing so you let the general public use the few extreme ones without having almost any ethical fracture of their person being the yardstick LR hunters are being measured by.

But your the boss and you're the one making the decissions. In this case however I personally feel you are making a poor choice by not using your power as editor and administrator wisely.

But again maybe you state side have a different approach and a 10% wound rate is tolerable.

I also again appologize for some of my choices in words and frases. English is my third language after Norwegian and German. So not all is done with the proper grammar and from a somewhat limited vocabulary. It usually comes out a little more black and white than intended

 

[angus-5024]

Since I'm new to the forum - I have a question.

From your answer in this tread ethics discussions are not welcome on this forum? If so I do believe you are making the wrong call.

When pushing the envelope as much as is done by some here on live game ethics discussions should be one of the very basis of their dicisions to let go of such a shot.

Without ethical discussion whether a caliber is being big enough, if the shot was to long we are just putting the knowledge of LR shooting in the hands of anyone out there - that might more than possibly be in need of some serious correction on some of their decisions. Youtube is full of morons buying into the LR craze without having a second thought about these are living creatures and not steel gongs.

Hunting is not war and a cripple should not be tolerated.

Be gagging ethics discussions one thereby invite the "morons" to the party and by doing so you let the general public use the few extreme ones without having almost any ethical fracture of their person being the yardstick LR hunters are being measured by.

But your the boss and you're the one making the decissions. In this case however I personally feel you are making a poor choice by not using your power as editor and administrator wisely.

But again maybe you state side have a different approach and a 10% wound rate is tolerable.

I also again appologize for some of my choices in words and frases. English is my third language after Norwegian and German. So not all is done with the proper grammar and from a somewhat limited vocabulary. It usually comes out a little more black and white than intended

Ethics is important. But the "no talking ethics" rule is what keeps this site freindly and informative. It is hands down the best place, IMO, to talk longrange. It is so because of these rules.

 

[elkaholic]

Ethics is important. But the "no talking ethics" rule is what keeps this site freindly and informative. It is hands down the best place, IMO, to talk longrange. It is so because of these rules.

Agree! What is ethical to one person may be TOTALLY unethical to someone else. Often opinions, facts, and ethics are, confused. If something has been working for a person for years and they share this with another newer member, I don't consider it unethical or bragging! The person still has to, in their own conscience, make a decision based on their own interpretation........Rich

 

[Silverdoctor]

Fine, so, lets just talk about the technical capabilities of a 25-06. It is a very good long range caliber and my personal favorite for hunting sheep and pronghorn... shoots flat and with a high muzzle velocity. But, a 120 grain bullet, in my opinion, is not big enough to consistently kill an elk at the typical ranges they are shot. In the hands of an inexperienced hunter definitely not appropriate for the job. For about the same price, you can purchase a larger caliber rifle that will do it better. I'm not saying some people can't kill elk with a 25-06, I am just saying, like many of the earlier posts, it is far from an ideal choice... especially for someone new to the game.

 

[elkaholic]

Fine, so, lets just talk about the technical capabilities of a 25-06. It is a very good long range caliber and my personal favorite for hunting sheep and pronghorn... shoots flat and with a high muzzle velocity. But, a 120 grain bullet, in my opinion, is not big enough to consistently kill an elk at the typical ranges they are shot. In the hands of an inexperienced hunter definitely not appropriate for the job. For about the same price, you can purchase a larger caliber rifle that will do it better. I'm not saying some people can't kill elk with a 25-06, I am just saying, like many of the earlier posts, it is far from an ideal choice... especially for someone new to the game.

I'll try this one more time and then end of discussion from my perspective. First of all, I have no argument with you on your feelings about what a 25-06 is good for; or not! I do question your judgemental attitude. What we have here is a kid who wants to go hunting with what he has and was looking for opinions on what range. To me, this qualifies him as an ethical hunter for just asking first and whether you happen to agree or not has nothing to do with whether what"HE" decides is ethical. I'm sure that he took note of what you, me, and several others posted, judging from his responses, and what "HE" decides is good enough for me! Secondly, my telling him about "MY" experiences to give him some more input does not make me a braggert! This has been my experience with a 25 and a 6.5. Thirdly, he has clearly stated that this is what he has for this year and I'm guessing that he doesn't have a lot of cash on hand to do otherwise. So; instead of beating him up and discouraging him, even though we ALL know there are BETTER elk guns, if he follows some of the suggestions for range, bullet choice, and shot placement, he will do just fine in spite of what you think. And if it doesn't work out, it still doesn't make him unethical. You forgot to mention whether or not you have ever shot ANYTHING with a 120 Nosler partition in your 50 years of guiding?......Rich