Elk Caliber comparison

[mikeybuck]

After a shot from another gun, the deer finally went down.

And the cow elk took 5 shots at 50-60 yards.

 

[No_Regerts]

Something to consider is whether the animal is at rest or alerted prior to the shot. Perfect shot placement on an unsuspecting animal is where I would want to limit my shots with lighter calibers.

Another thing is that the same bullet in two different calibers will often have very different jackets. I know Nosler has had to play with jacket thickness a lot.

 

[31Kwiredog]

Think it comes down to shot placement. 1st elk I ever killed was a spike in 1988 with a Savage .243 neck shot , death instant. Few years later, elk cow shoulder shot Lyman .54 cal blackpowder rifle 40yds.Found her 4hrs later and about 3-4 miles from 1st blood drop.

 

[Ura-Ki]

I have known Guys that use and swear by the .243 and the .25/06 for elk, but to me, those are not what I would call humane for a quick sure kill! I my self have been a big fan of the .270 and the .30/06 for pretty much ALL game in the U.S. I just like the ideas that I have more then enough bullet for the very worst conditions! On the other end of this, I also know a large number of guys ( and One Gal) that use .338 WM for Elk. In my mind, that may be one of the best all round Elk killers there is, but I still prefer the .270 and 06 for them! I know in Europe they use 6.5X55 Swede a lot for animals up to and including moose, but my own experience with that round has been less then adequate for Ethical Kills on Elk and bigger! I actually prefer Muzzle Loading for Elk using a .50 cal with a 410 gr bullet over a full 150gr charge of FFFg! Never has an animal hit with that combo take more then a few steps!

 

[mjbskwim]

After a shot from another gun, the deer finally went down.

And the cow elk took 5 shots at 50-60 yards.

WOW
I hit my cow last year with a 50 cal 404gr and 90gr of powder at 100 yards at she tumbled. One thru the neck put her down
I'm guessing I broke her spine but saved the back straps
That was my first elk so anything I say is second hand.
Most here use 300winmag or better. But some will tell you they have killed many over the years with 22s

 

[Koda]

I heard reports all over the spectrum over the years. 25-06 fanboys swear by it with one stop shots (Ive taken 3 bulls with mine, all one stop shots) and then I've heard stories of 30-06 needing 4 or 5 hits before the elk went down. (Ive taken 1 bull and 1 cow with a 30-06, both 1 shot kills).

What I'm seeing in ballistic data is minimal differences, what that tells me is shot placement matters. I hear if you don't place your shot in a vital is where the more powerful calibers are better, but based on the stories Ive been told it doesn't matter that elks gonna run and you stand a chance of losing it.

I do think there is a limit, somewhere, and I will admit the 25-06 is on the lower end of it... Im not certain exactly where the line is (there are lots of calibers out there...) but I don't think Id consider any smaller bullet for elk than .250", or any 25-06 bullet less than 115 grains....

 

[Koda]

It is a poor choice when comparing a 117 gr bullet to a 180 gr bullet.
Much better penetration with 180.
Those number really only matter when you are shooting at paper targets

I don't know if there is really much information out there to compare penetration between calibers and bullet weights. The last bull I shot was running directly away from me, I hit him with 117 grains in the spine and the bullet pile-drived half the spine from the bubblegum and exited up about halfway down the back.... that whole section of spine, and backstrap, was completely destroyed, one shot stop 25-06.

here is some interesting penetration data from brassfetcher.com website. They tested a Federal 150g 30-06 at 10 feet... 15.6+ inches in 10% ballistic gelating, 10+ inches penetration in 20% gelatin.
30-06 Springfield 10 Percent Ballistic Gelatin
30-06 Springfield 20 Percent Ballistic Gelatin

They don't have any data for the 25-06, but for comparison they do have penetration data for the .257 Weatherby Magnum: 10 and 16 inches penetration using a 110 grain bullet.
257 Weatherby Magnum

basically the same.

 

[bbbass]

180gr .308 at 200yds or less, center mass. The perfect shot only presented itself once. Saw a mule deer with her throat torn out due to an attempted neck shot by a friend... after that I never wanted to try for one.

 

[Joe13]

My next hunting rifles will be a 30-06 for elk and either a 30-30 or .308 for deer.

Used if I can find one for the right price.

 

[jbett98]

Saw this on Armslist last night. You can't beat the price for one of these rifles.
Hopefully it's not a scam.

For Sale: Remington 721
$ 250
Remington 721 30-06
Tasco 3x9x40 missing caps
Stock is a little scratched up but works flawlessly and is consistent to say the least!

• Location:
  Tigard, Portland, Oregon
• Shipping:
  No

 

[Joe13]

Saw this on Armslist last night. You can't beat the price for one of these rifles.
Hopefully it's not a scam.

For Sale: Remington 721
$ 250
Remington 721 30-06
Tasco 3x9x40 missing caps
Stock is a little scratched up but works flawlessly and is consistent to say the least!

• Location:
  Tigard, Portland, Oregon
• Shipping:
  No

View attachment 324983 View attachment 324984 View attachment 324985 View attachment 324986

That what I'm looking for!!!

Hopefully something like that will be around when I have the funds

 

[jbett98]

The 721 series are pre 700 rifles and the 700 adjustable triggers bolt right on.

 

[No_Regerts]

My next hunting rifles will be a 30-06 for elk and either a 30-30 or .308 for deer.

Used if I can find one for the right price.

Why not use a 30-06 or a 308 for both deer and elk? Same bullet going downrange within 7 or 8% in performance. Save some money that way.

 

[Koda]

Hopefully something like that will be around when I have the funds

I hate it when that happens and it always works out that way. Right now I cant buy new toys but am seeing some great deals all the time. Then when Im ready to buy, cant find nuthin on sale....

 

[Koda]

Why not use a 30-06 or a 308 for both deer and elk? Same bullet going downrange within 7 or 8% in performance. Save some money that way.

but then he would have to start a thread explaining why the 308 isnt much different than a 7mm Magnum...

 

[bsa1917hunter]

My next hunting rifles will be a 30-06 for elk and either a 30-30 or .308 for deer.

Used if I can find one for the right price.

Joe, a 30-06 works great on both deer and elk. If I were going to sell all of my rifles and just keep one, it would probably be a 30-06. With that being said, I've taken elk with 30-06, 300 WSM, 338WM and 9.3x62mm. I've mostly used Nosler partitions. When it comes right down to it, bullet makes more difference than the cartridge, as long as the cartridge has ample power to cleanly take down an elk. The OP's 25-06 has plenty of power to cleanly kill an elk. I know guys that use 243's for their primary hunting rifle and shoot elk damn near every year. Hit them in the boiler room with the right bullet and you'll have elk on the ground.

 

[USMC-03]

Some lively discussion and knowledgeable posts.

In the end it comes down to the overall bullet delivery system which includes the guy pulling the trigger. Shoot what you are confident in; this will offer the best opportunity for a successful hunt.

I fall into the heavy bullet/caliber camp. I've made the choice of one rifle for big game; a Springfield `03 custom in .30-06. I'm using a 165 grain Nosler Ballistic Tip for deer and 200 grain Partition for elk. Although I will say the .280 Remington is very appealing also.

I've put some thought into a two rifle battery and lean heavily to the 6.5-08 for deer and 35 Whelan. Add on a .416 Rigby and I'm all set for the Dark Continent, but that a whole different story...

To be honest though my hunting has been very limited n the past decade or so, work and family has just been the priority.

 

[Certaindeaf]

You say 25-06, I say .243.

 

[3MTA3]

Over the years Ive been cautioned by other hunters for using the 25-06 to hunt elk with as being "too light".

So I just did a quick and very rough comparison of 3 different common calibers I would call elk calibers with factory ammunition from Hornandy and Federal websites. I compared velocity, energy and trajectory of the 25-06, with the 270, 7mm MAG, and 30-06. and found the numbers not all that different from each other....


Some interesting numbers, roughly speaking...

• the 7mm Mag had the flattest trajectory (no surprise...)
  
• the 30-06 hit the hardest (ft/lbs) (I figured the 7mm would... being a "magnum" and all...)
• the 30-06 had the worst trajectory, (by up to 8" over the second worst .270 (at 500 yds))
  
• the 25-06 isn't much different than a 270
• at 300 yds and under, all these calibers are within about 2" trajectory of each other and within about 300 ft/lbs of each other... *

*comparing with only heavier 117/120 grain loads in the 25-06

So I guess my question is, if all other things being equal (shot placement, distance) does any small difference in ballistics matter?

Assuming short to medium ranges with heavy bullet construction on the speed king cartridges they will all work just fine. As others have said shot placement is both critical and humane. I'd probably steer away from the 7mm Mag there for fear of meat destruction if the bullet decides to fragment too much.

For longer distances some of these like the 7mm will be better choices for not just a flatter trajectory, but more energy due to a better ballistic coefficient, and better penetration due to a higher sectional density. Alas, longer distance shooting also means longer distance packing, so I'm a big fan of shorter distances - "Hi there Mr. Elk, could you just move over there by that hang stand and turn broadside...".

I'd also add the 35 Whelen and 338-06 to that list.

 

[Certaindeaf]

The 6 is a magic little minx.